How To Qualify For FHA Loan in Aliso Viejo California (Orange County)

How To Qualify For FHA Loan in Aliso Viejo California (Orange County)

Looking for an FHA Loan in Aliso Viejo California?

FHA loans have been a flexible home loan program that’s been around since the 1930’s and is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Popular with first-time home-buyers, FHA loans require flexible minimum credit scores and down payments than many commonplace loans.

How Does an FHA Loan Work?

Borrowers can qualify for an FHA loan with a down payment as little as 3.5% for a credit score of 580 or higher. The borrower’s credit score can be between 500 – 579 if a 10% down payment is made. It’s significant to remember though, that the lower the credit rating, the higher the interest borrowers will pay. Something also worth noting is that the FHA loan limits affect your FHA mortgage insurance – its just part of the FHA loan requirements.

The FHA program was created in response to the increase of foreclosures and defaults that happened in 1930s; to provide mortgage companies with sufficient insurance; and to help spark the housing market by making home loans much more accessible and affordable for consumers with less than stellar credit or a low down payment due to FHA mortgage limits in Aliso Viejo, California. Essentially, the federal government insures loans for FHA-approved lenders in order to reduce their risk of loss if a borrower defaults on their mortgage payments.

Because of that insurance, lenders can, and do, offer FHA mortgages at really attractive mortgage loan interest rates and with less stringent and more flexible qualification requirements. The FHA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.


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Benefits of FHA Loans: Low Down Payments and Less Strict Credit Score Requirements

Typically an FHA loan in Aliso Viejo is one of the easiest types of mortgage loans to get approved for because it requires a low down payment and you can have less-than-perfect credit. For FHA loans, down payment of 3.5 percent is required for maximum financing. Borrowers with credit scores as low as 500 can qualify for an FHA home loan.

Consumers who cannot afford a 20 percent down payment, have a lower credit score, or can’t get approved for private mortgage insurance should look into whether an FHA loan is the popular option for their personal circumstances.

Another advantage of an FHA mortgage is that it’s an assumable loan which means if you want to sell your home, the buyer can “assume” the loan you have. People who have low or bad credit, have undergone a bankruptcy or have been foreclosed upon may be able to still qualify for an FHA loan.

FHA Allows a 3.5% Down-Payment

For today’s home buyers, there are only a few mortgage options which allow for down-payments of five percent or less for residents of Orange County. The FHA is one of them.

With an FHA mortgage, you can make a down-payment as small as 3.5%. This benefits home buyers who don’t have a lot of money saved up for down-payment; and, home buyers who would rather save money for moving costs, emergency funds, or other needs.

FHA Allows 100% Gift Funds

The FHA is aggressive with respect to gifts for down-payment. Very few mortgage loan programs will allow your entire down-payment for a home to come from a gift. The FHA will.

Via the FHA, your entire 3.5% down-payment can be a gift from parents or another family member, an employer, an approved charitable group, or a government home-buyer program. If you’re using a down-payment gift, though, you’ll need to follow the procedure.

The FHA Hybrid provides for an initial fixed interest rate for a period of three or five years, and then changes annually after the initial fixed time frame. The 3/1 and 5/1 FHA Hybrid products make it possible for up to a 1% annual interest rate adjustment after the initial fixed interest rate period, and a 5% interest rate cap over the life of the loan. The new payment after an adjustment will be calculated on the current principal balance at the time of the adjustment. This insures that the payment adjustment will be very little even on a worst case rate change.

