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722,187
UNDERWRITING
MANUAL
FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON , D. C.
1817
SCIENTIA
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
UNDERWRITING
MANUAL
UNDERWRITING AND VALUATION PROCEDURE
UNDER TITLE II
OF THE
NATIONAL HOUSING ACT
le
FEDERAL
E
HOUSING
ADMINISTRATION
With revisions to April 1 , 1936
WASHINGTON , D. C.
FHA Form NO. 2049
Revised 4-1-36
U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1936
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.
Price 30 cents
HG
9970
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1936
apr ,
DEPOSITED BY THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
JUN
30 '36
=
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1 - UNDERWRITING METHODS :
Paragraphs
101-199
Section 1. Organization and Procedure....
Section 2. Methods of Mortgage Risk Rating---
201-299
Section 3. Methods of Dwelling Valuation .----
301-399
Section 4. Methods of Dwelling Cost Estimation ...
401-499
PART II - RISK RATING INSTRUCTIONS :
Section 1. Rating of Property ----
--- 101-199
Section 2. Rating of Location ---
201-299
Section 3. Rating of Borrower..
Section 4. Rating of Mortgage Pattern .
-
301-399
401-499
ny
7a
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
PREFACE
1. This Underwriting Manual is issued by the Federal
Housing Administration .
It contains instructions and regulations
governing the procedure to be followed by Underwriting Departments
in Insuring Offices.
2. The Manual describes the techniques used by the
Federal Housing Administration to determine whether or not mort
gages are eligible for insurance under Title II of the National Housing
Act. Eligibility is determined by risk rating. This process consists
of an examination of mortgage risk and embraces valuation .
3. The salaried underwriting staff and duly -appointed
fee consultants are furnished with loose - leaf Underwriting Manuals .
Each of these manuals, including contents and binder, is numbered
and remains the property of the Federal Housing Administration .
Copies assigned to staff members or fee consultants are listed in
Washington in the name of the individual to whom assigned . They
may not be destroyed or transferred and shall be surrendered upon
demand of the Federal Housing Administration .
4. Revisions of this manual are issued by supplying
new or substitute pages for the loose - leaf edition . Such pages indi
cate the dates upon which their contents become effective. They are
to be inserted in their proper places as indicated by the page numbers .
Page numbers correspond to the paragraph numbers .
5. In order to promote a broad understanding of the
underwriting and valuation principles and procedure adopted and
advocated by the Federal Housing Administration , the Underwriting
Manual is made available to individuals and institutions.
Sucb
manuals are bound and contain an imprint on the cover indicating
the date to which revisions have been made.
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
PART I
SECTION 1
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
INDEX
Objectives....
Organization ...
General Organization .
Organization for Underwriting Activities .
Deputizing Staff Members ..
Underwriting Personnel..
Salaried -Staff Underwriting Personnel ..
Fee Consultants --Training of Underwriting Personnel .
Underwriting Procedures.-Regular Procedure in Review Section - Preliminary Examination.Regular Procedure in Architectural Section ..
Regular Procedure in Valuation Section --Regular Procedure in Mortgage Risk Section .Regular Procedure in Review Section - Review ..
Regular Procedure of the Chief Underwriter ...
Director's Decision ...
Modified Procedure ...
Special Procedure - Cases with Unknown Borrowers ..
Special Procedure— Undeveloped Subdivisions ...
Special Procedure - Partially Developed Residential Areas ...
Regular Compliance Inspections.
Additional Compliance Inspections --Repair Compliance Inspections ...
Paragraphs
101-103
104-126
104-111
112-125
126
127-130
128
129
130
131-186
132–137
138-145
146-155
156–161
162-164
165-170
171
172-180
181
182
183
184
185
186
Part I
101-102
PART I
SECTION 1
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
OBJECTIVES
101. Title II of the National Housing Act establishes
a system of mutual insurance of mortgages secured by residential
property . The general objectives of Title II are the creation of a
sound mortgage structure for loans of this type and the improvement
of housing standards.
The Act provides that no mortgage shall be
accepted for insurance unless it is economically sound . It anticipates
that eventually any liability will be that of the Mutual Mortgage
Insurance Fund ; and requires that mortgages accepted for insurance
be classified into groups of similar risk. characteristics so that the
mortgagor may have the opportunity of receiving any benefits arising
from the mutual feature. These and other requirements of the Act
presuppose the insurance of sound mortgages only.
102. Specifically, the major objectives of Title II of
the National Housing Act include the following:
(a) To increase the security of home ownership by making
funds available at reasonable rates and on terms within the borrower's
capacity to pay . This anticipates a single mortgage amortizing
completely in a definite period of time, as compared with more hazard
ous methods of mortgage financing.
(6) To induce lending institutions to lend on mortgage security
in the residential field by offering to them the benefits of the single
mortgage system .
(c ) To establish standards of quality with respect to neigh
borhoods, construction, architecture, and factors contributing to more
satisfactory housing in order to encourage improvement in housing
standards and conditions. Improvements in housing standards and
conditions will result in better mortgage security as well as benefits
to owners .
( d ) To initiate a program of home construction in localities
where housing is needed. Such a program provides employment for
wage earners in building trades and allied industries.
Part I
102-109
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(e) To initiate statistical surveys and economic studies for the
purpose of determining suitable fields for mortgage investment, guid
ing the development of housing, and assisting mortgage investors and
home owners or buyers in the formulation of sound judgments and
policies.
( 1 To create a structure in which the mortgages are readily
salable.
103. One of the means of achieving these objectives is
to require those who process and analyze mortgages submitted for
insurance to adhere to sound underwriting practices. The purpose
of this manual is to prescribe uniform and sound techniques.
ORGANIZATION
104. General Organization . The authority vested in
the Administrator in connection with Titles II and III of the National
Housing Act is delegated to a Deputy Administrator with headquar
ters in Washington , D. C.
105. The organization to operate Titles II and III in
cludes Washington headquarters, State Offices, and District Offices.
The Washington headquarters includes the administrative and tech
nical personnel located in Washington or traveling out of Washington
on supervisory missions. State Offices are in the charge of State
Directors and District Offices are in the charge of District Directors.
106. Each Insuring Office has jurisdiction over a defi
nitely outlined area . The area generally follows state or district
lines.
In some cases territory has been added to or subtracted from
the state area in connection with the processing of applications in
the Insuring Office.
107. The Insuring Office positively must not process any
application involving property outside of its established jurisdiction.
108. The accompanying map shows the locations of In
suring Offices. The counties assigned to each of the Insuring Offices
are indicated in special instructions issued by the Deputy Adminis
trator for Titles II and III .
109. Insuring Offices are indicated by the names of the
cities in which they are located ( for example: Seattle Insuring Office,
Albany Insuring Office ). The following cities contain Insuring Offices:
Albany, N. Y.
Atlanta, Ga.
Baltimore, Md.
Birmingham , Ala .
Bismarck , N. Dak .
Boise, Idaho
Boston, Mass.
Buffalo, N. Y.
Burlington , Vt.
Charleston, S. C.
Cheyenne, Wyo .
Chicago, Ill.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cleveland , Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Concord, N. H.
Dallas, Tex .
Denver, Colo.
Des Moines, Iowa
Detroit, Mich.
Fort Worth , Tex .
Greensboro, N. C.
Hartford , Conn .
Helena, Mont.
SEATTLE
PORTLAND
H•ELENA
BURLINGTON Рорт
BISMARCK
Sioux
FALLS
MILWAUKEE
CHEYENNE
R•ENO
CONCORD
CZDOSTON
ALDANY
NCE
adt
BUFFALO
HARAORD
DETROIT
CITY
YORK
NEVARRA
SüdVELANO
PHILADELPHIA
P•ITTSOUGH
VILMINGTON
COLUMBUS
ALTIMORE
DIAN
APOLTY
IS
OCIDENWA
HINGTON
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RICHMOND
MINNEAPOLIS
CITY
LAKE
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SPRING
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HELD
FRANCISCO
SAN
DENVER
ZKANSAS
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TOPEKA
LST
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LOUISVILLE
GREENSBORO
TULSA
CITY
OKLAHOMA
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Los
ft
SANTA
MEMPHIS
ROCK
LITTLE
PHOENIX
DICMINGHAMLANTA
CHARLESTOR
JACKSON
D•ALLAS
fort
VORTH
OFFICES
INSURING
N
ADMINISTRATIO
HOUSING
FEDERAL
ORLEANSONS
NEW
JACKSONVILLE
ANTONIO
SAN
Part I
109
AT
OFFICES
ALSO
ARE
THERE
AND
ALASKA
JUNEAU
HONOLULU
M18
• AWA
HOUSTON
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
•BOISE
Part I
109-114
Honolulu , T. H.
