real estate prices, using

2005-05-13 New rules to curb surging real estate price 2@webnews ,#house#housing#estate#, 0 Housing Price /enpproperty-- New rules to curb surging real estate price Home News Center China New rules to curb surging real estate price (Agencies) Updated: 2005-05-13 10:48 China is taking a wide range of steps to curb surging real estate prices, using tax and other policies to discourage speculative dealings and ensure a supply of affordable housing, state media announced Thursday. Residents in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province, walk past a newly-constructed apartment building May 10, 2005. [newsphoto] The campaign, backed by seven government agencies, shows that Beijing recognizes it needs to make cooling the housing market a nationwide priority, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Despite the government's powerful vested interest in a thriving property market, authorities worry that too much investment is going into the construction of luxury and commercial real estate and that speculative buying has pushed prices unsustainably high. Newspapers carried a notice by the State Council, China's cabinet, ordering local governments to make controlling property prices a major part of their economic policy. Average real estate prices rose by 14.4 percent year-on-year in 2004 and by 12.5 percent in the first quarter of 2005. Shanghai had the "most shocking housing prices in China," with average costs per square meter of over 10,000 yuan ($1,200), the Xinhua report said. Many urban Chinese own their homes thanks to housing reforms years ago, but cannot afford to buy new property. And low income families are generally priced out of a market that has focused on wealthy investors while neglecting construction of budget housing. The latest effort to cool the market involve the ministries of construction, finance, and land and resources, along with the State Development and Reform Commission, the State Administration of Taxation, China Banking Regulatory Commission and the People's Bank of China, China's central bank. The policy change that drew most attention in property crazy Shanghai was one requiring payment of a business tax the rate was not given on sales of property less than two years after purchase. It takes effect June 1. Local governments were ordered to clarify prices and housing sizes before granting land use rights, to limit credit for property deals and to confine real estate developers' profits to a maximum of 3 percent. Developers who fail to build within a year after buying land will be penalized, and those that fail to build within two years after buying property would lose their rights to the land, Xinhua said. The measures follow earlier, piecemeal steps by local governments. Last month Shanghai enacted a rule requiring home owners to pay off their mortgages before selling property and extending the time buyers must wait before taking ownership to 28 days, from the previous seven. In March, it imposed a tax on sales of property owned for less than a year. The measures have definitely had an impact. In April, sales of "second hand," or previously occupied apartments in Shanghai fell between 30 percent and 50 percent, depending on the district, compared with the month before, according to industry statistics published Thursday in the newspaper Oriental Morning Post. Close Today's Top News Top China News Central banker denies yuan revaluation on May 18 New rules to curb surging real estate price Hu, Soong join hands for Straits peace Beijing offers Taiwan more conveniences China and Japan seek to smooth relations Pressure on yuan revaluation won't work Beijing offers Taiwan more conveniences Angels of the ward, toast of the world Illegal explosive trade targeted Probe shows colliery workmen ignored laws New regulation in Dalian beggars belief Congestion takes its toll on bridge Go to Another Section select hot link News Center China World Business Life Sports Most Popular Photo Gallery Story Tools Related Stories Efforts to control housing prices continue House prices to maintain robust growth Housing policies pre-empt speculators Policies failing to get a grip on housing speculation China's housing prices up 14.4% last year China's housing price hike reasonable? Housing prices surge in first 10 months News Talk It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008 Find Suppliers Trade Leads Firm Directory Product Directory China Products Gold Suppliers Hot Products Hot Buys New Products Country Search Trade Shows Advertisement

Land for sale in

