We found some good information, and thought we would share it.

The original story can be found here: http://themortgagereports.com/1604/

Streamline Refinance – FHA Streamline Refinance Guidelines & Rates

• FHA MORTGAGES

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NOTE : FHA Streamline Refinance information is accurate as of today, . If you get your FHA Streamline Refinance information elsewhere online, it may be inaccurate or out-of-date. FHA mortgage guidelines change often.

WHAT IS AN FHA STREAMLINE REFINANCE?

The FHA Streamline Refinance is a special mortgage product, reserved for homeowners with existing FHA mortgages. FHA Streamline Refinances are the fastest, simplest way for FHA-insured homeowners to refinance their respective mortgages into today’s mortgage rates.

The FHA Streamline Refinance program’s defining characteristic is that it does not require a home appraisal. Instead, the FHA will allow you to use your original purchase price as your home’s current value, regardless of what your home is actually worth today.

In this way, with its FHA Streamline Refinance program, the FHA does not care if you are underwater on your mortgage. Rather, the program encourages underwater mortgages. Even if you owe twice what your home is now worth, the FHA will refinance your home without added cost or penalty.

The “appraisal waiver” has been a huge hit with U.S. homeowners, allowing unlimited loan-to-value (LTV) home loans via the FHA Streamline Refinance program. Homeowners in places like Florida, California, Arizona and Georgia have benefitted greatly, as have homeowners in other states and cities affected by last decade’s housing market downturn.

Beyond this “no appraisal” feature, however, the FHA Streamline Refinance behaves very much like any other loan product. It’s available as a fixed rate or adjustable mortgage; it comes as a 15- or 30-year term; and there’s no FHA prepayment penalty to worry about.

Another big plus is that FHA mortgage rates are the same in the FHA Streamline Refinance as with a “regular” FHA loans. There’s no penalty for being underwater, or for having very little equity.

FHA STREAMLINE : NO VERIFICATION OF JOB, INCOME, CREDIT

Another big plus is that the FHA Streamline Refinance is fairly easy for which to qualify.

Earlier this decade, in an effort to help U.S. homeowners, the FHA abolished most of the typical verifications required to get a mortgage. So, today, as it’s written in the FHA’s official mortgage guidelines :

1. Employment verification is not required with an FHA Streamline Refinance
2. Income verification is not required with an FHA Streamline Refinance
3. Credit score verification is not required with an FHA Streamline Refinance

There’s no need for a home appraisal, either, so when you put it all together, you can be (1) out-of-work, (2) without income, (3) carry a terrible credit rating and (4) have no home equity. Yet, you can still be approved for an FHA Streamline Refinance.

That’s not as crazy as it sounds, by the way.

To understand why the FHA Streamline Refinance is a smart program for the FHA, we have to remember that the FHA’s chief role is to insure mortgages — not “make” them.

It’s in the FHA’s best interest to help as many people as possible qualify for today’s low mortgage rates. Lower mortgage rates means lower monthly payments which, in theory, leads to fewer loan defaults.

This is good for homeowners that want lower mortgage rates and for the FHA — but mostly for the FHA.

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ARE YOU FHA STREAMLINE REFINANCE ELIGIBLE?

Although the FHA Streamline Refinance eschews the “traditional” mortgage verifications of income and credit score, as examples, the program does enforce minimum standards for applicants. The official FHA Streamline Refinance guidelines are below. Note that not all mortgage lenders will underwrite to the official guidelines of the Federal Housing Administration.

Note that participants in the FHA’s MIP-reducing HAWK program are permitted to refinance using the FHA Streamline Refinance, too.

Perfect, 3-Month Payment History Is Required

The FHA’s main goal is to reduce its overall loan pool risk. Therefore, it’s number one qualification standard is that homeowners using the Streamline Refinance program must have a perfect payment history stretching back 3 months. 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day lates are not allowed. One mortgage late payment is allowed in the last 12 months. Loans must be current at the time of closing.

210-Day “Waiting Period” Between Refinances

The FHA requires that borrowers make 6 mortgage payments on their current FHA-insured loan, and that 210 days pass from the most recent closing date, in order to be eligible for a Streamline Refinance.

