I know I posted this information about a year ago, but I hear this myth so often in the mortgage market, I will keep repeating this…..You do NOT need 20% down to buy a home!
According to recent National Association of REALTORS data, the average down payment made by recent home buyers is 12%. Younger buyers tend to put down less. Buyers between age 22 and 30 made an average 6% down payment. Recent home buyers between age 31 and 40 made an average 10% down payment. This ultimately follows common sense, as younger buyers have had less time in the work force to save for a down payment.
Veterans using VA mortgage financing can obtain loans with a 0% down. FHA mortgages have a 3.5% down payment requirement. And borrowers can obtain conventional mortgages with only 3% down.
The 20% down myth is driven by the fact that borrowers must pay PMI when obtaining a conventional loan with less than 20% down. Many home buyers want to avoid the added PMI cost in their monthly payment. But I personally think that PMI is an effective tool to help people buy homes and build wealth sooner. I recently had a friend refer his adult daughter to me. When I counseled her to make a 5% down payment and pay the monthly PMI, Dad challenged me. He did not want her to pay PMI. In my next blog post, I’ll explain my PMI response to Dad. Spoiler alert….the daughter did by a house with 5% down and paying PMI – it made very good financial sense.
Do you know a friend or family member who wants to buy a home in Georgia? Don’t let them by discouraged by the 20% down myth. Tell them that is only a myth and then connect them with me. It is very possible that I can help them finance a home purchase sooner, instead of waiting to save more money. We will work to make their home ownership dreams a reality – hopefully right now.
A recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) economist blog noted that 24% of first-time home buyers obtained FHA financing in January, while 59% obtained conventional mortgage financing. This is very interesting as it contrasts the picture painted in my blog post from September 2019. That post noted that 75% of Millennial home buyers obtained FHA financing. While not all first-time home buyers are Millennials, the recent data still appears to be a significant change from only about 18 months ago.
FHA mortgages once attracted many first time home buyers with a 3.5% minimum down payment. But beginning in 2014, home buyers could obtain conventional loans with only a 3% down payment. FHA loans also appeal to home buyers with lower qualifying credit scores. Conventional interest rate pricing charges higher interest rates for lower credit scores. Because FHA pricing places less emphasis on the borrower’s credit score than conventional loans, FHA pricing was often more attractive to buyers with credit scores less than 700, especially when those buyers could only make a small down payment.
Note that “standard” conventional loans with a 3% down payment require the borrower to pay a higher interest rate and mortgage insurance premium as compared to 5% (or more) down conventional loans. But conventional mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began offering special loan programs (called Home Ready and Home Possible, respectively) to home buyers whose annual income falls below a threshold (currently about $65,000 in the Atlanta area) and with credit scores of 680+. With these programs, 3% down conventional loans become very competitive with FHA loans for buyers who qualify.
When a buyer qualifies for the Home Ready / Home Possible program discounts, they can save money in two ways as compared to FHA financing. First of all, conventional loans do not require up-front mortgage insurance. FHA loans require a 1.75% up front mortgage insurance premium that is typically rolled into the loan amount. Secondly, when the borrower’s equity reaches 20%, the conventional loan mortgage insurance can be cancelled, even when the borrower initially made only a 3% down payment. Borrowers who use FHA mortgages with less than a 10% down payment must pay monthly mortgage insurance premiums for as long as they own the mortgage. The monthly FHA insurance premium is 0.85 for all loans with less than 10% down payments. That is about $177 per month on at $250,000 mortgage. The fact that such a large insurance premium is permanent makes many buyers consider conventional loans more favorably.
Are you considering your first home purchase? Be sure to explore all the loan programs available to you, including conventional and FHA mortgages. Give me a call and I’ll help you compare your options to determine which will give you the lowest total payment, considering both the interest rate and the mortgage insurance components.
Millennials are the largest generational group in US history. This year, the largest section of Millennials will turn age 30, entering what many consider to be “prime homeownership years.” So how is the pandemic impacting these potential home buyers? Two recent studies have addressed this topic.