Houston , Tex .
Indianapolis, Ind.
Jackson , Miss.
Jacksonville, Fla .
Juneau , Alaska
Kansas City , Mo.
Little Rock, Ark .
Los Angeles, Calif .
Louisville, Ky.
Memphis , Tenn .
Milwaukee, Wis.
Minneapolis, Minn .
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Nowark , N. J.
Now Orleans, La .
New York , N. Y.
Oklahoma City, Okla .
Omaha, Nebr.
Parkersburg, W. Va .
Philadelphia, Pa .
Phoenix , Ariz .
Pittsburgh , Pa.
Portland, Maine
Portland , Oreg .
Providence, R. I.
Reno, Nev .
Richmond , Va.
St. Louis, Mo.
Salt Lake City , Utah
San Antonio , Tex .
San Francisco, Calif.
Santa Fe, N. Mex.
Seattle, Wash .
Sioux Falls, S. Dak .
Springfield , III.
Topeka, Kans.
Tulsa, Okla .
Washington, D. C.
Wilmington , Del.
110. When the volume of business justifies, additional
Insuring Offices may be opened and existing jurisdictions divided in
an
appropriate
manner .
Each
Insuring
Office
contains
several
departments, one of which is the Underwriting Department. The
instructions contained in this manual apply to the personnel and
operations of such Underwriting Departments.
111. In certain cases service offices are established to
expedite the handling of business.
When such offices are manned
with underwriting personnel, such personnel reports directly to the
Underwriting Department in the Insuring Office having jurisdiction .
112. Organization for Underwriting Activities.
The
underwriting activities are comprised of all the operations which
concern inspection , valuation, and analysis of security, borrowers,
and mortgages, and the making of risk ratings with regard to 28 risk
factors, i . e. , all underwriting procedure after the listing of the appli
cation by the Office Manager until a rating is given to the mortgage
and a final recommendation is made by the Underwriting Depart
ment to the Director.
113. The underwriting organization in Insuring Offices
includes salaried employees and approved fee consultants engaged in
the analysis of cases to determine eligibility for mortgage insurance.
This analysis embraces the inspections and findings made by the staffs
of the Architectural, Valuation , Mortgage Risk, and Review Sections,
and the Chief Underwriter.
114. The organization for underwriting activities is a
part of the Mortgage Insurance Division of the Federal Housing
Administration . The underwriting personnel is comprised of :
( a ) The staff of the Chief of the Underwriting Section of the
Mortgage Insurance Division, Washington headquarters. This staff
includes executive and policy -forming personnel permanently sta
tioned in Washington and Underwriting Supervisors who travel out
of Washington headquarters.
Part I
114-118
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
(6) The personnel of Underwriting Departments in Insuring
Offices and service offices. These are permanently stationed in the
field .
115. Members of the organization for underwriting
activities are selected and duly accredited by the Underwriting
Section , Washington , D. C. No persons are permitted to engage in
underwriting activities before they are duly accredited .
116. The Technical Section of the Mortgage Insurance
Division , Washington headquarters, establishes or approves eligibility
requirements as to property standards, subdivision standards, and
new methods of dwelling construction .
The underwriting organi
ORGANIZATION OF UNDERVRITING DEPARTMENT IN TYPICAL LARGE INSURING OFFICE
CHIEF
UNDERWRITER
ARCHITECTURAL
SECTION
VALUATION
SECTION
MORTGAGE RISK
SECTION
REVIEW
SECTION
CHIEF ARCHITECTURAL
SUPERVISOR
CHIEF
VALUATOR
CHIEF MORTGAGE
RISK EXAMINER
ASSISTANT TO CHIEH
UNDERWRITER
SENIOR ARCHITECTURAL
INSPECTORS
SENIOR
VALUATORS
SENIOR MORTGAGE
RISK EXAMINERS
PRELIMINARY
EXAMINERS
ARCHITECTURAL
INSPECTORS
VALUATORS
MORTGAGE RISK
EXAMINEAS
FEE ARCHITECTURAL
INSPECTORS
itt
VALUATORS
ASSISTANT
PRELIMINARY
EXAMINERS
zation is charged with the responsibility of securing compliance with
such standards and other eligibility requirements.
117. The Underwriting Department in each Insuring
Office is operated by a Chief Underwriter . He reports to the Direc
tor in charge of the office to which he is attached on all matters per
taining to discipline , organization , and routine, and to the Under
writing Section , Washington, D. C. , on all matters pertaining to pro
cedure, qualifications of Underwriting personnel, technical standards,
methods of valuation , methods of cost estimation , methods of compli
ance inspection , methods of research, and rating of mortgage loans.
All correspondence of the Underwriting Department directed outside
the Insuring Office shall be signed by the Chief Underwriter.
118. The Chief Underwriter. — The Chief Underwriter
shall organize the Underwriting Department into four sections :
Part I
118-121
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(a) Architectural Section, (b) Valuation Section , ( c) Mortgage Risk
Section , and (d ) Review Section .
119. The three accompanying charts indicate the lines
of authority in typical Underwriting Departments and show the divi
sion into sections. They do not show procedure or the routing of
reports. The charts cover offices of different sizes and are intended to
indicate that in certain instances it is desirable to combine the duties
described in this manual so that one person discharges several of the
functions. In subsequent sections of the Manual the procedure in
a typical large office is described .
ORGANIZATION OF UNDERVRITING DEPARTMENT IN TYPICAL INSURING OFFICE
CHIEF
UNDERWRITER
ARCHITECTURAL
SECTION
VALUATION
SECTION
MORTGAGE RISK
SECTION
CHIEF ARCHITECTURAL
SUPERVISOR
CHIEF
VALVATOR
ARCHITECTURAL
INSPECTOR
VALUATOR
FEE ARCHITECTURAL
INSPECTORS
FEE
VALUATORS
120. Architectural Section . — The
CHIEF MORTGAGE
RSK EXAMINER
Chief Architectural
Supervisor is in charge of the Architectural Section .
bilities and duties include:
His responsi
(a) Supervision and executive control of all activity in the
Architectural Section .
(6) Verification of the ratings and cost estimates ascribed to
cases by Architectural Inspectors.
Section 1. )
(See Part I , Section 4, and Part II,
(c ) Supervision of the work of inspectors engaged in the making
of compliance inspections. (See Paragraphs 184–186 . )
121. Valuation Section - The Chief Valuator is in
charge of the Valuation Section.
include:
His responsibilities and duties
( a ) Supervision and executive control of all activity in the
Valuation Section .
Part I
121-125
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
(6) Interpretation and application of valuation and location
standards and techniques established by the Underwriting Section ,
Washington , D.C.
( c) Verification of the valuations, cost estimates, and ratings
(See Part I, Sections 3 and 4, and
ascribed to cases by Valuators.
Part II , Sections 1 and 2. )
122. Mortgage Risk Section .-- The Chief Mortgage Risk
Examiner is in charge of the Mortgage Risk Section .
ities and duties include :
His responsibil
( a ) Supervision and executive control of all activity in the
Mortgage Risk Section .
(6 ) Interpretation and application of standards and techniques
for the rating of borrowers established by the Underwriting Section,
Washington , D.C.
(c) Verification of the ratings ascribed to borrowers by the
Mortgage Risk Examiners.
ORGANIZATION OF UNDERWRITING DEPARTMENT IN TYPICAL SMALL INSURING OFFICE
CHIEF
UNDERVQITER
CHIEF ARCKITECTURAL
SUPERVISOR
FEE
VALUATORS
FEE ARCHITECTURAL
INSPECTORS
123. Review Section .
The Assistant to the Chief Under
writer is in charge of the Review Section .
duties include:
His responsibilities and
(a ) Supervision of preliminary examination .
(6 ) Serving as secretary of the Review Committee.
(c ) Completion of assignments by the Chief Underwriter, such
as the informal review of cases, or the preparation of the form " Report
of Chief Underwriter” , and coordination of the activities of the several
sections in the Underwriting Department so that applications for
insurance will be handled with maximum speed and efficiency.
124. The Review Section makes the preliminary exam
ination of new applications to determine whether full examinations by
the Architectural, Valuation, and Mortgage Risk Sections are war
ranted .
125. A Review Committee reviews the reports made by
the Architectural, Valuation , and Mortgage Risk Sections in those
cases where unusual problems have been presented . The Review
Committee is appointed by the Chief Underwriter who may also
serve as a member. In large offices it usually consists of the Assist
Part I
126-128
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
ant to the Chief Underwriter (who acts as secretary ), the Chief
Valuator, the Chief Architectural Supervisor, and the Chief Mort
gage Risk Examiner. In small offices the Chief Underwriter appoints
the committee from qualified staff members who are available for
such work .
