VA recently released the 2012 100% financing VA loan limits for southern California. Orange County, whose 2011 loan limit was $700,000, will drop down to $621,000. Based on a revised formula for calculating the loan limit, all "high cost" areas of the country experienced a drop in loan limits. Still, $621,000 will purchase a nice home in Orange County, especially considering this is the $0 down limit.
Just because the zero down loan limit for VA financing in Orange County is $621,000 does not mean that a Veteran cannot get a bigger loan on a more expensive home. A Jumbo VA loan occurs when an eligible VA borrower purchases a home for more than the 100% VA loan limit within the county. The VA borrower is required to have a down payment equal to at least 25% of the difference between the loan limit and the purchase price. For example, a Veteran buying a home in Irvine for $721,000 would need only a $25,000 down payment. The VA loan, not counting the VA Funding Fee, would be $696,000. ($721,000 purchase price - $621,000 loan limit = $100,000 difference. x 25% = $25,000 down payment. ) Not all lenders will fund a Jumbo VA loan. Many stay within the VA 100% limits, and some lenders outside of California are not comfortable with loans above $417,000. Consulting with a California VA Lender is important for those who are wanting to take advantage of their VA eligibility. With the VA limits remaining so high, upper income Veterans are rediscovering the VA loan program.
Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA VA Mortgage Loan Officer MLO 223456– Please contact my office atAlpine Mortgage Planning for more information about an Orange County, CA Mortgage. 949-829-1846. www.OrangeCountyVALoans.com
949-829-1846 | tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com
FHA financing has been a savior for Orange County homebuyers since the collapse of the mortgage industry in 2007. Prior to 2007 it was easy to buy a home in Orange County with $0 or very little down payment. But then things changed and low down payment Conventional financing went away. Private Mortgage Insurance companies struggled and would not insure 95% loan to value loans in most of California. But FHA came to the rescue. Not only did FHA allow for only 3.5% down payment, but also increased their loan limits to accommodate high priced areas like Orange County, CA.
Recently PMI companies have been more aggressive with their underwriting. While Fannie Mae guidelines allow for a 3% down payment, until recently you couldn't find a PMI company willing to insure the loan. Now, companies like MGIC, Radian, and United Guaranty will insure these high loan to value deals. Also, the insurance rates are very favorable when compared to the now increased FHA Mortgage Insurance rates.
Today, in November 2011, only 10% of condo projects in Orange County that were FHA approved in 2010 are still FHA approved. FHA has dramatically tightened their Condo project approval guidelines. This has made it very difficult for a first time buyer to purchase a condo. It has also made it very difficult to sell a condo. But now it is possible to get a Conventional loan on a condo with only a 3% down payment. It is even possible to pay the PMI one time up front.
It is important to check all your options when researching loan programs. FHA may be the best option for some people while a Conventional loan with PMI is best for someone else. It is important to find a local Orange County loan officer who can prepare custom loan scenarios along with a side by side analysis of the available options. And of course, getting Preapproved for a mortgage is required before making an offer on a home.
Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA Jumbo Mortgage Loan Officer MLO 223456– Please contact my office atAlpine Mortgage Planning for more information about an Orange County, CA Mortgage. 949-829-1846. www.OCHomeBuyerLoans.com
949-829-1846 | tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com
The FHA loan limits for Orange County, CA had temporarily dropped from $729,750 down to $625,500 on October 1, 2011. But on Friday, November 19, President Obama signed a new bill that reinstates the higher loan limits for FHA loans in high cost areas, like Orange County and Los Angeles County. FHA, which only requires a 3.5% down payment, offers a solution for families with enough earning power to afford the payment on a $729,750 loan, but haven't a 20% down payment.
While a typical Conventional (Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac) loan program requires a 20% down payment to purchase a $750,000 home, FHA only requires 3.5%. The FHA down payment would only be $26,250, versus $150,000 down using a Fannie/Freddie program. Assuming a final FHA loan amount of $730,987 (including the 1% Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium) at an interest rate of 4% (4.773 APR), the principal and interest payment would be $3,513. The Monthly Mortgage Insurance would be $693. Taxes and insurance would be approximately $937. (Using 1.25% for property tax rate and .25% for insurance rate.) The total PITI (principal, interest, taxes and insurance) would be approximately $5,143. Approximately $3,200 of this is deductible mortgage interest and property taxes. A family with income of $150,000 would qualify for this, depending on their other monthly debt payment and credit. And of course, the income needs to be fully documentable.
It is of course important for a family looking to purchase a home to make sure the new mortgage payment fits in with their budget and future goals. Make sure money is left over for savings, college funding, and meals and entertainment. Also, consulting with a CPA is an important step in determining how the mortgage interest deduction will effect income taxes for the better.
Affordability has not been this good in over 30 years. In many parts of California it is now cheaper to own a
home than to rent the same home. This is why so many real estate investors are building their portfolios with single family homes and condos. They are able to rent the home for more than the mortgage payment. Orange County renters who are considering a home purchase should first contact an Orange County lender who can provide custom loan scenarios based on their qualifications and goals. The scenarios should show them a side by side analysis of the different loan options available. Besides the FHA loan program, the VA loan program is also an excellent option, allowing for 100% financing up to a $700,000 home price in Orange County. There are also some high loan to value options available with Conventional financing using Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). The first step is to investigate all the potential financing options and then determine which is best for you.
Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA Jumbo Mortgage Loan Officer MLO 223456– Please contact my office atAlpine Mortgage Planning for more information about an Orange County, CA Mortgage. 949-829-1846. www.OCHomeBuyerLoans.com
949-829-1846 | tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com
Buying a home in Orange County, CA is not the easiest thing to do. But it's not as difficult as some make it out to be. Long gone are the days of needing 20% down payment to purchase a home. While zero down loan programs are mostly gone, except for a few specialized programs like the VA loan, which is for active duty military and retired veterans, there are programs like FHA, which only require a 3.5% down payment. But this article is about a recent home buyers journey to buy a home in Orange County.
Mike and Heather had been paying rent for more than 7 years. In 2006 they had tried to buy a home, but Orange County home prices had gotten so high that it didn't seem possible. They continued to rent since renting was cheaper than owning. But eventually reality set in for the real estate market and prices dropped. Dramatically. Homes that were valued at nearly $700,000 at their peak were now selling for $400,000 in 2011. A Jumbo loan is not needed anymore to buy a home in Orange County. Not only that, but interest rates dropped to all time lows, hovering in the high 3's to low 4 percent range.
Mike and Heather's rent kept increasing every year. Also they had a one year old and had another on the way. They not only would need more space, but also wanted to get established in the good school district. They decided to check into buying a home again after a friend purchased a home for $400,000 and mentioned that his payment was less than $2,700 per month, counting taxes and insurance. When calculating out the tax savings they would have because of the mortgage interest deduction, Mike knew it was time to get serious. Not sure where to start, they went to the Internet to search for homes. But they quickly realized that they needed to know how much they qualified for. Or more importantly, how much home they could buy while still keeping their payment within their budget. They tried a few of the "big banks" but couldn't find a loan officer who gave them straight answers or who seemed able to answer their questions. It was actually difficult to even get a return phone call from the big banks. They decided to narrow the lender search to someone local. Through the Internet they found Tim Storm (yeah, me. I usually don't incorporate myself into these stories but someone had to do it.) Tim was able to prepare custom loan scenarios based on multiple home prices, multiple home programs, and multiple down payment amounts.
FHA seemed like a good option since it only required 3.5% down. The interest rate was very low and it was fixed. But Tim also showed a Conventional program with 5% down payment. And he showed how the monthly mortgage insurance could be eliminated by paying a one time up front premium. This saved more than $200 per month on a $400,000 purchase price when compared to the FHA program. And it was nice to not have a monthly mortgage insurance payment.
Now they were ready. After providing all their income and asset documentation, completing a loan application, running credit, giving a pint of blood and their first born (well, not the last two items, but you get the picture), they were Preapproved for the loan. They were now "confident" home buyers since they knew exactly what they qualified for and what their payment was going to be. And being Preapproved also meant a fast 30 day escrow would help in negotiations.
Of course it helps to have a great agent on your side. What many home buyers don't realize is that the seller pays the buyers agent, not the buyer. There is not a cost to the buyer to have representation. Fortunately Mike and Heather were referred to an agent that was able to help them out. The agent set them up on a custom Multiple Listing Service property search so that they were able to stay on top of the newest listings that fit their criteria for a home. After a few hits and misses, and visiting a few homes which helped to narrow down their "needs" list for a home, Mike and Heather made an offer on a very nice home in a family oriented, tree lined Orange County neighborhood. Their agent guided them through a few counter offers and within a week they had an accepted offer at a price of $395,000.
Within 30 days (being PreApproved made the 30 days fly by) escrow was closed. Of course there were inspections and and few things that needed to be fixed prior to closing (this is where it's nice to have a good buyers agent on your side), Mike and Heather were ready to move into their home.
Mike and Heather are now are happily in their home. And with only 5% down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, they know they don't need to worry about a landlord increasing their payment anymore. Now if they can figure out a way to "fix" their child care costs, everything will be perfect.
Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA Jumbo Mortgage Loan Officer MLO 223456– Please contact my office atAlpine Mortgage Planning for more information about an Orange County, CA Mortgage. 949-829-1846. www.OCHomeBuyerLoans.com
949-829-1846 | tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com
In Orange County, CA Veterans have a few different options when it comes time to purchase a home. They can either go with a $0 down standard VA loan, or the CalVet program, which also has options for $0 down. But which is better? It can depend on several factors, including current interest rates and the purchase price of the home.
The CalVet loan program uses a Contract of Sale as the financing instrument, meaning CalVet purchases the property for the veteran at the close of escrow, and the sells the property to the veteran using a Contract of Sale. When the mortgage is paid off, ownership is transferred to the Veteran using a Grant Deed. By doing this, CalVet is able to offer group insurance rates, which for some properties can be beneficial. CalVet will lend on mobile homes in parks, which are typically difficult to get financing on. CalVet also requires that the Veteran remain in the home and not turn it into a rental. Although CalVet will issue a short term waiver on occupancy, this is an important factor to consider.
The VA loan limit for 100% financing in Orange County for 2011 is $700,000. This means a Veteran can purchase a home in Irvine for $700,000 with Zero Down payment, and of course, no monthly Mortgage Insurance. It is also possible to purchase a home valued above the 100% financing limit. The Veteran would need a down payment equal to 25% of the difference between the purchase price and the 100% limit. For example, if a Veteran is purchasing a home in Irvine for $800,000, then a down payment of $25,000 would be required. (25% of $800,000 less $700,000 = $25,000). That works out to a down payment of only 3.1%. CalVet will lend up to a limit of $521,250. In Orange County that will work for some properties, but not all. The $521,250 limit does allow for higher loan amounts in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, where the 100% financing limit is $417,000. So for some Veterans wishing to purchase a $500,000 home in the Inland Empire with $0 down payment, CalVet may be their best option. But in Orange County, at least in 2011 while the VA 100% financing limit is at $700,000, VA will offer the most flexibility.
The CalVet loan program is funded through Bond Financing. Because of this, there are times when the CalVet program offers below market interest rates. But there are also times when CalVet offers above market interest rates. This is one of those times. Over the past three years VA mortgage rates have been very low, while CalVet rates have remained above market. Currently, as of September 28, 2011, CalVet interest rates range from 5.9% APR to 6.36% APR. The spread in interest rates between the CalVet and the standard VA loan program will be the primary reason why most Veterans in Orange County choose the VA program over the CalVet program.
Authored by Tim Storm, an Orange County, CA VA Loan Loan Officer MLO 223456– Please contact my office atAlpine Mortgage Planning for more information about an Orange County, CA Jumbo Mortgage. 877-786-4243 x 7. www.OCHomeBuyerLoans.com
877.786.4243 x 7 | tstorm (at) ochomebuyerloans.com
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Orange County, CA VA and FHA Loan Expert with 20 years experience working with first time buyers. Trust One Mortgage is a direct lender. All processing, underwriting, and funding is in our office.
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