Short-Term Rentals and DSCR Loans

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Image from Pexels

By Rick Tobin

Over the past several years, most short-term and long-term rental property owners created the bulk of their wealth from the annual equity gains related to buying and holding their properties as values increased anywhere between 10% to 40% per year. In California alone back in 2021, it was reported that the average home statewide increased in value $11,000 per month or $132,000 for the entire year. If so, I doubt that many Airbnb or VRBO hosts collected more than $132,000 in gross or net rent profits.

Image from Pixabay

Did you know that San Diego, California was ranked as the #1 for having the highest gross revenues of any Airbnb region in the world in 2021? Please see the complete Top 10 list of the highest grossing rentals in the world later in this article.

Let’s look next at just some of the short-term rental listing companies which assist vacation rental property owners with the leasing of their properties:

  • Airbnb
  • VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner)
  • Booking.com
  • TripAdvisor
  • Expedia
  • HomeToGo
  • Tripping
  • Homestay.com
  • Atraveo
  • OneFineStay

The prominent travel booking company named Expedia purchased VRBO back in December 2015. As a result, Expedia continues to be one of the most dominant short-term rental companies in the world.

As per published Airbnb data, here are the Top 10 states for average annual host or property owners earnings for 2021:

  1. Hawaii: $73,247
  2. Tennessee: $67,510
  3. Arizona: $60,448
  4. Colorado: $58,108
  5. California: $54,461
  6. Florida: $53,209
  7. South Carolina: $49,641
  8. Utah: $48,568
  9. Oregon: $42,964
  10. Alabama: $41,937

Image from Pixabay

If a rental property owner confides in you that he or she collected $50,000+ in gross income from Airbnb last year, this number may only represent a small percentage of their overall total revenue collected from both short-term and long-term tenants (30 days+) because they may have multiple income stream options by way of VRBO, Booking.com, or other companies that help supply them with consistent tenants. This is especially true when the property is located in a populous metropolitan region or a prime vacation getaway area like those found in San Diego, Santa Barbara, or Miami.

No Income Verification Loans for Rentals

Most real estate investors usually need third-party mortgage financing to purchase one or more rental properties even if they are very wealthy themselves. Many years ago, it was quite challenging to qualify for a rental property because you were asked to provide two years’ worth of tax returns, a detailed profit-and-loss statement, and the mortgage underwriters would only give you credit for 75% of your gross monthly rents when attempting to qualify or deny your loan request. This 75% number was due to the fact that lenders assumed that you had property management fees, vacancy rates above 0% throughout the year, and operating expenses for repairs.

As a result, that $2,000 gross rent turned into just $1,500 (75%) and many investors were later denied because few lenders wanted to lend on a rental property with negative monthly cash flow if the proposed monthly mortgage payment (principal, interest, property taxes, insurance, and homeowners association fees, if applicable) was $1,501 or higher.

Image from Pexels

Today, many investors are qualifying to purchase short-term and long-term rentals by way of non-QM or DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) programs which don’t require borrower applicants’ tax returns, W-2s, or other formal income documents to qualify. Now, some lending programs take the closest look at the subject property before determining if the rental property can at least break-even at a 1.0 DSCR number where 100% of the gross monthly rents are at least equal to the proposed mortgage payment. In these underwriting scenarios, 100% of the gross rents are used to qualify instead of just 75% like was more the norm in years past.

For a DSCR loan, it allows borrower applicants to use the market rent (actual or future, in some cases) of the property to qualify rather than the borrower’s business income. This is especially beneficial for self-employed business owners or investors who have a lot of tax write-offs and minimal net income shown on their tax returns.

Some of these DSCR program highlights include:

  • 640+ FICO
  • Up to 80% LTV
  • Available on investment properties only
  • Finance up to 20 properties
  • Loan amounts up to $2M per property

Some of my other lender programs allow negative cash-flow for rental properties up to 70% LTV for cash-out or purchase transactions while not requiring any additional income from the borrower applicant.

Airbnb Statistic

Image from Pexels

Because Airbnb is the biggest name in the short-term rental business sector, let’s review some of these shocking numbers that confirm how successful this investment property model has been for Airbnb corporate and for individual hosts or property owners.

Airbnb History

  • An average of six guests every single second check into an Airbnb listing.
  • Airbnb listings represent 19% of the total demand for lodging in the US.
  • Over 150 million people have booked over one billion nightly stays.
  • The average US Airbnb occupancy rate is 48%.
  • The average stay is 4.3 nights.

2021 Data

  • The global Average Daily Rate (ADR) was $137 per night in 2021 as compared to $110/night in 2020.
  • California properties had a much higher nightly average of $258 per night.
  • In December 2021, there were 12.7 million listings worldwide.
  • There were 2,249,434 listings in the US in 2021.
  • 356.9 million nights were booked on Airbnb in 2021.

Highest Gross Revenues Worldwide for Airbnb Properties

Image from Pixabay

Surprisingly, these populous metropolitan regions such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Paris, London, or Hong Kong weren’t ranked #1 for being the most profitable Airbnb region in the world with the highest gross revenues. No, the honor for the most profitable Airbnb region in the world in 2021 was San Diego, California.

In 2020, seven of the Top 10 highest gross revenues for Airbnb properties were all in the US. One region that stands out is Big Bear, California, which is the best-known mountain resort community in Southern California. Listed below are the 2020 gross revenue numbers for the Top 10 regions in the world:

Compounding Wealth With Equity Gains

There are many individual or family investors across the nation who have acquired 5, 10, 15, or 20+ short-term rental properties. The bulk of their family’s net worth doesn’t usually come from the net annual rental income. No, the family’s net worth is compounding each year with double-digit appreciation rates like we’ve all seen for several years now.

To better understand how the acquisition of multiple rental properties is more likely to create the bulk of your net worth, let’s take a look at a fictional California property owner who saw each of his rental homes appreciate $11,000 per month or $132,000 for the entire year in 2021:

Investors can apply any excess net rental income each year to paying off their mortgage faster. With consistent annual rents, a 30-year mortgage or a shorter-term 5-year or 7-year interest-only mortgage with much lower monthly payments than the best 30-year fully amortizing rates can be paid off much faster as more principal is paid off with extra payments.

The sooner that your homes are free and clear, the earlier you can retire and live off of the monthly cash flow while not touching your equity gains. A fairly consistent plan of buying and holding short-term and/or long-term rental properties is a prime example of letting your money work hard for you instead of the other way around.

Rick Tobin

Rick Tobin has a diversified background in both the real estate and securities fields for the past 30+ years. He has held seven (7) different real estate and securities brokerage licenses to date, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Rick has an extensive background in the financing of residential and commercial properties around the U.S with debt, equity, and mezzanine money. His funding sources have included banks, life insurance companies, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), equity funds, and foreign money sources. You can visit Rick Tobin at RealLoans.com for more details.