126 ( 1) . Deputizing Staff Members . The Chief Under
writer may deputize the Chief Valuator, the Chief Architectural
Supervisor, the Chief Mortgage Risk Examiner, or the Assistant to
the Chief Underwriter to act in his stead during a temporary absence
on his part from the Insuring Office, or in the event he is ineligible to
act on a given case, as for example, because of some personal interest
he has or has had in the property involved . The Chief Underwriter
may deputize a staff member to discharge the duties of a Section Chief
temporarily absent. A deputy shall sign documents as follows:
HENRY JONES, Chief Valuator,
By JOSEPH DOE, Deputy .
126 (2) . In certain cases it will be advisable for the Chief
Underwriter to request the Underwriting Section , Washington, D. C. ,
to designate a deputy to assume the Chief Underwriter's duties and
responsibilities. This delegation of authority may apply to the
processing of a single case, to a group of cases, or to all cases to be
handled during a period of time.
UNDERWRITING PERSONNEL
127. The Underwriting organization is comprised of
selected and duly accredited employees and fee consultants . No
persons are permitted to engage in underwriting activities before they
are duly accredited by the Underwriting Section , Washington, D. C.
The personnel of Underwriting Departments in Insuring Offices and
service offices are compensated in accordance with established scales
of salary determined by the responsibility and technical require
ments of each position. Fee consultants are paid for each assign
ment completed according to an established scale of fees .
128 (1 ) . Salaried - Staff Underwriting Personnel.
Ap
plicants for positions on the salaried staff in the underwriting organi
zation are expected to have the qualifications outlined in paragraphs
below . These are presented here to guide the judgment of Directors
and Chief Underwriters when selecting applicants for positions.
128 (2 ) . Applicants for the position of Architectural
Inspector should have at least the following qualifications:
(a) A high school education or its equivalent.
(6 ) Extensive knowledge of and actual experience in the
design or supervision of residential construction.
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
128
(c ) Reputation for personal integrity and ethical conduct.
128 (3 ) . Applicants for the position of Valuator should
have at least the following qualifications:
( a ) A high school education or its equivalent.
(6) Extensive general real estate and residential sales ex
perience or mortgage -lending experience.
(c) Experience in appraising residential properties for mort
gage lending purposes.
(d) A practical knowledge of and experience in residential
construction.
( e ) A knowledge of valuation techniques.
Reputation for personal integrity and ethical conduct.
128 (4) . Applicants for the position of Mortgage Risk
Examiner should have at least the following qualifications:
( a ) A high school education or its equivalent.
(6 ) Experience in credit rating and ability to collect and
analyze credit data.
(c) Ability to analyze financial statements .
(d) Mortgage-lending experience.
(e ) Reputation for personal integrity and ethical conduct .
128 (5) . Applications for salaried -staff positions in
Underwriting Departments shall be directed to the Insuring Office .
Before appointment can be made the Underwriting Section, Wash
ington, D. C. , must be able to certify that the applicant is qualified
for the position and that the additional personnel is necessary . Such
certification shall be denied unless:
( 1 ) The applicant's experience meets with the requirements
for the particular position .
(2 ) There is a definitely demonstrated need for the additional
personnel.
(3 ) The recommendation for appointment bears favorable
comments and signatures of the Insuring Office Director, the Chief
Underwriter, and the Chief of the Section in which the appointee
will work . .
(4 ) The file includes the proper forms accompanied by the
required letters of recommendation .
( 5) The file, in the case of an applicant for a position in the
Valuation Section, includes a copy of a residential appraisal report
made solely by the applicant.
( 6 ) The file, in the case of an applicant for a position in the
Architectural Section , contains evidence that the applicant has de
signed or supervised the construction of residential buildings.
128 ( 6) . Reports and the contents of reports made for
the Federal Housing Administration by members of the underwriting
51246_86—2
Part I
128-129
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
staff are confidential and may be made known only to the Chiefs of
Sections or the Chief Underwriter except with the authority and
approval of the Chief Underwriter or Director. An Architectural
Inspector may make his findings known to the Valuator assigned to
the same case.
128 (7) . Staff members are required to refuse assign
ments in connection with any property or mortgage in which they
have directly or indirectly any past, present, or prospective interest.
In such event, the staff member shall promptly notify his immediate
superior.
128 (8) . In no case shall a staff member accept an
assignment on a case or property if he has been previously employed
by the mortgagee, the applicant, the borrower, or the broker in
connection with the same case or property.
128 ( 9) . Staff members are not allowed to engage in
political activities of any nature and may not be candidates for or
hold any political office except one of minor nature, and then only with
the approval of the Underwriting Section, Washington, D. C. Such
activities, even though purely informal, are prohibited where there
is any possibility of causing embarrassment to the Federal Housing
Administration .
128 ( 10) . No member of the underwriting staff in any
Insuring Office shall:
( a) Place, as agent, broker, or otherwise, any new hazard
insurance on properties on which mortgages are insured or on which
there is application for mortgage insurance .
(6 ) Endeavor to influence any party to a mortgage insured or
submitted for insurance to place hazard insurance on the property
involved , with or through him or any particular agent, broker, or
company,
(c) Enter into any arrangement, or agreement, formal or
informal, with an insurance agent, broker, or company to furnish any
information or do anything to assist in the writing of new hazard
insurance on properties on which there are mortgages insured or
applications for mortgages to be insured by the Federal Housing
Administration .
128 ( 11 ) . It is the intention of the Federal Housing
Administration that none of its staff members shall use any informa
tion coming into their possession through the channels of the Adminis
tration for their own personal gain, or use it in any way that may inter
fere with the activities of private persons or corporations engaged in
hazard insurance or other lines of business.
129 ( 1 ) . Fee Consultants. Fee consultants may not be
used except for the purpose of processing cases in remote locations at
lower expense or to expedite the processing of cases when there is an
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
129
unusual rush of business. They shall not be used unless the Chief
Underwriter can demonstrate that such action is necessary either to
save travel expense or to expedite the processing of cases during an
emergency .
129 (2) . Applicants for approval and appointment to
positions as fee consultants in the underwriting organization are
expected to have the same qualifications as those outlined for salaried
staff underwriting personnel. Applicants for approval as Fee Archi
tectural Inspectors should have the qualifications outlined in Para
graph 128 ( 2 ) . Applicants for approval as Fee Valuators should have
the qualifications outlined in Paragraph 128 (3 ) .
129 (3 ) . Application for appointment as fee consultant
shall be directed to the Insuring Office . The procedure is the same
as that outlined in Paragraph 128 (5 ) above .
129 (4) . Fee consultants are engaged to supplement the
salaried underwriting staff. Fee Architectural Inspectors discharge
the duties outlined for Architectural Inspectors. Fee Valuators
discharge the duties of Valuators .
129 (5 ) . Reports and the contents of reports made for
the Federal Housing Administration by fee consultants are confiden
tial and may be made known only to the Chiefs of Sections or the
Chief Underwriter except with the authority and approval of the
Chief Underwriter or Director. A Fee Architectural Inspector may
make his findings known to the Valuator assigned to the same case .
129 (6) . Fee consultants are required to refuse assign
ments in connection with any property or mortgage in which they
have directly or indirectly any past, present, or prospective interest.
In such event, the fee consultant shall promptly notify the Chief
Underwriter.
129 (7) . A fee consultant shall not accept an assign
ment on a case or property if he has been previously employed by
the mortgagee, the applicant, the borrower, or broker in connection
with the same case or property .
129 (8) . Fee consultants are not allowed to engage in
political activities of any nature and may not be candidates for or
hold any political office except one of minor nature, and then only with
the approval of the Underwriting Section , Washington, D. C. Such
activities, even though purely informal , are prohibited where there
is any possibility of causing embarrassment to the Federal Housing
Administration .
129 (9 ) . No Fee Consultant shall :
( a ) Place, as agent, broker, or otherwise, any new hazard
insurance on properties on which mortgages are insured or on which
there is application for mortgage insurance.
Part I
129-131
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(6) Endeavor to influence any party to a mortgage insured
or submitted for insurance to place hazard insurance on the property
involved, with or through him or any particular agent, broker, or
company .
(c) Enter into any arrangement or agreement, formal or
informal, with an insurance agent , broker, or company to furnish
any information or do anything to assist in the writing of new hazard
insurance on properties on which there are mortgages insured or
applications for mortgages to be insured by the Federal Housing
Administration .
