B3-4.1-03, Types of Interested Party Contributions (IPCs) (06/05/2024)

Mortgages with undisclosed IPCs are not eligible for delivery to Fannie Mae. Examples of these types of contributions include, but are not limited to, moving expenses, payment of various fees on the borrower’s behalf, “silent” second mortgages held by the property seller, and other contributions that are given to the borrower outside of closing and are not disclosed on the settlement statement.

Funds that are donated to third parties which are then applied toward some or all of the borrower’s closing costs for a specific transaction are sometimes referred to as Down Payment Assistance Programs (DAPs). As long as the DAP allows such uses, these funds may also be used to pay for energy-related improvements that meet the requirements described in B5-3.3-01, HomeStyle Energy for Improvements on Existing PropertiesB5-3.3-01, HomeStyle Energy for Improvements on Existing Properties.

IPC funds that flow through a DAP may be used for allowable closing costs, prepaids, and energy-related expenses in compliance with Fannie Mae’s IPC limits.

Financing concessions that are paid on the borrower’s behalf are subject to Fannie Mae’s IPC limits. Financing concessions are:

• financial contributions from interested parties that provide a benefit to the borrower in the financing transaction;

• payments or credits related to acquiring the property; and

• payments or credits for financing terms, including prepaids.

Typical fees and/or closing costs paid by a seller in accordance with local custom, known as common and customary fees or costs, are not subject to Fannie Mae IPC limits. Payoff of a PACE loan by a seller is not subject to Fannie Mae IPC limits because it is not a financing concession. Financing concessions that exceed the limits listed below are considered sales concessions and are subject to Fannie Mae IPC limits.

Financing concessions typically include origination fees, discount points, commitment fees, appraisal costs, transfer taxes, stamps, attorneys’ fees, survey charges, title insurance premiums or charges, real estate tax service fees, and funds to subsidize a temporary or permanent interest rate buydown (if these fees are not considered common and customary fees or costs based on local custom, as described above). Financing concessions can also include prepaid items, such as:

• interest charges (limited to no more than 30 days of interest);

• real estate taxes covering any period after the settlement date (only if the taxes are being impounded by the servicer for future payment);

• property insurance premiums (limited to no more than 14 months);

• homeowners’ association (HOA) assessments covering any period after the settlement date (limited to no more than 12 months);

• initial and/or renewal mortgage insurance premiums; and

• escrow accruals required for renewal of borrower-purchased mortgage insurance coverage.

A legitimate pro-rated real estate tax credit in places where real estate taxes are paid in arrears is not considered a financing concession and is not subject to Fannie Mae IPC limits.

Sales concessions are IPCs that take the form of non-realty items. They include cash, furniture, automobiles, decorator allowances, moving costs, and other giveaways, as well as financing concessions that exceed Fannie Mae limits. Consequently, the value of sales concessions must be deducted from the sales price when calculating LTV and combined LTV ratios for underwriting and eligibility purposes.

If a temporary or permanent interest rate buydown is being offered to the borrower, the cost of the subsidy to fund that buydown must be included in the IPC calculation, if received from an interested party or a lender affiliated with an interested party.

The lender must determine if the cost of the subsidy meets allowable IPC limits. This can be accomplished by confirming the current market interest rate—in other words, the rate that is offered without the payment of any discount points—and the discount points being charged to obtain the interest rate being offered with the buydown.

Note: Fees for standby commitments (also known as forward commitments) that a builder pays to a lender before entering into a sales contract with a borrower are not subject to Fannie Mae's IPC limits because they are not attributable to the specific loan transaction. A loan with a reduced interest rate due to a standby commitment must be delivered with SFC 887. 

A payment abatement is considered to be a financing concession since it is an incentive provided to the borrower by an interested party, in which the interested party provides funds to pay or reimburse a certain number of monthly payments on the borrower’s behalf. The monthly payments may cover, in whole or in part, principal, interest, taxes, insurance and other assessments (PITIA). These funds are provided to the lender or a third party to be distributed over the term of the abatement period or credited against the borrower's future obligations.

Loans with payment abatements of any type are not eligible for delivery to Fannie Mae regardless of whether they are disclosed on the settlement statement. This prohibition applies to transactions in which an interested party is directly funding the abatement and/or if the funding for the abatement is flowing through another entity such, as a nonprofit down payment assistance program.

Note: The payment of HOA fees is not considered an abatement unless the payment of the fee extends for more than 12 months. The payment of HOA fees for 12 months or less is considered an interested party contribution.