UPDATE 1/20/17: This rate reduction was cancelled by the Trump Adminsitration. Click here for details.
The beginning of the new year comes with some BIG news for first time home buyers. FHA announced reduced monthly mortgage insurance rates for FHA loans starting January 27, 2017. This will reduce monthly payments for FHA buyers or allow them to qualify for a higher priced home. Here’s what you need to know about this change.
New Reduced Monthly Mortgage Insurance Rates for FHA Loans
The mortgage insurance rate on FHA loans is based on a the purchase price, down payment amount, and term. Most FHA buyers obtain a 30 year loan for under $625,500 and make a down payment of less than 5%. In this case, the monthly MI rate drops from 0.085% to 0.06% per month. On a $400,000 loan, this results in a $100 per month savings. Buyers making a down payment of 5% or more will see rates drop from 0.08% to 0.055%.
For loan amounts above $625,500, the savings is even greater. Loans with 5% down payment will drop from 0.1% to 0.06%. Lower down payment loans will change from 0.105% to 0.06%. On a $700,000 loan, this results in a $315-$420 per month savings.
Effective Date of Reduced Monthly MI Rates
In the past, FHA home loan changes were dependent upon the date that a case number was issued. This is not the case with the reduced monthly mortgage insurance rates for FHA loans starting January 27, 2017. All loans disbursed on or after that date will receive the new lower rate. The date that funds are disbursed is not always the same as the closing date. Contact your lender for details. If you have a loan scheduled to close this month, it may be worthwhile to look into altering the closing date in order to receive the new reduced monthly mortgage insurance rates.
