Quirky Houses Can Make Lenders Nervous

Oddball properties — such as a domed house or a home designed to resemble a medieval castle — can trip up buyers when they sit down to work out financing. Unique architecture or unusual characteristics complicate the task of gauging market value, causing many lenders to back away from funding a buyer’s purchase. Banks that do take on such properties may do so at a cost: a hefty down payment along with a reserve account. Jumbo loan borrowers already are facing down payments of 20 percent to 45 percent of the purchase price, but they could have to pony up even more if the home has highly customized features. The lender still will decline to finance the transaction, however, if there is unpermitted work on the property. On the plus side, the borrowers could end up with a lower interest rate in exchange for the bigger down payment. | Read More