Non-Conforming Loans

A Non-Conforming Loan (aka Non-QM Loan) is a mortgage that does not meet the guidelines of Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE) aka Fannie Mae (FMNA) and Freddie Mac (FHLMC), therefore can’t be sold to the GSEs.

o   GSE guidelines include a maximum loan amount (LTV), suite properties, down payment requirements, and credit requirements, along with other factors pertaining to the loan file and lender guideline requirements.

Non-QM Loans are NOT risky or overly complex

       They are however, disliked by Financial Institutions because they do not conform to GSE guidelines and, as a result, are harder to sell.

 

o   For this reason, banks will usually command a higher interest rate on a Non-Conforming Loan.

Non-QM Loan Triggers

Low Down Payment
Alternative income documentation (i.e. bank statement loan financing)

Key Takeaways

Need a quick summary of Non-QM loans? A cheat sheet? Look no further!

Limitations

A Non-Conforming mortgage is a home loan that does not adhere to the GSE guideline and, therefore, cannot be resold to agencies such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac

Higher interest Rates

Loans often carry higher interest rates than conforming mortgages.

Non QM Loan + Jumbo

Mortgages that exceed the conforming loan limit are classified as non-conforming and are called jumbo mortgages.

Other Triggers

Other than the loan size, mortgages may become non–conforming based on a borrower’s loan-to-value ratio (LTV – down payment size), debt-to-income ratio, credit score and history, and income/other documentation requirements.

FHFA Criteria + Non QM Loans

Non-Conforming loans often don’t meet FHFA (Federal Housing Financing Agency) criteria because the amount borrowed is too high, or the borrower doesn’t meet certain financial profile requirements.

Requirements

Max DTI ratio up to 50%


Non-Conforming debt-to-income ratio may go up to 50% - depending on the Lender utilized.
Credit Score


A score of 660+ is usually required. (Some Lenders may accept a score as low as 500).
Loan Limit


The Loan limit is based on the Conforming loan limits. However, can also exceed the base loan limits (i.e. Jumbo loan can fall under Non–Conforming – case by case).
Maximum LTV


Maximum LTV can vary per transaction.
Income


Alternative Income documentation allowed (i.e. 12- and 24-months Bank statements.
Higher Rate


Rates are typically much higher than Conventional (QM) loans
No MIP


No MIP – Mortgage Insurance Premium required