129 ( 10 ) . Fee consultants engaged in the business of
soliciting or writing hazard insurance of any kind may rewrite policies
they have previously written on properties involved in mortgage
insurance applications but their appointments as fee consultants for
the Federal Housing Administration will be immediately terminated
if they violate the instructions promulgated hereinabove.
129 ( 11 ) . It is the intention of the Federal Housing
Administration that none of its fee consultants shall use any infor
mation coming into their possession through the channels of the
Administration for their own personal gain , or use it in any way that
may interfere with the activities of private persons or corporations
engaged in hazard insurance or other lines of business .
130 ( 1 ) . Training of Underwriting Personnel.
It is the
declared policy of the Federal Housing Administration to train its
underwriting personnel. This is considered to be a continuing activity
and to apply to all ranks within the organization . Schools for in
struction of staff men recently employed are conducted periodically.
Each man , regardless of position, is instructed in every phase of
underwriting principles, methods, and procedure. At the conclusion
of each school, each individual is thoroughly examined and rated
according to his ability, experience, and aptitude. Men found to be
unsatisfactory are not retained . Such schools are under the direct
supervision of the Underwriting Section , Washington , D. C.
130 (2) . Training conferences for fee consultants are
held periodically in Insuring Offices. The instruction embraces all
phases of underwriting procedure. Special emphasis is given to the
duties and responsibilities of Architectural Inspectors and Valuators.
Such conferences are under the direct supervision of the Chief Under
writer.
UNDERWRITING PROCEDURES
131 ( 1 ) . The procedures followed in the Underwriting
Departments of Insuring Offices are concerned with two general
types of investigation : ( 1 ) The determining of the eligibility for
insurance of mortgages preliminary to the issuance of notices of
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part
131
rejection or commitments to insure, and (2) the inspecting of proper
ties after the issuance of commitments, but before insurance is
granted , to determine whether or not there is compliance with the
conditional requirements specified on the commitments.
131 (2) . The process of examining cases for the purpose
of determining eligibility results in a recommendation by the Chief
Underwriter to issue: ( 1 ) a commitment to insure the loan described
in the application, (2 ) a commitment to insure a modified loan or the
loan applied for subject to specified conditional requirements, (3 ) a
conditional commitment to an approved mortgagee or an operative
builder indicating the terms of a loan which will be accepted for
insurance provided a satisfactory borrower is presented, or (4 ) a
notice of rejection. The examinations made for this purpose follow
procedures outlined below . Different kinds of cases require different
procedures depending upon their characteristics.
131 ( 3 ) . Regular procedure applies to all cases of new
construction and to certain cases of existing construction that in
volve unusual problems. The regular procedure is described below
in paragraphs 132 to 171 .
131 (4) . Modified procedure applies to all other cases
of existing construction ; namely, those which present no unusual prob
lems. The modified procedure applicable to such cases is described
below in paragraphs 172 to 180 .
131 (5 ) . Special procedures apply to all cases involving
unknown borrowers and to all cases located in undeveloped subdivi
sions or in partially developed residential areas. In every such case
the special procedure is prescribed as additional to the regular or
modified procedure. The special procedure applicable to cases
involving unknown borrowers is presented in paragraph 181 below.
The special procedure applicable to , and a definition of, Undeveloped
Subdivisions is presented in paragraph 182 below.
The special pro
cedure applicable to , and a definition of , Partially Developed Resi
dential Areas is presented in paragraph 183 below . Applications for
mortgage insurance secured by large -scale housing projects provided
for in section 207 of the National Housing Act are not processed or
analyzed by Insuring Offices but are forwarded to Washington, D. C.
131 (6 ) . Other procedures are available for use in the
processing of cases where institutions present a large number of loans
at one time in connection with refinancing operations. The use of
such procedures is not permitted without the approval of the Under
writing Section, Washington , D. C. , for each group of loans.
131 (7 ) . The inaking of inspections of property after
the issuance of commitments to insure , but before insurance is granted ,
to determine whether or not there is compliance with the conditional
Part I
131
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
requirements specified on the commitments, results in recommenda
tions from the Chief Underwriter to the Director to withhold the
granting of insurance only in those cases where noncompliance is
found and where the interests of the Federal Housing Administration
are adversely affected . No mortgage may be insured until there is
compliance with the conditions of the commitment and the Director
shall not insure until the Chief Underwriter has reported satisfactory
compliance . It is expressly understood that compliance inspections
are for no other purpose and are not to be represented as being made
in the interests of borrowers or mortgagees. There are three kinds of
compliance inspections as outlined in following paragraphs.
131 (8) . Regular Compliance Inspections are made in
all cases of proposed new construction . In each case there are three
inspections during the course of construction , designated respectively ,
" First Compliance Inspection ”, “ Second Compliance Inspection ”,
and “ Third Compliance Inspection ". Regular Compliance Inspec
tions are made according to the procedure described in paragraph
184 below.
131 (9 ) . Additional Compliance Inspections are made
in selected cases of new construction at such times between or after the
regular compliance inspections as are necessitated by the nature of
the cases . Additional compliance inspections are made according to
the procedure described in paragraph 185 below.
131 ( 10) . Repair Compliance Inspections are made in
certain cases where repairs, alterations, or additions are required
or contemplated in connection with existing construction . Repair
compliance inspections are made according to the procedure described
in paragraph 186 below .
131 ( 11 ) . The specific lines of organization and the
routing of cases prescribed herein apply to the typical large office.
Minor variations from the prescribed procedure are permitted and
encouraged if, in the discretion of the Chief Underwriter, modifications
serve to adapt the system to local problems and to expedite the
handling of cases .
131 ( 12) . The several reports made by the Underwriting
Department are confidential and for the use of the Federal Housing
Administration only. However, the amount of the Federal Housing
Administration Valuation may be made available to the mortgagee in
a specific case if the Director authorizes the Chief Underwriter to
make it known . In all cases involving new construction a copy of
each Compliance Inspection Report shall be furnished to the mort
gagee .
131 ( 13) . Occasions arise where new reports are made.
In such cases, the Section Chief shall mark across the face of the
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
ROUTING DIAGRAM - UNDERWRITING DEPARTMENT
PRELIMINARY EXAMINER
Tests for eligibility
Approved case
Reject case
Report of
Valuator
form
to
INITIATION OF UNDERWRITING DEPARTMENT FORMS
Report of Mortgage Risk
Report of Architectural
Examiner form and Case
Inspector form and drawings
and specifications (if any)
Binder No. 2020 - b
to
to
CHIEF VALUATOR
Requests, receives, and verifies
Report of Valuator.
Sends report
to
CHIEF ARCHITECTURAL SUPERVISOR
Requests, receives, and verifies
Report of Architectural Inspector.
Sends report
to
CHIEF MORTGAGE RISK EXAMINER
Assembles Borrower Data.
Requests, receives, and verifies Report of Mortgage
Risk Examiner. Sends Case Binder No. 2020 - b
to
ASSISTANT TO CHIEF UNDERWRITER
Determines whether or not a problem case .
If not a problem case,
If a problem case,
comments and initials
refers to Review
Report of Chief Underwriter.
Committee for comments .
Refers case to
CHIEF UNDERWRITER
Reviews all reports, makes Rating of Mortgage Pattern,
fixes amount and term of loan, and recommends commitment
or rejection . Transmits case out of Underwriting Department.
Part I
131
Part I
131-135
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
former reports, " Superseded by new report ” and date and initial this
notation. All superseded reports shall remain in the case binders .
131 ( 14) . If a case receives approval by the Preliminary
Examiner for further consideration all the prescribed inspections,
analyses, and reports shall be made by the Underwriting Department,
even though “ Reject” recommendations are made by the Chiefs of
Sections. If, in the discretion of the Director or Chief Underwriter,
extraordinary circumstances justify final disposition of the case
without completing all such inspections, analyses, and reports, com
pletion of the several investigations and reports is not necessary .
However, in most cases completion of the underwriting analysis is
necessary so that all reasons for rejection may be ascertained .
132. Regular Procedure in Review Section.- Prelimi.
nary Examination. When an application is submitted by an approved
mortgagee it is routed to the Preliminary Examiner who checks it to
determine whether or not the case is eligible and is in proper form for
analysis by the underwriting staff. If he finds some deficiency that
can be remedied he may recommend that the applicant endeavor to
have the deficiency corrected . Otherwise, he must recommend
rejection of the case .
