Can I refinance a Condo that wasn't eligible for Conventional loan

Question

Hello Sirs and Madams,

I'm new to property ownership. I am trying to purchase a Condo in Houston on Conventional loan but midway the lender pulled out because the HOAs master insurance policy does not meet their lending requirements. I got an option for a NQ Mortgage with 15% down, which I am willing to go with but my concern is since there is a conventional lending limitation on the property.. would I be able to refinance this property assuming interest rates go down to 4% next year? The NQM  lender itself allows refinancing but my concern is the same HOA insurance issue will probably make the property ineligible for refinancing. In which case am I tied to this lender at a high 7% rate for the term (30 yrs) of the loan? Also, I'm not sure how Heloc's work.. but is it possible to get a HELOC or home equity loan on a property that cannot qualify for conventional lending? I just don't want to tie money up and unable to pull out any equity in 2/3 years.

Otherwise, I like the Condo. I plan to live in it for around 5 years and then rent it out thereafter. So I am not so much worried about selling.

Lauren Robins · Answer

Hi Chioma,

You're right to be thinking through the long-term implications of buying a condo that doesn’t meet conventional lending requirements, especially due to an HOA master insurance issue. When a condo is not eligible for conventional financing (e.g., Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans), it limits not only your initial loan options but also your ability to refinance into lower-rate conventional products later on. Even if mortgage rates drop to 4% in the future, you may still be unable to refinance through a conventional lender unless the HOA addresses the insurance deficiency. Since this issue is structural to the condo project and not something you can control, it is very possible that you could be stuck with the original Non-Qualified Mortgage (NQM) lender or other specialty lenders, who tend to offer higher rates and fees compared to conventional loans.

An NQM loan, while a viable workaround, comes with trade-offs—namely higher rates (like the 7% you mentioned) and typically stricter terms. Even though these lenders may offer refinancing internally, those refi options will likely remain within the non-conventional lending ecosystem. That means if you're locked in at 7% and the property remains non-compliant, your only options for refinancing will also carry higher-than-market interest rates. In short, unless the HOA resolves the insurance issue, you may not be able to escape the higher interest rate environment.

As for HELOCs or home equity loans, conventional lenders generally require the property to meet the same eligibility standards as for a primary mortgage—including adequate HOA master insurance. There are private lenders who might be willing to extend a HELOC or equity loan on a non-warrantable condo (which is what this sounds like), but again, you’ll pay a premium in terms of interest rate, closing costs, and potentially lower LTV (loan-to-value) limits. This makes tapping your equity harder and more expensive compared to traditional homes or warrantable condos. So yes, your concern is valid: you could tie up your money in this property and have limited or no access to it later unless you go through more expensive non-conventional channels.

Given your plan to live in the condo for five years and eventually rent it out, it's a good sign that you're thinking beyond the short term. Still, you should carefully weigh whether the lifestyle and location benefits of this condo are worth the long-term financial rigidity. If the HOA has no plans to update its insurance to meet conventional standards, that could remain a roadblock for any future buyer or lender. If you're otherwise flexible, you might also consider looking at other condos or properties where the HOA's insurance is already compliant, giving you more freedom down the line.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

Stephan L Schnaiter · Answer

All of what Lauren said is great.  Also, you should spend a little time considering why the master insurance policy risk is too high for Fannie or Freddie.  I would try to get a full understanding of the policy coverages for the condos, as they cover shared features (roofs, walls,etc.) as well as common areas. If the HOA is not managing risk responsibly, it might suggest other concerns with how the condo set is managed overall.

Dan Hawtree · Answer

Have you asked the HOA if they are aware of the situation? Don't assume. And don't assume lenders will be honest about why they decline you. For all the pushback that this comment will engender, I've witnessed plenty of deals where the lender "didn't want to be the bad guy". So they made up something.

Chioma Okonkwo · Answer

Thank you so much for pointing this out. The bolded was the complaint of the lenders with the master insurance policy:

(1) Deductible exceeds 5% of the coverage limit. HMC/HLP to work with HOA to decrease deductible to a maximum of 5%.(2) Wind, hail, named storm coverage limit does not meet replacement cost value

After I saw your post, I went back to actually take a look at the insurance policy myself. The deductible is way below 5% of the coverage limit, it's like 2%. But Wind, Hail and named storm coverage is excluded from the policy. Does that alone make it non-warrantable? I don't know. But now I have sent an email to the lenders to clarify the deductible issue they are referencing and I will also check with other conventional lenders whether the master insurance policy suffices or Condo is truly non-warrantable because of that. So thank you! I just took this guys at their word initially.

Patrick Roberts · Answer

The condo is nonwarrantable. Unless there are changes to the HOA that would make the project eligible again, then it will remain nonwarrantable. Any kind of conventional or government loan, whether purchase or refinance, isnt going to happen while the project is nonwarrantable. Nonqm nonwarrantable condo loans will be your only option, and even then, that may evaporate if the situation deteriorates more.

Another factor to consider is resale - because it's nonwarrantable, any future buyer will need to pay cash or qualify for a nonqm loan to buy it from you. This will restrict your buyer pool and negatively affect the resale value of the property.

I caution anyone considering a condo in the current environment to think long and hard and to research heavily. I cant even begin to tell you how many issues I'm seeing with condo's at the moment. HOA financial mismanagement and insolvency, insurance increases, massive special assessments for insanely expensive deferred roof and structural repairs, huge increases in HOA dues, etc. An entire highrise condo building in Charleston was recently condemned and the owners were forced to evacuate immediately - they couldnt even get their furniture out. Several of them have since listed their units for sale, which is likely futile. These owners are probably screwed.

Dan Hawtree · Answer

@Chioma Okonkwo As others have suggested, that's a big change in premiums. Typically if they aren't paying standardized coverage, 1) they don't know the effects or 2) are in financial straits.

If you look at HOA boards, like Village boards, they are usually populated by people with a personal agenda. So they might not be aware they bought substandard.

To my comment about lenders, I was an hoa treasurer then prez for +10 yrs. Twice I heard that we had substandard coverage. Both times we proved up and lender found other reasons (unrelated to hoa) to decline borrower. Why not just say no up front if they don't qualify?

Chioma Okonkwo · Answer

My exit plan is to rent it out as long as I can. I could probably see myself selling it in 20 years time. It's in the medical Centre area of Houston, so renting it out won't be a problem. But I agree buying a Condo is tricky, how condo regulations are going, even if a condo is eligible for conventional financing now, it might likely not be in 10 years with the trend of things.

Can I refinance a Condo that wasn't eligible for Conventional loan

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