Review of Mortgage Assistance Porgrams Available to Hartford ResidentsPrepared by: John Alcorn·Associate
Professor of Modern Languages·Trinity College Prepared for: Asylum Hill
Organizing Project·350 Farmington Avenue Trinity Center for Neighborhoods Table of Contents Definition of Important Terms Information on The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Home Ownership Made Easy Program Connecticut Housing Finance Authority Home Buyer's Program for Residents of Public and Subsidized Housing Connecticut Housing Finance Authority Home Buyer Mortgage and Downpayment Assistance Program Connecticut Housing Finance Authority Rehabilitation Mortgage Program Connecticut Housing Finance Authority Reverse Annuity Mortgage for CT Senior Citizen Homeowners The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Mortgage Program Hartford Areas Rally Together H.O.M.E. Program HouseHartford
Definition of Important Terms Borrower: You, the Homebuyer, are the borrower. Closing: A meeting at which the seller legally transfers the property to the buyer. There are costs to the buyer for this meeting, called "closing costs", such as fees for a lawyer and realtor, and taxes. Credit Report: A list made for you and for lenders to determine your ability to repay a loan on time. The report lists your credit history. Downpayment: The payment made by the buyer at the time the house or property is bought. The downpayment is subtracted from the price of the house when the mortgage is set, so the larger the downpayment, the smaller the monthly payments will be. Interest: A percent of the amount of the loan you must pay to the lender. This is added to the monthly payments of the principal of the mortgage (see the definition below). Lender: The bank or other institution which lends to a family or homebuyer the money to buy a home. Mortgage: A loan that a person or family takes from the bank in order to purchase a house. A mortgage is paid back in a set number of years, in monthly payments. When a person takes out a mortgage, he is also promising the bank or lender that he will give up his house if he fails to pay the monthly payments. The "terms of the mortgage" are the interest rate, and the number of years the mortgage will take to repay. The two basic parts of a mortgage are the principal and the interest (See these definitions). For very clear information and good advice on finding out how much your family can spend on a mortgage, see "Finding the Mortgage That's Right for You", published by Fannie Mae. Origination Fee: The fee paid to get a mortgage loan. This is separate from the mortgage itself. Principal: The amount of money you are borrowing in a mortgage loan. This is the price of the house minus the downpayment. Rehabilitation: Fixing up or repairing a home.
In 1978, the Housing and Community Development Amendments were passed to insure that the nation's housing would be used to its potential. Under these amendments, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has made links with lending agencies and state and local governments to create programs making it easier for first time homeowners to buy and in some cases to rehabilitate a home. This packet describes HUD's HOME programs for home buying, home ownership, and home rehabilitation. It then outlines the main features of state and local homebuying opportunities that have grown from HUD's programs and which are currently available to Connecticut homebuyers.
HUD's Home Ownership Made Easy Program (H.O.M.E.) The H.O.M.E. Program's mission is to bring unused or underused housing into use by low-income families, and to work with banks and other lending institutions to make sure that, when used, this housing will be safe, decent, and sanitary. HUD itself is not a lending agency; it does not provide loans to homeowners. Rather, it makes alliances with states and cities or city agencies and with lenders to provide realistic and fair mortgage programs and loans to families interested in:
The programs in Connecticut which are overseen by HUD and the H.O.M.E. program are described in more detail below. Because HUD is concerned with providing housing opportunities to families with low or moderate incomes, there are almost always income limitations involved in mortgage and loan programs. Although there are exceptions, the general rule is that a family earning 80% or more of the median income in a district is not able to participate in H.O.M.E. The median income of a state or city is the average income of all the households in that area. So, if the total income of all those earning money in your family is more than 80% of the average in your area each year, you are not considered to be low-income, and cannot qualify for a H.O.M.E. mortgage. How