Whether you’re buying your first home, using down payment assistance, or rebuilding credit — there’s a program that fits. Compare them side by side before you commit.
🏠 FHA Loan
The go-to for first-time buyers and 580+ credit. Low down payment and flexible guidelines.
Kentucky is known for its bluegrass pastures, thoroughbred horses, and bourbon heritage. But for many families, the biggest attraction is affordable housing and the chance to build wealth through homeownership. Whether you are buying your first home, moving up, or refinancing, understanding current Kentucky mortgage rates and loan options will help you make a smarter financial decision. This guide explains the most common Kentucky mortgage programs, how rates are determined, and where to start if you are ready to apply for a home loan. What Affects Kentucky Mortgage Rates? Mortgage interest rates in Kentucky are driven by a mix of personal and market factors, including: Credit score and credit history fico Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio Loan program (FHA, VA, USDA, KHC, Conventional, Jumbo) Down payment amount Property type and occupancy (primary residence, second home, investment) Overall economic and rate environment Lenders review yo...
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Getting a Kentucky Mortgage in 3 Simple Steps
No confusing paperwork trails. No surprise fees. A clear path from first call to keys in hand.
01
💬 Get Pre-Qualified
Free application review with same-day answers. We look at your credit, income, and goals — no cost, no obligation, no pressure.
02
📋 Compare Your Options
FHA vs. Conventional vs. USDA vs. KHC — run side by side with your actual numbers so you see the real payment before you commit.
03
🏠 Close & Get Your Keys
Guided from contract to closing — appraisal, title, and underwriting coordinated so you always know what happens next.
Watch: Kentucky Mortgage Guides
Straight answers from my YouTube channel — no jargon, no sales pitch.
Hi, I’m Joel Lobb — a Kentucky dad who’s spent 20+ years helping families across all 120 counties buy their first home. When you call, you get me — not a phone tree. Questions on a Saturday morning? I answer.
1,300+ Kentucky families have trusted me with their mortgage — from Louisville to Lexington to the smallest towns in the state. Free application reviews, same-day pre-approvals, and honest answers about what you actually qualify for.
In order to be in compliance with HUD Mortgagee Letter 2009-32, the following changes
to Kentucky FHA Streamline Refinanceswill be effective for new case numbers assigned
**** Revised Streamline Refinance Transactions WITHOUT an Appraisal ****
The maximum insurable mortgage cannot exceed:
• The outstanding principal balance* (from payoff) minus the applicable
refund of the UFMIP,
PLUS
• The new UFMIP that will be charged on the refinance.
**Closing cost cannot be included in the new maximum loan amount. ****Revised Streamline Transaction WITH an Appraisal****
The maximum insurable mortgage is the lower of:
1) Outstanding principal balance* minus the applicable refund of UFMIP, plus
closing costs, prepaid items to establish the escrow account and the new
UFMIP that will be charge on the refinance;
OR
2.) 97.75 percent of the appraised value of the property plus the new UFMIP that
will be charged on the refinance.
Discount points may not be included in the new mortgage. If the borrower
has agreed to pay discount points, the lender must verify the borrower has the
assets to pay them along with any other financing costs that are not included in
the new mortgage amount.
* Outstanding principle balance for the above calculations is defined as the principle balance of the loan
and may include interest charged by the servicing lender when the payoff is not received on the first day of
the month but may not include delinquent interest, late charges or escrow shortages.
The following changes apply for Kentucky FHA Streamline loans with or without appraisal:
A.) Seasoning – At the time of loan application, the borrower must have made at least 6
payments on the FHA-insured mortgage being refinanced.
B.) Payment History – Current mortgage must be 0x30 in the last 12 months or for the life of the loan if loan is < 12 months old and > 6 months old. ) If borrower has less than 12 month history on current loan and has a previous consecutive mortgage, that mortgage must be 0x30 up to the 12 months required.
C.) Net Tangible Benefit – The lender must determine that there is a net tangible benefit
as a result of the streamline refinance transaction, with or without an appraisal. The
transaction must meet FHA net tangible
benefit.
For FHA Net tangible benefit is defined as:
1.) A reduction in the total mortgage payment (principal, interest, taxes and
insurances, HOA fees, ground rents special assessments and all
subordinate liens): The new total mortgage payment is 5% lower than the
total mortgage payment for the mortgage being refinanced. Example: Total
mortgage payment on the existing FHA mortgage is $895; the total mortgage
payment for the new FHA mortgage must be $850 or less.
