The Simplest Loan Around – Part 2

In the last blog post, I introduced the FHA “streamline” refinance loan. These loans are the fastest, simplest way for FHA mortgage holders to refinance to today’s low, low rates.

The streamline program simplifies home refinancing by waiving the documentation typically required for a mortgage, including income and employment verification, credit score verification, and an appraisal of the home. Homeowners can also possibly use the program to reduce their FHA mortgage insurance premiums (MIP).  Like an Olympic swimmer reduces friction by “streamlining” when underwater, the FHA streamline refinance offers much less resistance and effort than a regular purchase loan.

Here’s a quick summary of the benefits:

1. No appraisal is required – FHA will use your original purchase price as your home’s current value, regardless of what the house is worth today.
2. No employment verification is required with the streamline refinance.
3. No income verification is required.
4. No detailed review of your credit report is performed. If your score is 600 or higher, you qualify.

So to sum up the benefits, you can be (a) out of work, (b) without income, (c) have a low credit score, and (d) be underwater on your home mortgage and you can still qualify for an FHA streamline refinance.

Now this sounds crazy.  Why would they do this?  Well remember, to qualify, you must already own the home and have an FHA mortgage.  We are not qualifying you to take on a new mortgage payment for a new house.  The FHA is already committed to insuring your home mortgage.

Therefore, it is in the FHA’s best interest to help as many existing mortgage holders as possible lower their payments.  By lowering payments, they will lower the default rate.  So this program helps the FHA, but it also helps the borrower who can lower his monthly payment.

In the next post, we will review example scenarios where this type of loan can really help the homeowner.  But for now, if someone you know in Georgia has a FHA mortgage with an interest rate of 4.00% or higher, have them call me to discuss a potential refinance.  We’ll run the numbers together to make sure it’s a good financial move for them.

Tags: atlanta mortgage advice, FHA loan, historically low interest rates, metro Atlanta mortgage, mortgage advice, Refinance, should I refinance