Obsolete Certainty

HUD is preparing to implement a few new policies that will no doubt affect your pipeline/loan application process. Last week, HUD and the FHA invited public comment on three of those policy changes, which are part of FHA's strategy to "strengthen their capital reserves". The proposed changes which are either tweaks to other recent revisions or have been telegraphed by FHA and HUD in earlier Congressional testimony, notices to lenders, or press releases will: Update the combination of credit and down payment requirements for new borrowers Reduce allowable seller concessions from six to three percent. Tighten underwriting standards for manually underwritten loans FHA has been scrambling to strengthen its financial situation since an audit late in 2009 showed that the capital ratio…(read more)