For low-income and bad credit borrowers, the FHA's mortgage loan program can sound like a dream come true. Many borrowers have heard that the FHA won't look at your credit, needs less money down, and approves applicants that other banks won't. What are the facts and what are the myths? Read on to find out.
Fact or Myth #1 - The Government Loans Money
The first common myth of FHA loans is that the US government's Federal Assistance Mortgage (FHA) program actually loans out money. This isn't the case.
An FHA loan is simply a bank/credit union loan that is backed by a guarantee from the government. If you fail to pay the mortgage, the government guarantees that they will repay the bank instead.
Because of this guarantee, the bank's lending requirements are much looser, because they're taking less risk.
Fact or Myth #2 - Your Credit Doesn't Matter
This is a half myth, half truth. While the FHA won't base your loan on your FICO score, your credit history is still important.
What the FHA is looking for is a solid history of at least 12 months, where the borrower has made all his payments on time. Instead of looking at just your credit report, the FHA may also look at your phone bills, rent history, utilities, among other bills to demonstrate your credit worthiness.
You also get the chance to demonstrate why you may have a bad credit score. For example, if you have an outstanding history of making on-time payments up until a medical emergency, and since then still managed to pay your consumer debts, you may still qualify for an FHA loan.
Fact or Myth #3 - An FHA Loan is a Better Deal
While it's true that an FHA loan entails less risk for banking institutions and therefore they can charge less, an FHA loan may not always be a better deal.
The FHA is designed to be a self-sustaining institution, and therefore has to make money as well, in the form of insurance paid to the FHA.
For low income or bad credit borrowers, FHA backed loans are almost always the better deal. For medium income or average credit, research and comparison is necessary to be sure whether FHA is for you or not.
To learn much more about FHA Home Mortgage Loans or to see about getting a Home Mortgage Loan Quote, visit us at http://www.gethomemortgageloan.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Spaulding
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Facts About FHA Mortgage Loans As Well As The Common Myths of These Loans
Bankruptcy and Buying a Home - 3 Benefits to Buying a Home After Bankruptcy
If you have filed bankruptcy recently, you may wonder if you can get approved for a home loan. You may also wonder if buying a home after a recent bankruptcy is a good idea for you.
While a bankruptcy can make getting approved for a mortgage loan more difficult, it is still possible to get approved for a mortgage loan. In fact, there are more and more bad credit loan programs coming out all the time. Subprime lenders are focusing more on helping individuals with poor credit acheive home ownership. This is happening mostly because bankruptcies are still on the rise and there is an increasing number of people with bad credit who are looking for home financing.
Here are some reasons to consider home ownership after a bankruptcy:
1. Increase Your Credit Score - When you make your payments regularly, you improve your credit rating. Once your pre-payment penalty period is over, you should be able to refinance your mortgage loan for a much lower interest rate. After your bankruptcy has been discharged for over 2-3 years, you should have a much easier time qualifying for a lower interest rate mortgage loan.
2. Accrue Equity In Your Home - If you are just making rent payments, you are throwing your monthly payments away. When you own a home, over time, home values increase and you are working toward owning an asset.
3. Take Out An Equity Loan To Consolidate Debt or Get Needed Extra Cash - Once you have bought your house, as soon as 6 months or so later, you might be able to take out an equity loan on your home and consolidate any other debt that you might have since your bankruptcy or debt that could not be included in your bankruptcy. Taxes and student loans will not be discharged in a bankruptcy. You may also want to use the extra cash to invest in a business venture or for needed home improvement.
To view our list of recommended lenders online for bad credit mortgage loans,
visit this page:
Recommended
Poor Credit Mortgage Lenders Online.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carrie_Reeder