The first, by First American economist Mark Fleming is more optimistic than the second. Fleming states that the pandemic has delayed, but not denied, homeownership for Millennials. He notes that household formation is a key driver of home demand, and that the Millennial generation is making lifestyle decisions that “will continue to support potential homeownership demand in the years ahead.” He further states that Millennials “may fuel a ‘roaring 20’s’ of homeownership demand.” As a loan officer, I love optimism in the housing market!
On a less optimistic note, a realtor.com report stated that pandemic-related unemployment could further delay Millennials’ homeownership dreams. It expresses concern that unemployed potential homebuyers will live from their savings. And it could take them years to recoup their savings once the go back to work. The article then references how a 10% down payment on a $320,000 home (the median list price of a US home in April), is $32,000. Ultimately, it can take people months, if not years to save tens of thousands of dollars for a down payment.Here’s the good news related to down payments – a 10% down payment is not required. Many home buyers obtain conventional loans with only a 5% down payment – even 3% down if they are willing to pay a higher interest rate. And there are income-based conventional loan programs that offer discounted interest rates and mortgage insurance for a 3% down payment – for those buyers who qualify. Home buyers can obtain 3.5% down FHA loans. And military veterans can buy a home with a zero down VA loan.
While obtaining a mortgage with a less than 20% down payment requires paying for mortgage insurance (except for VA loans), my opinion is that paying the mortgage insurance to buy a house sooner is often better than waiting and paying rent. As long as home prices continue appreciating, the homeowner will likely build wealth even if they have to pay the mortgage insurance. And in my opinion, growing wealth is superior to expense only home rental payments.
Are you or someone you know a Millennial wanting to buy a home in Georgia? I would love to help. We can explore low down payment and other options to help you buy a home (and start growing your wealth) sooner rather than later. Give me a call and let’s get started.
The Mortgage Blog has documented the recent rapid swings in mortgage interest rates based on COVID-19 economic impacts. Now let’s look at some positive (non-interest rate) news from the mortgage world, specifically regulatory changes resulting from the massive disruption to the world economy.
First of all, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will ease their appraisal and employment verification standards, based on a Federal Housing Finance Agency directive. The goal is to “facilitate liquidity in the mortgage market during the coronavirus national emergency.” Appraisal management companies can now use “appraisal alternatives” that reduce the need for appraisers to enter homes “for eligible mortgages.” Appraisers can use desktop appraisals and drive-by appraisals in certain circumstances. Fannie Mae stated these alternatives may be used “when an interior inspection is not feasible because of COVID-19 concerns.”
The second source of good news is from financial regulators working to help borrowers avoid foreclosures. On March 17, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and HUD (FHA’s loan guarantor) announced that they will suspend foreclosures and evictions for 60 days to help borrowers stay in their homes while COVID-19 spreads. The State of New York went further, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state will enact a 90-day mortgage relief period. Options for relief include forebearance, which allows borrowers to suspend mortgage payments for up to 12 months due to COVID-19 caused hardship. Other options may include mortgage modifications and “other mortgage payment relief options available based on the borrower’s individual circumstances.”
I find this mortgage-market news encouraging, and hopefully it will reassure people considering a home purchase. Just a reminder if you are thinking about a home purchase – interest rates are at very low levels historically. From a mortgage perspective, now is still a good time to buy a home. If you want to buy a home in the State of Georgia, reach out to me. I promise that Dunwoody Mortgage will deliver outstanding service and will go the extra mile to close your purchase as quickly and with as little hassle as possible.
According to a recent report by Black Knight, Inc., home affordability reached its best level in years in August 2019. This follows a consistent decline in home affordability from late 2016 through late 2018. Home affordability hit a nine-year low in November 2018, as mortgage rates rose to the 5% range. At that time, the national home payment to income ratio rose to 23.7%. According to Black Rock, this led to an extended slow down in home price growth.
