Real Estate NewsNew Home Loan Links Housing Finance to Public Transportation
Recognizing the need to take a broader, community-wide focus rather than
continuing to concentrate solely on one-house-at-a-time mortgages, a major
supplier of mortgage money is experimenting with a new home loan that links housing finance
to public transportation.
Dubbed the location efficient mortgage, or LEM, the loan acknowledges
the savings home buyers can achieve by purchasing in neighborhoods served by
rail or bus. The idea is that borrowers who buy houses near public transit are
more apt to use it, thereby saving money that might otherwise be spent on their
automobiles.
The loan is being tested by a few primary lenders at the request of
Fannie Mae. A government-chartered but private corporation, Fannie Mae doesn"t
make loans directly. Rather, it buys loans from local lenders, thereby insuring
they always have fresh money to lend to home buyers and refinancers.
The loan works on a simple premise, says Julie Gould of Fannie Mae"s
Housing Impact Division: "The closer a family lives to a bus stop, train
station or subway stop, the less likely they are to use their own vehicles, and
that translates into lower fuel bills, less maintenance and fewer repairs. And
the community benefits because energy consumption is cut, air quality is
improved and total ridership is increased."
The loan applies a portion of the potential savings to the buyer"s
qualifying income, thus increasing his purchasing power. In some cases, Fannie
Mae might even allow the borrower to finance the cost of a discounted, one or two-year transit pass
as part of the mortgage.
The loan, which was developed in concert with the Natural Resources Defense
Council, the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Surface Transportation Defense
Council, will be tried out in a $100 million pilot program. The product already
has been rolled out in Seattle and San Francisco and Chicago and Los Angeles, among
others, are said to be next on the list.
In Seattle, Fannie Mae is working with local governments and lenders to
stimulate urban revitalization around transit sites. In the Bay Area, the
company is working with lenders, local transit officials, the NRDC and CNT to
do the same.
Also in the Bay Area, meanwhile, and in Florida, too, the company has
entered into a partnership with lenders and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency to offer "disaster prevention loans." The funding will allow residents
to prepare their homes for earthquakes, fires and other natural disasters and
prevent damage before it occurs.
Borrowers will apply for the loans through approved and qualified
contractors, and quick approvals are promised, as are competitive interest
rates and assurances that the work will be performed correctly. There are no income limitations for home
owners, who can borrow up to $20,000 with repayment terms up to 10 years.
The types of upgrades allowed under the program include: foundation
bolting, chimney bracing, cripple wall stiffening, window opening reinforcement, dry rot repair
and termite damage repair.
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