RealEstateConsumerInfo.com: Is it FHA Approved? Not all subdivisions accept this financing

To obtain a FHA mortgage on a condominium, the project must be FHA approved. Prior to these changes, there were two ways a condominium could be FHA approved: (1) full project approval, and (2) “spot” approval. Full project approval means that FHA has already done the approval on the entire project (subdivision). Spot approvals were performed on non-FHA approved projects on a loan by loan basis, and were a way to make FHA loans available to home buyers in well run condo projects even if they haven’t gone through the full approval process.

No More Spot Approvals (Effective November 2, 2009)

Under the new guidelines, the popular spot approval process will no longer be available and will be replaced with something called a Direct Endorsement Lender Review and Approval Process (DELRA). FHA claims the DELRA process is more uniform and streamlined that the former spot loan approval process. Also, full project approvals expire every two years, so condominiums will have to re-certify every 2 years.

New Project Eligibility Guidelines

Under the new project eligibility requirements, all condominiums (consisting of 2 or more units) must meet the following requirements:

• At least 50% of the units of a project must be owner-occupied or sold to owners who intend to occupy the units. For proposed, under construction or projects still in their initial marketing phase, FHA will allow a minimum owner occupancy amount equal to 50 % of the number of presold units (the minimum presale requirement of 50 percent still applies).
• Projects must be covered by hazard and liability insurance and, when applicable, flood insurance.
• At least 50% of the total units must be sold prior to endorsement of any mortgage on a unit. Valid presales include an executed sales agreement and evidence that a lender is willing to make the loan.
• No more than 15% of the total units can be in arrears (more than 30 days past due) of their condominium association fee payment.
• No more than 25% of the property’s total floor area in a project can be used for commercial purposes.  The commercial portion of the project must be of a nature that is homogeneous with residential use, which is free of adverse conditions to the occupants of the individual condominium units.
• Reserve Study - a current reserve study must be performed to assure that adequate funds are available for the funding of capital expenditures and maintenance. A current reserve study must be no more than 12 months old – if recent events or market conditions have affected the finished condition of the property that information must be included. When reviewing the reserve study, consideration must be given to items that have been replaced after the time that the reserve study was completed. The regulations don't definition of what is "adequate," however. Guidance may be found in the new Fannie Mae guidelines which mandate at least 10% of annual operating budget in reserves.
• No more than 10% of the units may be owned by one investor.  This will apply to developers/builders that subsequently rent vacant and unsold units.  For two and three unit condominium projects, no single entity may own more than one unit within the project; all units, common elements, and facilities within the project must be 100% complete; and only one unit can be conveyed to non-owner occupants.
• Rights of first refusal are permitted unless they violate discriminatory conduct under the Fair Housing Act.

Project List for FHA Financing - Is my subdivision approved?  This is the HUD listing of all subdivisions by state that lenders use.

Just to clarify that some Schaumburg subdivisions can look like townhomes (up and down floorplans) and are actually condominiums.  How can that be?  When the builder first set up the subdivision there were convenants that either said you owned the land or you didn't.  Some builders did the 'own the land' approach, others did not.  There is no hard and fast rule here.  It is entirely on a subdivision by subdivision basis only.  

Choose a good, knowledgeable Realtor® who can find you a home and know which areas are FHA approved so you can move ahead with your financing.  Not all subdivisions and projects are FHA approved.