Since November 2018, mortgage rate declines plus this slower home appreciation has greatly improved home affordability. The national payment to income ratio has dropped to 20.7%. This ratio means that the monthly principal and interest (P&I) payment on an average-priced home now requires only 20.7% of the national median income.
Put another way, interest rate declines between November 2018 and August 2019 has increased home buying power by about $46,000. In August 2019, a home buyer would pay the same P&I amount on a $246,000 home mortgage as she would have paid on a $200,000 home mortgage in November 2018.
On the other hand, I found websites and recent articles showing that Atlanta-area rents have risen around 4% in the preceding 12 months. In short, owning a home in Atlanta has gotten more affordable while renting has gotten more expensive.
Do you rent your home in Georgia? Has your rent increased making money tight? Give me a call and let’s talk about mortgage affordability. You don’t need perfect credit to buy a home, and you will need only a minimum 3% to 3.5% for your down payment. (Military veterans can obtain VA loans with a 0% down payment.) With the current low mortgage rates, you might be able to buy more home than you thought you could, for a lower monthly payment than you thought you would have to make. And with buying a home, you will get the equity / wealth benefits from potential home appreciation. It’s a GREAT time to buy a home in Georgia!!
As discussed previously, using an FHA loan to buy a home makes sense for home buyers with relatively low credit scores and limited down payment funds. FHA loans offer very attractive pricing for these home buyers.
Interest rates have now fallen to their lowest level in three years, so it may be time for current FHA mortgage holders to consider a conventional mortgage refinance. The interest rate savings may not be huge, but changing from FHA mortgage insurance to private mortgage insurance could bring significant financial benefits.
I’m working with a couple now (we’ll call them Jack and Diane) who bought their home in 2017. At that time, their qualifying credit score was in the mid-600’s and they had just enough cash for the FHA minimum down payment. This was an ideal scenario for an FHA mortgage.
Fast forward to 2019 – their credit scores have increased and home appreciation in their neighborhood has given them more equity. A conventional loan now makes sense for their updated situation. They can refinance to a new interest rate that is just 0.25% less than their current rate. Normally such a small monthly savings, by itself, does not justify the cost of refinancing.
In addition to the interest rate savings, they will also save money every month with lower mortgage insurance payments. Switching from their FHA loan to a conventional loan will lower the mortgage insurance monthly premiums by about $120. Their total monthly savings equal $160, and their refinance has a break-even point of just over two years. Considering the interest rate savings plus the mortgage insurance savings makes their refinance worthwhile.
An added benefit is that their new private mortgage insurance will cancel in a few years (unlike the FHA insurance which is permanent), increasing their monthly savings to about $200. So, Jack and Diane will realize this bonus savings in just a few years.
Ultimately, home buyers who used an FHA loan two or three years ago may reap big rewards from a conventional refinance now, assuming their property value has increased.
Ron moved into your neighborhood in the last three years or so. At the neighborhood Halloween party, ask Ron if he has heard of an FHA mortgage. If he replies, “Yes, that’s the type of loan I have,” ask him if he would like to lower his monthly payment. Then connect Ron with me. We will quickly determine whether moving to a conventional mortgage can help Ron financially.
There are some interesting facts and observations in an August article documenting survey results from Millennial home buyers. Here’s a link to the full study from lendedu.com. 1,000 people aged 23 to 38 participated in the survey. Here are some survey results:
58% of respondents say they own their own home.
83% of these home owners obtained a mortgage to buy their home.
75% of these mortgage holders obtained a FHA loan.
16% is the average down payment percentage for the survey respondents.
To me, it is very surprising to me that such a high percentage of these home buyers used the FHA program, especially given the relatively high down payment percentage reported. What I also find surprising is how the author treats FHA loans vis a vis the private mortgage insurance component of conventional mortgages.
