financing residential real estate lesson 12: va-guaranteed loans
TRANSCRIPT
Financing Residential Real Estate
Lesson 12:
VA-Guaranteed Loans
Introduction
In this lesson we will cover:
characteristics of VA loans,
eligibility requirements,
VA guaranty,
VA loan amounts, and
underwriting guidelines for VA loans.
Introduction
VA loan program was established to help veterans finance the purchase of their homes.
Offers many advantages over conventional financing.
Characteristics of VA Loans
VA-guaranteed loan is made by institutional lender, but a portion of loan is guaranteed by Department of Veterans Affairs.
Protects lender against losses from default.
Characteristics of VA Loans
VA loans may be used to finance purchase or construction of a one- to four-unit residence.
Can’t be used for investor loans.
Veteran must occupy home.
Characteristics of VA Loans
No downpayment required (100% financing).
No maximum loan amount set by VA.
No maximum income limits.
Less stringent qualifying standards.
Can be fixed-rate loan or ARM.
No mortgage insurance required.
No reserves after closing required.
Characteristics of VA Loans
Lender may charge flat fee of no more than 1% of amount financed to cover cost of making loan.
No prepayment penalties.
Can be assumed by creditworthy buyer, veteran or non-veteran.
Forbearance extended to veterans in financial difficulties.
Characteristics of VA Loans
Instead of mortgage insurance premiums, VA borrowers must pay VA a funding fee to defray administrative costs of loan program.
Funding fee is percentage of loan amount.
Can be paid at closing or financed.
Funding fee
Characteristics of VA Loans
Regular military veteran: funding fee is 2.15% of loan amount, unless veteran makes downpayment of 5% of more.
Reserves or National Guard: funding fee is 2.4% of loan amount, unless vet makes downpayment of 5% of more.
Funding fee
Characteristics of VA Loans
Exempt from funding fee requirement:
Veterans entitled to receive VA compensation for service-related disabilities.
Surviving spouses of veterans who died in service or from service-related disabilities.
Funding fee
Eligibility for VA Loans
Eligibility for VA loans is based on length of active duty service in U.S. armed forces.
Minimum requirement ranges from 90 days to 24 months, depending on whether service was during wartime or peacetime period.
Veterans should check with the VA to determine their eligibility.
Eligibility for VA Loans
VA determines eligibility.
Issues Certificate of Eligibility, which veteran uses to apply for a VA loan.
Veteran must submit most recent discharge/separation papers.
Lender can usually obtain certificate online.
Certificate of Eligibility
Eligibility for VA Loans
Surviving spouse may be eligible if veteran was killed in action or died of service-related injuries and spouse has not remarried.
May also be eligible if veteran missing in action or is a prisoner of war.
Eligibility of spouse
Summary
VA Loan Characteristics and Eligibility
VA-guaranteed loan Owner-occupancy requirement No-downpayment loan (100% financing) Forbearance Funding fee Minimum active duty service requirement Certificate of Eligibility
VA Guaranty
Essential feature of VA loans is that they are guaranteed by U.S. government.
Significantly reduces lender’s risk of lossin the event that borrower defaults.
VA Guaranty
Guaranty covers only a portion of loan amount.
Amount of coverage for a loan is called the guaranty amount.
Guaranty amount
VA Guaranty
Guaranty covers only a portion of loan amount.
Amount of coverage for a loan is called the guaranty amount.
Guaranty amount for a loan depends on:
loan amount, and
maximum guaranty amount in county where home is located.
Guaranty amount
Maximum Guaranty Amount
Now VA maximum guaranty amount is tied to conforming loan limits for conventional loans.
Increases automatically when conforming loan limits increased.
Amount may change each year—check with VA for most current figures.
Tied to conforming loan limits
Maximum Guaranty Amount
Maximum VA guaranty in most areas:25% of Freddie Mac conforming loan limit for
one-unit residence.
For 2009, Freddie Mac’s conforming loan limit for a one-unit residence is $417,000.
So 2009 maximum VA guaranty amount in most areas is 25% of $417,000, or $104,250.
$417,000 x .25 = $104,250
Maximum in most areas
Maximum Guaranty Amount
Higher maximum guaranty amounts apply in high-cost counties.
High-cost county: County where median house price is higher than national median.
Maximum in high-cost areas
Maximum Guaranty Amount
In high-cost county, maximum guaranty is based on median house price in that county.
