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Freddie Mac Adjustable-Rate Mortgage

The Freddie Mac Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM) product is ideal if you wish to take advantage of lower short-term rates with prepayment flexibility.

Key Benefits

  • Choice of indices: 1-month or 3-month Freddie Mac Reference BillsĀ® index or a 1-month or 3-month LIBOR index.
  • Choice of 5-, 7-, or 10-year loan term; up to 80 percent LTV on loans with terms of 10 years or more.
  • Partial interest-only and full term interest-only available in some cases.
  • Choice of the Freddie Mac Embedded Interest Rate Cap or you may obtain your own cap coverage from a third-party provider. No cap necessary for loans less than 60% LTV1.
  • Early spread lock for 60 or 120 days available.
  • Convertible to a new Freddie Mac fixed-rate or fixed-to-float mortgage at any time after lockout with streamlined underwriting.

Acquisition:

Term Final ARM Loan-to-Value Sizing Requirements: Amortizing Minimum DCR1 Interest-Only (IO) Options Minimum Term for Borrower-Provided Cap
IO Available? (Y/N) Maximum IO Period (if passes exit) Sizing Requirements: IO Min. DCR
5-Year
= 65% to = 70%
1.05x
N
NA
NA
3-year with escrow2
> 60% to < 65%
1.05x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
3-year with escrow2
= 60%
1.05x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
Cap not required
7-Year
= 70% to 75%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
4-year with escrow2
= 65% to <70%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
4-year with escrow2
> 60% to < 65%
1.05x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
4-year with escrow2
= 60%
1.05x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
Cap not required
10-Year
= 75% to 80%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
10-year
= 70% to <75%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
5-year with escrow2
= 65% to <70%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
5-year with escrow2
> 60% to < 65%
1.05x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
5-year with escrow2
= 60%
1.05x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
Cap not required


No Cash-out Refinance:

Term Final ARM Loan-to-Value Sizing Requirements: Amortizing Minimum DCR1 Interest-Only (IO) Options Cap Provider: Borrower or Freddie (B/F) Minimum Term for Borrower-Provided Cap
IO Available? (Y/N) Maximum IO Period (if passes exit) Sizing Requirements: IO Min. DCR
5-Year
> 60% to < 65%
1.05x
N
NA
NA
B/F
3-year with escrow2
= 60%
1.05x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
B/F
Cap not required
7-Year
= 65% to 70%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
4-year with escrow2
> 60% to < 65%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
4-year with escrow2
= 60%
1.05x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
B/F
Cap not required
10-Year
= 70% to 75%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
10-year
= 65% to <70%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
5-year with escrow2
> 60% to < 65%
1.05x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
5-year with escrow2
= 60%
1.05x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
B/F
Cap not required


Cash-out Refinance and Supplemental:

Term Final ARM Loan-to-Value Sizing Requirements: Amortizing Minimum DCR1 Interest-Only (IO) Options Cap Provider: Borrower or Freddie (B/F) Minimum Term for Borrower-Provided Cap
IO Available? (Y/N) Maximum IO Period (if passes exit) Sizing Requirements: IO Min. DCR
5-Year
> 60% to < 65%
1.10x
N
NA
NA
B/F
3-year with escrow2
= 60%
1.10x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
B/F
Cap not required
7-Year
= 65% to 70%
1.10x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
4-year with escrow2
> 60% to < 65%
1.10x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
4-year with escrow2
= 60%
1.10x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
B/F
Cap not required
10-Year
= 70% to 75%
1.10x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
10-year
= 65% to <70%
1.10x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
5-year with escrow2
> 60% to < 65%
1.10x
Partial
2-year
Use amortizing DCR
B/F
5-year with escrow2
= 60%
1.10x
Y
Full-term
1.30x
B/F
Cap not required


Prepayment Provisions

You can choose from four prepayment provisions when structuring Freddie Mac Standard, capped or uncapped ARMs. The fourth option is only available for a 10-year capped ARM. Each option offers no prepayment premium for the last 90 days of the loan term.

Option One
Year Prepayment Premium
1 Locked out
2 & beyond 1%; waived if converted*
Option Two
Year Prepayment Premium
1 3%
2 2%
3 & beyond 1%
> 4 Waived if converted*
Option Three
Year Prepayment Premium
1 5%
2 4%
3 3%
4 2%
5 & beyond 1%
> 6 Waived if converted*
Option Four (10 yr capped ARM)
Year Prepayment Premium
1 7%
2 6%
3 5%
4 4%
5 3%
6 2%
7 & beyond 1%
> 8 Waived if converted*

1 For sizing purposes, use maximum note rate based on "strike" rate. For uncapped loans, use 7.0% as the maximum note rate (for sizing only). The underwriting maximum note rate for uncapped ARMs will be reviewed quarterly and is subject to change based on market conditions.
2Cap escrow calculated based upon projected cost of existing cap rate multiplied by 125% using the original "strike" rate. Escrow analyzed and resized each year during annual escrow analysis. Cap escrow may increase as a result of the annual analysis.


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The information in this document is not a replacement or substitute for information found in the Freddie Mac Multifamily Seller/Servicer Guide. Terms set forth herein are subject to change without notice.

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