One-Time Close Loan Benefits
Shopping for the right kind of mortgage is just as important as shopping for the right property. If you’re looking to build your home from scratch, the One-Time Close loan might be your best bet for a number of reasons.
No Additional Closing Costs
Regular construction loans require two separate closings—once for the construction itself, and again when converting into a permanent mortgage. This also means having to pay twice the amount of closing costs on both loans. The One-Time Close Loan eliminates that requirement by bundling the construction and permanent loan into one. One closing means one set of closing costs!
Can't Find a Home You Love?
Many times, buying a move-in ready home just isn't an option. There can be a number of reasons that you've been unable to find or settle on a pre-built house. The ones available in your desired area may be lacking important features, the ones you do like can be over your budget. Maybe the houses that you've seen on the market are all fixer-uppers, but you're not the handiest of people. In such cases, it might make sense to give up on finding the right house and start thinking about building the perfect home!
Designing Your Dream Home
We've all had ideas of what our dream home will look like. With a Single Close loan, those dreams can be made a reality. Instead of having to deal with the previous owner's choice in carpeting until you can afford a renovation, having your new home built from scratch gives you the opportunity to make all those decisions. That much freedom can be overwhelming for some buyers, since there is an influx of ideas and decisions to be made. That's why having a knowledgeable contractor is so important. An experienced builder can help guide you to make the best choices, while still keeping the vision you have for your new home!
Fixed Interest Rates, Locked In
Another thing that doesn't change once construction is complete, is your interest rate. With a Single Close Construction Loan the permanent mortgage is closed before construction begins and your fixed interest rate is locked in, which means it's not subject to increase during the construction phase or at any point. So even if there is a fluctuation in the market during the interim period, buyers will not have to worry about higher monthly payments.
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May 21, 2025A One-Time Close (OTC) residential construction loan is a specialized financing product that combines the financing for a new home's construction phase and the permanent mortgage into a single loan with just one closing. Unlike other methods that require separate loans for building and then for long-term ownership, the OTC loan streamlines the entire process, offering a simplified and often more cost-effective approach to building a custom home than two-close construction loans.
April 29, 2025If you know about regular FHA loans for buying existing homes, the FHA OTC loan for building shares many similarities, but with some key construction-specific twists. FHA One-Time Close mortgages are backed by the Federal Housing Administration. This government insurance protects lenders if a borrower can't pay, allowing lenders to offer loans with easier qualification rules. This makes it a good option for first-time buyers or those who might find conventional loans harder to get.
April 16, 2025There are two popular ways to finance new home construction using a single loan: the FHA One-Time Close (OTC) loan and a similar Conventional single-close loan. What’s a single-close mortgage? Think of it as an "all-in-one" loan for building a house. Instead of getting one loan for the construction phase and then another separate mortgage loan once the home is finished, a single-close loan combines everything into one package. It covers land, materials, labor, permits, and builder fees.
