Blog Category: condo loans

March 1st, 2012 condo 2618421 1920
March 1st, 2012

10 Things Lenders Look For When You Buy A Condo

Are you looking at the right things when buying a condo? Most people look at location, view, amenities, square footage, and level of finish inside the condo unit. But why get excited over a condo and put in an offer if the building is not able to be financed by a mortgage lender? Below is a list of some of the most important things that a lender will be looking for when analyzing a condo to approve a loan for a mortgage borrower. Read More

Categories: Condo, Underwriting Rules , , , ,

December 5th, 2021 small condominium
December 5th, 2021

2-4 Unit Condos Are Easier To Get A Mortgage Loan For These Days

In some urban markets a multifamily home is converted to condominiums. For example, a duplex is turned into two condominium units. Or a triplex is turned into three condominium units. Or a fourplex is turned into four condominium units.

The required condominium project review that needs to be done on most condominiums is waived on condos that don’t consist of more than four units. Read More

Categories: Condo, Loan Process, mortgage, Underwriting Rules , ,

February 19th, 2013
February 19th, 2013

Delinquent Dues Of Others Can Affect You

The behavior of others can affect you. The delinquent payment of condo dues of other condo unit owners can affect you. How? I have client who wants a mortgage to buy a unit in a small condo. The condo has 8 units total. I just found out that 2 of the 8 unit owners are currently delinquent on their condo dues.

Fannie Mae only allows a 15% delinquency rate on condo dues, 2 of 8 units being delinquent is 25%! So the loan will be rejected until we can get 1 or 2 of these current units owners to pay their back dues. If only 1 of 8 is delinquent that is a 12.5% delinquency rate, which would fall under the 15% limit, and we could get the loan approved. Read More

Categories: Underwriting Rules , ,

February 24th, 2022 building disaster
February 24th, 2022

New Condo Mortgage Guidelines After The Florida Condo Disaster

There have been several announcements regarding condominium deferred maintenance recently.  As a mortgage lender, we must pay attention to announcements regarding  changes in underwriting guidelines from both governmental mortgage agencies that write off all of mortgage guidelines, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We also have to pay attention to guideline changes announced by the various banks that we sell loans to.

Ever since the horrific disaster in Surfside Florida on June 24th 2021 (when the building collapsed due to deferred maintenance), the government agencies and the banks we sell mortgages to have started to incorporate questions related to condominium maintenance into the condo questionnaire. Read More

Categories: Condo, Underwriting Rules , , , ,