New FHA Rules Alleviate Affordability Constraints

Blake Hanna • August 20, 2019

The Federal Housing Administration has updated its condominium rules allowing for individual unit approval and will be working to improve the process and take a hard look at the requirements for property financing eligibility.

This is great news for first-time home buyers as these new guidelines will make it easier for them to purchase. This is also good for developers as this will make it easier for them to sell.

Until now, the FHA has required re-certification every 2 years with a limit to approved developments only. On October 15th, 2019, the certification will be extended to 3 years and individual condo units may be available for approval if no more than 10% of the units are FHA-insured.

The new guidelines will also secure additional flexibility in the ratio of investors to owner-occupants allowed for FHA financing in condo building.

The National Association of Realtors® commended the Department of Housing and Urban Development for finalizing new Federal Housing Administration condominium loan policies. The changes, many of which NAR has championed for over a decade, should yield thousands of new home ownership opportunities and help alleviate affordability restraints impacting markets across the country.

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By Louisiana REALTORS® • September 21, 2026
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple joined Governor Jeff Landry and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Kirk Talbot today to announce that Louisiana is investing an additional $20 million in Fortified homes, bringing the total amount invested in state Fortified projects this year to $100 million. Governor Landry announced that $20 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be transferred to the Louisiana Office of Community Development Restore Resilient Opportunities for Overhead Fortification (Restore ROOF) program to strengthen residential structures and reduce long-term disaster risk. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows $50 million in additional Katrina and Rita bond money from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to be added to the Department of Insurance’s Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP). Also beginning this year, LFHP is projected to receive approximately $30 million annually from taxes and fees the Louisiana Department of Insurance collects from the insurance industry. “Building stronger homes is a vital part of making homeowners insurance affordable in Louisiana,” said Commissioner Temple. “I appreciate Governor Landry’s leadership and support as we work with legislators like Chairman Talbot to make Louisiana a national leader in the adoption of Fortified roofs.” The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) has finalized its promulgation of Regulation 136—Fortify Homes Premium Discounts. The purpose of Regulation 136 is to implement the statutory provisions set forth in La. R.S. 22:1483, et seq. , which require that all Louisiana property and casualty insurers provide premium discounts or insurance rate reductions for homes constructed or upgraded in accordance with the fortified standards created by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. View Regulation 136 here .
By Louisiana REALTORS® • September 11, 2026
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