Modular Home construction Loan

What Makes a Construction Loan Harder to Get?

Share this Post

Why Are Construction Loans Harder to Get?

Let’s start out by comparing a construction loan to what most people call a home mortgage. Almost everyone that is a home owner, at one time or another, has had a home mortgage. A home mortgage is a loan that is secured by an asset, typically your primary residence, for a term of 30 years. When done properly, they pose very little risk for banks. There is a home that exists, you are living in it, and they have verified that your income and your payment history almost guarantees you will repay the loan according to the agreed upon terms. Because they pose minimal risk, interest rates are lower and down payment terms can be lower.

A construction loan, on the other hand, is a loan against something that doesn’t exist… yet. You and your builder are incrementally buying the ingredients for a recipe that will ultimately create a finished home in less than a year. In that timeframe, anything can happen: marital status changes, financial changes, zoning issues, etc. Building a custom home is a dream come true for a home buyer… but for a bank, it means higher risk. When a bank sees higher risk the first thing they do is mitigate it. They do this by increasing down payment requirements, increasing credit score requirements, and making sure borrower credit histories are outstanding. Next, they want to be rewarded for providing the loan so they may add points or increase the interest rate.

RELATED: PUT YOUR MORTGAGE GOGGLES ON: A LENDER’S CREDIT SCORE VIEW

All of this may sound scary but people get construction loans every day. It just takes some more effort on your part to have your financial house in order so you can document everything. The bank will usually start with a checklist of items and documents they need. Get it early and ask questions to avoid delays and surprises later.

What Do I Need to Get Started?

In addition to the financial information that the lender will ask for from you (on the list above), you will also need other information on the home itself and possibly your builder (if you are not self-contracting). The bank will need:

  1. A copy of the contract – The bank has to know how much you are paying and the basic information such as builder name, terms, draw schedules, etc. This is all contained on the contract you sign for the construction of your custom home.
  2. Home Plans – While they should be contained within the contract, the bank will need a copy of the plans for your home. They will be provided to the appraiser (see item 4).
  3. Detailed Specifications – Just because your home has kitchen cabinets in it doesn’t mean they are all created equal (or cost the same). The bank needs to see the detailed specifications of your home so they know the quality and cost of the items that are going into its construction. These are also needed by the appraiser (see item 4).
  4. An Appraisal – An appraisal will be done by an appraiser that is requested by the bank before they can schedule a closing for your construction loan. What the appraiser is doing is making sure that the completed home, based on the plans you provided and the materials you said would be included from the specifications, will be valued at what you agreed to pay in your contract. Most banks will only lend a percentage of the value of the home. If your home doesn’t appraise for what your bank expects, you may have to add more cash for your down payment or make other changes to the transaction if you want to build the some home.
What Happens During the Construction Process?

Modular Construction LoanDuring the construction process the bank will pay you or the builder according to what is known as a draw schedule. As work is completed, agreed upon milestones are met and the bank releases funds for the work. This takes place during the complete construction of the loan. Some banks may hold back a larger portion at the end so that everyone who is anxious to get paid will complete the final construction phase quickly to insure a fast final payment.

During the construction loan process you will make payments on the amount borrowed. The big difference with a construction loan is that you are only making payments on the interest accrued each month. You aren’t making any payments on the principle. This makes the payment more affordable for you during the construction process.

What Happens When My Home Completed?

Since the construction loan is only short term, it is required to be paid back in full according to its terms. This usually means that your lender has already established a new loan already (One time Construction to Permanent Loan) or that they are working with another loan or lender and you will have to schedule another closing and pay additional closing costs to pay off the construction loan. There is less risk for the bank and you can convert that higher interest rate construction loan into a typical home mortgage.

Once you convert to a permanent 30 or 15 year loan your payment will repay the principle and interest. It may also include amounts to pay insurance and taxes that will be paid on your behalf by your lender. Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the loan process. As a builder, we do work with lenders every day. In some cases the process can intimidating. If you don’t understand something, don’t hesitate to ask questions. It is important to you and everyone in the process that you know what to expect.

About the Author
Ken Semler

Ken Semler

Facebook Twitter

Hi, I am Ken Semler the founder of Impresa Modular. I am passionate about our company and the homes that we provide. Modern modular construction enables us to deliver healthy, safe, and energy-efficient living spaces. Impresa Modular is a licensed/registered/certified builder/contractor in almost every state. I believe that modular homes provide the best way to deliver virtually unlimited design flexibility at the greatest value.

Share this Post

Comments 8

  1. So…. is a modular home loan considered a construction loan or a new home loan? And would a “custom” modular home increase the perceived risk for banks for such a loan (and therefore the interest rate, etc.)? Thank you for a terrific web site. We are considering your “Yuma” design to build in southern New Mexico and I would like to explore “custom” options on such a plan.

    1. Ken Semler Post
      Author

      Bobbie Jo, A modular home loan is typically considered a custom home when you are building it on your own property just as it would be with a traditional site built home. The term custom isn’t what make the interest rate on a construction loan higher than a conventional 30 year mortgage. The fact that the bank is loaning money on a home that won’t be complete until the end of the loan is what drives its. For example, assume the bank loans money on a home and the foundation is completed and the home is halfway done and the home-buyers get a divorce. The bank isn’t a builder but yet they have a half built house with no one making payments on the construction loan. Had this been an existing home they would simply have foreclosed and resold the home. Now their choices are to sell a half built house for .10 cents on the dollar to get it off their books or pay a builder to complete someones home and hope to sell it quickly. They lose either way and because of the risk that this or something like it could happen during the construction period, everyone pays a slightly higher interest rate.

    1. Ken Semler Post
      Author
  2. Toby Ornduff

    Greetings Mr Ken. My name is Toby and I’m a potential first time home builder. Where is my first stop? Bank? Builder?
    I own the lot outright, also have additional acreage for collateral. My husband is a qualified VA loan veteran,
    I’m a working mom, with some construction background, and great GC support in my community. Can I do this? Am I biting off more than I can chew? Thanks in advance, I look forward to hearing back!

    1. Ken Semler Post
      Author
  3. Darryl Teets
    1. Ken Semler Post
      Author

      VA loans have benefits like no down-payments, low interest rates, and the ability to fund lower credit scores. Withe construction loans, the banks is taking a risk so they typically want higher down payments, higher interest rates (construction loan only), and higher credit scores. The conundrum is that you can qualify for the 30 year permanent loan but not the construction loan. A few lenders have started to develop programs that will fund the construction loan as long as the VA loan is in place. There aren’t many right now. If you own the land outright (no mortgage) you could use the land as down payment. You could qualify for a conventional construction loan and use the VA loan with its low interest rate for your permanent financing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *