2024 FHA Loan Limit in Wisconsin by County

Wisconsin FHA Loan Requirements & Limits for 2024 by County

To help homebuyers in Wisconsin, there are government-backed programs to make buying a home more affordable. The FHA home loan program offers buyers an attractive loan that could make buying a home easier.

There are many reasons why choosing an FHA home loan could be your best option, but there are some restrictions with this type of loan. There are loan limits and other rules that have to be followed when applying for an FHA home loan.

The Benefits of Choosing an FHA Home Loan

If you choose the Wisconsin FHA program, you could buy your home with just a 3.5 percent down payment. While there are benefits to larger down payments, saving 10% or 20% of the purchase price of a home could take years. This will delay you from buying and mean you will continue to pay rent for longer than you want. But a loan backed by the FHA could allow you to buy your home sooner.

You could get help from your family to boost your down payment, and the seller is allowed to contribute to the closing costs as well. The seller can provide up to 6% of the price of the home to help the buyer with the costs. This is allowed by the FHA and can be negotiated with the seller if they are willing to assist with these expenses.

To fund your down payment, money can be used from savings accounts, retirement investments, and more. You will need to provide documentation to the lender to show where this money came from, however. If you don’t have enough money saved for a down payment, friends or family can provide funds, though this needs to be documented as well. There might also be help offered by non-profit agencies that gift money for down payments.

If your credit score isn’t perfect, the FHA allows lower scores down to 500. Though if your score is under 580, you will need a down payment of 10%, though not all lenders will approve your loan even then.

Though an FHA home loan should be easier to be approved for, there are certain requirements you need to meet and loan limits to remember before you apply.

2024 Wisconsin FHA Loan Limits by County

An FHA home loan restricts the amount of money that can be offered to help you buy a home. Even if you have a large down payment and great credit, loans above the limit for the county will not be approved.

In most counties, the limit is $498,257 for a one-family home. The only exceptions to this is Pierce and St. Croix Counties which have the highest median sale prices. In both Pierce and St. Croix Counties, the median sales price is $442,000 and closer to the loan limit than in other counties. For this reason, the limit is higher to make purchasing with an FHA home loan possible.

How are the FHA Loan Limits for Wisconsin Set?

The loan limits are set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD uses data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and their House Price Index report. This allows changes in house prices to be tracked and the FHA home loan limits adjusted accordingly.

Qualifying for an FHA Loan in Wisconsin

If you want to buy a home in Wisconsin with an FHA home loan, there are certain requirements that you need to meet. Not only does the home have to be within the loan limits shown above, but the following requirements need to be met as well:

Credit Score and Down Payment

If you have had credit problems in the past, an FHA home loan could be an easier option when buying a home. They offer more relaxed rules to get the home loan you need, but they still have minimum credit requirements. You can qualify for an FHA home loan if your credit is as low as 500, though you won’t be allowed a 3.5% down payment. If your score is 580 or higher, you only need 3.5% of the purchase price to qualify.

If you are planning to buy a home, but your credit score is lower than where you would like it to be, there are things you can do to improve the situation. Making payments on time is very important, and how much of your available credit you use is another factor. Applying for new loans will reduce your credit score temporarily, and there could be errors in your credit report. Taking the time to deal with these issues will make it easier to get approved for the loan you want.

Debt-to-Income

Your lender will check your debt-to-income ratio when considering your loan application. Your monthly debts compared to your income usually cannot be higher than 43% when the new home loan payments are included. This is often referred to as the back-end DTI ratio, though in some situations, the lender may approve with higher a DTI.

There is also a front-end DTI ratio that is the gross monthly income and the buyer’s current debt payments. Lenders don’t like to see this DTI ratio higher than 31% typically.

For example, if you have a combined gross income of $7,000 per month, with debt payments of $2,000, the calculation would be 2,000 / 7,000 = 0.2857. This means a front-end DTI ratio of just under 28.6%.

If potential loan payments cost $1,000 per month, this will be added to your debts to find the back-end DTI ratio. So using the same example, the calculation would be 3,000 / 7,000 = 0.4286. This gives a back-end DTI of 42.9% and just below what is usually allowed by lenders.

