What is the FHA cash-out refinance?
An FHA cash-out refinance is a government-backed loan that allows homeowners to tap their home equity.
The FHA cash-out lets homeowners refinance up to 80% of their home’s value and get cash back at closing.
FHA cash-out
requirements are lenient. Homeowners may be able to refinance with credit in
the low-600 range. And, you can refinance any type of mortgage using the FHA
cash-out. An existing FHA loan is not required.
FHA refinance
rates are near record lows right now, so it’s a good time to take cash-out and
lock in a low at the same time.
Verify your FHA cash-out eligibility (Sep 4th, 2020)
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FHA cash-out refinance
requirements
Basic
requirements for an FHA cash-out refinance are as follows:
- Credit
score of at least 600 (in most cases) - More
than 20% equity in the home - The home
being refinanced must be your primary residence - You must
have lived in the home at least 12 months prior to applying for an FHA cash-out - All
mortgage payments must have been paid within the month due for the past 12
months - You
must be able to provide employment documentation or utility bills to prove you’ve
occupied the home as your primary residence for the past 12 months
Unlike an FHA streamline refinance, the cash-out refi does not require your current mortgage to be an FHA loan.
You
can apply for the FHA cash-out refinance even if your existing mortgage is
conventional or another loan type.
Regardless of the type of loan you have now, using the FHA cash-out refinance will result in mortgage insurance on your new FHA loan.
However,
FHA refinance rates are often lower than conventional. So for many homeowners,
mortgage insurance is a fair tradeoff for cash-back and a new, lower rate.
Verify your FHA cash-out eligibility (Sep 4th, 2020)
FHA cash-out refinance
LTV
The maximum loan-to-value (LTV) for an FHA cash out loan is 80%.
This means that, after the cash-out has been subtracted, you must
still have 20% equity leftover in your home. So you’ll need have substantial home
equity for a cash-out refinance to be worth it.
Generally, the FHA cash-out refinance is best for homeowners who are sitting on lots of equity but don’t have a high enough credit score to use a conventional cash-out refi.
How
much cash can you take out with FHA?
The
max amount of cash you can get using an FHA cash-out refinance is dictated by
your equity.
Remember,
you must leave 20% equity in your home after the cash-back is withdrawn. So,
when thinking about the amount of cash you can take out, look at your total
equity and subtract 20% — plus closing costs — to get an estimate.
Here’s
an example of how the FHA cash-out calculation works:
| Current Home Value | $220,000 |
| Current Loan Balance | $140,000 |
| New FHA Loan (max 80% of value) | $176,000 |
| Payoff Current Loan | -$140,000 |
| Subtract Closing Costs | -$3,000 |
| Max FHA Cash-Out | $33,000 |
In
this example, the home is worth $220,000, and the homeowner only owes $140,000
on their mortgage. So they have $80K worth of equity.
However,
20% of the home’s value must remain untouched.
- 20% of
$220,000 is $44,000 — - So $44K
must be subtracted from their total $80K equity, - This
gives a max cash-out potential of $36,000
However,
the homeowner also uses some of their cash-out value to pay closing costs ($3,000).
So
they end up with a total of $33,000 cash back at closing — quite a bit lower
than the $80K of equity originally calculated.
Verify your FHA cash-out eligibility (Sep 4th, 2020)
FHA cash-out refinance calculator
Curious about how much you can borrow with an FHA cash-out refinance? You can calculate your own cash back value by downloading and filling out one of the free calculator templates below.
FHA cash-out refinance rates
FHA
rates are low — even lower than conventional loan rates, in fact.
According to loan software company Ellie Mae, FHA rates average
about 10 to 15 basis points (.10 – .15%) below conventional rates on average.
This is
due to FHA’s strong government backing. Lenders can issue these loans at lower
risk.
However,
consider FHA mortgage insurance, which raises the “effective” FHA rates as
follows:
| FHA Cash-Out | Conventional Cash-Out | |
| Interest Rate | 3.0%* | 3.25%* |
| Mortgage insurance | 0.80% | 0% |
| Effective rate | 3.80% | 3.25% |
*Sample rates only. May not be currently available
FHA
cash out loans may come with higher rates than standard FHA loans. Check around
with various lenders to find the best rate.
Conventional cash-out vs FHA cash-out: LTV and credit score
The big advantage of using an FHA cash-out
refinance over a conventional cash-out loan is that FHA has more lenient credit
requirements.
| FHA Cash-Out | Conventional Cash-Out | |
| Minimum Credit Score | 500 (official), 600-660 (likely) | 620 (official), 640-680 (likely) |
| Maximum LTV | 80% | 80% |
| Can Replace Any Loan Type | Yes | Yes |
| Occupancy | Owner-occupied only | Owner, 2nd home, rental |
Technically, you can
get an FHA cash-out loan with credit as low as 500. However, you’re much more
likely to find lenders starting in the 580-600 range, and even some as high as
600.
So if your credit is on
the lower end of that spectrum, you’ll want to be extra thorough when shopping
around for a lender that will approve your refinance and give you a fair rate.
FHA cash-out refinance drawbacks
The primary disadvantage to an FHA cash-out loan is the associated mortgage insurance.
