Category: VA Funding Fee

Kentucky VA Mortgage Changes for Student Loans Guidelines 2017


 
Kentucky VA Mortgage Student Loan Policy  Guideline Changes
VA loans in Kentucky has issued Circular 26-17-02 regarding student loans.  This policy will be effective immediately for all Kentucky VA loans.
How to Calculate a Student Loan Monthly Payment:
If the Veteran or other borrower provides written evidence that the student loan debt will be deferred at least 12 months beyond the date of closing, a monthly payment does not need to be considered.
If a student loan is in repayment or scheduled to begin within 12 months from the date of closing, the lender must consider the anticipated monthly obligation in the loan analysis and utilize the payment established in one of the options below.  Calculate each loan at a rate of 5%of the outstanding balance divided by 12 months.
 (Example: $25,000 student loan balance x 5% = $1,250 divided by 12 months = $104.17 per month is the monthly payment for debt ratio purposes).
  • The lender must use the payment reported on the credit report for each student loan if the reported payment is greater than the threshold payment calculation above, OR
  • If the payment reported on the credit report is less than the threshold payment calculation above, the loan file must contain a statement from the student loan servicer that reflects the actual loan terms and payment information for each student loan.  The statement must be dated within 60 days of the loan closing and may be an electronic copy from the student loan servicer’s website or a printed statement provided by the student loan servicer.  It is the lender’s discretion as to whether the credit report should be supplemented with this information.
1. What are the most popular mortgages you offer?
Why are they so popular?
2. Which type of mortgage plan do you think would
be best for me? Why?
3. Will I have to buy private mortgage insurance?
If so, how much will it cost, and how long will it
be required. (NOTE: Private mortgage insurance
is usually required if your down payment is less than
20%. However, most lenders will let you discontinue
PMI when you’ve acquired a certain amount of equity
by paying down the loan.)
4. Are your rates, terms, and closing costs negotiable?
5. Who will service the loan – your bank or another?
6. What escrow requirements do you have?
7. How long will this loan be in a lock-in period
(in other words, the time that the quoted interest
rate will be honored)? Will I be able to obtain a
lower rate if it drops during this time period?
8. How long will the loan approval process take?
9. How long will it take to close the loan?
10. Are there any charges or penalties
for prepaying the loan?
KHC Hardest Hit Funds Just announced for Louisville Kentucky 2017!
This specific program is for new loan reservation on or after January 11, 2017. KY Housing has $4 Million Dollars set aside for this program and is utilized on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • The funds are for eligible first time home buyers or for those who have not owned a home in the previous 3 years
  • The program is a 2nd mortgage down payment assistance loan up to $10,000, 0% interest rate, forgivable second mortgage loan with a five-year term
  • There is no monthly payment on the down payment assistance loan and 1/5th of the loan is forgiven for 5 years and at that point the loan is fully forgiven
  • The property must remain as your primary residence for those 5 years
  • The down payment assistance loan can be used to cover your closing costs and down payment
  • Max purchase price $283,900
  • Max income for person or persons on the loan in Jefferson County is $117,250
  • The down payment assistance loan must be used in conjunction with KY Housing first mortgage program (conventional or FHA)
  • Minimum 640 credit score to be eligible but we can generally provide advice how to improve your score to that level if needed
  • The property (new or existing) must be located in one of these four counties:
    • Jefferson
    • Christian
    • Hardin
    • Kenton
    • Other counties are not eligible for this specific program but there is a down payment assistance loan for other counties
Joel Lobb
Senior  Loan Officer
(NMLS#57916)
text or call my phone: (502) 905-3708
email me at kentuckyloan@gmail.com
The view and opinions stated on this website belong solely to the authors, and are intended for informational purposes only. The posted information does not guarantee approval, nor does it comprise full underwriting guidelines. This does not represent being part of a government agency. The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the view of my employer. Not all products or services mentioned on this site may fit all people. NMLS ID# 57916, (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Mortgage loans only offered in Kentucky.
All loans and lines are subject to credit approval, verification, and collateral evaluation and are originated by lender. Products and interest rates are subject to change without notice. Manufactured and mobile homes are not eligible as collateral.
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Equal Housing Lender
NMLS No. 57916.
Some products and services may not be available in all states. Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. The content in this marketing advertisement has not been approved, reviewed, sponsored or endorsed by any department or government agency. Rates are subject to change and are subject to borrower(s) qualification.