133. The Preliminary Examiner recommends rejection
of all cases that do not comply with the provisions of Title II of the
National Housing Act and with regulations and standards established
by the Federal Housing Administration . In some cases he may feel
certain that the valuation or risk - rating analyses will result in rejection
or it may be obvious that the proposed transaction cannot qualify
for insurance. In such instances the Preliminary Examiner may
recommend rejection. However, he must not do so unless there is
clearly no doubt as to the correctness of his decision . He is not to
make decisions which rightly should be made only after the necessary
inspections and analyses of the Architectural, Valuation , and Mort
gage Risk Sections have been completed .
134. If the Preliminary Examiner recommends rejection
of the case he forwards the file to the Assistant to the Chief Under
writer and reports his reasons for rejection on FHA Form No. 2039 ,
Recominendation of Preliminary Examiner . The case may then be
submitted to the Review Committee. If the Review Committee con
siders these reasons sufficient for rejection, it approves the recom
mendation. The Chief Underwriter signs the report and transmits the
case to the Director.
135. If the case is approved by the Preliminary Exam
iner for further investigation the Architectural, Valuation, and
Mortgage Risk Sections immediately begin their examinations and
analyses.
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
136-140
136. In instances where the Preliminary Examiner or
the Review Committee recommends rejection either the Chief Under
writer or the Director may order that the case be processed by the
Architectural, Valuation, and Mortgage Risk Sections in the regular
manner .
137. As occasion arises, members of the staffs of the
Architectural, Valuation , and Mortgage Risk Sections may be assigned
to work with the Preliminary Examiner for the purpose of reducing
the number of cases processed beyond preliminary examination when
rejection is inevitable. Such services are always available to the
Preliminary Examiner in the form of advisory assistance and may
be made available by actual assignment of personnel under the
provisions of this paragraph .
138. Regular Procedure in Architectural Section . Upon
receipt of a case in the Architectural Section the Chief Architec
tural Supervisor requests an Architectural Inspector to make an
investigation and report the results on Report of Architectural In
spector, FHA Form No. 2014. Whenever practicable he shall use
the salaried personnel of the Section .
139. The Architectural Section is responsible for the
completion of the Report of Architectural Inspector. The form
indicates whether or not the property was improved at the time
of inspection and the report must show whether or not the Archi
tectural Inspector made an inspection of an existing building or
worked from drawings and specifications submitted by the mort
gagee.
The Architectural Inspector is required to make a thorough
personal inspection of the premises in cases where he reports on exist
ing structures. Besides inspecting the main building, he is required
to make a thorough inspection of the rest of the property and
to report on other improvements, including driveways, garages,
servants' quarters, and other accessory buildings, if any. Working
drawings and specifications submitted with the application are
transmitted to the Architectural Inspector for his use in making his
analyses and risk ratings. In cases where drawings and specifications
are not submitted the Chief Architectural Supervisor shall advise the
Architectural Inspectors as to the nature and character of sketches
that shall accompany the report.
140. In cases where proposed new buildings are to be
erected the Architectural Inspector will not, in most instances, find
it necessary to visit the site . The drawings and specifications are
given to him when the assignment of the case is made and he bases
his ratings and conclusions upon these documents. Information
regarding the contour of the lot, topography, and neighborhood data
Part I
140-145
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
can be obtained from the Valuator and used , where necessary , in
completing the Report of Architectural Inspector.
141. After the Architectural Inspector has made
a
complete investigation of the architectural, structural, and other
features of the property, both interior and exterior, he is required
to make a Rating of Physical Security in accordance with the
instructions in Part II , Section 1 , Rating of Property .
142. The Architectural Inspector is required to give an
estimate of the replacement cost of the building improvements in
new condition in accordance with the instructions in Part I , Section
4 , Methods of Dwelling Cost Estimation . He is also required to
indicate the distribution of his total estimate among the major items
of which it is composed .
143. After the Architectural Inspector completes and
signs the report be returns it to the Chief Architectural Supervisor
who reviews it. The Chief Architectural Supervisor may change a
Rating of Physical Security or an Estimate of the Cost Required to
Replace Building Improvements as reported by an Architectural
Inspector when he is certain that errors have been made . When
such changes are made , a signed notation in red ink must be added
to the report by the Chief Architectural Supervisor. The Chief
Architectural Supervisor may likewise modify the Architectural
Inspector's estimate of remaining physical life if the estimate appears
to be incorrect. If the Chief Architectural Supervisor agrees with
the conclusions contained in the Report of Architectural Inspector
he approves the report and sends it to the Mortgage Risk Examiner.
144. In cases where new construction is involved the
Chief Underwriter will, after commitment has been issued , execute
" Request for Compliance Inspections” , FHA Form No. 2050, so that
required periodic inspections during process of construction may be
made by staff members or Fee Architectural Inspectors. Similar
procedure is followed where repairs, alterations, or additions are
planned or required , and special inspections are necessitated .
AU
additional compliance and repair compliance inspections must be
authorized by the Chief Underwriter.
145 ( 1 ) . Rulings on New Methods of Construction . In
cases where the methods of construction used are not customary or
are not the generally accepted practice, it is required that before
a commitment may be issued the particular methods shall receive
the approval of the Technical Section, Mortgage Insurance Division ,
Washington , D. C. In general, requests for approval of new meth
ods of construction shall be made only in conjunction with an appli
cation for mortgage insurance.
However , where there is assurance
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
145
that this method of construction will have a broad market, or that
it is contemplated that a number of houses will be built using this
method , request for approval may be made without submitting an
application for mortgage insurance.
145 (2) . In the event the request for approval is made
direct by the sponsors of the method of construction , it may be
directed to the Technical Section, Washington, D. C. , by the sponsors.
However, in the event the request for approval originates in an In
suring Office it shall be forwarded to the Underwriting Section,
Washington, D. C. , over the signature of the Chief Underwriter.
145 (3) . In general, the following customary methods
of construction are acceptable when good materials and good work
manship are applied :
( 1 ) Wood frame with wood siding or shingles.
(2 ) Wood frame with masonry veneer.
(3 ) Wood frame with stucco .
(4) Brick masonry or masonry block .
(5 ) Poured in place concrete .
(6 ) Adobe brick .
145 (4). Sponsors of new methods of construction are
required to demonstrate that the method proposed is a dependable
and durable type of construction. Evidence will usually be required
to show adequate tests demonstrating the characteristics of the ma
terials and method used . Evidence supporting the claims of the
sponsors should be submitted with each request for approval together
with descriptions, drawings, photographs, and samples of the ma
terials. The presentation should include a description of the mate
rials, their composition and size, and the method of assembling ;
together with other pertinent data. Attested reports of tests per
formed by recognized laboratories or authorities may also be included .
Drawings should include wall sections showing footings, foundations,
floor intersections, roof intersections, partitions, framing about doors,
windows and other openings, structural details, flashing, and other
pertinent details. Drawings should indicate sizes and materials at a
scale large enough to permit examination . Photographs should show
the various stages of construction. Samples of materials not in
common use should be submitted . If possible, a construction assem
bly either in full size or as a model should be submitted .
145 ( 5) . After a thorough examination a ruling on
the method of construction will be issued by the Technical Section
for the guidance of all Insuring Offices. Rulings concerning new
methods of construction will be limited to those methods which have
been tried out in actual construction by the erection of at least one
house from which definite conclusions may be drawn regarding
Part I
145-150
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
structural soundness, resistance to use , and resistance to elements.
These rulings are not to be construed as general acceptance of the
types of construction . Each individual property, in order to qualify
for an insured mortgage, will be considered on its own merits.
146. Regular Procedure in Valuation Section . Upon
receipt of a case in the Valuation Section the Chief Valuator requests
a Valuator to make an investigation and report the results in Report
of Valuator, FHA Form No. 2015. Whenever practicable he shall
use the salaried personnel of the Section .
147. The
report forms
for Architectural
Inspector,
FHA Form No. 2014 , and Valuator, FHA Form No. 2015 , are initiated
at the same time. This permits the Architectural and Valuation
Sections to work at the same time and together if they find it prac
ticable to do so , and avoids unnecessary consumption of time in the
processing of applications.
148. The Valuation Section is responsible for the com
pletion of the Report of Valuator. In the regular procedure the
Valuator does not fill out those parts of the report which cover items
appearing on FHA Form No. 2014 , Report of Architectural Inspector.
This notation is
These portions are stamped " See Form 2014."
made at the time that Report of Valuator, FHA Form No. 2015 , is
headed prior to being routed to the Valuation Section . The form
indicates whether the Valuator made an inspection of an existing
building or inspected a vacant site and made his valuation from draw
ings and specifications submitted with the application.
149. The Valuator is required to make a thorough per
sonal inspection of the premises, both exterior and interior, and the
surrounding neighborhood. He must verify the items transcribed
from FHA Forms Nos. 2004 and 2004 (a ) but he is not required to
verify the correctness of the legal description furnished to him .