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

The Non-Owner, No Income (NONI) Loan Solution

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Image from Pexels

By Rick Tobin

Are all loans second to NONI (Non-Owner, No Income) for cash flow purposes? Does your investment property give you a positive annual cash flow with or without significant vacancy rates, repairs, nonpayment of rents due to tenant moratoriums or other reasons, and costly management expenses? How many investment property owners are stuck with high 7% to 10%+ private money or an expensive 30-year fixed mortgage that creates negative monthly cash flow? The NONI interest-only loan or fully amortizing loan with 7, 10, 30, and 40-year fixed terms is an exceptional financial choice.

NONI Interest-Only Loans

First off, can you afford your monthly mortgage payment? Without positive cash flow and the ability to pay your mortgage payments on time, your investment properties may be at risk for future forbearance, loan modification, or distressed sale situations where you could later lose your positive equity in a future foreclosure. The combination of positive cash flow and compounding equity gains should be the primary goal for investors instead of having unaffordable mortgage payments.

Here’s some eye-opening NONI loan products highlights that keep customers coming back for more NONI products, especially if the investor owns 2, 5, 10, or 20+ rental properties:

  • Starting interest-only rates as low as 3.875%*
  • Designed for business purpose 1-4 unit residential loans in most states
  • No income or employment collected on the loan application
  • Loan amounts to $3.5 million for non-owner properties
  • No 4506-T, tax returns, W-2s or pay stubs
  • Qualification is based on property cash-flow, NOT borrower income
  • First time investors allowed
  • Multipurpose LLC allowed
  • Unlimited cash-out up to 75% LTV
  • As little as 0 months reserves (use cash out for reserve qualifications)
  • NONI doesn’t care how many properties a borrower owns
  • The lower I/O payment (when I/O option is chosen) is used when calculating DSCR and cash reserves
  • 85% LTV available for purchase and rate/term transactions (680+ FICO)
  • Rental income is taken from an existing lease or the rent survey from the appraisal and compared to the mortgage payment to determine debt coverage ratio. (all program guidelines and rates subject to change and qualification)

For traditional loan programs, many lenders will take 75% of your gross rents to qualify for a new mortgage loan because the lender assumes that you have vacancies, repairs, and property management fees. For easy math, a rental property with $1,000 per month in gross income is underwritten as if it were $750 per month and another pricier property with $10,000 per month in rental income is analyzed as if it were $7,500 per month.

Image from Pixabay

For NONI, on the other hand, you can qualify at 1.0 DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) or break-even levels. For example, your rental home averages $2,000 per month, so your newly proposed mortgage payment (including property taxes, insurance, and homeowners association fees, if applicable) must be equal or lower to that same gross rental income. As a result, it’s much easier to qualify for a NONI loan product than any other residential mortgage loan that I know of today.

30-Year Fixed vs. 10-Year Interest-Only

A 30-year mortgage payment doesn’t usually begin to pay down any significant amount of loan principal until after the 7th year. The average mortgage borrower keeps their loan for nearly 7 years, so an interest-only loan product can be a much more solid choice today for many borrowers.

Let’s compare the fully amortizing 30-year fixed payment with a 10-year interest-only payment with cash-out options to see the difference for the same 3.875%* rate:

Loan amount: $250,000
30-year fixed rate payment: $1,175.59/mo. (principal and interest)
10-year fixed interest-only: $807.29/mo.

Loan amount: $500,000
30-year fixed rate payment: $2,351.19/mo. (principal and interest)
10-year fixed interest-only: $1,614.58/mo.

Loan amount: $750,000
30-year fixed rate payment: $3,526.78/mo. (principal and interest)
10-year fixed interest-only: $2,421.88/mo.

Loan amount: $1,000,000
30-year fixed rate payment: $4,702.37/mo. (principal and interest)
10-year fixed interest-only: $3,229.17/mo.

Loan amount: $2,000,000
30-year fixed rate payment: $9,404.74/mo. (principal and interest)
10-year fixed interest-only: $6,458.33/mo.

Loan amount: $3,000,000
30-year fixed rate payment: $14,107.11/mo. (principal and interest)
10-year fixed interest-only: $9,687.50/mo.

*APRs from 4.79%: The 10-year fixed loan converts to an adjustable for the remaining 20 or 30 years with 30-year and possible 40-year loan term options. There are also 30-year and 40-year fixed interest-only loan programs at higher rates (all rates and programs subject to change)

Increasing Inflation and Rates, Decreasing Dollar Value

The more money that is created together between the US Treasury and Federal Reserve, the lower the purchasing power. Inflation can severely damage the purchasing power of the dollar while generally benefiting real estate assets.

US M1 Money Supply (February 2020): $4 trillion
US M1 Money Supply (March 2020 – October 2021): From $4 to $20 trillion

Image from Pixabay

Or, 80% of today’s M1 Money Supply, or an additional $16 trillion dollars in circulation, was created within just 22 months (March 2020 to October 2021).

Most Americans create the bulk of their family’s net worth from the ownership of real estate, not hiding cash under their mattress or holding stocks or bonds. Inflation is also a hidden form of taxation. One of the best ways to offset weaker dollars is to buy and hold real estate as a hedge against rising inflation while also generating monthly cash flow.

Today’s younger investors may not remember 10% to 20% fixed mortgage rates from years past. If your rental properties are losing money at a 3% or 4% fixed rate today, then any future properties purchased with higher rates will lose even more money unless you select a much more affordable interest-only loan product.

Let’s take a look next the average published 30-year fixed rate for owner-occupants who qualify with full income and asset documentation by decade:

● 12.7% in the 1980s
● 8.12% in the 1990s
● 6.29% in the 2000s
● 4.09% in the 2010s

The common link between each of these decades was that perceived inflation risks were usually a core reason why the Federal Reserve increased interest rates in order to quash inflation. Today’s published inflation rates are at 40-year highs. Yet, they are still underreported and are actually much higher as partly noted by annual used car prices rising almost 48% in just 12 months near the end of 2021.

Doubling Asset Values

If you keep the old Rule of 72 (how long it takes to double an asset value by the annual gain or interest return projections) in mind with rising inflation trends continuing to boost housing prices, you will clearly see the potential to boost your net worth. For example, a home doubles in value based upon the gains such as a 7.2% annual increase that will take 10 years for the home to double in value (72 / 7.2% = 10 years).

Image from Pixabay

Between November 2020 and November 2021, it was reported that the average home price, including distressed properties, increased more than 18%. If that home price gain trend continued at the same annual pace, the average home price could double in value every 4 years (72 / 18 = 4 years). In many pricey coastal regions, homes have appreciated 30% to 35%+ per year over the past few years. As a result, many investors have seen their home values double in just two or three years.

As rates are more likely to increase than decrease in the future, the interest-only loan products that can be fixed for 7, 10, 30, or 40 years make more sense from a cash flow and peace of mind standpoint.

While NONI keeps your payments low, your net worth may be boosted sky high as the soaring inflation trends continue and properties may double or triple in value!

Rick Tobin

Rick Tobin has a diversified background in both the real estate and securities fields for the past 30+ years. He has held seven (7) different real estate and securities brokerage licenses to date, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Rick has an extensive background in the financing of residential and commercial properties around the U.S with debt, equity, and mezzanine money. His funding sources have included banks, life insurance companies, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), equity funds, and foreign money sources. You can visit Rick Tobin at RealLoans.com for more details.