2020 Kentucky VA LOAN LIMITS


The changes are part of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, which became effective Jan. 1, 2020.  Besides extending disability benefits to more Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange, the new law eliminates VA loan limits for borrowers with full entitlement to VA loans. It also increases the VA funding fee for most borrowers. (The fee decreases slightly for National Guard and Reserve members.)

VA home loans are a benefit for current and veteran service members. They have competitive interest rates and usually no down payment requirement, among other advantages. VA loan limits are the maximum loan amount the Department of Veterans Affairs can guarantee without borrowers making a down payment. VA funding fees are one-time fees borrowers pay in lieu of mortgage insurance to help cover the government’s costs for backing the loans. If a borrower defaults, the VA repays the lender a portion of the loan.

No VA home loan limits in 2020

“Removing the loan limits is huge for veteran and military buyers across the country, and it comes on the heels of another big year in VA lending,” says Chris Birk, director of education at Veterans United Home Loans. The VA guaranteed 624,544 loans in fiscal year 2019, a 2% increase over the prior fiscal year, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Veterans living or stationed in costlier real estate markets can stretch the zero-down buying power of their benefit in a way they never have before,” Birk says.

The removal of loan limits doesn’t mean unlimited borrowing power without a down payment. You’ll still need to have sufficient income and meet a lender’s credit requirements to qualify for the loan amount.

Loan limits will still apply in 2020 to veterans who have one or more active VA loans or have defaulted on a previous loan, Birk says.

Those VA loan limits are the same as the ones set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency on conforming loans. The limit in 2020 is $510,400 in a typical U.S. county and higher in expensive housing markets, such as San Francisco County.

If you’re subject to VA loan limits, the lender will require a down payment if the purchase price is above the loan limit. The exact down payment you will pay is determined by a formula that takes into account your entitlement and home price.

VA funding fee to increase

The VA funding fee you pay in 2020 will depend on your down payment amount and whether you’ve ever had a VA-backed loan before. If you haven’t, it’s a “first use” loan, and if you have, it’s a “subsequent use” loan. You can pay the fee upfront or roll the cost into the loan.

The fee for first-use, zero-down loans is 2.3% of the loan amount in 2020, up from 2.15% for active-duty military and veterans in 2019. The fee for subsequent use loans will be 3.6% of the loan amount, up from 3.3%. These fees will stay in place for two years, return to 2019 levels from 2022 through Sept. 30, 2029, and then drop further after that.

The funding fee increase is lower and lasts for a shorter period than earlier proposals, Birk says. “It’s critical that the VA loan remains affordable.”

Other VA funding fee changes

The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 made a couple of other funding-fee changes. Starting in 2020, the fees will be the same for the main branches, National Guard and reservists. Currently, National Guard and Reserve members pay slightly higher fees.

In addition, active-duty service members who have received a Purple Heart are now exempt from the funding fee.

Shopping for a VA loan

Not all lenders offer VA loans, and among those that do, some have more experience working with military service members and veterans than others.

“There is a huge variation, depending on which lender you go with,” says Anthony Powell, chief operating officer for AAFMAA Mortgage Services LLC in Fayetteville, North Carolina. “Going to the first bank you think of may not be the best option.”

Requirements for borrowers and mortgage rates vary among lenders. For example, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does not require a minimum credit score for VA loans, but lenders can set their own thresholds.

Aim to get quotes from at least three lenders, and look for one that provides the information and help you need to understand and move as smoothly as possible through the mortgage process.