do you know if your family's income is 80% or higher than 80% of the average in your area? HUD researchers calculate the median or average income in your area. The information on specific programs in Connecticut and Hartford, described below, often states the specific limitations in dollars. State Programs in Connecticut for Homebuyers Administered by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) Most of the mortgage and loan programs available to Connecticut residents are provided by agencies that work within the H.O.M.E. program rules set by HUD. Among these programs, specific features vary. Several of these programs are described below. If you wish to investigate a program more fully, the program description points you to a brochure or booklet for more information. A. CHFA Homebuyer's Program for Residents of Public and Subsidized Housing For more information on this program, see the white and purple booklet titled "Homeownership Program: A Homebuyer's Program for Residents of Public and Subsidized Housing", published by the CHFA. To speak to someone about a home mortgage through this program, call (860) 721-9501, ext. 502 Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30. Main Features of this Program:
Example of a homebuyers's program mortgage for a Hartford resident of public housing who wishes to buy a single family property in Hartford: The house costs $125,000, and the resident's total household income for his family of four is $50,000. This income is lower than the income limit (listed on page 7) for families of three or more in Hartford. The pamphlet shows price limits on houses in certain areas. The highest price of a house a family can buy with this mortgage program in Hartford is $168,000. Since the house costs $125,000, the family is eligible to apply for a mortgage. Steps the family must take:
If the family were successful in borrowing the mortgage loan, they would pay:
Mortgage = (Cost of house - Downpayment) $125,000 - $3,750 = $121,250 , paid over 30 years in monthly payments with %6 of the balance charged each month Who Can Participate in this Program? You are eligible to apply for a mortgage through the CHFA Homebuyer's Program if:
B. CHFA Home Buyer Mortgage and Downpayment Assistance Program This program offers the same mortgage rates as the Homebuyer's program for residents in public housing listed above. Information on this program and inserts listing price and income limitations can be found in the purple and white pamphlet titled "Opening the Doors to Home Ownership". Questions can be directed to one of the Participating Lenders (also listed on an insert) or the CHFA at (860) 571-3502. Main features of the Homebuyer Mortgage Program:
What Kinds of Properties Can Be Bought Through This Program?
What Kind of Properties Cannot Be Bought Through This Program?
What is the Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP)? The Downpayment Assistance Program helps first-time homebuyers who do not have enough cash to make the downpayment on their home. There is a $200 application fee for this loan, but it can help you finance your new home more easily. The main features of the program are described on p. 5 of the brochure, and are briefly listed below:
To Apply for a Loan Through the CHFA Home Buyer Mortgage Program or DAP
C. The CHFA Rehabilitation Mortgage Loan This program is for homebuyers who want to buy a home that needs a lot of repair. Information can be found in the brown and white brochure titled "Do you want to buy and repair a home-all in one loan?" If you would like to speak with someone about this program, call the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority at 1-800-294-CHFA. Main features of the program:
How Do I Know How Much Rehabilitation Work a House Needs? A Certifying Agent predicts how much repair and rehabilitation the property needs and hires a general contractor approved by the state to work on the home. You will not be responsible for paying the contractor directly. The contractor that repairs the house is paid by the bank from an escrow account started at the time of the closing of the mortgage loan. Part of your mortgage payment goes into this account each month and the bank takes from it to pay the contractor. The Certifying Agency makes sure the contractor completes the work. What Kinds of Improvements Can Be Made To My Home? There are limits to the kind of work that you can have done to your house through this program. Generally speaking, luxury or recreational improvements like barbecue pits and swimming pools are not acceptable. Improvements that make the house safer or help it to use electricity and water more efficiently are acceptable. A more complete list is on p. 1 of the brochure.
