In contrast to mortgages provided by certain conventional lenders, FHA loans are not subject to prepayment penalties. FHA loans are mortgages backed by the federal government and specifically designed for moderate and low-income customers. They have lower minimum down payment in addition to credit score requirements than conventional loans. The regulations that govern FHA loans stipulate that mortgages should not charge excessive charges, like the due-on-sale clause or a penalty for prepayment, which could create financial hardship for the borrowers.
What Is a Prepayment Penalty?
A penalty for early payment is assessed if the borrower makes significant progress in paying down or repays the mortgage in advance, usually within the initial three or five years after signing the loan. The penalty may be determined by the percentage of the balance remaining on the mortgage. It may also be a specific amount of months of interest.
Prepayment penalties shield the lender from loss of financial risk resulting from the interest income that could otherwise be paid. They also lower prepayment risk for investors who invest in fixed-income security, including mortgage-backed securities.
Prepayment: How Mortgage Interest Is Calculated
In the case of all FHA loans that closed before the 21st of January, 2015, although there is no requirement to pay any additional charges when paying off your FHA loan in advance, you still have to pay for the total interest on the date of your next installment due. Even if you've paid the full amount on your loan, you're still liable for the interest up to the payment date. For example, suppose that the payment due date for your FHA loan falls on the fifth of each month. If you have made your monthly installment by the first day of the month, you're still responsible for the interest due until the fifth.
The post-payment interest rate is not legally a prepayment penalty; however, many homeowners felt it was. To lessen the burden on homeowners to ease the burden, the FHA changed its policies to abolish post-payment interest fees for FHA loans that were closed on or after January. 21st of January, 2015. By these guidelines, lenders of qualified FHA loans are required to calculate the monthly interest based on the mortgage balance that has not been paid when the prepayment is made. The issuers of FHA loans are not able to be charged interest up to the time when the loan is paid.
Indirect Costs of Prepayment
Although there aren't any penalties directly associated with paying off FHA loans in the early stages, there are indirect charges. If prepaying, FHA loans can cause the borrower to lose their liquidity. Homeowners who add extra funds into FHA loans may have difficulty recovering it if they require it later. Home equity lines of credit are typically the best option to take cash from your home. However, it is important to note that this FHA mortgage program does not offer credit lines for home equity; therefore, borrowers must seek out other lenders to qualify.
There's also an opportunity cost of paying off an FHA loan. When they pay off their loan, homeowners miss out on the profits they could have made through investing in other investments. In the beginning, it may appear that losing the tax deduction on mortgage interest may be a negative result of prepaying for the FHA loan. When those eligible for that tax deduction take their mortgages off early, they can no longer deduct the cost of interest on their tax returns. However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act raised the standard deduction to such an extent that many taxpayers can no longer make deductions on an itemized basis.
Mortgage Insurance Remains no Matter What
It's crucial to remember that when you take out an FHA loan, the mortgage insurance you pay for never will be eliminated. It will be paid for the entire term of your loan. This is not the same as the case with a traditional loan. For those loans, you must pay Private Mortgage Insurance as the amount you owe exceeds 80% of your house's worth.
If you've reached the threshold of 80, you may request the lender eliminate the PMI from the loan. If you do not request this, the bank will have to eliminate the PMI when your LTV is 78% or higher - that's what the law requires. On the other hand, FHA loans charge mortgage insurance throughout the duration of the loan. If you pay off the loan early, you will reduce the cost of interest and fees and save on the mortgage insurance you must pay.