close
qualified member of REALTOR, buying property in the Colorado Springs area due to a military move, relocation, or simply looking for a new home, living in CO springs, home search, building a home, offer military discounts home purchase find in Colorado, new home construction
Top Panel
military rebates1

Selling A Home Advice- quick links

Buying A Home Advice- quick links

Real Estate Advice- quick links

Mortgage Calculator

Loan amount:

(Use "." for Decimals)
Duration:
years
Interest rate:
%
Monthly repayments:
$
Total to be re-paid:
$
Help
CO Springs beauty
How FHA and VA Financing Affects Your Offer
VA and FHA Appraisals
Home appraisal inspections on FHA and VA loans are a little more detailed than on conventional loans (and more expensive). The appraisers are required to perform certain minimum inspections as well as evaluate the market value of the property. Although these inspections are not as detailed as a professional home inspection and should not be considered a substitute, sometimes repairs are required.

These are additional costs the seller would not be obligated to pay for someone obtaining conventional financing, so your offer should include a maximum figure for these repairs. Otherwise the seller is signing the equivalent of a blank check, and they do not want to do that.

At the same time, whatever figure you put in will most likely affect the seller’s willingness to negotiate on price. If you put $500 as an estimate, the seller may be $500 less negotiable on their price. If no repairs are required, you may have been able to get the house for $500 less than what you and the seller agreed on as the price. The solution is to add a clause to your offer that goes something like this. "If required repairs cost less than the maximum amount allowed, the excess will be credited toward buyer’s closing costs."

 
Extra costs to the seller
If you are obtaining a VA or FHA loan in order to finance your purchase, you must include that information in your offer. This is because government loans place additional financial and performance obligations on the seller.

Non-Allowable Fees

First, VA and FHA loans prohibit buyers from paying certain types of fees that are often charged by lenders, escrow companies, settlement agents, and title companies. They are called "non-allowable" fees. They still get charged anyway, but as the buyer, you are "not allowed" to pay them. The result is that the seller ends up paying them instead of you.

Most of these "non-allowable" fees come from your lender. By the time you are making an offer you should have already been pre-qualified by a loan officer, so you or your real estate agent can ask how much the lender’s non-allowable fees will be. Experienced agents should also have an idea of what non-allowable fees will be charged by the escrow or settlement agent and the title insurance company.

Since these are fees the seller would not pay on an offer with conventional financing, this information must be included in your offer. You should also realize that since the seller will be paying these additional fees, they may be a little less negotiable on the price.

 


Real-Estate Resource Guides

re advice resourceReal-Estate
What to do and what not to do when buying and selling property.
buying resource- largeBuying
Kathy Warden will help you with every step of the buying process.
acceptSelling
Online or in person Aspen Realty is here to help.

School Information

school info iconOne of the most important factors a family has to consider when relocating. Dramatically reduce your research with Kathy Warden's help, president of Aspen Realty.

Community Profiles

community info iconRelocating from out-of-state or from within Colorado? Aspen Realty is your expert leader in not only finding your new home but helping you learn more about your new neighborhood.

Property Search

home search iconAspen Realty will help you find the perfect home and navigate you through the maze of uncertainties with buying and selling. MLS Search | My Listings | Contact Me

Free Reports

report icon>10 important tips to successful real estate investing
>Seven selling mistakes you don't want to make!
>5 secrets to buying the best house for your money
many more...