This description is supplied to the Valuator so that he can locate
and positively identify the property in connection with which he
must make his report.
150. The Valuator may have the use of the Report of
Architectural Inspector. In every case he must know the conclu
sions which the report contains, including the Rating of Physical
Security and the estimate of replacement cost in new condition .
The Report of Valuator shall show the percentage ascribed to the
Total Rating of Physical Security by the Architectural Section but
the individual ratings ascribed to the first seven features are not
transcribed . If proposed new construction is involved the Valuator
is required to study the drawings and specifications with sufficient
thoroughness to permit him to visualize the structure in completed
condition .
He may also be requested to furnish information regard
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
150-154
ing the site and its surroundings to the Architectural Section in cases
where new buildings are planned so that inspection of the site by an
Architectural Inspector may be obviated .
151. After the Valuator has made a complete investiga
tion of the property and neighborhood he is required to make a
rating of the feature, Adjustment for Nonconformity, complete the
computation of the Rating of Property , and make the Rating of
Location , in accordance with the instructions contained in Part II,
Sections 1 and 2 .
152. The Valuator is required to make an independent
valuation of the property and to distribute the total valuation be
tween the major items of which it is composed , in accordance with
the instructions contained in Part I, Section 3. He does not have
access to the Mortgagee's Application for Insurance nor any other
information except certain items transcribed from the Mortgageo's
Application for Insurance and the Mortgagors' Statement. These
items are placed on the Report of Valuator before the case is assigned
to a particular Valuator. After the Valuator has completed and
signed his report he returns it to the Chief Valuator.
153. The Chief Valuator reviews the conclusions in the
Valuator's report. He may modify them in certain respects. The
FHA Valuation in no event can be fixed at an amount in excess of
the valuation reported by the Valuator, except as permitted in
paragraph 168. Specific rules governing the establishment of the
FHA Valuation are outlined in paragraph 168 .
154. The Chief Valuator may modify the rating ascribed
to Adjustment for Nonconformity or features of the Rating of Location
reported by a Valuator by either increasing or decreasing the reported
ratings, if he finds it necessary to make such changes in order to
correct obvious errors or to maintain consistency with regard to such
ratings in different reports involving properties in similar neighbor
hoods. Such modifications shall be effected by the Chief Valuator by
making notations in red ink on Report of Valuator in the proper
columns and in the blank space at the bottom of the rating grids to the
left of the words, " Total Rating
% ” , which words must be crossed
out with red ink . The notation shall be as follows: " Approved Rating
% , (date) , John Doe, Chief Valuator " . The Chief Valuator may
likewise modify the Valuator's estimate of remaining economic life if
the estimate appears to be incorrect. There should always be a con
sistent relationship between the estimates of remaining economic life
and remaining physical life.
latter in any case .
The former should never exceed the
Part I
155-160
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
155. If the Chief Valuator agrees with the conclusions
contained in the Report of Valuator he approves the report and
sends it to the Mortgage Risk Section .
156. Regular Procedure in Mortgage Risk Section .
Upon receipt of the case binder, the Chief Mortgage Risk Examiner
assigns the case to a Mortgage Risk Examiner for analysis. In
every instance, Mortgage Risk Examiners are salaried employees in
the Underwriting Department. Fee consultants are not used for
mortgage risk examination . The conclusions of the Mortgage Risk
Examiner are submitted in Report of Mortgage Risk Examiner, FHA
Form No. 2016 or 2016 ( a ) .
157. Factual Data Reports on borrowers are made
available to Mortgage Risk Examiners. These reports shall be
furnished by commercial credit reporting agencies approved by the
Underwriting Section , Washington , D. C. , and under contract to the
Federal Housing Administration for this purpose .
In certain
in
stances Factual Data Reports may not be necessary , especially where
the borrower is named in connection with several applications. Care
should be taken to avoid the ordering of unnecessary reports .
158. Two alternative methods of securing Factual
Data Reports are made available to Insuring Offices. One or the
other or the two methods in combination are authorized . Insuring
Offices shall adopt the methods best suited to their particular require
ments . The two alternative methods are as follows :
( 1 ) The approved mortgagee may order a Factual Data
Report from one of the accredited agencies before submitting the
application to the Federal Housing Administration and attach the
report to Mortgagee's Application for Insurance.
(2 ) The Preliminary Examiner may order a Factual Data
Report from one of the accredited agencies at the time he renders his
report, Recommendation of Preliminary Examiner, provided he
recommends that the case be processed by the other Sections of the
Underwriting Department.
159. The Mortgage Risk Section is responsible for the
completion of the Report of Mortgage Risk Examiner in accordance
with the instructions contained in Part II , Section 3.
In determining
the Rating of Borrower, the Mortgage Risk Examiner gives special
consideration to the relationship existing between the borrower's
financial status and the mortgage program he is about to undertake,
as well as to his reputation and credit standing.
160. Upon completion of the Report of Mortgage Risk
Examiner it is submitted to the Chief Mortgage Risk Examiner for
verification . The Chief Mortgage Risk Examiner may modify the
rating assigned to the borrower by indicating and initialing such
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
160-163
change in red ink and stating reasons justifying the modification .
The Chief Mortgage Risk Examiner then inserts the Report of Mort
gage Risk Examiner in the case binder and forwards the binder to the
Assistant to the Chief Underwriter .
161. There are instances in which the Chief Underwriter
finds it necessary to suggest counter- proposals. Some of these counter
proposals are such major changes of the conditions and provisions of
the mortgage described in the application that revision of the Report
of Mortgage Risk Examiner is necessary . Such cases are returned to
the Mortgage Risk Section by the Assistant to the Chief Underwriter
in accordance with the instructions in paragraph 164 below. Upon
receipt of such a returned case the Mortgage Risk Section makes all
necessary modifications to take account of the conditions in the
counter -proposal by indicating in red ink the revised items, ratings of
features, and total rating in the Rating of Borrower grid . The revi
sions are initialed by the Chief Mortgage Risk Examiner, and the
case binder is resubmitted to the Review Section .
162. Regular Procedure in Review Section . - Review .
Upon receipt of a case from the Mortgage Risk Section the Assistant
to the Chief Underwriter reviews the entire contents of the case
binder and then prepares the Report of Chief Underwriter, FHA
Form No. 2017 , except for the portions representing the final conclu
sions and recommendations of the Chief Underwriter. The Assistant
to the Chief Underwriter makes a tentative Rating of Mortgage Pat
tern . In addition he makes such notations as will assist the Chief
Underwriter to form the final conclusion with respect to the case .
It is expressly understood that all the above operations are tentative
and are performed solely to assist the Chief Underwriter. The re
sponsibility belongs to the Chief Underwriter and the duties here
assigned to the Assistant to the Chief Underwriter are performed
under the supervision of the Chief Underwriter.
163. Upon the completion of the above review and
preparatory work by the Assistant to the Chief Underwriter, he
initials FHA Form No. 2017 , Report of Chief Underwriter, in the
lower left-hand corner and submits the cases to the Chief Under
writer, segregating those which he feels to be finished except for the
final analysis and signature of the Chief Underwriter from those
which he believes warrant attention by the Review Committee. If
the Chief Underwriter decides to submit cases to the Review Com
mittee, the Assistant to the Chief Underwriter requests the committee
to assemble. The cases are discussed . No record of deliberations of
the Review Committee is required but it is permissible for the com
mittee to render signed statements setting forth opinions on particular
cases or aspects of particular cases . These statements may be placed
Part I
163-166
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
in the case binders.
The Review Committee has no authority and has
completely discharged its duty when it has expressed an opinion or
made a recommendation to the Chief Underwriter. The comments
and recommendations made by the Review Committee shall be placed
in the appropriate space on the reverse side of the Report of Mortgage
Risk Examiner.
These comments and recommendations include
any matters which the Review Committee considers should be especi
ally emphasized and brought to the Chief Underwriter's attention .
They should also contain matters such as adverse factors constitut
ing unusual elements of risk , inconsistencies in reports, and suggested
conditional requirements or counter -proposals.
164. In cases where it is necessary to make counter
proposals the Review Section and the Chief Underwriter analyze the
mortgage terms and determine the conditions and provisions of an
acceptable loan. Some of these counter-proposals are such major
changes in the conditions and provisions of the mortgage described in
the application that revision of the Report of Mortgage Risk Exam
iner is necessary . The Assistant to the Chief Underwriter returns
such cases to the Mortgage Risk Section with a request that the
necessary revisions be made in Report of Mortgage Risk Examiner .
