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FHA ........ Major Condo Approval Change!!!

Back on June 16 of this year I wrote a blog "FHA ........ Major Condo Approval Change!!!" which covered the New FHA Condo Approval Process that was to go into affect on October 1st of this year.  Well FHA has just made it known that the New Condo Approval Process will now not go into affect until November 2nd.  This means that we have an additional month now to be able to do "Spot Condo Approvals" instead of a "Full Condo Complex Approval" on Condo Complexes that are not presently on the FHA Condo Approval List.

A quick recap of what the major changes will be to the new process are:

  • FHA will now allow lenders who are "Direct Endorsement Lender" to determine project eligibility, review project documentation, and certify to compliance of Section 203(b) of the NHA and 24 CFR 203 of HUD’s regulations.
  • An Environmental Study will no longer be required in most cases.
  • The Right of First Refusal will not longer be an issue.
  • Spot Condo Approvals will be eliminated.

I will try to keep everyone informed on any further changes or delays to the New FHA Condo Approval Process as I am made aware of them.

 

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Info about the author:

George Souto is a Loan Officer who can assist you with all your FHA, CHFA, and Conventional mortgage needs in Connecticut. George resides in Middlesex County which includes Middletown, Middlefield, Durham, Cromwell, Portland, Higganum, Haddam, East Haddam, Chester, Deep River, and Essex. George can be contacted at (860) 573-1308 or gsouto@mccuemortgage.com

21 commentsGeorge Souto • September 16 2009 02:41PM

Comments

George, I am so glad you Blogged about this, I've been trying to get the message out.

Posted by Debbie Aldrich Salt Lake City Realtor Salt Lake County, Cottonwood Heights (The Watts Group Real Estate ) over 2 years ago

George, thank you! I had been thinking about this!

Posted by Andrea Swiedler - Swiedler & Adams - New Milford, Litchfield CT Real Estate (Prudential Connecticut Realty, Litchfield County Real Estate) over 2 years ago

George, I've read the HUD Mortgagee Letter 09-19 and I have to tell you, there are some big changes with how condos will either be approved, or not.   I'm going to sit down with my trusted FHA lenders to go over it line item by line item so that our buyers are better served.

Posted by Kris Wales - Macomb County MI real estate blog & homes for sale search site (Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center) over 2 years ago

Thank you for the post.  I just printed the Mortgage Letter myself and will be reading that in the morning.  I am glad they gave the extra month!

Posted by Jeremy Turner over 2 years ago

George,

Looks like FHA is giving mortgage lenders more time to get organized for these changes. So much is going on that everybody scrambling to keep up.

Posted by Esko Kiuru over 2 years ago

Debbie I have been keeping my eye out for it because I had a feeling that they were going to delay this.

Andrea, they waited long enough to put this news out.

Kris, there is a lot in that Mortgagee Letter, but I got a feeling that they are not going to go through with all of those changes, and I hope that the "Spot Approval" is one of the things they reconsider.

Jeremy that makes two of us that are glad that we have atleast one more month.

Esko, the extra time is very much appreciated.

Posted by George Souto NMLS# 65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages Connecticut over 2 years ago

George thank you for the information, we do need to keep ourselves up to date on all these changes.

Posted by Deeba Khader (Harry Norman, Realtors) over 2 years ago

George,

More changes...  I love changes, it keeps everyone on their toes.  Slows the process.......

Ann

Posted by Ann Hayden Wildwood St. Louis MO Agent SelectAnn.com for your real estate (Prudential Select Properties) over 2 years ago

George,

What about condo questionnaires? Will they still be looking at the renter to owner ratios? Is there still an issue with approving certain complexes?

Posted by Neal Bloom-Realtor ®CRS-Weston FL Real Estate (Keller Williams Properties, Weston FL) over 2 years ago

Deeba, that is very true, especially with all of the changes that have been coming down.

Ann, well I don't know if I love the changes, but you are right about them keeping us on our toes.  I am just trying to keep mine from being stepped on :) :)

Neal, the questionnaire verifying the owner-occupied/investor percentage will still apply as will the rule that no more than 10 percent of the units may be owned by one investor.  The questionnaire that will no longer apply if these new guidelines go into effect is the two page questionnaire for Spot Approvals.

Posted by George Souto NMLS# 65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages Connecticut over 2 years ago

George  Thank you for keeping us informed on the latest mortgage products.

Posted by Jennifer Fivelsdal Rhinebeck Real Estate (Serving Dutchess| Columbia|Ulster Ctys (LIC. R.E. Broker JFIVE Home Realty LLC ) over 2 years ago

George,

I am certain you will not be stepped on....

Ann Hayden in cool Wildwood, MO

Posted by Ann Hayden Wildwood St. Louis MO Agent SelectAnn.com for your real estate (Prudential Select Properties) over 2 years ago

We can always count on you to give us first hand information on changes and updates about mortgages... very helpful.  Thanks George!

Posted by Diane Rice, Rice Prprty Mgmnt & Rlty, LLC, South Holland, IL over 2 years ago

Jennifer, thank you.  I try :)

Ann, I am trying hard not to be.

Diane, if we all share what we know, then all of us will be better for it :)

Posted by George Souto NMLS# 65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages Connecticut over 2 years ago

George,

It would take something or someone very tall to step on you...like Paul Bunyan.

Ann

Posted by Ann Hayden Wildwood St. Louis MO Agent SelectAnn.com for your real estate (Prudential Select Properties) over 2 years ago

George,

It would take something or someone very tall to step on you...like Paul Bunyan.

Ann

Posted by Ann Hayden Wildwood St. Louis MO Agent SelectAnn.com for your real estate (Prudential Select Properties) over 2 years ago

Ann :) :) :)

Posted by George Souto NMLS# 65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages Connecticut over 2 years ago

George.. This is great news.  This will help *our* client I am working with right now, ALOT!!!  Thanks for the good news.  Hope you had a great weekend.

valerie osterhoudt

Posted by Valerie Osterhoudt, ABR ~ Cromwell, CT Real Estate ~ 860.883.8889 (Johnson Real Estate, Inc.) over 2 years ago

George,

I wouldn't want ti be a DE under writer!

It's going to be very intresting until this all gets resovled.

Bill

Posted by William J Archambault Jr (The Real Estate Investment Institute ) over 2 years ago

Valerie this buys us a little more time on the Spot Approvals.

Bill, we would be able to do the Condo approvals ourselves, but we will most likely not do that.  We will probably help Condo Associations put the packets together for approval and submit them to FHA for them.

Posted by George Souto NMLS# 65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages Connecticut over 2 years ago

Thanks for the update and the informative posts.  We will see if HUD makes changes in the rules before the final implementation.  As  they stand now  these rules are a ton  of paperwork especially burdensome for a small association, say 4 to 10 units, which we have plenty of here in CT.  I reblogged your post, thanks!

Posted by Paul Begemann (Attorney Paul H. Begemann) over 2 years ago

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