FHA approval – Things to know

2-4 Weeks

The speed of FHA Approval depends on:

  • How quickly we receive the Condo Documents from the Management Company
  • How eligible the community is, and what is needed to make them eligible
  • The caseload at FHA at any given time

It is possible for us to rush the application process through our office, however, there is no way to expedite a file through the FHA.

$795 – $895

  • Condo that has never been approved – $895
  • Condo that has been expired over 6 months – $895
  • Condo that is not expired, but is up for renewal soon – $795
  • A condo that is expired, but for less than 6 months – 795
  • Brand new construction less than 1-year-old – $1,650

3 Years

The FHA Condo certification will be good for 3 years.  During this time, anyone within the community can utilize the following:

  • FHA Insured Loan
  • Refinance with an FHA Insured Loan
  • Reverse Mortgage or HECM Loan

Don’t Pass, Don’t Pay

If our review determines a condominium is eligible for FHA Approval, we will back it up 100%.  If you don’t get FHA approved, you don’t pay for the submission!

Common issues that MIGHT preclude a condominium from meeting our “Don’t Pass, Don’t Pay” program are:

  • Very Large Special Assessments
  • Pending Litigation (i.e. construction defect)
  • Large Interest Bearing Loans with late payments
  • Low Reserve Funds
  • Leasing Restrictions that violate HUD standards
  • Transfer Fees to developers or 3rd parties

Let us review your community to see if it qualifies.

If your community does not meet our eligibility requirements for FHA condo approval based on our review, we can submit your application for a non-refundable fee at your request.

The FHA approval processes in a nutshell

Here's what to expect when using our service

Lets break this down…

Get Started!

Fill out the online form

Complete the online form located here to get the process started.

Working with the HOA

We'll send you documents via email

We provide you with an FHA specific Questionnaire, and a payment form based on your situation.

The Questionnaire, along with a list of required documents will need to be completed and emailed to us by the Property Management company, or Board of Directors.

We can assist you with this communication for a fee ($150) if you need us to.

The Review

Prequalify / Review of Questionnaire and Documents

Our processing team will review the file and see if it meets FHA Condo Approval Guidelines.

We’ll send you the results of our review, and will let you know if there are any issues that will prevent FHA approval for the condo. ($195 review fee)

Dot the I's, and cross the T's

Correct Eligibility issues (if necessary)

If we discover things in our review that conflict with the FHA Condo Approval Guidelines, we will recommend a course of action to bring the community up to FHA Eligibility Standards.

It will be up to the Property Manager or Board to fix these issues most often.

Send it off!

Submission to the FHA

After the eligibility criteria are met, we will build and submit your application to the FHA for Condo Approval.

The FHA generally responds to us within 2-3 weeks; however, it may take up to 30 days. ($700 Submission fee)

Great day in the morning!

Approval

At this point, the FHA Condo Approval process is complete.

Once your community is FHA Condo Approved, you will be notified and emailed a certificate. You can now proceed with your loan.

What will I need to get from the HOA to start the process?

To get started we will need a few things directly from the Condo Association Manager or Board of Directors.  This will include:

  • Step 1 Questionnaire
  • Some Documents related to the condo

For the Step 1 Questionnaire, please complete our Get Started Form so we may provide you some information related to your specific condo.

Will the Condo Community qualify?

We won’t know if a Condo qualifies for FHA approval until we review the documents, and bounce them off the guidelines.

We can advise you of the most common problems we face.  Here are the “Show-stopper” issues we see:

  • The condo MUST allow leasing in the community or they will not be eligible
  • The condo CANNOT have a Seasoning Clause in place
    • When a unit must be owner-occupied for 1 year before it can be leased
  • Must fund a reserve/savings account, funded by at least 10% of their budget
  • Board cannot have the power to approve of deny leasing, except to maintain a leasing cap

Not ALL communities will qualify for FHA Condo Approval.  Most issues we encounter can be fixed, but some cannot.

Additional Notes about the FHA Approval Process

At FHA Review, we offer a “Don’t Pass, Don’t Pay” guarantee to associations who meet 100% of the eligibility requirements.

Records for FHA Condo Approval Process

Per our contract, we will obtain your community’s:

  • Recorded Amendments
  • Condo Plans
  • FEMA Maps
  • Plat Maps

Other companies may expect you to find these documents, or charge extra. The only documents we request from you, the Management Company or the Board of Directors are documents that are not publicly available.

Timeframe for FHA Condo Approval Process
  • The FHA Condo Approval process can seem lengthy (30-45 days).  We prevent delays by identifying potential eligibility issues before submitting the application.
  • Our goal is to find these issues ahead of time and fix them before submitting anything to the FHA.
  • We’ve seen FHA condo approvals take over 6 months simply because the submitter left out vital information, or submitted incorrectly.  This can lead to un-funded loans and lost real estate transactions.