Help! Lender Stalling?--First Time Homebuyer

12 years ago

Hello,

I am a first time homebuyer trying to purchase a foreclosed home. I have been working with this lender for over three months and have had a contract on the house since 10/6. My set closing date is not until 12/6, however I am a music teacher and am supposed to have our orchestra Christmas concert that evening. So we have been trying to arrange to close earlier.

I have been approved for the mortgage loan. It is an FHA loan. My loan officer seems to have been screwing up all over the place lately...he was great until I got approved, so I don't know what the deal is! After sending him EVERY piece of paper I have on my finances, going through underwriting, then coming back and asking for more documentation, then going back for a clear to close...we are still waiting. we have been waiting for a clear to close for over a week now. Then today my realtor calls me to tell me the listing agent called her to ask her why my loan officer was calling them wanting documentation on all the repairs the bank has done to the house! What is the deal? My loan officer has not even told me that this was required. Usually with foreclosures, there aren't any seller disclosures. The house is actually in really good shape. All it really needs is a good coat or two of paint in the interior. The bank replaced the carpet in the entire house, put on a new roof, patched all the holes in the walls, installed new plumbing (toilets, sinks, etc.), put in new appliances (stove, oven, microwave, dishwasher and water heater) and replaced the entire air conditioning system. The home inspector didn't have much to say after inspecting the house (with me there the whole time) for 4-5 hours. So what is the deal with the lender??

The house is in a really nice neighborhood that has been well established and hardly any other foreclosures in the area. My credit is fine, nothing sketchy, I've had the same job for over 5 years, been in the field for 7. I've had no strange deposits or anything. have not applied for any new credit--nothing.

I'm in the state of Texas in the Houston suburbs. I already live in the same neighborhood (for 3 years) as the house I'm buying (living with in-laws right now).

my loan officer already had to extend my rate lock once.

What do you think or am I freaking out over nothing?

Any suggestions or help is much appreciated.

Comments (4)

rrah
12 years ago
Sorry, to tell you this, but your story is not unusual. This is really the norm these days for FHA. Lenders are working hard at making sure there is no fabrication and that the houses they are lending on are really worth what an appraiser says they are. What has probably happened is that an underwriter is questioning the repairs since they are unusual on a foreclosure. Nothing you can do but wait.
brickeyee
12 years ago
"first time homebuyer trying to purchase a foreclosed home"

Never count on a foreclosure sale going smoothly.

Along with all the other things that can go wrong, the bank must make sure they can deliver a clean title.

Be sure you get a homeowner's title insurance policy along with the required lender's policy.

You do not want a title challenge to show up years later.
Related Professionals
Baton Rouge Architects & Building Designers · Beachwood Architects & Building Designers · Salem General Contractors · Clinton General Contractors · Cottage Grove General Contractors · East Riverdale General Contractors · Florida City General Contractors · Green Bay General Contractors · Hammond General Contractors · Stillwater General Contractors · Baileys Crossroads General Contractors · Annapolis Home Stagers · Cherry Hill Home Stagers · Cudahy Home Stagers · Caledonia Interior Designers & Decorators
ncrealestateguy
12 years ago
FHA appraisers have told to become mini - inspectors. Most FHA appraisala are now conditional upon certain repairs being made... water leaks, peeling paint, safety issues, all built in appliances need to be present, sloped grading...
The problem arises when the bank will not make repairs, and the buyer does not own it in order to make repairs. Deal usually falls apart until a cash offer comes in.
kkllb
12 years ago
We just bought a foreclosed home, and from the day FNMA agreed on the price to the day we closed was 90 days. The whole process (from first showing to close) was 4 1/2 months. We changed closing dates 3-4 times (I lost count). I dubbed our transaction "the web of perpetuity," since it felt like it was never going to end.

If you're mostly concerned about trying not to close on 12/6, could you ask to move it until later? Even if you don't, there's a chance FHA might. 12/6 is right around the corner, so you must be getting nervous over whether it will work out or not. Be sure to keep up posted, and good luck!

P.S. Our closing only took 45 minutes, so you could feasibly close in the morning and still make your concert that evening with no problem except being distracted beyond belief by your new house calling to you! lol