Though even if your DTI ratios are slightly above the ideal, your lender might still approve the loan.

Required Documents

The lender needs to be sure of the buyer’s income and assets, so they want documented proof. This might mean the borrower has to provide pay stubs for at least 60 days, and W-2 forms for the past two years should be enough. If you are self-employed, the lender will need your tax returns, both personal and business, for the previous two calendar years.

For buyers that are using their own money to fund the down payment and closing costs, proof of these funds will need to be provided. This can simply be statements from savings, checking, and other types of accounts. If money is being used from investments, a statement from an investment adviser stating the value of investments might be required.

If you are getting help from friends or family to fund your down payment, this needs to be documented as well. If you receive a gift to add to your down payment, it should be accompanied by a down payment gift letter. This should include the address of the home, the amount given, state the relationship to the homebuyer, and make it clear that it is a gift that doesn’t need to be repaid.

If the money is coming from the bank account of the gifter, they need to provide a copy of the statement before and after the money has been withdrawn. If a cashier’s check was used to provide the gift, there should be a copy of this check provided to the lender as well. The same is likely required if the money is gifted from investment accounts when stocks or bonds are sold.

When you accept a gift, you also need to make sure you document the funds entering your account so that the lender can see the account balance before and after the funds are added. If you take these steps, you should find the underwriting process is slightly easier and faster.

Mortgage Insurance

When the lender approves an FHA home loan, there could be a requirement to pay mortgage insurance. This protects the lender should the worst happen and the borrower is unable to pay the loan. Even though the lender can begin foreclosure proceedings to recover the outstanding debt, mortgage insurance protect them against a loss.

There are two types of mortgage insurance payable when approved for an FHA home loan with a down payment of less than 20%. There is an upfront mortgage insurance premium (UFMIP) to pay at closing. This costs 1.75 percent of the loan, though it can often be added to the loan amount.

Annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) will also be charged by the lender. This can cost between 0.40% and 0.75%, though this annual cost is divided by 12 and added to the monthly mortgage payments.

This annual payment will continue until the loan is repaid or refinanced if a down payment was under 10%. But with a 10% or larger down payment, the MIP can be canceled after 11 years. For this cancelation to happen the borrower needs to have followed the mortgage payment schedule without missing payments.

Appraisals

Before your FHA home loan can be approved, the value of the home has to be assessed. The lender requires an appraisal to ensure they aren’t lending more than the home is worth and that the property meets FHA guidelines.

Comparable sales are used by the appraiser to help find the value of the home. If the appraisal is lower than the offer accepted by the seller, the loan may not be approved. Though if this happens, there are still options, like renegotiating the price, to keep the purchase on track.

Allowed Properties

FHA home loans can be used to buy single-family homes, condos, and multi-family homes. Though whatever the type of home is being purchased, the property must be your primary residence. You cannot buy a vacation or investment property with an FHA home loan.

Buying Multi-Family Homes in Wisconsin

FHA home loans can be used to purchase properties with up to four units. You can still benefit from a 3.5% down payment when your credit score is 580 and above.

The FHA limits are increased for multi-family homes as well. In most Wisconsin counties, the limit is $498,257 for a single-family home, this increases to $637,950 for a two-family home, $771,125 for a three-family home, and $958,350 for a 4-unit property. These limits are even higher for Pierce and St. Croix Counties.

When buying a multi-family home, the buyer has to occupy one of the units as their primary residence to be approved for an FHA loan. Rental income from the other units can be used to improve your chances of approval.

Final Thoughts on Wisconsin FHA Home Loans

For homebuyers that don’t have a lot of money saved for a down payment or have a great credit score, an FHA home loan offers attractive terms. Though despite more flexible terms, there are requirements to meet before your loan can be approved. 

The price of the home has to be within limits and pass the home appraisal requirements. The buyer’s credit score needs to be at least 500 or 580 if buying with a lower down payment. Debt-to-income ratio is also important, potentially limiting the size of the home loan you will be approved for. Though if you can meet these requirements, an FHA loan is an option worth considering when buying a property in Wisconsin.