Employment And Income Are Not Verified

The FHA does not require verification of a borrower’s employment or annual income as part of the FHA Streamline process. There is no Verification of Employment, nor are there paystubs, W-2s or tax returns required for approval. You can be unemployed and get approved for a FHA Streamline Refinance so long as you still meet the other program requirements.

Credit Scores Are Not Verified

The FHA does not verify credit scores as part of the FHA Streamline Refinance program. Instead, it uses payment history as a gauge for future loan performance. This means that FICO scores below 640, below 620, below 580, and below 500 are eligible for Streamline Refis.

The Refinance Must Have “Purpose”

Streamline Refinance applicants must demonstrate that there’s a Net Tangible Benefit in the refinance; a legitimate reason for refinancing. Loosely, Net Tangible Benefit is defined as reducing the (principal + interest + mortgage insurance) component of the mortgage payment by 5 percent or more. Another allowable Net Tangible Benefit is to refinance from an adjusting ARM into a fixed rate loan. Taking “cash out” to pay bills is not an allowable Net Tangible Benefit.

Loan Balances May Not Increase To Cover Loan Costs

The FHA prohibits increasing a Streamline Refinance’s loan balance to cover associated loan charges. The new loan balance is limited by the math formula of (Current Principal Balance + Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium). All other costs — origination charges, title charges, escrow population — must be either (1) Paid by the borrower as cash at closing, or (2) Credited by the loan officer in full. The latter is called a “zero-cost FHA Streamline”.

Appraisals Not Required

The FHA isn’t concerned about home value — it’s insuring your loan regardless. Therefore, the FHA does not require appraisals for its Streamline Refinance program. Instead, it uses the original purchase price of your home, or the most recent appraised value, as its valuation point. Homes that are underwater are still FHA Streamline-eligible.

FHA STREAMLINE REFINANCE MORTGAGE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

The FHA Streamline Refinance is an FHA-insured mortgage, and FHA borrowers are required to make two types of mortgage insurance payments — an upfront mortgage insurance payment paid at closing, plus an annual payment split into 12 installments, paid with your mortgage payment each month.

With respect to mortgage insurance premiums, homeowners using the FHA Streamline Refinance program are split into two classes :

1. Homeowners whose new loan replaces an FHA-backed mortgage endorsed prior to June 1, 2009
2. Homeowners whose new loan replaces an FHA-backed mortgage endorsed on/after June 1, 2009.

Homeowners in the first class — those with “old” FHA mortgages — pay markedly lower mortgage insurance than “new” FHA homeowners.

FHA STREAMLINE REFINANCE MIP (FOR LOANS ENDORSED BEFORE JUNE 1, 2009)

If your existing FHA mortgage was endorsed prior to June 1, 2009, your mortgage insurance premiums have been “grandfathered”. You can refinance via the FHA Streamline Refinance program and pay reduced rates for both for upfront MIP and your annual mortgage insurance premium.

Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premiums (UFMIP)

For an FHA Streamline Refinance that replaces a loan endorsed prior to June 1, 2009, the new FHA mortgage’s upfront mortgage insurance is equal to 0.01 percent of the loan size, or 1 basis point.

For example, if your new FHA Streamline Refinance is for $100,000 mortgage, the FHA will assess a $10 upfront mortgage insurance premium (MIP) to be paid by you at closing. The FHA automatically adds the $10 payment to your new loan balance.

Annual Mortgage Insurance Premiums (MIP)

Annual MIP is similarly cheap for “old” FHA loans. For an FHA Streamline Refinance replacing an FHA loan endorsed prior to June 1, 2009, the annual MIP is 0.55% annually, or 55 basis points.

The complete annual MIP schedule is as follows :

• 15-year loan terms with loan-to-value over 90% : 0.55 percent annual MIP
• 15-year loan terms with loan-to-value under 90% : 0.55 percent annual MIP
• 30-year loan terms with loan-to-value over 95% : 0.55 percent annual MIP
• 30-year loan terms with loan-to-value under 95% : 0.55 percent annual MIP

15-year fixed rate mortgages with LTVs of 78% or less pay no annual MIP.

For an FHA Streamline Refinance which replaces a FHA loan endorsed prior to June 1, 2009 and for which the mortgage is a jumbo FHA mortgage (i.e. loan size exceeds $625,500), no additional mortgage insurance premiums are due.

