Kentucky USDA Mortgage Changes with Coronavirus and Covid-19

USDA Temporary Exceptions for Appraisals, VVOEs, and transcripts

USDA’s temporary flexibilities for appraisals and VVOEs. This flexibilities are effective through conditional commitments issued on or before May 26, 2020.

For purchase and non-streamlined refinance transactions, when an appraiser is unable to complete an interior inspection of an existing dwelling due to concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, an “Exterior-Only Inspection Residential Appraisal Report”, (FHLMC 2055/FNMA 2055) will be accepted. In such cases, appraisers are not required to certify that the property meets HUD HB 4000.1 standards. The appraisal must be completed in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Practice (USPAP) and the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD).

New construction and construction to perm transactions continue to require a full appraisal.

USDA will accept one of the following:

An email meeting the following requirements:
from the borrower’s direct supervisor/manager or the employer’s HR department, and
from the employer’s email address, such as name@company.com, and
contain all the standard information required on a verbal verification of employment, including the name, title, and phone number of the person providing the verification.
An additional two months of cash reserves (PITIA) in addition to any other required funds for reserves and closing.

USDA requires tax transcripts
to ensure all income is considered for purposes of annual income calculation. USDA guidelines HB-1-3555 9.3 (E) 4 allows for loans to be closed without tax transcripts when the loan file contains evidence that transcripts were unable to be obtained. A response from the vendor may be acceptable to meet these requirements.

Lending 101: FHA Loans In Kentucky
Kentucky FHA loans are great loan program that is not just for first-time buyers!
Here are some of our favorite features of Kentucky FHA loans:

Low down payment – FHA requires 3.5 % down. For qualified buyers, this money may be able to be gifted from a family member.
No income limits – There are no income limits placed on the borrower or the household.
Credit scores – Interest rates and underwriting requirements are less credit score sensitive than other loan programs. In some scenarios, we are able to lend to buyers with scores in the mid-500s. *Note: Credit scores under 580 will require a 10% down payment.
Manufactured homes – No problem with FHA! Manufactured homes must be on a permanent foundation and have been built after June 1976.
Rehab loans – Utilizing the FHA 203K program, we can do purchase and refinance loans that roll the cost of rehabs or repairs into the loan amount.
No geographic restrictions – FHA loans can be done anywhere,
Generous Debt-to-Income Ratios – For most buyers, FHA allows for a higher debt load than other programs. FHA may be the only program for some borrowers with high credit card and/or student loan debt.
Non-Occupant Co-Borrowers – FHA is one of the few programs that allow non-occupant co-borrowers. While a non-occupant co-borrower cannot help in scenarios where a buyer has a low score and cannot qualify on their own, it is a great solution for buyers who have low income or income that can’t be documented.
Want to learn more about FHA loans? Contact any member of our team today, reply to this email, or give us a call at 502-905-3708 and ask to speak to a mortgage loan originator.

KENTUCKY MORTGAGE FOR USDA
(Determined by date of credit approval)
3 years from date bankruptcy was completed
Less than 3 years from date bankruptcy was completed*