Let’s look at the basics of FHA mortgage insurance (“MI”) vs. conventional (private) mortgage insurance (“PMI”). FHA charges a 1.75% up-front MI. On a $300,000 loan, that charge is $5,250. Assuming a Millennial average 16% down payment, FHA charges a 0.80% monthly MI premium, which equals $200 per month. And for this loan, the borrower must pay the monthly MI for 11 years.
For PMI on conventional loans, there is no up-front fee. So our $300,000 mortgage holder is better off by $5,250 to start. The PMI premium is based on the combination of down payment and the borrower’s credit score. Let’s assume that a Millennial buyer (we’ll call her “Anna”) has a 680 credit score. I calculate Anna’s monthly PMI premium at 0.26% or $65 per month. In addition, the conventional loan PMI will cancel sooner than FHA MI, so Anna will pay conventional loan PMI for less than half the time she would pay FHA loan MI.
Summarizing this example, Anna with a 680 credit score would reap the following mortgage insurance benefits of choosing a conventional loan vs. FHA: (1) Anna saves $5,250 by not having the up-front FHA MI premium rolled into the loan amount; (2) Anna saves $135 per month with the lower PMI rate vs. the FHA MI rate; and (3) Anna stops making mortgage insurance payments way sooner. And Anna’s PMI payment will be even lower if her credit score is in the 700’s. From a mortgage insurance perspective, the conventional loan seems like a much better deal.
The author praises the use of FHA mortgages, then later makes the following statements about private mortgage insurance:
“PMI should be avoided as it will usually cost the homeowner between 0.5% to 1% of the full mortgage amount….”
“…it is not great that so many are also paying for PMI as a result of less-than-optimal down payments…”
Such blanket negative statements about PMI concern me. In our example, and many examples where the borrower has a strong credit score and can make a 10% or more down payment, the numbers often favor conventional loans. FHA loans are often better when the borrower’s credit score is low or the borrower can only make a down payment of 10% or less.
The key lesson here is to consult a professional mortgage lender (I suggest that this guy for Georgia home buyers) to run the numbers for both FHA and conventional loans. Then choose the best option given your circumstances.
Now let’s change our buyer scenario. Both Jack and Diane want to make offers on a home, but this time they have 10% to put down. (Curious about a smaller down payment? Take a look at the prior scenario with a 3.5% down payment.) They still have the same qualifying credit scores of 680 for Jack and 795 for Diane.
With Jack’s 680 credit score, his monthly payment for a conventional loan (principal, interest, and mortgage insurance “MI”) would be $1,514.30. For a FHA loan, his payment would be $1,452.29. Given Jack’s credit score – even with the 10% down payment – FHA still delivers a better price, even though FHA loans have the draw backs of the up-front MI and the permanent monthly MI (assuming Congress does not change the law).
In this scenario with Jack’s 10% down payment, the mortgage insurance falls off after 11 years (even if Congress doesn’t act). Meaning, the FHA loan becomes even more attractive now and into the future.
With Diane’s 795 credit score, her monthly payment for a conventional loan would only be $1,391.24. Her FHA loan payment would be $1,452.29. (Note that it is the same as Jack’s payment, even though Diane’s credit score is over 100 points better.) In this case, Diane can now save money by using the conventional loan. The conventional loan has the best pricing from the beginning, and it provides the PMI cancellation benefits mentioned in the previous post.
With this example, one can definitely see how FHA loans do not have the same impact when it comes to the interest rate, mortgage insurance, and monthly payment versus conventional loans. Even with such a large gap between the credit scores (680 versus 795), the payment on the FHA loan is the same.
Ultimately, every client situation is unique. For some borrower circumstances (e.g., self-employed, buying a condo, high debt to income ratio, etc.), we may recommend one loan option because the buyer has a better chance to win approval, even if the payment winds up being slightly higher.
Do you know someone planning to buy a home in Georgia? If they have questions, connect them with me. I love helping people understand their mortgage options and helping them determine the best approach to financing a home purchase.