About Aliso Viejo California

The planned community of Aliso Viejo’s original 6,600 acres (2,700 ha) were as soon as part of the 26,000-acre (11,000 ha) Moulton Ranch, had by the Moulton family members, who took title in the 1890s to land initially granted to Juan Avila by the Mexican government in 1842. Over the years, parts of the ranch were offered and also ended up being Leisure World, Laguna Hills and also Laguna Niguel. In 1976, the Mission Viejo Company acquired the remaining 6,600 acres to create a new planned neighborhood– Aliso Viejo– with a plan of attack for 20,000 houses for a prepared populace of 50,000. The plan of attack was accepted by the Orange County in 1979, as well as houses were first used for sale in March 1982. Aliso Viejo’s initial family members relocated in that November. As part of the task, 2,600 acres (1,100 ha) were committed to Orange County as component of the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, and 800 acres (320 ha) were set aside for regional parks, entertainment, colleges and also area centers. The Aliso Viejo Community Association (AVCA) was established to take care of the neighborhood parks as well as community open space. It was the very first community-wide organization of its kind in California and has the special ability to supply a full-range of social work as well as facilities.

Aliso Viejo was the first organized community in California to prepare a balance in between the predicted citizen work force as well as the variety of forecasted work within its borders. Pacific Park, the centrally located 900-acre (360 ha) service park and also community facility, was anticipated to eventually supply even more than 22,000 tasks. Every residence in Aliso Viejo lay within 1+1 ⁄ 2 miles(2.4 kilometres)of Pacific Park, to encourage live-and-work opportunities. Aliso Viejo lies at 33 ° 34 ′ 30 ″ N 117 ° 43 ′32 ″ W / 33.57500 ° N 117.72556 ° W/ 33.57500; -117.72556( 33.575096, -117.725431)in the San Joaquin Hills of Orange County. According to the Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles( 19 kilometres 2), every one of which is land. Aliso Viejo is just one of numerous cities surrounding Aliso and also Wood Canyons Regional Park. Aliso Creek creates part ofthe city’s boundary with Laguna Niguel to the south, and Wood Canyon Creek develops component of the city’s western limit. Much of the city hinges on the east slope of the San Joaquin Hills, which are a coastal range of mountains expanding for about 15 miles (24 km)along the Pacific shore.

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Who Are FHA Loans For?

FHA loans are offered to low-income individuals who have credit scores as low as 500. Individuals with a credit score between 500-579 can obtain an FHA loan with a down payment of 10%; individuals with a credit score higher than 580 can get an FHA loan with as little as 3.5% down. The Federal Housing Administration does not lend the borrower the money to take on a mortgage or to buy the house. Rather, the borrower pays a monthly or yearly mortgage insurance premium to the FHA to insure the loan which the lending institution issues to him or her. In case of default, the lender’s financial risk is minimized since the FHA would step in to cover the payments.

Having no credit history is not a problem with an FHA loan for Orange County. Instead of your credit report, the lender may look at other payment-history records, such as utility and rent payments.

Even people who have gone through bankruptcy and foreclosure may still qualify for an FHA loan. However, the lower the credit score and the lower the down payment, the higher the interest rate.


(Or call 213-474-7389 to ask a local lender anything!)

Kinds Of FHA Home Loans

In addition to its popular FHA loan, the FHA also insures other loan programs offered by private loan providers. Here’s a take a look at each of them.

  • FHA 203( k) loans – These FHA loans assist homebuyers buy a house– and refurbish it– all with a single home mortgage. Homeowners can also utilize the program to re-finance their existing home mortgage and include the cost of redesigning projects into the brand-new loan. FHA 203( k) loans come in 2 types:
    • The limited 203( k) has a simpler application process, and the repair work or enhancements need to amount to $35,000 or less.
    • The basic 203( k) requires additional documentation and applies to enhancements costing more than $5,000, however the total value of the residential or commercial property must still fall within the FHA home mortgage limit for the area.
  • Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, or HECM – A HECM is a popular kind of reverse home loan and is likewise insured by the FHA. A HECM permits older homeowners (aged 62 and up) with substantial equity or those who own their houses outright to withdraw a part of their home’s equity. The quantity that will be readily available for withdrawal differs by borrower and depends on the age of the youngest borrower or qualified non-borrowing partner, existing interest rates and the lower of the home’s appraised value or the HECM FHA mortgage limitation or sales price.
  • FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) program – Energy efficient home loans backed by the FHA enable property buyers to buy houses that are currently energy effective, such as EnergyStar-certified buildings. Or they can be used to purchase and remodel older homes with energy-efficient, or “green,” updates and roll the costs of the upgrades into the loan without a bigger down payment.
  • FHA Section 245( a) loan – Also known as the Graduated Payment Mortgage, this program is geared at borrowers whose earnings will increase over time. You begin with smaller month-to-month payments that gradually increase. 5 particular strategies are available: 3 strategies that allow five years of increasing payments at 2.5 percent, 5 percent and 7.5 percent annually. 2 other strategies set payment increases over 10 years at 2 percent and 3 percent yearly.