How to Get Your VA Certificate of Eligibility for a VA Home Loan Approval.


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TIPS FROM VA FOR ORDERING COE OR CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY
TIP #1: If you don’t have an urgent need (like an impending closing date), or a potentially deal-breaking question or concern please give VA a few business days to process your COE request, before checking on status.
Currently, the majority of our incoming calls relate to Certificate of Eligibility (COE) processing – particularly requests for status updates. While VA’s COE staff is here to help answer your questions about COEs, it is important to note that the staff is currently processingCOE requests in about 4 business days, on average. Despite system enhancements that allow us to provide you instant COEs in over two-thirds of cases, record-setting loan volume means that our COE staff is working as hard as ever to process the remainder as quickly as possible.
TIP #2: Please be sure the “T’s” are crossed and the “I’s” are dotted prior to submission of a COE request. Providing a complete and accurate submission increases the probability that VA can process your request instantaneously.
We sometimes find that COE requests are missing critical pieces of information or that the submitter has forgotten to provide a required form (such as a National Guard member’s NGB-22 or a Reservist’s Points Statement). It may also be helpful to proof the forms you’re uploading to ensure they’re legible and complete. We find that oftentimes, submissions cannot be processed immediately online, only because a key data field or required piece of evidence is illegible, or missing.
Some commonly required (but often omitted) forms are:
  • For Veteran borrowers, the DD214 copy that includes the Character of Service
  • For Reservist borrowers, the Point Statements document, which proves 6 Creditable Years and Character of Service
  • For National Guard borrowers, the Form NGB 22
  • For Active-Duty Servicemember borrowers, the Statement of Service from a commanding officer
 
TIP #3: Please help us help you with your ‘special requests’ regarding COEs.
If your borrower has a special circumstance that requires you to submit a request for more than just a standard COE issuance, it is helpful to provide details about that special circumstance in the “Notes” field of the COE submission page. Our staff can process your full request in an accurate and timely fashion if all the details are easily discernable.
For example, if your borrower is submitting evidence of a name change along with her request for a COE, and you note both requests in the submission, our staff can easily and quickly discern that two actions are required of them and quickly process your request. If that same submission did not note the requested name change, staff may attempt to process only the COE request and initially reject it, due to non-matching information in our system. The “Notes” field can be found in the left-side vertical toolbar on the submission page.
 TIP #4: Please be sure your COE request makes it to the Internet in complete form.
You may be used to other online web forms that allow you to hit “Enter” on your keyboard to navigate through sections of the form or complete a transaction. However, our online COE tool is a bit different. Hitting “Enter” to navigate through the page can result in your incomplete form being submitted to VA. If you hit “Enter” multiple times, we can get multiple incomplete requests for the same COE. Please also note that after you complete the form/process, you should click the “Submit” button in order for the request to be transmitted to our processing system. The “Submit” button can be found at the bottom center of the COE submission page.
 TIP #5: If you’re stuck or have a general question, you may find the answers you need in our web tutorials and guides.
Helpful information can be found at:
  • The Lender’s Tutorial “How to Order a Certificate of Eligibility on the VA Portal” [click here]
  • Information on how to correct your COE submission [click here]
 
TIP #6: If you have issues with the web form or are experiencing other technological issues, the BEST way to report a problem or get help with a problem, is to email the system Help Desk atVIP.VBACO@va.gov rather than call the COE toll-free line.


Joel Lobb (NMLS#57916)
Senior  Loan Officer
 
American Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
10602 Timberwood Circle Suite 3
Louisville, KY 40223
Company ID #1364 | MB73346
 


Text/call 502-905-3708
kentuckyloan@gmail.com

The view and opinions stated on this website belong solely to the authors, and are intended for informational purposes only.  The posted information does not guarantee approval, nor does it comprise full underwriting guidelines.  This does not represent being part of a government agency. The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the view of  my employer. Not all products or services mentioned on this site may fit all people.
, NMLS ID# 57916, (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). I lend in the following states: Kentucky

 

 

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