2.) Refinancing from an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) to a fixed rate
mortgage: The interest rate on the new fixed mortgage will be no greater
than 2 percentage points above the current rate of the one-year arm. For
hybrid ARMs, the total mortgage payment on the new fixed rate mortgage may
not increase by more than 20%. Example: total mortgage payment on the
hybrid ARM is $895; the total mortgage payment for the new fixed rate
mortgage must be $1,074 or less.
3.) Reducing the term of the mortgage: For transactions that include a
reduction in the mortgage term, that loan must be underwritten and closed as
a rate and term (no cash-out) refinance transaction.
D.) Employment – Streamline refinances must now include evidence of employment and
include a verbal (must be on 1003).
E.) Assets – If there are any closing cost to be paid at close, verification of funds to close
must be included in the file submission.
F.) The file must also include the pay-off statement.
G.) Maximum Combined Loan to Value –
Kentucky Mortgage guidelines will remain at
125% CLTV.)
• For streamline refinance transactions WITHOUT an appraisal, the CLTV is
based on the original appraised value of the property.
• For streamline refinance transactions WITH an appraisal, the CLTV is based on
the new appraised value. H.)TOTAL Scorecard – Lenders should not use TOTAL on streamline refinance
transactions. If a lender uses TOTAL, that loan must be underwritten and closed
as a rate and term (no cash-out) refinance transaction
If you have any questions regarding this announcement,
Joel Lobb (NMLS#57916)Senior Loan Officer
502-905-3708 cell
The requirements for Kentucky FHA loans are set by HUD.
Borrowers must have a steady employment history of the last two years within the same industry or line of work. Recent college graduates can use their transcripts to supplant the 2 year work history rule as long as it makes sense.
Self-Employed will need a 2 year history of tax returns filed with IRS. They will take a 2 year average.
FHA requires a 3.5% down payment. Can be gifted from family member or from retirement savings plan, or money saved-up. Any type of cash deposits are not allowed for down payments. No exceptions to this rule!! This is one of the biggest issues I see in FHA underwriting nowadays.
FHA loans are for primary residence occupancy. Not rental houses.
Borrowers must have a property appraisal from a FHA-approved appraiser.
Borrowers’ front-end ratio (mortgage payment plus HOA fees, property taxes, mortgage insurance, homeowners insurance) needs to be less than 31 percent of their gross income, typically. You may be able to get approved with as high a percentage as 43 percent. If the Automated Underwriting System gives you an Approved Eligible you can go higher on the debt ratios
Borrowers must have a minimum credit score of 580 for maximum financing with a 3.5% down payment
Borrowers must have a minimum credit score of 500-579 for maximum LTV of 90 percent with a minimum down payment of 10 percent. Most lenders will not go below 620 score, and very few lenders will go to 580 score. It’s best to work on getting your scores up before you apply or work with a loan officer to improve them.
2 years removed from Chapter 7 is required with good pay history after bankruptcy
1 year removed from Chapter 13 is okay with an excellent pay history with the Chapter 13 plan and permission from trustee. You will need to qualify with the Chapter 13 payment along with new house payment. Again, scores will play into your loan pre-approval.
Typically borrowers must be three years out of foreclosure and have re-established good credit. Exceptions can be made if there were extenuating circumstances and you’ve improved your credit. If you were unable to sell your home because you had to move to a new area, this does not qualify as an exception to the three-year foreclosure guideline.
Max FHA loan in Kentucky is between $275,000 to $299,000 depending on the county in Kentucky I can answer your questions and usually get you pre-approved the same day.
Call or Text me at 502-905-3708 with your mortgage questions. Email Kentuckyloan@gmail.com
The view and opinions stated on this website belong solely to the authors, and are intended for informational purposes only. The posted information does not guarantee approval, nor does it comprise full underwriting guidelines. This does not represent being part of a government agency. The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the view of my employer. Not all products or services mentioned on this site may fit all people. NMLS ID# 57916, (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Mortgage loans only offered in Kentucky.
All loans and lines are subject to credit approval, verification, and collateral evaluation and are originated by lender. Products and interest rates are subject to change without notice. Manufactured and mobile homes are not eligible as collateral.
Getting a FHA loan in Kentucky in 2017 you will be confronted with minimum credit score requirements set forth by FHA and the lender. Even though FHA will insure the mortgage loan at a certain credit score, you will see that lenders will create “credit-overlays” to protect their risk and ask for a higher credit score.
So keep in mind when you are getting a FHA loan in 2017, some lenders will have higher credit score minimums in addition to the FHA Mortgage Insurance program.
For a Kentucky Home buyer wanting to purchase a home or refinance their existing FHA loan, FHA requires a 3.5% down payment and the borrower must have a 580 FICO Credit Score. If the score is below 580, then you would need 10% down and still qualify on a manual underwrite.