When these cases are returned again to the Review Section they are
processed to completion in the regular manner .
165. Regular Procedure of the Chief Underwriter.
The Assistant to the Chief Underwriter makes a tentative prepara
tion of certain portions of FHA Form No. 2017 , Report of Chief
Underwriter, as described above in paragraph 162. Complete case
binders, including this form in this condition , are submitted to the
Chief Underwriter to enable him to arrive at his final conclusions and
to render his recommendations to the Director.
166. The office of Chief Underwriter in an Insuring
Office requires a person who has discriminating judgment, analytical
and executive ability, successful experience in mortgage lending, and
the capacity to make important decisions. The Chief Underwriter
directs the Underwriting Department in the Insuring Office . He must
be well informed with regard to all matters relating to the functions
of the several Sections which comprise his department. This means
that he must understand real estate valuation principles and proce
dure, mortgage-lending practices, and have a broad understanding of
the elements which create and affect risk in mortgage -lending trans
actions and the mortgage insurance program of the Federal Housing
Administration . He must determine whether or not the mortgage
submitted for insurance is economically sound ; and he must review all
recommendations which are made by members of the Underwriting
Department. The responsibilities placed upon him are great, and
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
166-168
discharge of them cannot be entrusted to any individual except one
who is known to have unquestioned integrity, a high degree of intelli
gence, wisdom , knowledge, and executive and administrative ability.
167. While the Chief Underwriter may delegate some
of his authority to certain members of his staff, such as the Assist
ant to the Chief Underwriter, he cannot be relieved of any of his
responsibility . None of his responsibility can be shifted , and he
will be held strictly accountable for the reasonableness of the Fed
eral Housing Administration Valuation ; for the correctness of his
opinion regarding the economic soundness of the project with re
spect to which the insured mortgage is executed ; and for the ade
quacy of reasons advanced as a justification for his recommendation
that an application be rejected .
168. The prescribed rules covering the establishment
of the Federal Housing Administration Valuation are as follows:
( 1 ) The Valuator makes an estimate of value in the Report
of Valuator and submits it to the Chief Valuator.
(2 ) The Chief Valuator shall submit an approved valuation .
In determining his approved valuation he has three alternatives:
( a ) He may accept the estimate of value made by a Valuator
and establish it as his approved valuation .
(6) He may establish his approved valuation at an amount
lower than the estimate of value made by a Valuator.
(c) He may order another Valuator to render a new Report
of Valuator and he may then establish his approved valuation in
accordance with the foregoing two alternatives.
( 3) The Chief Underwriter shall fix the Federal Housing
Administration Valuation . The FHA Valuation is distinguished
from the Chief Valuator's approved valuation . In fixing the FHA
Valuation the Chief Underwriter has four alternatives :
( a ) He may fix the FHA Valuation at an amount equal to
or less than the approved valuation submitted by the Chief Valuator.
He may not fix the FHA Valuation at an amount in excess of the
Chief Valuator's approved valuation, except as provided in (c) below.
(6) In any case the Chief Underwriter may return the Report
of Valuator to the Chief Valuator for reconsideration .
(c ) The Chief Underwriter has the authority to raise the
Chief Valuator's approved valuation to the extent of $ 125 , provided
the Chief Valuator concurs without coercion and provided , further,
that a counter -proposal as to the principal amount of an insurable
loan can thereby be avoided . This can occur only in cases where an
increase of $ 125 or less in the Chief Valuator's approved valuation
will make possible a commitment for the exact amount stated in the
application . The Chief Underwriter shall exercise this authority
5124686
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Part I
168-170
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
only for the purpose of obviating counter -proposals involving small
amounts. He shall not exercise it more than once in connection
with any one property. In such cases the Chief Valuator must signify
his concurrence by initialing the FHA Valuation as fixed by the Chief
Underwriter on FHA Form No. 2017. Under no other circumstances
than those specifically stated in this paragraph and in paragraph
168 (3 ) (d) is the Chief Underwriter permitted to fix an FHA Valua
tion in excess of the Chief Valuator's approved valuation .
( d ) In a case where the Chief Valuator cannot conscientiously
supply an approved valuation that is satisfactory to the Chief Under
writer, the Chief Underwriter may completely relieve the
Chief
Valuator and the Valuation Section from all responsibility, mark all
previous copies of Report of Valuator " Superceded by Chief Under
writer's Report of Valuator" , himself make a complete Report of
Valuator based on his own personal inspection and examination of
the property , and sign the report as “ Chief Underwriter.”
In such
a case his valuation is fixed as the FHA Valuation . When a Chief
Underwriter thus preempts the prerogatives of the Chief Valuator
and the Valuation Section , and where, at the same time, he has
recommended the issuance of a commitment, he shall forward the
complete Insuring Office Case Binder, FHA Form No. 2020 (b ) to
the Underwriting Section , Washington, D. C. , for review . This does
not prevent the issuance of a commitment prior to the review of the
case by the Underwriting Section .
169. Wherever authority is granted herein to Section
Chiefs of the Underwriting Department to modify reports , the Chief
Underwriter also has the authority to make such modifications. This
authority includes the right to refuse to accept modifications made or
recommended by the Section Chiefs except as limited in paragraph
168 .
170. The Chief Underwriter completes his report by
recording his decisions and certifying that he has no personal interest
present or prospective, in the property, applicant , or the proceeds of
the mortgage ; that to the best of his knowledge and belief, the state
ments made in his report are correct; and that his findings and con
clusions, as set forth in the report, are justified . He indicates that
he has carefully examined and considered all the reports relative to
the risk ratings and the valuation of the real property described in
the application. He fixes the FHA Valuation. If he finds the
mortgage eligible for insurance he recommends issuance of commit
ment for insurance. He also enters his conclusion whether or not
the proposed mortgage is economically sound . His recommenda
tions set out necessary conditional requirements, if any . In the
event that he concludes that the application should be rejected ,
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
170-172
he records upon the report his reasons for recommending rejection .
After the Chief Underwriter has signed his report the case is forwarded
to the Director of the Insuring Office.
171. Director's Decision . Space is provided on the
Report of Chief Underwriter for the recording of the approval of the
Director of the Insuring Office. The Director may approve or dis
approve the report of the Chief Underwriter. By making appropriate
entries upon the form he may thereby authorize issuance of Com
mitment for Insurance, or Notice of Rejection . If the Director
disagrees with the conclusions and decision of the Chief Underwriter,
he states the reasons justifying his disapproval upon the reverse
side of the Report of Chief Underwriter and forwards to the Under
writing Section, Washington , D. C. , the complete Insuring Office
Case Binder together with all related data and correspondence .
He also acquaints the Chief Underwriter with the reasons for his
disapproval. The Chief Underwriter then forwards to the Unders
writing Section , Washington, D. C. , any supplementary informa
tion which he deems helpful in gaining a full understanding of the
conditions and matters to which the divergent points of view relate .
When the case is received by the Underwriting Section in Washington
it will then be reviewed . Then the case is submitted to the Deputy
Administrator for Titles II and III for final decision . No com
mitment for insurance or notice of rejection shall be issued or other
action taken in any case referred to the Deputy Administrator for
final decision until he has made the decision and transmitted it to
the Insuring Office.
172. Modified Procedure.
scribe the regular procedure.
Foregoing paragraphs de
It is used in connection with all cases
of proposed new construction and in connection with certain cases
of existing construction . The modified procedure is mandatory for
use in connection with all cases except the following:
( 1 ) All cases in which the construction of building improve
ments is incomplete at the time the application is made and in which
the Underwriting Department uses submitted drawings and speci
fications.
(2 )
pletion of
about one
(3 )
more than
All cases of newly completed properties in which the com
construction of building improvements occurred less than
year prior to the date of the application .
All cases involving building improvements constructed
thirty years prior to the application .
( 4 ) All cases in which the application indicates that the bor
rower proposes to make immediate improvements that involve major
repairs, alterations, or additions.
Part I
172-178
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(5 ) All cases which , in the opinion of the Chief Valuator,
present unusual structural problems as determined after an examina
tion of the premises by a Valuator.
173. The modified procedure differs from the regular
procedure in that FHA Form No. 2014 , Report of Architectural
Inspector, is not used ; all portions of FHA Form No. 2015 , Report of
Valuator, are completed by the Valuator ; and the services of the
Architectural Section are used only in an advisory capacity.
174. The preliminary examination procedure is de
scribed in paragraphs 132 to 137. Upon the completion of pre
liminary examination the Preliminary Examiner selects the cases
which may be handled by the modified procedure. In determining
the selection of cases he uses the rules set out in paragraph 172
above, except that he cannot determine which cases come under the
fifth rule . He directs that cases selected for modified procedure shall
not be routed to the Architectural Section . FHA Form No. 2015 ,
Report of Valuator, is headed and delivered to the Valuation Section .