Land for Sale - Plots for Sale - Land for Sale UK from PropertySpy Home Land for Sale Land Portfolio Investing in Land TV Adverts Land News About Us Contact Us Land for sale in Saunderton I would like to view details of land for sale in UK TITLE Mr Mrs Ms Miss Dr FIRST NAME SURNAME EMAIL MOBILE HOUSE NO POSTCODE NOTES Are you interested in: Land investment or: Self-build The information is solely for the use of PropertySpy and will not be passed on to any third party. To browse our plots of Land for sale UK, please give your details. We will immediately e-mail you the particulars. If you would rather speak directly to one of our Team please telephone: 0845 1 244 277 Local call rates apply The PropertySpy Plc Group specialises in Land for sale in England. The Group is run by an experienced property team. PropertySpy listens carefully to customer needs and searches England for Land for sale of all types. These Plots of Land are then offered to you. Saunderton NEW! Our site is a few minutes walk from Saunderton Station offering a regular peak time service to London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill. Lacey Green NEW! Lacey Green has largely become a residential village, from which most working members of the population commute to other destinations. We have a wide variety of land to choose from, with over 30 sites in 14 counties . Our sites are in prime locations, next to existing development with good rail and road links, and close to local amenities. For online particulars of the freehold land for sale in our portfolio, please register using the form on the right and we will immediately email you details. Alternatively, if you are looking for a plot for sale in a particular area, then call our Land sales team on 0845 1 244 277. It is widely reported that the price of freehold land for sale in the UK has increased significantly in recent years. Rural land prices rose by 30% in 2004 (RICS) and residential land prices have increased a staggering 8-fold over the past 20 years (Halifax). With these statistics it is hardly surprising plots for sale of greenbelt land are seen as a viable alternative to more traditional investments. Investors are snapping up land for sale that is available. A report from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors recently concluded, "More and more people are being turned on by land as an investment vehicle. These are not just downshifting city slickers but also those looking for a viable investment alternative to bricks and mortar or the stock market." Investing in PropertySpy Land has the advantage that there is currently neither VAT nor Stamp Duty to pay on your investment. In addition there are no rates to pay whilst the land remains undeveloped. There are solid benefits to buying land for sale. Land is a tangible asset - it's real and its supply is limited. The demand for land for sale, particularly in the Southeast, is soaring because of the chronic housing shortage. Large profits can be made from buying greenfield land, which then obtains planning permission. Planning permission, however, cannot be guaranteed on land. But such are the gains from buying this type of land for sale that the Government commissioned Barker Report concluded, "landowners and developers typically make windfall gains as a result of residential planning permission being granted, especially where this is on greenfield sites. These windfall or development gains result from the increase in land values, as land for housing is worth up to 300 times more than agricultural land." Prices of our plots for sale start at just £10,000. Plot sizes vary from an eighth to a quarter of an acre, which is sufficient to build a detached 3 or 4 bedroom family sized home subject to planning permission. So if you are looking for an investment, why not consider buying land for sale? You can contact PropertySpy direct on 0845 1 244 277 to discuss your interest in land. Please note that planning permission cannot be guaranteed. Top of Page - Print this Page - Contact Us - Home © PropertySpy Plc 2000 - 2005 Chaucer House, 4-6 Upper Marlborough Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3UR Telephone: 0845 1 244 277 Free DVD Offer NEW! Land Under £10,000 Flexi Plot Implementing Planning LandSpy Newsletter Value Plus Service Development Gains Land Purchasing Why use a Solicitor Land Buying Department Marking Your Plot Financial Advice Tax Information Land FAQ The greatest pressure on land is in the South East, the very region where help with affordability is most needed and where the average single plot costs 123,000... Evening Standard, 09/12/2005 Planners will be forced to allow the building of a third more new homes every year, with the building taking place in the parts of the country where house prices are the highest, the Government said yesterday... Daily Telegraph, 06/12/2005 The boss of Britain's biggest housebuilder wants 'scruffy' parts of the Green Belt torn up for housebuilding... Evening Standard, 29/11/2005

Purchase Property

