Did You Get Your FHA Refund?

Remember the first mortgage you signed for, ... sitting at the table and looking at all the fees you were charged by so many different people, just to get your mortgage. It seems overwhelming. Have you ever noticed that they are always quick to take your money but v-e-r-y slow when it comes to providing a refund?

Well here is another example of the slow process, but worse, it could have slipped through the cracks altogether, and there are plenty of cracks. This information may seem confusing and contradicting but it is not intended to be so. It is the "system". If you are owed a refund it certainly won't make you rich. It's about the principle isn't it?

If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, you may be eligible for a refund from HUD/FHA. Dig out and review your settlement papers or check with your mortgage company to determine if you paid an up-front premium. You may be eligible for a refund of a portion of the insurance premium if you: acquired your loan after September 1, 1983, paid an up-front mortgage insurance premium at closing and did not default on your mortgage payments.

There are some common sense Exceptions:

When an FHA-insured loan is assumed, the insurance remains in force (the seller receives no refund). The owner(s) of the property at the time the insurance is terminated is entitled to any refund.

FHA-to-FHA Refinances: When an FHA loan is refinanced, the refund from the old premium should be and almost always is applied toward the up-front premium required for the new loan.

Claims: When a mortgage company submits a claim to HUD for insurance benefits, no refund is due the homeowner.

Refunds are based on the number of months the loan is insured. For FHA loans with a closing date before January 1, 2001, and endorsed before December 8, 2004, no refund is due to the homeowner after the end of the seventh (7) year of insurance. For any FHA-insured loans closed on or after January 1, 2001 and endorsed before December 8, 2004, no refund is due the homeowner after the fifth year of insurance. For FHA-insured loans endorsed on or after December 8, 2004, no refund is due the homeowner unless they refinanced to a new FHA-insured loan, and no refund is due these homeowners after the third year of insurance.

Mortgagee Letter 2005-03 provides additional information on recent policy changes regarding refunds of up-front mortgage insurance premiums. Simply stated all loans endorsed after December 8th, 2005 are no entitled to a refund of UFMIP unless it is an FHA to FHA refinance in which case the refund is applied towards the new UFMIP. Cool, Huh?

How are refunds processed?

Your mortgage company notifies HUD of the termination of the FHA mortgage insurance for your loan. If you are eligible for a refund, HUD will either request that the Department of the Treasury issue a check directly to you or send you an Application for Premium Refund so that you can provide HUD with additional information about your case.

If you receive a form HUD-27050-B, read and complete the application carefully, sign it, have it notarized, and return it to HUD along with proof that you were the owner of the property at the time that the insurance was terminated.

After HUD receives your completed form HUD-27050-B and the necessary supporting documentation, this information will be carefully reviewed. Upon completion of this review, HUD will either request that Treasury issue a check directly to you or request additional information from you.

How to follow-up:

If you do not receive a check or an application within 45 days after you have paid off your loan, check with your mortgage company to confirm that they have sent HUD a request to terminate the mortgage insurance on your loan. If they confirm that the correct termination information was sent, contact your local HUD office or contact them through their website. All inquiries should include your name, your FHA case number, the date that the mortgage was paid-in-full, the property address, and your daytime phone number. Remember this too, the rules governing eligibility for premium refunds are based on the financial status of the FHA insurance fund and are subject to change.

There you go. Simple isn't it. Like I said it won't make you rich and probably isn't worth the bother if yours did slip through the system. A word of comfort, it probably did not although some do. The reason I have this information here is so you realize how important it is that you understand your loan and it's fees. You must ask questions about anything you are not sure of. This is really important, be sure you are working with a reputable Mortgage Broker that has the experience and knowledge to take care of your interests.