Guide to Florida FHA Mortgage loans

Guide to Florida FHA Mortgage loans

If your thinking of buying a Florida home, or you're relocating to Florida from another location, or you may be a long-time Florida homeowner who is looking to either refinance your current mortgage or cash out refinance for home improvements. Regardless of your situation, it's important that you educate yourself on Florida FHA home loans before shopping for a home and/or your next Florida  mortgage. This article explains what you will need to know before seeking a FHA home loan in Florida:

Florida home buyers should know the many advantages of the FHA mortgage loan programs. Florida FHA loans were created to help increase home ownership. For the Florida home buyer the FHA program can simplify the purchase of a home, making financing easier and less expensive than a conventional mortgage loan product. Some highlights of the Florida FHA loan program include:

• Minimal Down Payment and Closing costs.
• Down payment less than 3% of Sales Price Gifts are allowed
• Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards closing and prepaid costs.
• 100% Financing available
• No reserves required.
• FHA regulated closing costs.
• Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:
  • No minimum FICO score or credit score requirements.
  • FHA will allow a home purchase 1 year after a Bankruptcy.
  • FHA will allow a home purchase2 years after a Foreclosure.

Apply for FHA financing in Florida at     (  http://www.FHAmortgagePrograms.com)

Florida's FHA mortgage specialist.

The median price of a home in Florida is $246,000,. And, recently the value of homes in Florida have been appreciating at astronomical rates . Infact well above the national average. As a result, income levels in many parts of Florida are too low to purchase a Florida home with a conventional loan. Although average interest rates for Florida FHA loans  are below the national average, Florida has one best levels of home affordability in the entire nation.

In Florida, before a buyer submits an offer on a Florida home, their real estate agent is required to present them with a completed Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement. The disclosure statement finished by the seller  disclosures all material facts that may affect the value of the home. The document requires the seller to list  all of the property that will be included in the purchase of the home including but not limited to the  fans, blinds, refrigerator, microwave, stove, alarm system, etc. and rate certain aspects of the conditions of both the included property and of the home itself. This document requires the seller to disclose any potential problems or hazards that may discourage the Florida  buyer from putting an offer in on the home.  

Florida's Civil Code Provision of the Real Estate Act regulates the issuance of variable interest rates for the purchase of real estate. Therefore, borrowers who are issued large mortgage amounts are guaranteed a fixed rate FHA mortgage loans. Florida law also prohibits the charging of interest more than one day prior to the recording of the mortgage even if the borrower received the loan prior to that time.

In July of 2002, Florida law enacted a set of anti-predatory lending laws in order to help protect Florida mortgage applicants from predatory lenders. Some of the provisions of this new set of laws include the prohibition of a lender charging points and fees in excess of 8% of the total principal financed amount, the prohibition of a FHA mortgage company issuing a loan to a borrower in an amount that the borrower could not reasonably afford to repay, and the prohibition of the financing of single-premium credit insurance, among others.

If you're buying a Florida home, you first want to look at the Florida FHA Loan. First-time home buyers qualify for Florida FHA loans with below-market interest rates, and, depending on their eligibility, may also qualify for a loan in order to cover down payment and/or closing costs. Teachers and other professionals who work in an educational capacity may qualify for Florida's Extra Credit Teacher Home Purchase Program, a down payment assistance loan with forgivable interest.

In addition to Florida FHA mortgage loans offers comparable programs to persons with disabilities or persons who live with and care for persons with disabilities. The state also offers several unconventional loans designed to aid homebuyers with the costs of their monthly mortgage payment. For example, Florida's Interest Only PLUS loan provides qualified homebuyers with a 100% financing 35-year loan that only requires payments toward the accrued interest on the mortgage for the first five years of the loan -- borrowers do not have to pay toward the principal amount borrowed until after the first five years. The individual requirements of each of these Florida FHA mortgage loan vary depending on the Florida county in which you are buying a house. Specific requirements can be obtained through the Florida FHA Housing Finance Agency.