Property investment UK - property market for home and business - Interactive Investor Skip navigation Site Shares Thursday 29 December 2005 Home / Property Register | My Account | About Us | Site Map | Glossary | Help | T&Cs | Logout Home Investing News Markets Portfolio Share Dealing Level 2 / Tools CFD Trading Spread Betting ISAs Funds Property Community Personal Finance Planning Mortgages 1st Time Buyers Remortgaging Buy to Let Buying Abroad Calculators Credit Cards Loans Savings Banking Pensions Insurance Life Insurance Tax Cut Your Bills UK property investment information UK property investment information. Find property in the UK or abroad or value your home. Investment property news and property market guides. Search for residential or business property in UK or abroad. Mortgages, conveyancing, plot search and more. Property investment UK - search for and buy property Property UK Property How £1,000 can transform your home With fewer active buyers in the market, if you want to sell your home you need to make it stand out from the rest. Here are our tips for sprucing up your property without breaking the bank more Property Investment Courses UK and overseas property investment education from Inside Track Seminars. Book your free 2 hour workshop Date / Location 02/01/2006 , Kettering 02/01/2006 , Southampton 03/01/2006 , Heathrow 03/01/2006 , Hinckley 04/01/2006 , Nottingham 04/01/2006 , Watford 07/01/2006 , Gatwick 08/01/2006 , Gatwick 09/01/2006 , Newcastle 09/01/2006 , Worcester 10/01/2006 , Newcastle Upon Tyne 10/01/2006 , Shrewsbury 11/01/2006 , Sunderland 11/01/2006 , Walsall 12/01/2006 , Guisborough 14/01/2006 , Manchester 15/01/2006 , Manchester 16/01/2006 , Basildon 16/01/2006 , Bournemouth 16/01/2006 , Middlesbrough 17/01/2006 , Durham 17/01/2006 , St. Albans 17/01/2006 , Winchester 18/01/2006 , Ascot 18/01/2006 , Gosforth Park 18/01/2006 , Milton Keynes 19/01/2006 , Oxford 21/01/2006 , Birmingham 22/01/2006 , Birmingham 23/01/2006 , London Course Time Seats Required 1 2 3 4 Find a UK Property Maximum price No maximum £10,000 £20,000 £40,000 £30,000 £50,000 £60,000 £70,000 £80,000 £90,000 £100,000 £125,000 £150,000 £175,000 £200,000 £225,000 £250,000 £300,000 £350,000 £400,000 £450,000 £500,000 £600,000 £700,000 £800,000 £900,000 £1,000,000 £1,250,000 £1,500,000 £1,750,000 £2,000,000 £2,250,000 £2,500,000 £2,750,000 £3,000,000 No maximum Minimum bedrooms No minimum (incl. studio) 1 2 3 4 5 6 Area or postcode (e.g. York, Yorkshire or YO1) Business Property Finder Find a Business Property Property type: All Commercial Property Catering Empty/Vacant Premises Industrial Site/Unit Investment Properties Land/Development Sites Large Corporate Companies Leisure,Pubs and Hotels Motor Related Office Space Retail Showrooms Warehouses Other Property location: Spain Rest of Europe USA Rest of the World Republic of Ireland Northern Ireland Channel Islands Scotland UK - Nationwide All Locations Bedfordshire Berkshire Bristol Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Cleveland Cornwall County Down Cumbria Derbyshire Devon Dorset Durham East Sussex East Yorkshire Essex Gloucestershire Greater Manchester Hampshire Herefordshire Hertfordshire Humberside Isle of Man Isle of Wight Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire London Merseyside Norfolk North Wales North Yorkshire Northamptonshire Northumberland Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Pembrokeshire Shropshire Somerset South Wales South Yorkshire Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Tayside Tyne and Wear Warwickshire West Midlands West Sussex West Yorkshire Wiltshire Worcestershire Tenure (Freehold, Leasehold): All Leasehold Freehold Property as Your Pension Should you bet your future on a house? Acres have been written on the benefits of SIPPs, but in practice there are complications. more Buying Property Abroad Find a Property Abroad Daltons property search worldwide Findyourproperty.com French-property.com French-property.eu.com Lighthouse - Properties in Spain Overseashomesearch.co.uk The safe way to buy in Spain Guiding you to your Spanish home: 10,000 properties, strict Code of Ethics, accredited agents more Buy to Let Housing associations Letting your investment property through a housing association saves landlords hassle and provides a guaranteed income. more Best Mortgage Rate 4.84% Go Value Your Home Enter Postcode: Free area report Detailed report Promotion Request FREE brochures on investing in properties abroad. More... Property Investment Newsletter Sign up here: Go Manage? | Register? Promotion A new auction website to help you find Spanish property bargains. More... Conveyancing Purchase Amount: Freehold/Leasehold: Freehold Leasehold ADVERTISEMENT / ;zone= ; ;pos=bottom;sz=468x60; dcopt=ist; tile=1;ord=123456789?" target="_blank"; / ;zone= ; ;pos=bottom;sz=468x60; dcopt=ist; tile=1;ord=123456789?" width="468"; height="60" border="0" alt="" / Legal terms Risk warning Privacy Security Mobile Blog Contact us 0845 88 00 267 Interactive Investor Trading Limited, trading as "Interactive Investor", is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered Office: Dashwood House, 69 Old Broad Street, London EC2M 1QS, telephone 0845 88 00 267 . Registered in England with Company Registration number 3699618.Group VAT registration number 832 6732 26. We may record and/or monitor telephone calls or intercept other telecommunications between us. This is to protect both of us and for training purposes.