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FHA Loan Limits for 2023

For 2019, the floor limitation for FHA loans in the majority of the country is $314,827, up from $294,515 in 2018. For high-cost areas, the ceiling is $726,525, up from $679,650 a year back. These limitations are referred to as “ceilings” and “floors” that FHA will guarantee. FHA updates limit amounts each year in reaction to changing home prices.

FHA is needed by law to change its amounts based upon the loan limits set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, for conventional home mortgages ensured or owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Ceiling and floor limits vary according to the cost of living in a specific area, and can be different from one county to the next. Areas with a greater cost of living will have greater limitations, and vice versa. Unique exceptions are produced housing in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands, where house construction is more expensive.

FHA Loan Relief

Loan servicers can provide some versatility on FHA loan requirements to those who have actually suffered a major monetary challenge or are struggling to make their payments.

That relief might be in the form of a temporary duration of forbearance, a loan modification that would lower the rates of interest, extend the payback duration, or defer part of the loan balance at no interest.

The FHA Hybrid Adjustable Rate

FHA administers a number of programs, based on Section 203(b), that have special features. One of these programs, Section 251, insures adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) which, particularly during periods when interest rates are low, enable borrowers to obtain mortgage financing that is more affordable by virtue of its lower initial interest rate. This interest rate is adjusted annually, based on market indices approved by FHA, and thus may increase or decrease over the term of the loan. In 2006 FHA received approval to allow hybrid ARMs, in which the interest is fixed for the first 3 or 5 years, and is then adjusted annually according to market conditions and indices.

How do you Qualify for an FHA Loan in Aliso Viejo CA?

The FHA makes it relatively simple to qualify for a loan. Again, the government guarantees the loan, so mortgage companies are more willing to approve mortgages. However, lending companies can (and do) set standards that may be stricter than FHA requirements. If you’re having trouble with one FHA approved lender near Aliso Viejo CA, you might have better luck with choosing another.

Note: you never know until you submit an app. Even if you think you won’t qualify after reading this page, talk with an FHA approved lender in Aliso Viejo to find out for sure.

Income limits: there are none. You’ll need enough to show that you can repay the loan but these loans are geared towards lower income applicants. If you’re fortunate enough to have a high income, you aren’t disqualified like you might be with certain first-time home buyer programs.

FHA Closing Costs

While FHA defines which closing costs are allowable as charges to the borrower, the specific costs and amounts that are deemed reasonable and customary are determined by each local FHA office.

FHA Debt Ratios

In order to prevent home-buyers from getting into a home they cannot afford, FHA qualifications have been set in place requiring borrowers and/or their spouse to qualify according to set debt to income ratios.

FHA Credit Issues

An FHA loan applicant’s past credit performance that proves good credit history and a solid track record of timely payments will likely be eligible for the mortgage.

How to Find FHA Lenders

Debtors get their mortgage from FHA-approved lenders in Aliso Viejo instead of the FHA itself, which just insures the loans. FHA-approved loan providers can have different rates and expenses, even for the very same loan.

FHA loans are offered through many sources– from the greatest banks and credit unions to community banks and independent home mortgage loan providers. Expenses, services and underwriting standards differ amongst lending institutions or home mortgage brokers, so it’s essential to shop around.

Find out more about how to discover low FHA home loan lending institution.


(Or call 213-474-7389 to ask a local lender anything!)