Single Family Mortgage Insurance: Revision of Section 203(k) Consultant Fee Schedule-Solicitation of Comment

The Section 203(k) Program is HUD's primary program for the rehabilitation and repair of single family properties. The Section 203(k) mortgage program enables homebuyers and homeowners to finance the purchase, or refinance of a home and include the rehabilitation costs through a single mortgage. There are two types of 203(k) rehabilitation mortgages: Standard 203(k) and Limited 203(k). The Standard 203(k) mortgage may be used for remodeling, rehabilitation and repairs that may have structural components, involve more complex work and the total rehabilitation costs must be greater than $5,000. The Limited 203(k) mortgage may only be used for minor remodeling and non-structural repairs. The total rehabilitation cost may not exceed $35,000 and there is no minimum cost. As part of the Section 203(k) program requirements, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) maintains a list of approved 203(k) Consultants on the FHA 203(k) Consultant Roster in FHA Connection. An FHA-approved 203(k) Consultant is required for all Standard 203(k) mortgages. A 203(k) Consultant is not required under the Limited 203(k) program, but may be used. FHA-approved 203(k) Consultants are required to perform responsibilities during the processing and rehabilitation phase of the 203(k) program. FHA-approved 203(k) Consultants who are placed on FHA's 203(k) Consultant Roster are deemed qualified to complete these duties and therefore permitted to collect a fee for this service. In 1995, HUD issued its current Section 203(k) Consultant Fee Schedule and now seeks to update the Section 203(k) Fee Schedule to align with similarly performed services and the corresponding fees collected for such services. As a result, this notice seeks public comment on revising the current structure of the fee and the maximum amount of fees a 203(k) Consultant would be permitted to charge on a Section 203(k) mortgage.