B5-6-02: HomeReady Mortgage Loan and Borrower Eligibility (06/05/2018)
- Marsha Freeman
- Kacey Olson
© Fannie Mae Single Family Selling Guide
General Loan Eligibility
A HomeReady mortgage is a first mortgage, purchase money, or limited cash-out refinance transaction for one- to four-unit properties used as the borrower’s principal residence.
Eligible properties include:
- one-unit properties, including manufactured housing, and units in condos and PUDs;
- units in co-ops, provided the unit conforms to Fannie Mae's requirements, and the lender has received specific authority to deliver mortgages on co-ops to Fannie Mae;
- existing structures and new construction; and
- two-, three-, and four-unit properties.
Additional restrictions apply to transactions with LTV, CLTV, or HCLTV ratios of 95.01 — 97%. See below for additional requirements for HomeReady mortgage transactions.
Maximum LTV, CLTV, and HCLTV Ratios
Refer to the Eligibility Matrix for maximum allowable LTV, CLTV, and HCLTV ratios for HomeReady mortgage loans. HomeReady loans that are originated in connection with manufactured homes must follow the more restrictive LTV, CLTV, and HCLTV ratios that apply. For example, the maximum LTV, CLTV, and HCLTV ratio for a one-unit HomeReady manufactured home that does not meet the MH Advantage requirements is 95%.
Requirements for HomeReady Transactions with LTV, CLTV, or HCLTV Ratios of 95.01 – 97%
If the LTV, CLTV, or HCLTV ratio exceeds 95% for a HomeReady transaction, the following requirements apply.
| Criteria | Requirements |
|---|---|
| LTV, CLTV, or HCLTV Ratio | 95.01 to 97% Note: The CLTV ratio can be up to 105% if the subordinate lien is a Community Seconds loan. |
| Loan Purpose | Purchase transactions or limited cash-out refinances only. |
| Existing Loan | For limited cash-out refinances: The lender must document that the existing loan being refinanced is owned (or securitized) by Fannie Mae. Documentation may come from
The lender must inform DU that Fannie Mae owns the existing mortgage using the Owner of Existing Mortgage field in the online loan application before submitting the loan to DU. Note: This requirement does not apply if the CLTV exceeds 95% only due to a Community Seconds loan. |
| Loan Type | Fixed-rate loans with terms up to 30 years. Note: High-balance and ARM loans are not permitted. |
| Property and Occupancy | One-unit principal residence. All borrowers must occupy the property. Manufactured housing is not permitted, unless the property meets the MH Advantage requirements. |
| Credit Score Requirements | At least one borrower on the loan must have a credit score. |
| Underwriting Method | DU only |
| Reserves | Reserves requirements will be determined by DU. |
| Other | All other standard purchase and limited cash-out refinance and HomeReady requirements apply. |
Subordinate Financing
Subordinate financing must comply with:
- the terms for the Community Seconds option, which allow, among other provisions, a maximum combined loan-to-value of 105% (see B5-5.1-01, Community Seconds Mortgages (04/09/2013) through B5-5.1-03, Community Seconds Delivery Considerations (07/28/2015)); or
- Subordinate financing from a seller-held mortgage is not permitted with HomeReady mortgages.
Eligible Loan Types
HomeReady mortgage transactions can be secured by fixed-rate or ARM loans.
The following table identifies the ARM plans that are available for HomeReady mortgage loans by delivery method.
| ARM Plans Eligible for HomeReady Mortgages | ||
|---|---|---|
| ARM Plans Eligible for MBS Delivery | ||
| 30-year | Five-Year ARMs | 659, 660, 661, 2724, 2725, 3846 |
| Seven-Year ARMs | 750, 751, 2726, 2727 | |
| Ten-Year ARMs | 1423, 1437, 2728, 2729 | |
| ARM Plans Eligible for Whole Loan Delivery | ||
| 30–year | Five-Year ARMs | 2725 |
| Seven-Year ARMs | 2727 | |
| Ten-Year ARMs | 2729 | |
Temporary Buydowns
The following requirements apply to temporary interest rate buydowns on HomeReady mortgages:
- Loans must be purchase transactions.
- Loans must be fixed-rate or seven- or ten-year ARMs.
- All other standard buydown policies apply.
See B2-1.3-05, Temporary Interest Rate Buydowns (07/29/2014), for additional information.
Borrower Income Limits and Calculations
In determining whether a mortgage is eligible under the borrower income limits, the lender must count the income from all of the borrowers who will sign the mortgage note, to the extent that the income is considered in evaluating creditworthiness for the mortgage loan.
The lender must use the same methodology in determining income eligibility for a HomeReady mortgage as the lender uses in reporting “Monthly Income” in data delivery. Eligibility for a HomeReady mortgage loan compares the borrower’s income to the applicable area median income (AMI) for the property’s location. For determining Fannie Mae loan eligibility, lenders must refer to the AMIs that Fannie Mae uses in Desktop Underwriter or on Fannie Mae’s website, and may not rely on other published versions (such as AMIs posted on huduser.org).
To be eligible as a HomeReady mortgage, the total annual qualifying income may not exceed 100% of the AMI for the property’s location. However, there is no income limit for properties located in low-income census tracts, defined as those census tracts where the median tract income is no greater than 80% AMI.
Note: For loan casefiles that are not underwritten as a HomeReady mortgage loan, DU will issue a message indicating that the loan may be eligible as a HomeReady loan if the total qualifying income entered in DU appears to be within the applicable AMI limit or the property is located within a low-income census tract. See B5-6-03, HomeReady Mortgage Underwriting Methods and Requirements (07/25/2017), for additional information.
Homeownership Education and Housing Counseling
Homeownership education is required for all HomeReady purchase mortgage loans. Refer to B2-2-06, Homeownership Education and Housing Counseling (02/28/2017), for options for meeting this requirement.
HomeReady loans for which at least one borrower completed housing counseling as an alternative to homeownership education, evidenced by a signed Certificate of Completion of Housing Counseling (Form 1017), are eligible for certain benefits. See B5-6-03, HomeReady Mortgage Underwriting Methods and Requirements (07/25/2017), for additional information.