Sell house privately online.

Selling house. Sell house privately online Free - SELLERS Why Sell online? Advertise 150 sites For Sale Boards Advertise from FREE FREE eBook Online Guide Conveyancing Your Questions Testimonials Login LANDLORDS Why let online? Advertise 150 sites To Let Boards Advertise from FREE FREE eBook Online Guide Your Questions Testimonials Login BUYERS FREE eBook Homes For Sale Homes by Email Online Guide Mortgages Conveyancing Cheap Gas Cheap Electric Cheap Phone Fast Broadband TENANTS FREE eBook Homes To Let Homes by Email Online Guide Cheap Gas Cheap Electric Cheap Phone Fast Broadband Selling house. Sell house privately online. Selling house. Save £1000s, no commission. With the popularity of the internet increasing, more then 70% house seekers now search for house online. We have 1000's private sellers selling their house privately ranging from mobile homes to stately manors. Sell your house privately by placing your house on Houseladder for Free, saving you £1000s in commission. We have multiple services that range from just advertising your house on our site to being listed on the biggest house sites such as ..... and more Where the estate agents place their houses. Click here to place advert Now! Sell your house, Our Services If you wish to sell your house we can help. Our services start from FREE. If you wish to massively increase the chance of selling your house privately, get exposure to over 2.6 million house seekers starting from £49 on the biggest house sites such as ..... and more When you sell your house you do not owe us a penny. Click here to place advert Now! Sell house with a Board In addition to selling your house privately on our site we can also provide you with a For Sale board as per the pictures below. This will enable you to sell your house privately to local people. These are high quality boards as the estate agents use. Click here to place advert Now! Edit your house selling advert anytime. You have 100% control over your advert. You will have a dedicated account where you can logon 24 hours 7 days a Week. You can make any changes to your house specification such as the general description or even change your photos. These changes take immediate effect on Houseladder and will take 24hrs to be published to the other websites if you have selected one of the services that re-advertise selling your house privately. During the creation of your house selling advert YOU decide how you wish for buyers to contact you. Once you have an interested party you can then arrange a viewing with them directly, i.e. no middle man. Click here to place advert Now! Sell house, Frequently Asked Questions But I am already with an Estate Agent? This is a common question. If you are already with an estate agent to sell your house you will have a contract between yourself and the estate agent. There are 4 types as follows: 'Sole selling' means your estate agent is the only one with the right to sell your house. Even if you find a buyer yourself, you'll still have to pay the agent. 'Sole agency' also means the estate agent is the only one with the right to sell your house but if you find a buyer yourself, you won't have to pay the agent. 'Multi agency' means that you can choose several estate agents to sell your house but you will only have to pay commission to the one who sells it. 'Ready, willing and able purchaser' is a contract. If the estate agent finds you a buyer and you later withdraw from the sale, you'll still have to pay them. As we are not an estate agent and your contract is either 2,3 or 4 then you can still use our services and sell your properties privately. What does an estate agent do? Well they are basically the middle man as all legalities are done by your solicitor. Once you have a buyer you instruct your solicitor who will then do the following. Conveyancing (the legal process of selling your house) Draw up a contract for the transaction Answer any basic questions that the buyers solicitor may ask such as listing the items that are staying when you sell your house. After the buyers' solicitor has done all the required searches you are then both ready to sign, agree on a completion date and exchange the contracts. As you can see an estate agent has nothing to do during this whole selling house process. Click here to place advert Now! Sell or Let Faster! Professional boards, just like the agents use, with your own telephone number. Only £30 extra Instant Conveyancing Quote No completion no fee. UK Cheapest Gas Electric Save £100s on your gas and electricity every year. FREE Book Learn the secrets of the Professional. Request your copy Now! Sell or Let Faster! Save £1000s even with a Sole Agent! Advertise on the largest property sites reaching over 2.5 million including From £49 Compare 7000 mortgages online, Fast! Find the best mortgage for you