Note : FHA jumbo loans over $625,500 are permitted in “high-cost” metropolitan areas only. This includes Montgomery County, Maryland; New York City, New York; and Fairfax County, Virginia.

Most of California, Hawaii and Alaska are FHA jumbo loan-eligible, too.

FHA STREAMLINE MIP FOR LOANS ENDORSED ON/AFTER JUNE 1, 2009

If you are refinancing an FHA mortgage via the FHA Streamline Refinance program and your existing FHA mortgage was endorsed on, or after, June 1, 2009, your mortgage insurance premium schedule on the new loan is as follows.

Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premiums (UFMIP)

For an FHA Streamline Refinance replacing a loan endorsed on, or after, June 1, 2009, the FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium is equal to 1.75 percent of your loan size, or 175 basis points.

This is $1,750 for every $100,000 borrowed. The FHA automatically adds the $1,750 premium to your loan balance for you — it’s not paid as cash. Furthermore, not all refinancing households will pay the full amount.

For FHA-backed homeowners refinancing within the 3 years of their existing loan’s start date, the FHA provides a refund on previously-paid upfront MIP. The size of the refund diminishes as the 3-year window elapses.

For example, a homeowner who refinances an FHA mortgages after 11 months is granted a 60% refund on his initial FHA UFMIP. 30 days later, the refund drops to 58%. After another 30 days, it drops to 56%, and so on.

This is why is rarely a good idea to “wait to refinance” with the FHA. With the FHA Streamline Refinance program, the sooner you refinance, the bigger your refund, and the lower your total loan size. This lowers the monthly payment and preserves the home equity — two huge positives.

You can review your own FHA mortgage insurance refund chart at top.

Annual Mortgage Insurance Premiums (MIP)

The annual MIP schedule for an FHA Streamline Refinance which replaces a loan from on, or after, June 1, 2009 is as follows :

• 15-year loan terms with loan-to-value over 90% : 0.70 percent annual MIP
• 15-year loan terms with loan-to-value under 90% : 0.45 percent annual MIP
• 30-year loan terms with loan-to-value over 95% : 1.35 percent annual MIP
• 30-year loan terms with loan-to-value under 95% : 1.30 percent annual MIP

Note, though, that jumbo FHA mortgages are subject to an additional MIP fee.

15-year fixed rate mortgages over $625,500 pay an additional 0.25 basis points annually. Loans with terms of 20 years or 30 years pay an additional 0.20 baiss points.

A Los Angeles, California homeowner, therefore, borrowing at the $729,750 local loan limit with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage will pay annual mortgage insurance premiums of 1.55% to the FHA, or $943 per month.

FHA MIP Cancelation Policy

For some FHA-backed homeowners, annual mortgage insurance premiums are temporary. The FHA makes this determination based on the amount of home equity at the time of closing.

For homeowners using the FHA Streamline Refinance to replaces a loan from on, or after, June 1, 2009, the FHA MIP cancelation schedule is as follows :

• Loan-to-value of 90% or less at the time of closing : MIP required for 11 years
• Loan-to-value greater than 90% at the time of closing : MIP required for life of loan

The FHA MIP cancelation policy is the same for 15-year loan terms as for 30-year loan terms.

Refinancing homeowners are welcome to reduce their loan balance at the time of closing to avoid paying MIP for the loan’s life. In many cases, this will require an up-to-date appraisal of your home.

This FHA MIP cancelation policy applies to FHA loans made after June 2013. Note that FHA MIP will also be canceled in the event of a refinance to a different loan program such as a conventional loan backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or upon sale of the home.

Homeowners planning to move within 10 years may not be affected by the FHA’s “Life Of The Loan” rule.

APPLY FOR YOUR FHA STREAMLINE REFINANCE HERE

The FHA Streamline Refinance is among the easiest and best-valued mortgage products available.

If you have an existing FHA mortgage, get yourself a FHA Streamline Refinance rate quote. FHA mortgage rates are low and closings can occur in as few as 20 days. And, the faster you close, the bigger your FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium refund.

NOTE : FHA Streamline Refinance information is accurate as of today, . If you get your FHA Streamline Refinance information elsewhere online, it may be inaccurate or out-of-date. FHA mortgage guidelines change often.

by DAN GREEN

http://themortgagereports.com/1604/