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

Forbearance Bailouts and Refinances

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By Rick Tobin

The 2020 and 2021 years have been two of the most unusual time periods in world history, especially for the real estate sector. For example, millions or tens of millions of homeowners and tenants have been severely delinquent with their mortgage and rent payments while unemployment numbers rose incredibly high. However, home values have absolutely skyrocketed to all-time record high annual percentages and prices.

How is it possible for us to see record delinquencies with or without approved forbearance (“no mortgage payments paid and the lender agrees not to foreclose”) or loan modification agreements in place and record price growth at the exact same time? Don’t these two opposing situations contradict one another in a cognitive dissonance sort of way? In past years, record mortgage delinquency numbers would typically cause declining property values nearby because these home delinquencies or foreclosures would become the latest lower sales comparable for the neighboring homes.

The true irony of record delinquency numbers is that most homeowners created much more equity in their properties by just sitting there and not making any mortgage payments. As reported by CoreLogic’s Homeowner Equity Report, the total US homeowners’ annual equity grew $2.9 trillion between the second quarters of 2020 and 2021 with an average individual mortgage borrower’s gain of $51,500 in just one year. A deferral of 12 months’ worth of $2,000 per month payments that totaled $24,000 would still be less than half of the new equity gains.

Image from Pexels

In this article, you will learn about how you can refinance out of a forbearance or loan modification plan instead of losing all of your equity in a future foreclosure sale. For most American families, the bulk of their net worth originates from the equity in their owner-occupied residential property (single-family home, condominium, townhouse, duplex, triplex, or fourplex), so this topic point is quite relevant to millions of people today.

Let’s review next some of the most mind-blowing delinquency data that’s been published here in 2021:

$833 Billion in Unpaid Mortgage Balances

  • An estimated 15 million people lived in households that owed more than $20 billion in unpaid rent as of July 2021.
  • 7.43 million rental property units were not current.
  • 5.95 million owner-occupied housing units weren’t current.
  • 8.71 million lived in owner-occupied homes where the homeowners have little or no confidence in their ability to pay their mortgage.
  • 12.71 million lived in rental properties where the heads of household had little or no confidence in their ability to pay their rent.
  • Serious mortgage delinquencies were up 20% in July from June and were the highest recorded since 2010.
  • By mid-August 2021, 3.9 million homeowners were in active forbearance, which represented 7.4% of all mortgages nationwide and $833 billion in total unpaid principal.
  • An estimated 11.6% of all FHA and VA loans were in active forbearance.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau and Black Knight Mortgage Monitor

How Hyperinflation Creates Wealth

Most people should know by now that historically low mortgage rates for borrowers is one of the main reasons why real estate values have boomed since 2013, depending upon the region. The vast majority of homeowners need third-party loans to buy their properties. Over the past decade, a very high percentage of homebuyers purchased their homes with 0% to 3.5% down payments with or without their own personal funds for loan programs like FHA, VA, or conforming that allowed gifted funds from family or seller credits.

Image from Pixabay

Historically, 7-year to 10-year boom cycles for real estate have been the norm. Yet, we haven’t seen significant price drops in a major metropolitan region, state, or across the nation. Do we still have at least another few years of potential double-digit home appreciation growth in our future or not?

Few investments have been a better hedge against inflation than real estate. On an annualized basis, home values generally increase in value on average at least as high as the published annual rates of inflation. The Federal Reserve must continue to keep rates artificially low or they may risk causing the housing bubble to pop.

The Federal Reserve’s ongoing policy of Quantitative Easing (create more money to boost asset values related to housing and stocks, especially) and their lesser-known Operation Twist policy (the simultaneous buying and selling of long-term and short-term bonds to artificially drive down mortgage rates) that they seem to turn on and off as needed with or without notifying the general public. With record high government debt levels today, the Fed has really no choice but to keep pushing inflation higher because one of their biggest fears is massive asset deflation like seen in Japan in the early 1990s after their own Quantitative Easing program failed miserably.

Rising inflation trends for various consumer goods and services like food, clothing, cars, and gasoline are not usually viewed favorably. However, rising home values tied to meteoric inflation trends are welcomed by homeowners who see their home values rise $50,000 to $100,000+ in a year.

Year-over-year inflation trends for August 2021:

  • Used vehicle prices: +31.9%
  • Energy costs: +25%
  • Southern California home prices: +22.1%*
  • National home prices: +19.7% (a new annual US record)*
  • Export prices: +16.8%
  • Apparel / clothing: +15.52%
  • Import prices: +9.0%

*July year-over-year housing price trends

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CoreLogic, and California Association of Realtors

Forbearance and Loan Modification Refinance Solutions

A homeowner who hasn’t made a mortgage payment in several months, a year, or almost two years probably has a few options to exit out of this dire financial situation. First, they can sell the home and lease another property if their credit scores aren’t too negatively impacted.

In September 2021, multifamily apartment units reached an all-time record high of $1,558 which was an all-time record annual 11.4% increase, according to Yardi Matrix. For single-family home rentals, the monthly rents are normally much higher in the $2,000 to $5,000+ per month range, depending upon how close they are to an ocean or prime metropolitan region.

Image from Pixabay

Or, the homeowner can attempt to save their home and end their existing approved or unapproved forbearance (“no payment, no foreclosure”) or loan modification situation, and refinance with a new loan that may allow cash out, a lower rate, and better monthly payments. The mortgage companies or lenders that will consider refinancing a mortgage which is severely delinquent are likely to request that the homeowner exit out their forbearance agreement, make a few payments, and then complete the new refinance closing.

Oftentimes, a homeowner who has been in forbearance cannot provide tax returns or more formal income verification. As a result, more lenders today may consider qualifying the borrower applicant with anywhere between zero and 24 months’ worth of bank deposits while closely analyzing the averaged bank deposits. In some cases, a government-backed mortgage product may allow an almost “No Doc” loan program with a financial hardship letter that may reduce the monthly principal and interest amounts by 25%, as recently announced by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

For more details in regards to these new financial solutions to exit out of forbearance and loan modification programs, refinance, and save your home, please visit my website at www.realloans.com.

Rick Tobin

Rick Tobin has a diversified background in both the real estate and securities fields for the past 30+ years. He has held seven (7) different real estate and securities brokerage licenses to date, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Rick has an extensive background in the financing of residential and commercial properties around the U.S with debt, equity, and mezzanine money. His funding sources have included banks, life insurance companies, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), equity funds, and foreign money sources. You can visit Rick Tobin at RealLoans.com for more details.

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

Homeowners’ Financial Solutions for 2021 and Beyond

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Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

By Rick Tobin

Between 2006 and 2014 during the depths of the Credit Crisis, there were 10 million Americans who lost their home to foreclosure over this 8-year span. Within just a few months in 2020 (March to May), we’ve seen almost 50% of that 10 million foreclosure number with at least 4.7 million mortgages delinquencies. For most Americans, the vast majority of their family’s overall net worth is tied directly to the equity in their home rather than in any stocks or other investments.