Home Mortgage Insurance U.S.

FCIC: The Guide to Single Family Home Mortgage Insurance Return to Federal Citizen Information Center Home Page Printer-friendly page -- Guide To Single Family Home Mortgage Insurance U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Housing Office of Single Family Housing www.hud.gov espanol.hud.gov Revised February 2005 Becoming a Homeowner Many people in the United States dream of owning their own homes,but few are able to pay cash for them. Many individuals and families whocould not otherwise afford to own a home become homeowners with thehelp of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance programs. FHA is a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) . One of the chief purposes of FHA is to help people obtain financing to buy their homes. This booklet can help homebuyers understand how they can make use of FHA mortgage insurance programs. It explains: How FHA mortgage insurance works Who can get FHA mortgage insurance How to shop for a HUD-approved lender How to apply for an FHA-insured mortgage loan What restrictions apply to FHA-insured mortgage loans Buying a home is the biggest single purchase that most people will make in their lifetimes. Most people borrow money through a mortgage loan to buy a home. Some people reduce the amount of money they borrow by making a large downpayment on the loan to buy a home. Persons who do not have money for a large downpayment may need the help of an FHA-insured mortgage to get a loan. MortgageA legal document that promises a property to the lender as security for payment of a debt. Here is more information about mortgage loans. DownpaymentThe part of the purchase price that a buyer pays in cash and is not included in the mortgage. How FHA Mortgage Insurance Works FHAs mortgage insurance programs help low- and moderate-incomeindividuals and families obtain financing to buy homes or refinance theircurrent mortgages. FHA mortgage insuranceallows a homebuyer to make a low downpaymentand get a mortgage loan for the balance ofthe purchase price. The mortgage loan is made by a HUDapproved lender, such as a bank, mortgage company, or credit union. FHA insures the mortgage and pays the lender if the homebuyer defaults on the loan, or fails to repay the loan. FHA/HUD does not make direct loans to people who want to buy, build, or refinance homes. Who Can Get FHA Mortgage Insurance If you are buying a home, refinancing a mortgage for a home youalready own, or making home improvements, you may qualify for anFHA-insured mortgage. In fact, almost anyone who has a satisfactory credit record, enough cash to close the loan, and sufficient steady income to make monthly mortgage payments can be approved for an FHA-insured mortgage. There is no upper age limit and no certain income level required, although individual mortgage amounts are limited by law. Generally, homebuyers must live in the home in order to get an FHA-insured mortgage loan. The program is not open to investors. To find a HUD-approved housing counseling agency near you, call the HUD housing counseling and referral line toll-free at 1-800-569-4287 or visit the HUD website at www.hud.gov . To find a HUD-approved lender , search online at www.hud.gov . You can also find lending institutions in the yellow pages of the telephone directory under the heading Mortgages. To find out if you qualify for an FHA-insured mortgage loan, youshould visit a HUD-approved housing counseling agency or a HUD-approved lender , such as a bank, credit union, or mortgage company. The housing counselor or lender will look at certain information about your income and spending to determine if you qualify. Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability. How FHA Mortgage Insurance Can Help You Whether you are buying a home, making home improvements, or refinancingyour current mortgage, you should work with a HUD-approvedlendersuch as a bank, a mortgage company, or a credit unionto applyfor a mortgage loan.Once your loan isapproved, FHA willinsure the loan and paythe lender if you defaulton the mortgage.Because the lender isprotected by this insurance,the lender cangive you better termson your loan. A lower downpayment Some lenders require borrowers to pay 10 percent or more of the price of a home in cash as a downpayment. With FHA-insured mortgages, your downpayment can be as low as 3 percent. The lender will likely require you to prove that you have enough money for the loan downpayment. Use of cash gifts toward downpayment With an FHA-insured mortgage, under certain circumstances you can use a gift from a relative, a local nonprofit organization, or a government agency for all or part of the downpayment and closing costs. The Kinds of Homes Covered by FHA Mortgage Insurance FHA-insured mortgages are available in urban and rural areas for: Single family houses Houses with two, three, or four units Condominium units Houses needing rehabilitation In addition, FHA-insured mortgages are available for reverse mortgages for seniors, called a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage . To make sure that its programs serve low- and moderate-income people, FHA sets upper limits on the dollar value of the mortgage loan. These limits change every year and vary by city and state. Check with a local lender or look online on HUDs website, www.hud.gov . Shopping for an FHA-Insured Loan Since buying a home is one of the most important purchases you willmake in your lifetime, HUD recommends you visit a HUD-approved housing counseling agency where a counselor can help you compare loansand give you homebuying tips. You can find counseling agencies by callingthe HUD housing counseling and referral line toll-free at 1-800-569-4287 or visiting the HUD website at www.hud.gov . You can also findHUD-approved lenders on the HUD website. Your house hunting and homebuying experience can be easier when you become pre-qualified for a loan. To become pre-qualified, you will complete a pre-qualification loan application. When a lender pre-qualifies you, the lender tells you the maximum amount of money you can borrow to buy a home. With that information, you can spend your time looking at homes that you can afford rather than ones that are too expensive. Some lenders may charge a fee for pre-qualification, so you should ask about fees and compare two or more lenders. You should shop for an FHA-insured mortgage loan the same way you shop for any high-cost itemcompare prices and features. The cost of getting a mortgage can vary from one lender to another, so compare these features when you are comparing lenders: Interest rate Discount points Closing costs and other fees Annual percentage rate FHA/HUD does not set the amounts for the above factors. You can negotiate with the lender and come to agreement on the interest rate, points, and most processing fees. Interest Rate You can negotiate with your lender on the interest rate that you will pay for your mortgage. Interest rates fluctuate daily, depending on conditions in the mortgage market. FHA recommends that you check with several mortgage lenders to make sure you get the best interest rate available. Discount Points Lenders can charge you discount points when the interest rate is lower than the yield required by investors who buy mortgage securities. A discount point is $1 for every $100 of the mortgage loan amount. The number of points charged varies in different places at different times and among different lenders. Discount points for an FHA-insured mortgage may be paid by you as the homebuyer, by the homebuilder, or by the person selling the house. Closing Costs and Prepaid Items When your loan is finalized, you will have to pay closing costs. Closing costs are costs in addition to the price of the property that are paid when you close your loan to cover the transfer of ownership. A mortgage loan is made up of two parts: principal and inter- est. Principal is the amount of money borrowed to buy your home. Interest is the amount paid for the privilege of borrowing the money and paying it back later, usually over 30 years. When the borrower pays the mortgage each month, some of the amount goes toward paying the principal and some toward interest. Equity is an owner's financial interest in a property. It is the difference between the amount still owed on the mortgage loan and the fair market value of the property. Closing costs are generally made up of thefollowing: Closing agents or attorney fees Interest paid from date of closing through the end of the month of closing Loan origination fee to cover lender administrative costs Credit report fees Appraisal fees Recording fees Survey fee First mortgage insurance premium Title insurance (yours and your lenders) Certain of these closing costs, as well as certain of the prepaid items listed below, may be paid by the seller, or shared between the borrower and the seller, depending on the terms of the sales contract. Prepaids are advance payments (property