D. CHFA Reverse Annuity Mortgage for CT Senior Citizen Homeowners A Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM) can often help senior citizens who own their homes but who no longer have a monthly income. This type of loan allows homeowners over 70 years old to receive a loan of up to 70% of the value of their home. The bank pays the loan to them in monthly payments for up to ten years, or in lump-sum payments. There is a fixed interest rate on this loan, and the amount of the interest is subtracted from the homeowners' monthly payment by the bank. The homeowner can arrange to have the check sent directly to his bank account, and there is no income tax due on the money earned through this program. The red and white brochure titled "Reverse Annuity Mortgage for Connecticut Senior Citizen Homeowners" lists several common questions and answers about this program, and gives examples of monthly payments homeowners can expect from this kind of loan. For more information, interested senior citizens should contact either the State Department of Social Services at (860) 424-5280 or the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority at (860) 571-3502. Main features of the RAM program:
H.U.D. Connecticut State Office Federal Housing Authority Mortgage Programs A. The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Mortgage Program Like the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the FHA provides mortgages that are approved and insured by H.U.D. The FHA has certain mortgage programs that are already approved, so there is usually no waiting period to get the mortgage loan closed. The most popular FHA program is the Single Family FHA Mortgage Insurance Program, described below. The FHA also offers alternative mortgage programs. Descriptions of these programs and further information on the FHA can be found in the grey booklet with the H.U.D. logo, titled "The Homebuyer's Information Guide: Connecticut State Office" Basic Information for Borrowers of FHA Mortgages When you apply for an FHA Mortgage, one of the first steps is an appraisal of the price of the property you want to buy. H.U.D. judges the value of the property so that the amount of the mortgage loan and the downpayment can be figured out by the lender and the borrower. The maximum amount that can be mortgaged is 97.75% of the value of appraised value of the property. You, the buyer, pay the rest, 2.25% of the price, as a downpayment. In most cases, the FHA calculates the downpayment as 3% of the first $25,000 + 5% of the next $100,000 + 10% of the value over $125,000. So, under the FHA mortgage program, a house with a price of $160,000 would have a downpayment of:
Those wishing to borrow an FHA mortgage must meet the FHA's qualifications, fully explained on p. 3 of the grey booklet:
Main Features of the FHA Regular Single Family FHA Mortgage Insurance Program
What Properties Can You Buy Under This Program?
B. The Graduated Payment Mortgage Program If you are a first-time homebuyer who feels that your income is not high enough to allow you to make monthly mortgage payments, but you believe your income will rise in the next 5 to 10 years, a Graduated Payment Mortgage may be best for you. Under this loan program, you would borrow extra money for the first few years of the loan to help reduce the monthly payments while your income is lower. The extra money is paid back in later years, when your income is higher. During these later years, your monthly payments increase slightly each month. It is important to note that with this type of mortgage program, you will pay more in interest over the course of the entire mortgage than you would if you paid the same amount each month for the entire time of the loan. Other Main Features of the Graduated Payment Mortgage Program
How to Apply for an FHA Mortgage The borrower must contact the lender directly for more information and for an application. Other Mortgage Programs Offered by the FHA The Adjustable Rate Mortgage (Loans with a fluctuating interest rate) Hartford Areas Rally Together H.O.M.E. Program What is the HART H.O.M.E. Program? HART H.O.M.E. is a program for first-time homebuyers which offers assistance in several areas, such as: downpayment assistance, reduced attorneys' fees, homeownership and homebuying workshops, and low interest loans. Main Features of the HART H.O.M.E. Program
How to Purchase a Home Through H.O.M.E. A clear list of steps is included as the last page of the HART H.O.M.E. packet. The first step is to enroll in the H.O.M.E. Program and to attend workshops organized by HART. Sign up by calling the HART office at 525-3449. The H.O.M.E. packet also incudes copies of the forms necessary for many of the steps in the application process. HouseHartford What is HouseHartford? HouseHartford, like CHFA and H.U.D.-sponsored programs, offers downpayment, closing cost, and mortgage assistance to low- and moderate-income families. HouseHartford is sponsored by Fannie Mae, a private foundation which concentrates on making homeownership easier for low-income families. This information on House Hartford comes from the pink pamphlet titled "City of Hartford, Department of Housing & Community Development and Fannie Mae Present HouseHartford: A Mortgage Program Offering Home Buyers Downpayment and Closing Cost Assistance". For additional information on Fannie Mae, call 1-800-732-6643 and for a list of lenders, call Yvonne Krotsky at 522-4888 ext. 6754. Main Features of the HouseHartford Program
Interest Rates and Downpayments Required Three Popular Programs 1) Single-family and two-family properties and condominiums-
2) Three-family properties
3) Four-family properties
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