The good news is that national existing home sales climbed an all-time record +20.7% month-over-month increase between May and June 2020 partly due to fixed mortgage rates repeatedly reaching all-time record lows. In spite of record unemployment claims filings, home prices are still at or near all-time record highs in most major metropolitan regions.
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Photo by Burak K from Pexels

In spite of one of the most chaotic years ever in world history, national home equity grew $1 trillion in value due to the combination of historic all-time low 30-year fixed rates and unusually low home listing inventory. For example, there were 1.42 million existing homes on the market nationwide at the end of October 2020, which was a 19.8% drop compared with one year earlier. Some analysts claim that the median home price nationwide increased by a 16% year-over-year growth during the same October 2019 to October 2020 time range. In many metropolitan regions, listed homes are selling within one to two weeks.
The primary difference between now and the last negative economic time period is that more homeowners today have much more equity in their homes than back in the 2008 to 2012 years. As such, any distressed homeowners who need to sell should be able to do it rather quickly due to the strong buyer demand and record low mortgage rates.

Homeowners, Tenants, and the CARES Act

Back on March 27, 2020, the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) was passed by Congress as a response to the worsening US and global economy due to the fallout from the ongoing virus pandemic designation. Subsequent to the passage of the CARES Act, governors in states like California and elsewhere signed mandates or legal orders that attempted to prohibit lenders from foreclosure on delinquent homeowners and landlords from evicting tenants through the end of December 2020 or January 2021 (dates subject to change).
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Photo by Joshua Miranda from Pexels

Additionally, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) issued their own guidelines that referenced the possibility of civil fines and/or criminal prosecutions for any landlord who attempted to evict a delinquent tenant before the end of December 2020 partly due to claims that it may increase potential health risks for the general public. In US history, this may be the very first time that the CDC has claimed authority to directly affect landlords and tenants. In recent times, these foreclosure or eviction moratoriums have been extended to January 2021 or beyond. At a later date, these moratoriums may continue to be extended, but few people are fairly certain at this point.

Risks and Financial Opportunities

Let’s take a look below at the potential risks, market changes, and financial solutions for homeowners, landlords, tenants, and real estate professionals due to Covid-19’s impact on the economy: * Adverse Market Fees: As of December 1st, 2020, the largest secondary market investors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are scheduled to assess a 0.50% “adverse market fee” to at least all refinance (and possibly purchase) loans that are designated as “conforming” fixed mortgage rates. Generally, these are some of the lowest 30-year and 15-year fixed mortgage rates in the nation for the most creditworthy borrowers with usually very solid FICO credit scores. This market fee adjustment may increase the overall 30-year fixed rate by anywhere between .125% and .25%, depending upon the lender. * Non-conforming mortgage loans: Borrowers may consider easier qualifying non-conforming loans that aren’t purchased in the secondary markets by Fannie or Freddie which include: FHA (FICO credit score allowances in the 500 range), VA, Non-QM (Qualified Mortgage), and Private Money that may allow much higher debt-to-income ratio allowances and/or no formal income documentation requirements such as with Stated Income products (bank statements or profit and loss statements in lieu of W2s or tax returns). * Forbearance agreements: The lender agrees to postpone or delay their foreclosure actions with the delinquent borrower. Sometimes, these foreclosure postponements may last months or years.
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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

* Deferment: The lender agrees with the borrower’s request to delay or defer their delinquent payments until a later date. In some cases, the late payments and penalties are added years later when the loan may become all due and payable. * Loan modification: The lender or mortgage loan service company agrees to reduce the existing interest rate and/or monthly payment amount so that the mortgage is more affordable as a way to avoid foreclosure. * Loan repayment plan: Both the lender and borrower mutually agree to add unpaid delinquent payments and late fees to the existing mortgage which may slightly increase their monthly payments or increase the loan term to give the borrower more time. * Reinstatement: After the borrower and lender agree to modify the monthly payments to avoid foreclosure, the loan is removed from foreclosure status and reinstated in “good standing.” * Seller-financed sales: If the homeowner needs a quick sale to a new buyer who can effectively take over his monthly mortgage payments and give the seller some much needed cash, the seller may consider creating some type of wraparound mortgage {i.e., contract for deed or all-inclusive trust deed (AITD)} or “subject-to” property transfer in which the buyer receives the deed to the property that is “subject-to” the existing mortgage still secured by the property. * Short sale: If and when the mortgage debt is greater than the current market value for the property (aka “upside-down” mortgage), the homeowner may consider contacting an experienced local Realtor who can help negotiate a discounted mortgage payoff with the lender when they find a qualified new buyer.
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Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

* “Cash for Keys”: During the depths of the last major national foreclosure crisis between 2009 and 2013 especially, lenders were offering delinquent homeowners upwards of several thousand to $25,000 + to vacate the home while not damaging it or removing appliances. Quite often, the homeowner hadn’t made a mortgage payment for months or years up until this “Cash for Keys” offer. For many lenders, this cash payment to struggling homeowners was considered more affordable for the lender than fighting the homeowner for months or years longer. * Bankruptcy: For homeowners who are days or weeks away from losing their home at the final lender auction sale, they may consider filing Chapter 7 (complete liquidation of most debts) or Chapter 13 bankruptcy (a longer term workout payment plan) either on their own with online companies for just a few hundred dollars or with the assistance of an experienced bankruptcy attorney. The bankruptcy filing could delay the foreclosure auction date by weeks, months, or longer. Please seek quality legal assistance first. * Foreclosures: Please note that the typical foreclosure date timeline is close to four months from the start to finish. In California (a trust deed or non-judicial foreclosure state), the lender may first issue some warning letters to the delinquent mortgage borrower up to several months. The lender will then file a Notice of Default to start the foreclosure process. Ninety (90) days later, the lender will file a Notice of Trustee’s Sale while advertising one day a week in a local legal newspaper for three consecutive weeks. If the loan hasn’t been cured or paid with some new installment or workout plan, the lender could hold the final Trustee’s Sale (or auction) approximately 120 days (4 months) after the Notice of Default was filed.
In other states that are considered judicial foreclosure states, the foreclosure timelines may be similar or much longer, depending upon the caseload for nearby local courtrooms.

Focus on Opportunities, Not Obstacles

opportunities
It’s your ongoing perceptions of these negative financial, health, and overall national and global situations that may best determine whether you succeed or not. “Truth” is just your personal perspectives based upon life experiences. In the well-known Five Stages Of Grief description about emotional reactions to traumatic and painful experiences which was first written by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler about the fear of death, the five stages are described as: ● Denial ● Anger ● Bargaining ● Depression ● Acceptance
The faster that you get through the first four states of grief, the faster that you will get to the “Acceptance” stage and your focusing on the potential opportunities and solutions.
What we tend to focus on in life is usually what we end up with later because our minds are like giant magnets, for better or worse. Please keep your eyes on your personal goals because the solutions will appear sooner rather than later if you’re willing to focus with 20/20-like perfect vision. For many real estate investors, they will find incredible buying opportunities in 2021 and beyond if they keep a positive mindset.
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Rick Tobin

Rick Tobin has a diversified background in both the real estate and securities fields for the past 30+ years. He has held seven (7) different real estate and securities brokerage licenses to date, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Rick has an extensive background in the financing of residential and commercial properties around the U.S with debt, equity, and mezzanine money. His funding sources have included banks, life insurance companies, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), equity funds, and foreign money sources. You can visit Rick Tobin at RealLoans.com for more details.