You must have a FICO score of at least 500 to be eligible for an Kentucky FHA loan. If your FICO score is from 500 to 579, your down payment on the loan is 10 percent of the loan.
If your FICO score is 580 or higher, your down payment is only 3.5 percent. If your credit score is less than 580, it may be more cost effective to take the necessary steps to improve your score before taking out the loan, rather than putting the money into a larger down payment.
How do they get the credit score: There are three main credit bureaus in the US. Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. The three scores vary but should be relativley close as long as the same creditors are reporting to the same bureaus.
You will get a variation in the scores due to all creditors or collection companies don’t report to all three bureaus. This is why they take the mid score. So if you have a 590 experian, 680 equifax, and 620 transunion, your qualifying credit score would be 620
Based on my experience with lenders that I deal with in Kentucky on FHA loans, most lenders require 620 middle credit score for consideration for loan approval.
How do they get the score: They take the mid score, so if you have a 590 experian, 680 equifax, and 620 transunion, your qualifying score would be 620.
If your score is below 620, a manual underwrite is where the AUS (Automated Underwriting System) refers your loan to an human being, and they look at the entire file to see if they can overturn and approve the mortgage loan because the Desktop Underwriting Automated Software could not approve you.
With scores below 620, they typically will want to verify your rent history, have no bankruptcies in last two years, and no foreclosures in the last 3 years.
If you have had any lates since the bankruptcy this will probably result in a denial on a refer manual underwrite file.
Your max house payment will be set at 31% of your gross monthly income, and your new house payment plus the bills you are paying on the credit report cannot be more than 43%.
Typically, on scores below 620 for FHA loans, they will also look at reserves or money you have saved-up after the loan is made to try and qualify you. For example, if you have a 401k or savings account that have at least 4 months reserves (take your mortgage payment x 4) and this would equal your reserves. They look at this as a rainy day fund and could help you keep up on your bills if you were unemployed or could not work.
If you are looking to take a FHA loan in 2017 to buy or refinance a home in Kentucky, please contact me below with your questions about the credit score requirements and how they affect your loan approval.
How to Get Approved for a Mortgage Loan in Kentucky Thank you for visiting. I hope you find this website both informative and empowering as you explore your Kentucky mortgage options. My goal is simple: help you understand what mortgage underwriters actually review, help you avoid preventable approval issues, and help you choose the right loan program for your situation. I specialize in assisting Kentucky first-time homebuyers with FHA, VA, USDA Rural Housing, KHC down payment assistance , and Fannie Mae conventional mortgage loans . I proudly serve all 120 counties in Kentucky. FHA Loans in Kentucky VA Loans in Kentucky USDA Rural Housing Loans in Kentucky Fannie Mae Conventional Loans KHC Down Payment Assistance Programs With over 20 years of lending experience, I've had the privilege of helping more than 1,300 Kentucky families buy a home or refinance their current mortgage. Whether you are a first-time buyer, a veteran, a USDA buyer, a credit-challenged ...
Kentucky Welcome Home Grant 2026 Update: Program Closed and Out of Funds May 2026 update for Kentucky homebuyers: the 2026 Welcome Home Grant is now closed for new reservations. This does not mean you cannot buy a home. It means you need to pivot quickly to other Kentucky mortgage and down payment assistance options. May 2026 Update Welcome Home Grant Closed KHC DAP Still Available USDA, VA, FHA Options Important Update: The 2026 Welcome Home Grant Is Closed The 2026 Welcome Home Grant through FHLB Cincinnati is now closed and out of funds for new reservations . If your lender did not reserve the money before the program closed, you should not build your home purchase plan around receiving this grant for 2026. The hard truth: this grant was popular, limited, and first-come, first-served. Once the available funds were reserved, the program closed. Good News: Kentucky Buyers Still Have Options ...
Using a Pastor / Minister’s housing allowance to qualify for a mortgage Member of the Clergy Income for A Mortgage Loan Approval Where a borrower is a member of the clergy, all of the following will be required to document income: 1) Most recent year full tax return, 2) Most recent pay stubs, 3) W-2s, 4) Contract from the church to determine benefits. The IRS looks at the housing allowance portion of a pastor’s income as an exclusion from income. Therefore the housing allowance is not reported on the personal tax returns as taxable income. Even though it is not reported on the tax returns, a pastor’s housing allowance can be used in qualifying for a mortgage loan to purchase or refinance a home. As long as we can document the receipt of the housing income through a signed letter from the church/employer stating the actual breakdown of the pay and by providing copies of the checks received, we should be able to count the housing allowance as incom...