taxes, first annual premium for homeowners insurance, etc.) made at closing by the borrower that may be placed in an escrow account and used by the lender to pay these bills as they become due. The property tax you will pay is the amount that the state or locality, or both, assesses as a tax on your piece of property based on the value. While the property taxes due at closing are usually covered in your prepaids, your mortgage payment will also include an amount to pay future taxes as assessed by your state or locality. These tax rates vary by area and typically increase over time. Homeowners insurance combines hazard insurance and lia- bility insurance. Hazard insurance covers property damage caused by fire, wind, storms, and other similar events. Coverage for earthquakes and floods may or may not be included with hazard insurance, and you should check with your insurance carrier to determine if this is included in your policy. Liability insurance coverage protects you against claims alleging negligence or inappropriate action resulting in bodily injury or property damage. Annual Percentage Rate The Truth in Lending Act requires the lender to tell you the annualpercentage rate (APR) charged on your home mortgage. The annual percentagerate is calculated by adding the interest rate, the discount points,the initial service charge, the premium paid to insure the mortgage, andcertain other charges collected by the lender. The APR is not the sameas the mortgage loan interest rate. The Cost of FHA Mortgage Insurance When you get a mortgage loan insured by FHA, you have to pay an up-front insurance premium, which can be included in the loan you get through a lender. You will also have to pay a monthly insurance premium that is added to the regular mortgage payment. FHA uses the premiums to pay the lender if you default on your mortgage. The Importance of Getting a Home Inspection Buying a home is one of the most important purchases you will make in your lifetime, so you should be sure that the home you want to buy is in good condition. A home inspection is an evaluation of a homes condition by a trained expert. During a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth and impartial look at the property you plan to buy. The inspector will: Evaluate the physical condition: the structure, construction, and mechanical systems. Identify items that should be repaired or replaced. Estimate the remaining useful life of the major systems (such as electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning), equipment, structure, and finishes. After the inspection is complete, you will receive a written report of the findings from the home inspector, usually within five to seven days. FHA does not guarantee the value or condition of your future home, and FHA does not perform home inspections. If you find problems with your new home after closing, FHA cannot give or lend you money for repairs, nor can it buy the home back from you. Thats why it is so important for you, the buyer, to get an independenthome inspection. You should remember that an inspection is differentfrom an appraisal, which also will be performed as part of the mortgageprocess. Ask a qualified home inspector to thoroughly examine the physicalcondition of your future home and give you the information you needto make a wise decision. Information Resources You may want more information for yourself, your family, or others.The following services are available to help you. Internet www.hud.gov or espanol.hud.gov HUDs website contains comprehensive information about homebuying, homeownership, selling a home, making home improvements, and other housing-related topicsin English and Spanish. HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agency Locator HUD supports a network of approved housing counseling agencies that provide counseling services across the nation. For a complete list of HUDapproved agencies in your area, call the HUD housing counseling referral line toll-free at 1-800-569-4287 or visit the HUD website at www.hud.gov. HUD-Approved Lenders A searchable database of HUD-approved lenders, including banks, mortgage companies, and credit unions, is available on the HUD website at www.hud.gov. HUD Customer Service Center 1-800-767-7468 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) https://webapps1.hud.gov/dds/ Most of the information products developed by HUD are available from HUDs Customer Service Center by calling toll-free 1-800-767-7468 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. EST. Written requests should be addressed to: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Customer Service Center Room B-100 451 Seventh Street, SW Washington, DC 20410 You may fax requests to (202) 708-2313. Return to Federal Citizen Information Center Home Page Printer-friendly page --