A Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan is a mortgage loan that is backed by the government. It is ideal for homebuyers who have low credit scores. With the minimal down payment requirement of the loan, borrowers prefer it over any other type of loan.

The loan is in demand because it fits the needs of the borrowers who have a low credit score. Credit scores as low as 580 are also accepted by the lender. The lowest credit score accepted is 500 in some cases, and no applications from borrowers with a lower credit score will be accepted.

Loan limits
For FHA loan approvals, borrowers will need to go through the rigorous procedure.

Insurance premium
Borrowers are required to pay a premium in the form of mortgage insurance in case they default on the loan. The insurance for a typical borrower will be at the rate of 0.5% to 1% of the amount for borrowers, who have a decent credit. In the case of an FHA loan, the borrower will have to pay 1.75% of the loan amount.

Loan requirements
In order to get an FHA loan approval, borrowers need to clear a few steps.

Borrowers with a history of bankruptcy will have to come out of bankruptcy for a minimum period of two years and the loan will not be approved if the borrower is behind on income tax or in federal student loan tax.

The borrower needs to ensure that the lender is approved by the FHA because since he is not a mortgage lender, he only works with the government for the same. New loans are only approved for borrowers who intend to live in the home and not rent it out.

Before a borrower seeks an FHA loan approval, they should consider the requirements and verify their credit score before making an application. Moreover, they might have to improve the credit score if it is below 500.