How FHA Benefits Buyers, Sellers, and Brokers

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By Rick Tobin

Since 1934, FHA has insured over 34 million home mortgages nationwide. For buyers, sellers, and advising real estate brokers or other licensees, they should all learn more details about how the use of FHA mortgage loans can help each of them to buy and sell properties at potentially a faster and more profitable pace today.

Easier Mortgage Underwriting Guidelines for FHA Loans

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Because FHA mortgages are insured by the federal government in case of future default or foreclosure risks, mortgage lenders are more likely to offer much easier loan approval requirements for their interested borrowers. Let’s take a look below at some of the best FHA mortgage loan benefits that include:
  • Loan-to-value loan amounts up to 96.5% LTV for owner-occupied properties.
  • FICO credit score allowances as low as 580 for some lenders up to 96.5% LTV loans.
  • Sellers, family members, and other interested parties may be able to contribute up to 6% of the sales price towards closing costs, prepaid expenses, discount points, and other financing costs or concessions to greatly reduce total out-of-pocket cash contributions for the buyer.
  • Borrowers who invest at least 10% towards a down payment may qualify with a FICO credit score as low as 500 in some cases.
  • Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio limit allowances that may exceed 50% for borrower applicants.
  • Interest rates for FHA loans are usually priced at or better than the most attractive interest rates for loans that aren’t government-insured, which allows borrowers to qualify for much larger loan amounts.
  • Maximum loan amount limits for one unit ($765,600), two unit ($980,325), three unit ($1,184,925), and four unit ($1,472,550) properties are much higher now in 2020 than most people realize.

FHA Loan Amount Limits for 2020

Each year, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) revise their maximum loan limits for one-to-four unit residential properties by county regions across the nation.
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The FHFA establishes the baseline conforming loan limit that meets or “conforms” to certain qualifying underwriting guidelines that are established by the two largest secondary market investors or Government-Sponsored Entities (GSE’s) named Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation).
After a mortgage company, wholesale lender, or bank funds a loan, they usually need to sell it off into the secondary market to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or to another secondary market investor so that the financial institution doesn’t run out of money. As a result, the lender will underwrite and approve borrower’s loan applications that both meet their own guidelines as well as the secondary market investor’s requirements. If not, the financial institution might be stuck with the funded loan, and will not be able to transfer it to another secondary market investor.
A conforming loan that is saleable or transferable to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and FHA loans are typically based upon median home prices in each county region. California, and other expensive states to live in that are typically near ocean locations or prime metropolitan regions, have “high-cost” county loan limits that can reach as high as 150% of the baseline mortgage limit that is derived from local median home prices in that same county region. FHA has a minimum loan amount or floor limits that go as low as $331,760 for a one-unit property (single-family home, condominium, townhome, etc.) as of January 2020. FHA has maximum loan amount limits that rise to as high as $765,600 in pricier county regions in California that include: * Alameda * Contra Costa * Los Angeles * Marin * San Benito * San Francisco * San Mateo * Santa Clara

Maximum Residential (One-to-Four Unit) Loan Limits in 2020

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For so long as the owner lives in one of the units for a duplex, triplex, or fourplex property, the same owner may qualify for the maximum residential LTV ranges just like he or she would for a single-family home. Many times, the adjacent tenant or tenants will pay enough in monthly rent to cover the owner’s monthly mortgage payment. Single (single-family home, condo, townhome) – $765,600 Duplex (two units) – $980,325 Triplex (three units) – $1,184,925 Fourplex (four units) – $1,472,550

Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) Fees

Because FHA mortgage loans tend to be at higher loan-to-value levels up to 96.5% LTV, these government-insured loans will include a mortgage insurance premium fee when the LTV exceeds 80% of the purchase price or appraised value for a refinance. The pooled insurance fee payments will act as future protection against any default risks. Generally, the MIP funding fee equals 1.75% of the loan amount that’s due at the time of closing. The official title for this MIP funding fee is the Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP). Many times, the borrower can add this MIP finance charge to the loan amount if all underwriting guidelines are met and approved by the lender.
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Additionally, there will be an annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP) fee that varies depending upon factors such as the loan-to-value and loan amount size. Loans with a higher LTV range at 96.5% are generally considered much riskier than loans with lower 90% LTV ranges. As a result, the annual MIP fee percentage amounts will differ and range from a low of 80 basis points or .80% (at or below 90% LTV for loan amounts below $625,500) to as high as 105 basis points or 1.05% (at or above 95% LTV for loans greater than $625,500). Please note that 15-year FHA mortgages generally have lower interest rates and much lower annual MIP fees to as low as 45 basis points or .45%. Source: https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/15-01MLATCH.PDF

FHA Monthly MIP Payment Example

Let’s quickly review a fictional $600,000 home purchase deal for a borrower who wants an FHA mortgage that’s fixed for 30 years with the lowest down payment possible:
  • Purchase price: $600,000
  • Maximum 96.5% LTV with just 3.5% down: $579,000
  • Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP): $10,132.50 (1.75% of $579,000)
  • Annual MIP fee: $4,921.50 (.85% of $579,000)
  • Monthly MIP fee paid: $410.12 ($4,921.50 / 12 months)
The monthly MIP fee is paid in addition to the homeowner’s principal, interest, property taxes, and homeowners insurance. The faster that the homeowner can eliminate this monthly MIP fee requirement, the more affordable the future monthly payments will become for the borrower.

FHA Streamline Refinances

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Two or three years after buying a property with a 96.5% LTV FHA loan, a borrower may be able to qualify for the FHA Streamline refinance program if the new loan amount will be at 80% or below of the most recent estimated market value. Over the past several years, many homes have appreciated at 7% to 10% per year. If so, it may only take a few years for a property owner to reduce their LTV range from 96.5% with monthly MIP requirements to 80% LTV or below with no monthly MIP payments. Ironically, these “fast track” refinance programs may allow the borrower to not provide any formal documentation for their current income, credit scores, or even need a formal updated appraisal. If the monthly MIP payment can be eliminated with the new FHA Streamline loan, the borrower may also get a partial refund of their upfront MIP payment that was due at closing when the home was purchased.
A new FHA Streamline loan could save a borrower $500 to $1,000 per month, depending upon how much their interest rate is reduced, their loan amount, and whether or not their monthly insurance premium was eliminated.
Whether you are a buyer, seller, or a real estate broker, the FHA loan option might be the best financing option of them all for the parties involved. This is especially true as both the 30-year and 15-year fixed mortgage rates hover at or near all-time record lows!
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Rick Tobin

Rick Tobin has a diversified background in both the real estate and securities fields for the past 30+ years. He has held seven (7) different real estate and securities brokerage licenses to date, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Rick has an extensive background in the financing of residential and commercial properties around the U.S with debt, equity, and mezzanine money. His funding sources have included banks, life insurance companies, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), equity funds, and foreign money sources. You can visit Rick Tobin at RealLoans.com for more details.

How Deferment of Mortgage Payments May Affect Borrowers in the Long Run

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By Edward Brown

When Congress passed Section 4021 of the CARES Act in response to the effects of COVID-19, their intent was to help borrowers who were having problems making their mortgage payments. Little did Congress realize that they were potentially setting up borrowers for trouble in the future when it comes to credit worthiness as assessed by the lending community.

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According to Mark Hanf, president of Pacific Private Money, “Section 4021 of the CARES Act contained a regulation that loan servicers “shall report the credit obligation or account for those participating in forbearance as current”. In other words, those participating in a forbearance program should not see their credit scores drop. However, there is a loophole that allows lenders to discover whether or not a borrower is actually making payments. It is the “comments” section of a credit report. The CARES Act does not mention the comments section of credit reports, and that’s where forbearance notations are going.” What borrowers are not being told is that any reference in a credit report to forbearance can be a Scarlet Letter for an applicant seeking a new mortgage, according to Kathleen Howley in an article she wrote in early May 2020.

According to Hanf, within a week of Howley’s article, his company received a loan request from a home buyer who was denied credit from a major bank for just this very situation. Although the bank sees the existing mortgage as “current” the forbearance has let the world know via the comment section that this borrower has requested a deferment. The major bank involved would most likely not deny the loan on its face due to the deferment, as this would violate the law; however, banks are notorious for coming up with a myriad of reasons for denying a loan and still stay within the guidelines set out for them.

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Conventional lenders desire to have plain vanilla borrowers who pay back loans in a timely manner. When a borrower changes terms of the loan by requesting principal forgiveness or other aspects of the loan, the lenders generally do not usually extend credit again to these borrowers and can negatively affect the borrower’s ability to borrow again from unrelated lenders. Such is the case back during the Great Recession wherein some borrowers took advantage of the economic climate by asking their lender to reduce the principal of their loan [total forgiveness rather than just a deferment]. The borrowers may have gotten a reprieve, but the long-term effects may have been more drastic. Similarly, to when a borrower files bankruptcy. The borrower may get out of paying creditors, but their ability to borrow in the future is usually severely hampered.

In one case, back in 2009, during the heart of the Great Recession, one banker tells a story of how a wealthy borrower first asked for a principal loan reduction of $500,000 because his collateralized real estate had decreased and his request was granted. But, when this borrower was faced with the prospects of having this reduction reported on his credit report or the fact that he would have to inform any new lender that he requested a principal reduction [as this question is usually on bank applications], he voluntarily requested that the $500,000 abatement be reinstated. He decided his ability to borrow in the future was worth more than the $500,000 principal reduction.

Borrowers will have to decide if requesting deferments is worth the risk of potential future lending restrictions based upon the lender desire to lend to borrowers who choose to defer mortgage payments when the opportunity arises. Whoever said, “there’s no free lunch” must have been talking about these very situations.

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Edward Brown

Edward Brown currently hosts two radio shows, The Best of Investing and Sports Econ 101. He is also in the Investor Relations department for Pacific Private Money, a private real estate lending company. Edward has published many articles in various financial magazines as well as been an expert on CNN, in addition to appearing as an expert witness and consultant in cases involving investments and analysis of financial statements and tax returns.

Vacation Rental Investment Opportunities

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By Rick Tobin

In 2019, the travel and tourism sector represented 10.4% of the global GDP (Gross Domestic Product), including vacation rental properties. Over the past 12 years back when the best known vacation rental company named Airbnb was formed in San Francisco, each consecutive year for vacation rentals had record growth. However, the current 2020 year has experienced some significant economic challenges related to the global pandemic designation that slowed down travel tremendously.

airbnb-3399753_1280Airbnb is the best known vacation rental company in the world because it’s the largest. However, there are many other popular vacation space rental brands under the names of HomeAway, VRBO, Booking Holdings, Trivago, Booking.com, Homestay, and TripAdvisor.

Vacation rental ownership can become either a part-time or full-time career for property owners if they are consistent with their marketing efforts, treat their guests fairly, and have affordable monthly mortgage payments and maintenance expenses. With today’s record low mortgage rates, many property owners may be able to refinance and reduce their mortgage rate by 2% or 3% while increasing their net cash flow by $500 or $600 per month, depending upon their loan amount.

Let’s take a look below at some of the latest vacation rental data trends:

Vacation Rental Properties, Income, & User Numbers

  • Worldwide, an estimated $57.669 billion (USD) was generated in 2019.
  • The projected number of vacation rental users was over 297 million.
  • According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 30% of vacation rental or second-home property homeowners also leased them as short-term rentals in 2018.
  • The NAR reported that 32% of investment homeowners were likely to lease them as short-term rentals.
  • Of the nine million second homes in the US, approximately 44% were professionally managed and upwards of 25% to 35% were rented out, per Hostfully.
  • There are more than 23,000 vacation rental companies across the nation.
  • As per VRM Intel, 45% of investment property buyers purchased their property with the intent to generate some rental income instead of just “fixing and flipping” or holding long-term for price appreciation.
  • It’s projected by Statista that the number of vacation rental users may surpass 57 million by 2023.
  • The average revenue per user (ARPU) reached $438.49, according to Statista.
  • Vacation rental income comprises about 24% of the average owner’s total overall annual income, per VRMA.
  • VRBO estimates that 29% of vacation properties are owned by more than one person.
  • Approximately 63% of investors and 52% of vacation property buyers purchased a detached single-family home with a median size of 1,500 square feet, according to VRM Intel.

Airbnb Statistics

  • businessman-2682712_1280In the US, there are more than 660,000 host properties.
  • Since the formation of Airbnb in 2008, there have been over 500 million Airbnb stays.
  • There are more than seven million listings in over 220 countries and regions.
  • There are 150 million users worldwide.
  • There were over 100,000 host cities worldwide as of January 2020.
  • Each night, there are over 2 million people staying at Airbnb rentals worldwide.
  • On average, six guests check into an Airbnb every single second.

Top 10 Profitable Airbnb Regions

Surprisingly, many of the most profitable Airbnb areas were located outside of a major tourist hub, crowded metropolitan region like in New York City, or in scenic coastal regions, according to an analysis by the investment property exchange company IPX 1031. This is partly because the host’s property maintenance and mortgage costs are generally more reasonable than in pricier metropolitan regions.

