The long awaited guidelines have been released.
In our opinion very few loans will qualify and few people will want the financing. Fannie Mae is cherry picking the very best jumbo loans. Deal breakers for high-cost areas are the fact that 2nd mortgages can't be paid off using this program(item 7).
1. Fixed rates can be sold to Fannie on or after April 1; ARMs on or after May 1. The loan has to be closed on or after March 1 to be subject to the following rules; inventory loans (closed from last July to March) have to be subject to a "negotiated commitment."
2. No AUS approvals. It seems they plan to update Desktop Underwriter (their automated underwriting system) before the year is out, but they haven't done so yet and they're rollin' without it.
3. For principal residences, fixed-rate loans are limited to 90% LTV/CLTV for a purchase, and 75% LTV/95% CLTV for a no-cash-out refi. ARMs are limited to 80%/80% on a purchase and 75%/90% on a no-cash-out refi. CASH OUT REFIS ARE NOT ALLOWED. LTV is loan to value. CLTV is combined loan to value. 1st plus any 2nd mortgage.
4. For second homes and investment properties, the maximum LTV/CLTV is 60% in all cases for purchases and no-cash-out refis.
5. Minimum FICO for any loan is 660, with a minimum of 700 for LTVs greater than 80%.
6. One-unit properties only.
7. On a primary residence, existing subordinate liens(HELOCs) must be resubordinated. The new loan cannot "cash out" an existing subordinate lien. Most banks are refusing to resubordinate for clients with little or no equity. They are forcing the hand of the borrower to pay the loan off if they want/need a new first mortgage.
8. No late mortgage payments in the preceding 12 months.
9. 45% maximum DTI, with ARMs qualified at fully-amortizing fully-indexed rate.
10. Full doc only.
11. For purchases, the borrower must make at least 5% of the down payment from his or her own funds.
12. A full appraisal with interior inspection is required on all loans; if the property value is more than $1 million, a field review appraisal is also required.
13. Loans are subject to all current pricing adjustments, plus another .25 for FRMs and .75 for ARMs. Fannie is charging more for this program over any other.
The traditional jumbo loan market is serving good credit clients well and the addition of this program is helpful but it is not the savior of the home owner politicians billed it to be. Why am I not surprised?
