As if most home buyers these days didn’t have enough to grumble about regarding mortgage costs this year compared to last, they will soon have another financial thorn in their sides.

Beginning May 1, 2023, under the Biden Administration’s continuing policy to rework the income redistribution in America, a new rule will raise mortgage fees for borrowers with good credit and a solid down payment in order to subsidize higher-risk borrowers.

Homebuyers with FICO credit scores over 740 will have to pay about $40 more each month on a $400,000 loan and a 6% 30-year mortgage if associated with federal mortgage associations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That’s an extra $480 a year, which would mean thousands of dollars more over the term of the loan.

The firms released a new Loan-Level Price Adjustment (LLPA) Matrix for loans sold after May 1. LLPAs are upfront fees based on a borrower’s credit score and down payment amount. A buyer with a sterling credit score of 740 and 15% – 20% down payment will face a 1% surcharge, while a buyer with a credit score of 679 or lower and a down payment of 5% or even less will get a 1.75% fee discount.

“This confusing approach won’t work, and more importantly, couldn’t come at a worse time for an industry struggling to get back on its feet after these past 12 months,” David Stevens, a former commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration during the Obama administration, was quoted in several media outlets over the weekend, regarding the new rules. “To do this at the onset of the spring market is almost offensive to the market, consumers and lenders.

“Why was this done? The answer is simple. It was to try to narrow the gap in access to credit, especially for minority homebuyers who often have lower down payments and lower credit scores,” Stevens added. “The gap in homeownership opportunities is real. America is facing a severe shortage of affordable homes for sale combined with excessive demand causing an imbalance. But convoluting pricing and credit is not the way to solve this problem.”

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