President Obama to announce drop in FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums

January 7, 2015 by 1 Comment

2013-08-06_0653Tomorrow President Obama is expected to announce a reduction in the mortgage insurance premiums for new FHA mortgage loans.

From Bloomberg News:

As part of an effort to expand homeownership among entry-level buyers, President Barack Obama will announce a cut in Federal Housing Administration mortgage-insurance premiums during a speech in Phoenix tomorrow, according to three people with direct knowledge of his plans.

The annual fees the agency charges to guarantee mortgages will be cut by 0.5 percentage points, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the White House hasn’t yet made the announcement.

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FHA’s HAWK Program Delayed

December 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Osprey_muralFHA’s HAWK (Homeowners Armed with Knowledge) program, which was designed to help home buyers receive reduced mortgage insurance premiums, has been delayed for at least one year as the program was excluded from the 2015 budget.

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2015 FHA Loan Limits for Washington State

December 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment

FHA loan limits for 2015 are the same as 2014 with exception to King County, Snohomish County and Pierce County, which were all increased.

The 2014 FHA loan limits for Washington state are determined by county. Here is a list in alphabetical order by county:

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BREAKING NEWS: 2015 FHA Loan Limits HIGHER for King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties

December 5, 2014 by 3 Comments

HUD just released the loan limits for 2015. All Washington state counties will have the same FHA loan limits as 2014 with exception to King County, Snohomish County and Pierce County. The tri-county area has higher loan limits that mirror 2015 conforming loan limits.

2015 Conforming Loan Limits for King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties:

  • One Unit: $517,500 (up from $506,000)
  • Two Unit: $662,500 (up from $647,750)
  • Three Unit: $800,800 (up from $783,000)
  • Four Unit: $995,200 (up from $973,100)

I will do a follow up post with a complete list of all counties soon!

UPDATE December 15, 2014: Here is a complete list of the FHA 2015 loan limits of all Washington state counties.

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Why use an FHA Mortgage for your home loan?

November 2, 2014 by 3 Comments

mortgageporter-thinkingEDITORS NOTE 2/3/2015: Since writing this post, HUD has reduced mortgage insurance premiums (yay!) and loan limits have changed. Part of the fun of writing (and reading) a mortgage blog is that guidelines and programs change constantly. Reader beware. 🙂

When Washington state home buyers and home owners request a mortgage rate quote from me, they have many options, including FHA or conventional financing. Over recent years, conventional financing has become a more popular mortgage than FHA, despite FHA’s lower down payment requirements.

What’s not so hot about FHA?

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Seattle RE Chat – FHA’s HAWK Program [Video]

July 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment

In this episode of Seattle Real Estate Chat, Jim Reppond and I discuss FHA’s HAWK program with special guest, Frances Flynn Thorsen.

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Is it time to refi your FHA mortgage?

June 25, 2014 by 3 Comments

mortgageporter-thinkingWith the appreciation homes are seeing in the greater Seattle – King County area, home owners who purchased their home a couple years ago using an FHA mortgage may now be able to refinance into a conventional mortgage. FHA mortgages are often used when a home buyer needs a lower down payment option or if credit scores are lower. FHA jumbo mortgages offer home buyers lower down payment with higher loan amounts than what conforming mortgages will permit. There are many reasons why someone might opt for an FHA mortgage when buying a home.

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The FHA HAWK Program for Homebuyers

June 10, 2014 by 4 Comments

Osprey_muralA few weeks ago, HUD announced a new program created for first time home buyers which rewards them with reduced mortgage insurance premiums after they participate in home buyer education and one-on-one housing counseling. HAWK or Homeowners Armed with Knowledge is a pilot program set be released in two phases on a limited basis.

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