FHA loans require an upfront and monthly mortgage insurance
premium (MIP). These fees are as follows:
- Upfront mortgage insurance: 1.75%
of the new loan amount upfront (wrapped into the loan amount) - Annual mortgage insurance: 0.85%
of the loan amount yearly, paid in 12 installments with the mortgage payment
This is equal to $1,750 upfront and $67 monthly for each
$100,000 borrowed.
In return for the extra fees, FHA provides more credit score
flexibility and a higher maximum loan-to-value (LTV) than do conventional
loans.
Conventional cash-out refinances do not come with upfront or monthly mortgage insurance.
Also, conventional cash out can be used for second homes and investment properties. FHA must be used on the home you live in.
Verify your FHA cash-out eligibility (Sep 4th, 2020)
What are “FHA equity reserves”?
You may have received a notification from a lender stating that you haven’t tapped into your FHA equity reserves. This is a marketing gimmick that is trying to entice you to refinance via an FHA streamline refinance.
This is likely referring to the FHA mortgage insurance refund you are entitled to when replacing one FHA loan with another via an FHA streamline refinance.
Cash-out is not allowed when you get an FHA streamline refinance, however, you may save on your monthly payment. You can learn more about the FHA streamline program here
Best uses for the
FHA cash-out refinance
With an FHA cash
out, you can pay off any loan type, plus take equity out of your home in the
form of a check, or have it wired to an account of your choice.
You can use those
funds for any purpose. Some popular uses for cash-out funds include:
- Home improvement projects
- Credit card consolidation
- Auto loan payoff
- Student loan refinancing
- Prepay college tuition
- Consolidate a first and second mortgage
- Pay off personal debts
There is almost no limit to what you can use the money for. Homeowners who want to reduce monthly payments on other debt, or just have a little extra cash in the bank, should examine this loan type.
Verify your FHA cash-out eligibility (Sep 4th, 2020)
FHA cash-out refinance FAQ
The official credit score minimum for all FHA loans is 500. However, a realistic minimum that lenders will actually allow is somewhere between 600 and 660 or higher.
This is because lenders often set higher minimums than does FHA. If one lender can’t do your loan, keep looking until you find one with more lenient standards.
It is possible to get a cash-out refinance with bad credit. FHA will be your best chance at getting approved.
Most cash-out loans such as conventional or home equity loans require good credit. But FHA may allow you to be approved with a credit score in the low 600s or even high 500s. The catch is, most lenders will set their own minimum credit score for these loans.
FHA used to allow a maximum 95% cash-out refinance prior to April 1, 2009. It then reduced the LTV limit to 85%. Then, on September 1, 2019, it was lowered again to 80%.
FHA lowered its cash-out refinance limits in a bid to make lending more secure. The more equity you’re required to leave in your home, the less a lender stands to lose if the mortgage ever defaults.
The cash available depends on the home’s current value, your current loan, and, for FHA cash-out refinances, FHA loan limits. There’s no stated limit to the amount of cash you can take. You can get a new loan up to 80% of the home’s current value and are entitled to any amount of cash that yields.
A cash-out refinance is a debt, not income. Therefore, it’s usually not taxable as income. However, consult a tax advisor before filing.
In order to use the FHA cash-out refinance, you must have lived in the residence you’re refinancing for at least 12 months. In addition, you must have paid all your mortgage payments for the past year within the month they were due.
Equity loans usually refer to a home equity line of credit or home equity loan. These are typically second mortgages that are placed on top of an existing primary mortgage.
These types of loans are not available via FHA. An FHA cash-out refinance would be the closest thing.
If you have an FHA loan currently, you could potentially get a standard home equity loan through a bank or local credit union. This would require good credit and decent equity in the home.
FHA loans require a DTI of 43 percent or less, unless significant compensating factors are present, such as high credit scores or lots of equity in the house. In these cases, a DTI of up to 50 is possible.
DTI is the portion of your future housing and other debt payments compared to your pre-tax income.
For instance, if your income is $7,000 per month, a 43% DTI would be $3,000. In this example, you could have a $2,000 house payment and $1,000 combined payments for a car, student loans, or other debts.
You may not add any borrower to the loan who does not live in the home. These are known as “non-occupant co-borrowers,” and are not allowed for cash-out loans.
Generally, you can’t add a second mortgage to the FHA cash out loan unless both loans add up to 80% of the home’s value or less. However, you may be able to keep an existing second mortgage and subordinate it under the new FHA loan. Subordinating involves receiving a document from the second mortgage lender stating it’s okay to get a new first mortgage.
In most areas of the country, the maximum FHA loan limit is $331,760 for 2020. However, maximum loan amounts go up to $ 765,600 for one-unit homes in places like Los Angeles, California, and New York, New York.
Check your FHA cash-out loan eligibility
Homeowners who don’t have great credit but need to tap home equity are the best candidates for FHA cash-out loans.
For those with good credit and at least 20% equity, a conventional cash out refinance or home equity loan might yield lower costs.
Current FHA refinance rates are low, leading to more homeowner eligibility for this program.
If you’re interested in an FHA cash-out refinance, be sure to shop around with a few lenders and find the best rate for your new loan.
Verify your new rate (Sep 4th, 2020)