The higher the median house price, the higher the county’s maximum guaranty.
But no matter how high prices are in the county, maximum guaranty can’t exceed ceiling.
2009 ceiling: $319,265
Maximum in high-cost areas
VA Guaranty
Loan amount Guaranty amount
Up to $45,000: 50% of loan amount
$45,001–$56,250: $22,500
$56,251–$144,000: 40% of loan amount, up to $36,000
$144,001–$417,000: 25% of loan amount
Over $417,000: 25% of loan amount, up to county max.
Guaranty based on loan amount
VA Guaranty
Guaranty amount available for a particular veteran to use is called the veteran’s entitlement.
Veteran’s entitlement doesn’t expire.
Available until used by veteran or unremarried surviving spouse.
Entitlement is used, and no longer available, when veteran obtains VA loan and buys house.
Guaranty entitlement
Veteran’s Liability
Liability to VA
If veteran defaults and foreclosure sale results in a loss, VA must reimburse lender.
As a general rule, veteran not required to repay VA for amount paid to lender.
Loan closed on or after January 1, 1990: veteran required to repay VA only if guilty of fraud, misrepresentation, or bad faith.
Liability after default
Veteran’s Liability
VA loan can be assumed by any creditworthy buyer.
May be veteran or non-veteran.
If loan closed on or after March 1, 1988, parties must obtain approval from VA or lender.
Otherwise original borrower remains liable.
Liability after assumption
Veteran’s Liability
Assumption will be approved and original borrower released if these conditions are met:
1. Buyer meets VA underwriting standards.
2. Loan is current.
3. Buyer assumes all of original borrower’sloan obligations.
Liability after assumption
VA Guaranty
VA loan can be used to refinance any type of loan.
VA, conventional, FHA, seller financing
Can also be used to pay off other liens, such as tax or judgment liens.
If refinancing non-VA loan, guaranty entitlement must be used.
Refinancing with a VA loan
VA Guaranty
Refinancing amount can exceed old loan’s balance, so that veteran also gets cash from loan proceeds.
But refinancing can’t exceed: 100% of appraised value, plus funding fee, plus cost of energy-efficient improvements.
Normal VA underwriting standards apply.
Refinancing with a VA loan
Summary
VA Guaranty
Guaranty amount Maximum guaranty amount Entitlement Restoration of entitlement Remaining entitlement Substitution of entitlement Refinancing Streamline refinancing
VA Loan Amounts
Only other restrictions on loan amount come from lender, not VA.
Lenders generally want guaranty amount to equal at least 25% of loan amount.
Otherwise hard to sell loan on secondary market.
Lender’s 25% rule
VA Loan Amounts
So most lenders won’t make no-downpayment VA loan for more than 4 times guaranty amount.
For larger loan, downpayment required.
Guaranty + downpayment must equal at least 25% of price.
Lender’s 25% rule
VA Loan Amounts
Example
Sales price: $435,000 Maximum VA guaranty in county: $104,250. Lender won’t make loan for more than $417,000 without downpayment.
$435,000 Sales price x .25 $108,750 25% of price - 104,250 Guaranty $4,500 Downpayment required
Making a downpayment
VA Loan Amounts
Example, cont.
$435,000 Sales price
- 4,500 Downpayment $430,500 Loan amount
Making a downpayment
Underwriting Guidelines
Lenders use standards established by VA to analyze veteran’s creditworthiness.
Two methods of income analysis for VA loans:
income ratio method, and
residual income method.
Underwriting Guidelines
VA uses debt to income ratio to analyze income of loan applicant.
Ratio generally shouldn’t exceed 41% unless there are compensating factors.
Debts with more than 10 payments left are counted as recurring obligations.
Income ratio analysis
Underwriting Guidelines
Residual income analysis (also called cash flow analysis) is second method used to qualify loan applicant.
Gross monthly income − Taxes, recurring obligations, housing expense
Residual income
Residual income analysis
Underwriting Guidelines
Vet’s residual income should be at least one dollar more than VA’s minimum requirement.
Minimum requirement varies according to:
region of the country,
family size, and
size of proposed loan.
Residual income analysis
Summary
VA Loan Amounts and Underwriting
Notice of Value Downpayment Secondary financing Income ratio analysis Residual income analysis Compensating factors