How to Build a House on Your Own Land With an FHA Loan
June 8, 2023
Did you know it’s possible to use a low down payment FHA mortgage to build a house on your own land? You can do this instead of buying an existing construction home and make the house you buy truly your own.
You can build on your own lot using an FHA mortgage even as a first-time home buyer. You will get the same 3.5% down payment minimum on an FHA construction loan as you would buying existing construction real estate, and you get the same protections on an FHA construction loan as you do any other type of FHA loan.
That means no penalty for early payoff, a lower interest rate than many conventional loans, and the ability to freely sell or transfer the property anytime you wish.
FHA loans to help you build your house on land you already own may be harder for some borrowers to find; a common complaint among some house hunters is that it can be difficult to find a participating FHA lender willing to work with you on an FHA construction loan.
Part of the problem in this area has to do with borrowers not knowing the right kind of real estate loan to ask for. If you want to build a house for you to live in as your primary residence, what you want to ask your loan officer about is the FHA One-Time Close construction loan or FHA OTC.
OTC loans allow qualified borrowers to apply for a single loan to cover both the mortgage and the costs of constructing the home. Not all FHA lenders offer these loans, but we know the ones that do, what the requirements are, and what it takes to get a construction loan approved.
And you don’t have to apply for an FHA construction loan if you are a veteran; there are VA loan versions of the One-Time Close construction loan that can help qualifying veterans build a house on their own land with zero money down up to the VA loan limits in your area.
FHA, VA, and USDA: One-Time Close Loans
Want More Information About One-Time Close Loans?
We have done extensive research on the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) and the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) One-Time Close Construction loan programs. We have spoken directly to licensed lenders that originate these residential loan types in most states and each company has supplied us the guidelines for their products. We can connect you with mortgage loan officers who work for lenders that know the product well and have consistently provided quality service. If you are interested in being contacted by a licensed lender in your area, please send responses to the questions below. All information is treated confidentially.
FHA.com provides information and connects consumers to qualified One-Time Close lenders to raise awareness about this loan product and to help consumers receive higher quality service. We are not paid for endorsing or recommending the lenders or loan originators and do not otherwise benefit from doing so. Consumers should shop for mortgage services and compare their options before agreeing to proceed.
Please note that investor guidelines for the FHA and VA One-Time Close Construction Program only allows for single family dwellings (1 unit) – and NOT for multi-family units (no duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes). In addition, the following homes/building styles are not allowed under these programs, including but not limited to: Kit Homes, Barndominiums, Log Cabin Homes, Shipping Container Homes, Stilt Homes, Solar (only) or Wind Powered (only) Homes, Dome Homes, Bermed Earth Sheltered Homes, Tiny Homes, Accessory Dwelling Units, or A-Framed Homes.
Contact Us: Send Us Your Request – Spam Safe
Please send your email request to [email protected] which authorizes FHA.com to share your personal information with one mortgage lender licensed in your area to contact you.
1. Send your first and last name, e-mail address, and contact telephone number.
2. Tell us the city and state of the proposed property.
3. Tell us your and/or the Co-borrower’s credit profile: Excellent – (680+), Good - (640-679), Fair – (620-639) or Poor- (Below 620). 620 is the minimum qualifying credit score for this product.
4. Are you or your spouse (Co-borrower) eligible veterans? If either of you are eligible veterans, down payments as low as $0 may be available up to the maximum amount your debt-to-income ratio per VA will allow – there are no maximum loan amounts as per VA guidelines. Most lenders will go up to $1,500,000 and review higher loan amounts on a case-by-case basis. If not, the FHA down payment is 3.5% up to the maximum FHA lending limit for your county.
You can build on your own lot using an FHA mortgage even as a first-time home buyer. You will get the same 3.5% down payment minimum on an FHA construction loan as you would buying existing construction real estate, and you get the same protections on an FHA construction loan as you do any other type of FHA loan.
That means no penalty for early payoff, a lower interest rate than many conventional loans, and the ability to freely sell or transfer the property anytime you wish.
FHA loans to help you build your house on land you already own may be harder for some borrowers to find; a common complaint among some house hunters is that it can be difficult to find a participating FHA lender willing to work with you on an FHA construction loan.
Part of the problem in this area has to do with borrowers not knowing the right kind of real estate loan to ask for. If you want to build a house for you to live in as your primary residence, what you want to ask your loan officer about is the FHA One-Time Close construction loan or FHA OTC.
OTC loans allow qualified borrowers to apply for a single loan to cover both the mortgage and the costs of constructing the home. Not all FHA lenders offer these loans, but we know the ones that do, what the requirements are, and what it takes to get a construction loan approved.
And you don’t have to apply for an FHA construction loan if you are a veteran; there are VA loan versions of the One-Time Close construction loan that can help qualifying veterans build a house on their own land with zero money down up to the VA loan limits in your area.
FHA, VA, and USDA: One-Time Close LoansWant More Information About One-Time Close Loans?
We have done extensive research on the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) and the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) One-Time Close Construction loan programs. We have spoken directly to licensed lenders that originate these residential loan types in most states and each company has supplied us the guidelines for their products. We can connect you with mortgage loan officers who work for lenders that know the product well and have consistently provided quality service. If you are interested in being contacted by a licensed lender in your area, please send responses to the questions below. All information is treated confidentially.
FHA.com provides information and connects consumers to qualified One-Time Close lenders to raise awareness about this loan product and to help consumers receive higher quality service. We are not paid for endorsing or recommending the lenders or loan originators and do not otherwise benefit from doing so. Consumers should shop for mortgage services and compare their options before agreeing to proceed.
Please note that investor guidelines for the FHA and VA One-Time Close Construction Program only allows for single family dwellings (1 unit) – and NOT for multi-family units (no duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes). In addition, the following homes/building styles are not allowed under these programs, including but not limited to: Kit Homes, Barndominiums, Log Cabin Homes, Shipping Container Homes, Stilt Homes, Solar (only) or Wind Powered (only) Homes, Dome Homes, Bermed Earth Sheltered Homes, Tiny Homes, Accessory Dwelling Units, or A-Framed Homes.
Contact Us: Send Us Your Request – Spam Safe
Please send your email request to [email protected] which authorizes FHA.com to share your personal information with one mortgage lender licensed in your area to contact you.
1. Send your first and last name, e-mail address, and contact telephone number.
2. Tell us the city and state of the proposed property.
3. Tell us your and/or the Co-borrower’s credit profile: Excellent – (680+), Good - (640-679), Fair – (620-639) or Poor- (Below 620). 620 is the minimum qualifying credit score for this product.
4. Are you or your spouse (Co-borrower) eligible veterans? If either of you are eligible veterans, down payments as low as $0 may be available up to the maximum amount your debt-to-income ratio per VA will allow – there are no maximum loan amounts as per VA guidelines. Most lenders will go up to $1,500,000 and review higher loan amounts on a case-by-case basis. If not, the FHA down payment is 3.5% up to the maximum FHA lending limit for your county.
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