Now that everyone understands the basics of FHA and conventional loans, let’s do a buyer comparison. Both Jack and Diane want to purchase a $300,000 home. They both have $11,000 (3.7%) for the down payment and qualifying credit scores of 680 for Jack and 795 for Diane.
With Jack’s 680 credit score, his monthly payment for a conventional loan (principal, interest, and mortgage insurance “MI”) would be $1,820.82. For a FHA loan, his payment would be $1,563.19. There’s no comparison. For Jack, the better deal is the FHA mortgage, even though it has the draw backs of the up-front mortgage insurance and the permanent monthly mortgage insurance payment.
With Diane’s 795 credit score, her monthly payment for a conventional loan would only be $1,582.61. Her FHA loan payment would be $1,542.47. In this case, Diane is also better off, at least initially, with the FHA loan. One thing to keep in mind is the MI premium. If Diane chooses the FHA loan, that premium is permanent (assuming Congress does not change the law). If she chooses the conventional loan, the insurance will eventually be cancelled, dropping her payment to $1,442. The key question for Diane is, “How long will you stay in the home?” If less than 5 years, Diane’s best bet is the FHA loan. If longer than 5 years, Diane may want to consider the conventional loan.
Notice the FHA payments for these examples. They differ by only about $21 even though the credit scores are drastically different (680 versus 795). This shows why FHA is better for those making a purchase with lower credit scores. The buyer doesn’t see as steep of an increase in their payment.
In the next blog post, we will make the same comparison with a 10% down payment.
Does your friend Scott talk about buying a house? Does he understand which loan program is best for him? If not, have Scott contact me. We Dunwoody Mortgage professionals understand the details of these mortgage programs, and we coach our buyers to make the best decision given their circumstances. Often, with a slight change to their home purchase situation (change of down payment, paying down a credit card balance, etc.), we can help our clients save money with a better interest rate or a lower mortgage insurance cost. Home buyers should consider all options before buying, and Dunwoody Mortgage offers the service and knowledge to help home buyers make the best decision possible.
Given recent mortgage program changes, now is a good time to review the pros and cons of the major loan programs and when borrower circumstances favor one specific loan program. In the last few years, many of our clients have used the conventional Home Ready program. Without Home Ready, many of these buyers would have used FHA loans. Given the Home Ready changes, we expect more future buyers to use FHA loans.
So let’s talk about FHA loans!
In the metro-Atlanta area, buyers can purchase homes up to about $390,000 using a minimum down payment (3.5%) FHA loan. That is a lot of home!
Relative to conventional mortgages, FHA loans are generally more forgiving of credit “issues.” This means lower credit score borrowers will most likely get a better FHA interest rate versus a conventional loan.
FHA allows for lower credit scores and shorter wait times following derogatory credit events, such as foreclosure or bankruptcy. Borrowers typically need a 620 score to qualify. Depending on other borrower details, Dunwoody Mortgage may be able to close loans where the borrower’s credit score is as low as 580.
Both FHA and conventional loans require monthly mortgage insurance “MI” for down payments less than 20%. For FHA, the monthly premium is a flat 0.85% of the loan amount. Conventional loans determine the premium based on the borrower’s credit score and down payment. FHA loans also have an up-front mortgage insurance premium. FHA monthly MI is permanent if the down payment is less than 10%. Note that Congress is now considering a bill to automatically cancel FHA MI similar to how conventional loans cancel the insurance. More to come on this story.
In the next post, we will review conventional loan details. For now, if you know someone looking to buy a Georgia home, please refer them to me. We Dunwoody Mortgage professionals understand the key loan program details and we coach our buyers to make the best decision given their circumstances. We can help our clients find ways to lower interest and mortgage insurance costs. We have a strong record full of very positive customer reviews.
Clay Jeffreys is a Mortgage Consultant with Dunwoody Mortgage Services and a writer for “the Mortgage Blog.” If you would like to be a guest writer for "the Mortgage Blog" please contact Clay for details.
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