Refinance Debt with an FHA Loan

FHA allows high loan to value to consolidate debt

Refinancing debt with an FHA loan to consolidate multiple bills into one new loan has become a popular option for homeowners. FHA, the Federal Housing Administration allows homeowners to borrow up to 95% of their home's value for a cash out refinance. This cash out can be used to refinance debt the homeowner has including: credit cards, student loans, automobile loans, personal loans, and second mortgages or home equity lines of credit.

This refinancing option is especially beneficial to homeowners whose property has increased in market value since the home was purchased. A cash out refinance allows homeowners to refinance their existing mortgage by getting a new mortgage for more than they currently owe, the difference after paying closing costs and the new escrow account is the cash out. This allows homeowners to access the equity they have built up in their home. FHA does require the homeowner to have owned their current home for at least one year before obtaining a cash out refinance.

Taking consumer debt and converting it into a mortgage can be financially beneficial. Refinancing expensive credit card debt into a tax deductible, low rate mortgage can be a good thing as long as future credit card charges are paid off in full monthly.

Congress created the Federal Housing Administration in 1934. The FHA became a part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Housing in 1965. FHA guidelines are unique in that they give more flexibility for qualifying than do conventional loans.

Additionally, FHA interest rates are very low when considering this flexibility and comparing rates to a conventional loan, second mortgage or home equity line of credit. Unlike conventional loans, there is no significant increase in interest rate when going to a maximum loan to value cash out.

FHA provides mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA-approved lenders throughout the United States and its territories. FHA is the only government agency that operates entirely from its self-generated income and costs the taxpayers nothing. The proceeds from the mortgage insurance paid by the homeowners are captured in an account that is used to operate the program entirely.

The downside of taking an FHA loan is the "Mortgage Insurance Premium," or MIP. Although MIP has recently dropped to 1.25% of the loan amount for borrowers with excellent credit and increases to 1.5% for borrower whose credit is not as good.

The FHA and HUD have insured over 34 million home mortgages and 47,205 multifamily project mortgages since 1934. FHA currently has 4.8 million insured single family mortgages and 13,000 insured multifamily projects in its portfolio.

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