STATE OF HAWAII
HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
MORTGAGE CREDIT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
Section 25 of the Internal Revenue Code authorizes issuers to issue Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCC) in lieu of qualified mortgage bonds. The State of Hawaiis Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) is an issuer of MCCs.
The MCC Program provides homeownership opportunities for qualified households through a federal income tax credit. The MCC can help first-time homebuyers qualify for a mortgage loan by increasing their buying power at their current income. MCCs entitle an eligible borrower to a direct tax credit against the eligible borrowers federal income tax liability, making more income available both to qualify for a mortgage loan and to make the monthly mortgage payments.
The MCC can be applied to most types of mortgage loans for new or existing single family dwellings, including townhouse/condominium and manufactured homes.
MCC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Borrowers interested in participating in the HHFDCs Mortgage Credit Certificate Program must meet the following eligibility requirements/criteria:
1. Residence Requirement: The borrower must use the residence as the
borrowers principal residence within a reasonable time (thirty days) after loan
closing and the borrower must notify the HHFDC or Participating Lender if the
residence ceases to be the borrowers principal residence.
2. 3-Year Requirement: The borrower cannot have had any ownership interest in a
principal residence at any time during the preceding three year period prior to
the date on which the mortgage on the residence in connection with which an
MCC is provided is executed. The 3-year no prior ownership requirement does
not apply to loans made in targeted areas as defined under the Program.
3. Purchase Price Requirement: The acquisition cost of the residence cannot
exceed the following:
County New Construction or Existing
Honolulu $644,429
Hawaii $556,875
Maui $644,429
Kauai $644,429
The above limits apply only to fee simple, fully completed units. Leasehold
residences and uncompleted units are subject to certain adjustments in
determining their acquisition cost as defined by the Internal Revenue Service.
The purchase price requirement may be (1) increased by the HHFDC for
mortgage loans made in targeted areas; or (2) increased or decreased by
the HHFDC pursuant to Internal Revenue Service guidelines.
4. Income Limits: Borrowers must not have income that exceeds the following limits:
Families of Families of
County less than 3 3 or more
Honolulu $89,400 $104,300
Hawaii $74,760 $87,220
Maui $85,920 $100,240
Kauai $79,320 $92,540
The income limits may be (1) increased by the HHFDC for mortgage loans in
targeted areas; or (2) increased or decreased by the HHFDC pursuant to
Internal Revenue Service Guidelines.
5. New Mortgage Requirement: A MCC cannot be issued in conjunction with
the acquisition, replacement or refinancing of an existing mortgage. However,
the MCCs can be used in conjunction with the replacement of construction
period loans, bridge loans, or similar financing of a temporary nature with a term
of twenty-four (24) months or less. A MCC must be issued to a borrower who
did not have a mortgage on the residence with respect to which the MCC is
issued at any time prior to the execution of the mortgage.
6. Prohibited Mortgages: A MCC cannot be issued in connection with the
acquisition of a residence for which the financing of the residence is provided
from the proceeds of (1) a qualified mortgage bond or (2) a qualified
veterans mortgage bond.
7. Interest Paid to Related Persons: Interest on the amount of the indebtedness,
which is incurred by the borrower to acquire the borrowers residence, must not
be paid to a related person.
METHODS BY WHICH MCCS ARE ISSUED:
The MCC is applied for at the time the borrower makes a formal application for a home loan. Borrowers may apply for a loan with any lender but MCCs are only available through Participating Lenders and issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Current Participating Lenders are as follows:
Advantage Mortgage, Inc. First Horizon Home Loans
American Savings Bank HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union
Bank of Hawaii Homestreet Bank
Central Pacific HomeLoans, Inc. House of Finance, Inc.
Colorado Federal Savings Bank Island Mortgage
Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. Point Financial, Inc.
CUSO of Hawaii Services, LLC Wells Fargo Home Mortgage of Hawaii, LLC
First Hawaiian Bank
The lender providing the financing can establish the interest rate, loan term, down payment requirement, credit and underwriting criteria, loan type, mortgage insurance requirement, fees, points, closing costs and all other loan terms. MCCs can be used in conjunction with conventional fixed rate loans, variable rate loans, FHA and VA loans and privately insured loans.
Borrowers who are interested in obtaining a MCC may contact any participating lender listed above. For further information, the borrower may call the HHFDC at (808) 587-0567, visit our website at www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/hhfdc or write to us at:
Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation
677 Queen Street, Suite 300
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Attention: Finance Branch
Please be advised that the HHFDC does not provide tax advice. Should you have any questions about how your taxes will be affected as a result of participating in the MCC Program, please consult with your tax accountant or the IRS.
HHFDC does not discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, including gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, ancestry, age, marital status, or HIV infection.
If you require special needs/auxiliary aids (i.e. large print, taped materials, sign language interpreter, etc.) call Sherrie Kagawa at (808)587-0567.
(SB05533969 2/7/08)
Notice #: 05533969
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