In 2019, the Top 10 cities for highest profit margins for property hosts included:

#1 – Moreno Valley, California: $33,720 annual profit
#2 – Virginia Beach, Virginia: $32,208 annual profit
#3 – Pasadena, Texas: $29,988 annual profit
#4 – Garden Grove, California: $29,772 annual profit
#5 – Fremont, California: $26,700 annual profit
#6 – Grand Prairie, Texas: $24,432 annual profit
#7 – Columbus, Georgia: $23,820 annual profit
#8 – Oxnard, California: $23,256 annual profit
#9 – Orlando, Florida: $22,020 annual profit
#10 – Shreveport, Louisiana: $19,992 annual profit

Top Airbnb Destinations for Summer

beach-1838501_1280In the summer of 2019, the top Airbnb destinations in the entire nation for the peak travel season were ranked as follows:

#1 – Los Angeles
#2 – San Diego
#3 – Phoenix
#4 – San Francisco
#5 – New York City

In San Diego, Airbnb reported that there were 345,000 guests that generated upwards of $79 million in revenue for the property hosts. For the smaller neighborhood regions in San Diego County, the most popular areas for Airbnb travelers included:

#1 – Pacific Beach
#2 – Mission Beach
#3 – East Village
#4 – North Park
#5 – Ocean Beach

The Global Pandemic’s Effect on Tourism and Investments

In February and March 2020, the Dow Jones stock index experienced eight of the 10 worst all-time trading days in history due to investor fears about the coronavirus pandemic. Between February 12th when the Dow peaked at 29,551.42 on February 12th and March 23rd when the Dow plummeted to a low of 18,213.65, the Dow lost 38% of its overall percentage value in just over five weeks. However, stock prices have been moving much higher through the end of June as the Dow Jones had the best quarter since 1987 and the S&P 500 index had the most positive quarter in 22 years.

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Unfortunately, the travel and tourism industry has been hit hard during the first half of 2020 due to so many hotel, motel, theme park, and transportation restrictions or complete shutdowns. For many vacation rental owners, they have seen their income fall to lower levels than in previous years. If so, the loss of rental income has inspired some vacation property owners to think about either selling or refinancing their property to generate much needed cash or to hopefully improve their monthly net cash flow.

Surprisingly, real estate continued to have much more positive news than perhaps any other investment sector during the 1st half of 2020. Specifically, the fact that 30-year mortgage rates reached all-time record lows in the month of June was probably the primary reason why as some rates hovered somewhere in the mid-2% rate range. By comparison, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit a whopping 18.63% in October 1981.

profits-1953616_1280Other positive first half of 2020 trends for real estate and mortgages included:

  • Mortgage application numbers reached 11 year highs.
  • Home purchase applications also rose to 11 year highs while home inventory remains low.
  • Suburban home market regions are expected to hit record boom sales highs because so many people want out of crowded metropolitan regions while realizing that they can work from home.
  • US home prices rose for the 9th consecutive month in April, per Case-Shiller.
  • Prices of the most affordable third of US homes increased 5.5% during the 2nd quarter, per Redfin.

In the second half of 2020 and beyond, more people will likely be very eager to start traveling again after being restricted from travel for much of 2020. As a result, the revenue streams for vacation rental hosts may continue back towards historic highs if the annual positive data trends continue like they have over the past 12 years.

 

Rick-Tobin-Professional-Pic-sharperRick Tobin

Rick Tobin has a diversified background in both the real estate and securities fields for the past 30+ years. He has held seven (7) different real estate and securities brokerage licenses to date, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Rick has an extensive background in the financing of residential and commercial properties around the U.S with debt, equity, and mezzanine money. His funding sources have included banks, life insurance companies, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), equity funds, and foreign money sources. You can visit Rick Tobin at RealLoans.com for more details.

VA and FHA Mortgages & the Housing Boom (Part 2)

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Military Experience Eligibility for VA Loans

How does a retired or active military personnel member qualify for a VA loan based upon their military experience?

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* An earlier discharge date for a service-connected disability may still qualify you.
** Officers who separated from service after 10/16/81 may be eligible.

For more details, please visit The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ website to learn about VA mortgage loan eligibility benefits:
https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/eligibility/

Once an active or retired military person meets the minimum qualifying guidelines, he or she will be given a Certificate of Eligibility that’s issued by the Department of Veteran Affairs. The VA mortgage loan applicant will then send a copy of the VA Certificate of Eligibility (VA Form 26-1880) to their mortgage broker or banker. For VA loan applicants who do not have a copy, they may complete a form entitled Request for a Certificate of Eligibility (Fillable) that’s linked here:
https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-26-1880-ARE.pdf

The Evolution of VA and FHA Loans

veterans-day-4653841_1280Near the end of World War II, the VA home loan program was created in 1944 as part of the original Servicemen’s Readjustment Act that’s also referred to as the GI Bill of Rights. The VA loan benefits were signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A portion of each funded VA mortgage loan was guaranteed by the federal government in the event that the VA borrower later defaulted on the loan and lost the home in foreclosure. This way, each bank that funded the 100% loan for qualifying VA borrowers had much less financial risk.

Specifically, there were two types of government-backed or insured mortgage loans that stimulated the housing market and helped the U.S. economy prosper and rise up out of the previous negative Great Depression (1929 – 1939) years – VA and FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loans. These more flexible residential mortgage loans were part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal plan and the National Housing Act of 1934 that were designed to create more jobs and boost home values and the economy once again.

Since 1934, FHA has insured over 34 million home mortgages nationwide. As per the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), FHA has active insurance on over 8 million single-family mortgages. In total for both residential and commercial real estate properties, FHA’s insurance portfolio exceeds $1.3 trillion.

To learn more about the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), please visit HUD’s website:
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/fhahistory#:~:text=Congress%20created%20the%20Federal%20Housing,workers%20had%20lost%20their%20jobs.

VA and FHA Loans for Buyers, Sellers, and Owners

calculator-723925_1280The main difference between FHA and VA is that the government insures a portion of the FHA loan while guaranteeing a portion of a funded VA loan. The vast majority of home loans funded nationwide over the past 10 years, directly or indirectly, were either government-backed (VA) or insured (FHA) and/or purchased in the secondary markets by other government-sponsored or federal entities named Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or Ginnie Mae.

FHA loans allow borrowers to qualify with 3.5% down on average (96.5% LTV) with lower FICO credit score options near 580 and easier overall underwriting allowances. FHA also allows seller credits and gifts from family members toward down payments that can effectively make a purchase loan become near 100% LTV also. However, borrowers will have to pay an additional monthly insurance premium along with their mortgage payment that can reach a few hundred dollars per month, depending upon the borrower’s FICO credit score, loan amount, debt-to-income (DTI) ratios, and LTV (loan-to-value). There are more flexible FHA Streamline refinance programs available as well that are similar to the VA Streamline.

For qualified VA borrowers, there is perhaps no better mortgage loan option available while FHA loans might be the second best option for high LTV loans. This is especially true as 30-year fixed mortgage rates continue to hover at or near all-time record lows while making many mortgage payments more affordable than rent even when the home is financed up to 100% of the purchase price.

To date, VA and FHA have guaranteed or insured over 58 million mortgages for homeowners. Home sellers should welcome any VA or FHA buyer prospect who has a pre-approval letter from a mortgage lender. This is because the lender is prepared to provide up to 96.5% LTV for FHA or up to 100% LTV for a VA loan. Amazingly, both FHA and VA loans can close in a few weeks or less due to expedited online application processing options.

 

Rick-Tobin-Professional-Pic-sharperRick Tobin

Rick Tobin has a diversified background in both the real estate and securities fields for the past 30+ years. He has held seven (7) different real estate and securities brokerage licenses to date, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Rick has an extensive background in the financing of residential and commercial properties around the U.S with debt, equity, and mezzanine money. His funding sources have included banks, life insurance companies, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), equity funds, and foreign money sources. You can visit Rick Tobin at RealLoans.com for more details.

VA and FHA Mortgages & the Housing Boom (Part 1)

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By Rick Tobin

The most flexible and easiest qualifying mortgage loan product in America is the VA (US Department of Veteran Affairs) mortgage loan. Between 1944 and 1966, approximately 20% of all single-family homes built or purchased were financed by the VA home loan program for active military or retired veterans of World War II (1939 – 1945) or the Korean War (1950 – 1953). From 1944 through 1993, the VA mortgage loan program guaranteed almost 14 million home loans. By 2013, the VA had guaranteed over 20 million loans. As of 2019 in the VA’s 75th anniversary year, VA had surpassed 24 million loan guarantees for borrowers.

investment-4737118_1280Did you know that there are 100% LTV (loan-to-value) mortgage loans available to qualifying active or retired military personnel up to $1.5 million dollars for owner-occupied homes as of 2020? Yes, a qualifying VA mortgage applicant has the option to purchase a home priced as high as $1.5 million with no money down. These 100% LTV loans have no additional monthly mortgage insurance payment requirements like required for most other mortgages with a loan-to-value range above 80% of the purchase price or appraised value.

VA Loan Guidelines

Purchase

Mortgage loan underwriting guidelines are subject to change and may have some exception allowances for mortgage borrower applicants due to factors such as credit scores, income, job history, debt-to-income ratios, and property types. However, these are common VA loan terms or guidelines that were available as of June 2020:

  • No money down up to $1.5 million for owner-occupied borrowers (not second homes or investment properties)
  • Historically, a debt-to-income ratio of up to 41% DTI* was typical for VA borrowers. However, some VA loan programs allow up to 60% DTI or higher
  • No monthly mortgage insurance premium requirements
  • FICO credit scores as low as 620

* Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) = Borrower’s proposed mortgage payment plus monthly consumer debt obligations that are divided by monthly income. A borrower with $2,500 in monthly debt payments and $5,000 in monthly gross income (before taxes) will have a 50% debt-to-income ratio ($2,500 / $5,000 = 50%).

VA Loan Refinance

percent-226357_1280For existing VA mortgage borrowers under newer 2020 rules, VA borrowers can pull cash out of their property up to 100% of their property value. For example, a homeowner with an existing $250,000 mortgage loan secured by a property valued at $500,000 could apply for a new $500,000 cash-out loan that gets them upwards of $250,000 additional cash-out that they could use to pay off credit cards, student loans, automobile loans, business debts, or use the funds to make new property or stock investments.

A mortgage borrower in a non-VA loan can refinance from a conventional bank loan or an FHA loan with costly monthly insurance premium (MIP) payments into a new VA loan if one or more of the borrowers has VA eligibility.

Another easier qualifying VA refinance loan option is generally referred to as a “VA Streamline” (IRRRL – Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan). With some non-credit qualifying VA Streamline loan programs (subject to change), the borrower’s application process includes:

  • No minimum credit score
  • No appraisal required
  • Primary and non-owner occupied properties may be allowed
  • Must be current on existing mortgage loan about to be paid off
  • Manufactured homes attached to the foundation may be eligible

To learn more details about qualifying for VA refinance loans, here is a link to VA Pamphlet 26-7, Revised, Chapter 6: Refinancing Loans

https://www.benefits.va.gov/WARMS/docs/admin26/pamphlet/pam26_7/Chg_17_ch_5.pdf

 

Rick-Tobin-Professional-Pic-sharperRick Tobin

Rick Tobin has a diversified background in both the real estate and securities fields for the past 30+ years. He has held seven (7) different real estate and securities brokerage licenses to date, and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Rick has an extensive background in the financing of residential and commercial properties around the U.S with debt, equity, and mezzanine money. His funding sources have included banks, life insurance companies, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), equity funds, and foreign money sources. You can visit Rick Tobin at RealLoans.com for more details.

Why now is the time to start a policy

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By Gabby Darroch

It really burns my biscuits when I hear people say, “I don’t want to start a policy yet because of the Coronavirus. I am not sure where the economy is going to go.”

corona-5081311_1280And the reason why this gets me so heated is no secret. Let’s be honest. Many people are making decisions out of fear right now. And fear-based decision-making is just about the worst thing you can do in an already difficult situation.

But this difficult situation is more reason than ever to start a policy because you’re right, you don’t know where the economy is going to go. On the contrary, did you know where the economy was going to go before? No, and you will never be able to predict this.

Things happen. We have windfalls and downfalls. Raises and demotions. We buy things and we also sell things. There are pandemics; We are healthy. Terrorists attack; Our country is safe and secure. We have Republican Presidents; We have Democratic Presidents.

My point is, you never EVER know what is going to happen. You can’t predict the future. So why do you want someone else controlling your own financial life?

Now more than ever, this is why you want to start a policy.

This is why you want to take control of your financial wealth. Because you don’t know what’s going to happen.

mailbox-2607174_1280Do you really want to be sitting by your mailbox waiting for:

  • your stimulus check to arrive;
  • the government to take care of you;
  • your pension to kick in;
  • social security to supply you with income; or
  • your 401(k)/IRA/qualified plan/mutual fund to save you?

Is that working for you?

How many people do you know that are out there at retirement age that are working when they should be enjoying their life? Are they working because they really want to be working? Because they just want something to do? Or are they doing it because they have to do it for survival because their qualified plan, their 401k, their IRA, their pension won’t save them? And the government didn’t take care of them like they thought they were going to.

It’s time to wake up.

businessman-4279253_1280It is time to take control of your own financial life. Quit making excuses. You are the one that can take control. And what better way to do it than to put your money in an environment where you have guaranteed tax free growth, where you pay the tax ONE time on your money at the lowest possible rate and now you have it into a vehicle, into a machine, into an environment, where you have guaranteed growth, and the government is completely out of your hair.

And not only is it going to create wealth for you while you’re living, but it’s also going to create multi-generational wealth for your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, and future generations to come.

Come on ladies and gentlemen. Get on board. Now is the best time to start your banking policy!

Why do you think we’re so busy here at The Money Multiplier? It’s because people are sick and tired of all that’s going on with their money. They are tired of the bloodbath in the stock market. And they don’t know what’s going to happen with Real Estate.

Next time you think, “Oh no! Are we at the peak or are we in another recession or depression? What’s going to happen?” stop yourself and remember, you have a policy, so your money, your financial future, is safe. That is, if you take action now. Eliminate all those worries in your life by taking control of your own financial wealth.

If not you, then who?

businessman-4914044_1280If you’re not going to take care of yourself then who will? YOU need to make the decision right now.

The wealth train is moving down the track. And it’s going to stop at your station. Are you going to let it pass you by? Are you going to watch it head on down the track? Or are you going to hop on board and take the wealth train to the promised land where YOU own and control your financial life and future.

To learn more or get started, please visit www.TheMoneyMultiplier.com . Scroll to the very bottom and click on “Member Area.” Then, watch the presentation that appears on the next page.

When you’re ready to get started on creating your financial legacy or if you have more questions, please email us at [email protected], or give us a call at 386-456-9335, and one of our mentors will be in touch with you.