Nation's Building News Online for February 16, 2009

Nation's Building News Online for February 16, 2009: "From Fannie and Freddie, Here Come the Fee Increases
As of April 1, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are increasing the delivery fees they charge lenders based on FICO scores, downpayment amounts and other loan characteristics. Most major lenders already are pricing in these higher fees, effectively raising costs to borrowers immediately. Lenders can pass these fees on to the consumer in the form of higher interest rates rather than as an upfront charge. Under the new guidelines, even applicants who assumed that their FICO credit scores would get them favorable rates will be charged more unless they can come up with downpayments of 30% or more. For example, a buyer with a 699 FICO score who brings a sizable downpayment of about 25% to the table will be hit with a 1.5% delivery fee at closing under the new guidelines. A buyer with a FICO score between 700 and 720 will pay an extra three-quarters of a point. Even someone with a 739 FICO — once considered a platinum guarantee of the best rates available — will get dinged with a quarter-point add-on. Condominium buyers who cannot come up with a 25% downpayment will be hit with a three-quarter point add-on penalty, no matter how high their credit score — simply because they are not purchasing a traditional detached, stand-alone house. Without congressional intervention or new marching orders from the companies’ regulator, the add-on fees are here to stay. But there’s an alternative available for just about anyone who wants to avoid the fees: Federal Housing Administration mortgages, where downpayments go as low as 3.5% and credit scores are not an issue for most applicants. (www.washingtonpost.com)
Washington Post (2/14/09); Kenneth R. Harney
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