175. Upon receipt of a case in the Valuation Section
the Chief Valuator requests a Valuator to make an investigation and
report the results in Report of Valuator. In the modified procedure
the Valuator fills out all parts of the report. This requires him to
follow the regular procedures outlined for both Architectural Inspec
tors and Valuators in paragraphs 138 to 155. After completing his
report he returns it to the Chief Valuator. Upon approval of the
Report of Valuator by the Chief Valuator it is sent to the Mortgage
Risk Section . The Report of Valuator is not signed by the Chief
Architectural Supervisor.
176. The Chief Valuator, in addition to the responsi
bilities given him in connection with the regular procedure, has the
privilege, in the modified procedure, of revising the ratings ascribed
to the Physical Security Features and the estimate of replacement
cost, by making red ink entries and dating and signing them .
177. The Architectural Section makes cost data avail
able for the use of Valuators in accordance with the instructions
contained in Part I, Section 4 .
178. If, after a Valuator submits a Report of Valuator
to the Chief Valuator, the Chief Valuator finds that the property
presents unusual structural problems he may request the Architec
tural Section to complete a Report of Architectural Inspector, FHA
Form No. 2014. When this is done the subsequent processing of
the case follows the regular procedure rather than the modified
procedure. In this event those parts of Report of Valuator which
cover items appearing on FHA Form No. 2014 , Report of Architec
tural Inspector, shall be stamped " See Form No. 2014.”
When
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
178-181
Report of Architectural Inspector is submitted the Valuator reviews
his report and makes changes in it if his opinions are affected by the
information in the Report of Architectural Inspector. The Valuator
then shall make a notation on his report as follows: " Report reviewed
on
(date ) John Doe , Valuator." The Chief
Valuator enters a like notation .
179. The procedure in the Mortgage Risk Section and
Review Section is the same in both the regular and modified
procedures.
180. It may be desirable that the Valuator prepare
rough sketches of certain properties. The Chief Valuator shall de
termine the types of properties in connection with which sketches
shall be required. He shall also determine the character of sketches
to be made . Some Chief Valuators and Valuators will prefer to use
quadruled paper . A property which presents complex problems may
require the making of a detailed sketch and plot plan . Such a
sketch and plan is shown on the following page and represents the
house which is used to illustrate the estimation of replacement cost
in new condition in Part I , Section 4 .
181 ( 1 ) . Special Procedure . - Cases with Unknown Bor
rowers . In cases where application is made for a conditional commit
ment to insure a mortgage to be executed by an unknown borrower
either the regular or modified procedure is used except as follows:
( 1 ) The case binder is not routed to the Mortgage Risk Section
but is sent directly to the Assistant to the Chief Underwriter.
(2 ) The Mortgage Risk Section does not render Report of
Mortgage Risk Examiner until the Insuring Office receives an appli
cation in connection with the same property with a named borrower .
(3 ) The Assistant to the Chief Underwriter does not prepare
FHA Form No. 2017 , Report of Chief Underwriter. Instead he
prepares an Interim Report of Chief Underwriter, FHA Form No.
2081, or FHA Form No. 2203 .
( 4 ) The Chief Underwriter recommends rejection or the issu
ance of a conditional commitment.
181 (2) . If the Chief Underwriter recommends the
issuance of a conditional commitment, he shall determine the amount
and life of the recommended loan in accordance with the instructions
given in Part II , Section 4 , paragraphs 425-427, presuming that the
Rating of Borrower is approximately 75 % . He then indicates the
loan amount and period thus determined on the Interim Report of
Chief Underwriter.
181 (3 ) . When , subsequently, an application is received
in connection with the same property with a named borrower the
case is routed directly to the Mortgage Risk Section . This Section
Part I
180
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
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ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
181-182
makes a Report of Mortgage Risk Examiner . Thereafter, the case
is handled in accordance with the regular procedure.
sions.
182 ( 1 ) . Special Procedure.-Undeveloped Subdivi
In pursuance of the objectives of the National Housing Act
the Federal Housing Administration desires to insure eligible mort
gages on residential properties which are created by the subdividing
of parcels of real estate and the erection of new structures thereon ,
but, at the same time, it does not desire to , and will not , insure mort
gages in such cases unless it is convinced that the subdivision projects
are justified and economically sound .
182 (2) . Areas of this description fall into two classes :
Undeveloped Subdivisions and Partially Developed Residential Areas.
Special considerations for the rating of these areas are described in
paragraphs 280-291, Part II , Section 2. Underwriting Departments
shall establish and maintain separate numerical indexes for filing
reports in connection with Undeveloped Subdivisions and Partially
Developed Residential Areas.
The prescribed special procedures
are not required in any instance where the area involves less than
five acres which are immediately adjacent to or extensions of eligible
developed neighborhoods.
182 ( 3 ). Undeveloped Subdivision is defined as a tract
of raw land which it is proposed to subdivide into smaller parcels and
to market as an area predominantly for residential purposes, or a
subdivision or portion of a subdivision , either old or new , in which a
few houses may exist, which is in such a state of development and
unified control as to make practicable major changes in layout,
restrictions, or other features.
182 (4 ) . Cases involving properties located in unde
veloped subdivisions are processed by either the regular or the modified
procedure, or the special procedure used in connection with un .
known borrowers. In addition, they must be subjected to the special
procedure described below in paragraphs 182 (5 ) to 182 (7 ) .
182 (5) . An Undeveloped Subdivision may come to the
attention of the Underwriting Department either as the result of a
request by the sponsor for an informal opinion of the Federal Housing
Administration concerning the qualities of the subdivision as a location
for properties on which insured loans are desired , or as the result of a
formal application to insure a mortgage on a property situated in the
subdivision . In either case the procedure to be followed before
the issuance of a commitment is the same.
182 (6) . The sponsor is requested to prepare, with the
assistance of the Underwriting Department if necessary , the Sub
division Information Form , FHA Form No. 2084 , and to supply
Part I
182-183
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
certain required exhibits. The Valuation Section prepares for the
Chief Underwriter's approval, Chief Underwriter's Subdivision
Report and Rulings , FHA Form No. 2084 (a) . If the Chief Under
writer's opinion of the subdivision is unfavorable he may so notify
the sponsor or recommend that a Notice of Rejection be issued in
connection with an application received .
If the Chief Underwriter's
opinion is favorable he shall submit the original copies of the com
pleted reports and exhibits to the Underwriting Section, Washington ,
D. C. , for final ruling. No favorable informal opinion or commitment
shall be issued without specific authorization by the Underwriting
Section , Washington , D. C.
182 (7) . Informal Opinions are prepared by the Chief
Underwriter and shall be based on the rulings issued by the Under
writing Section, Washington , D. C. If the ruling is based on definite
conditional requirements they shall be included verbatim in the
informal opinion issued by the Chief Underwriter. It is not recom
mended that the decision of the Underwriting Section be copied in
its entirety and transmitted to the sponsor.
Not infrequently
matters which should be treated as confidential are included . When
issuing an informal opinion the following clause shall be included :
" No statement made herein shall be construed as binding the Federal
Housing Administration to make a commitment for the insurance
of a mortgage covering a property located in the subdivision described
herein nor shall it be construed as giving blanket approval to the
subdivision.” When the conditional requirements of the rulings have
been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the Chief Underwriter applications
for mortgage insurance may be processed and commitments may be
issued in connection with eligible properties located in the subdivision .
183 ( 1) . Special Procedure . -Partially Developed Res
idential Areas. Partially Developed Residential Area is defined as an
area of land comprising one or more subdivisions or portions thereof,
or any partially developed residential district, in which an insufficient
number of lots are improved with dwellings to establish the character
of the neighborhood (other than an Undeveloped Subdivision , as
defined in paragraph 182 ( 3 ) ) .
183 (2) . Cases involving properties located in Partially
Developed Residential Areas are processed by either the regular or
the modified procedure, or the special procedure used in connection
with unknown borrowers. In addition , they must be subjected to
the special procedure described below in paragraph 183 (3 ) to 183 ( 5 ) .
183 (3) . A Partially Developed Residential Area may
come to the attention of the Underwriting Department only as a result
of a formal application to insure a mortgage on a property situated
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
183-184
in the Partially Developed Residential Area. Informal opinions shall
not be rendered in connection with Partially Developed Residential
Areas.
183 (4). Upon receipt of an application involving a
property located in a Partially Developed Residential Area the Valua
tion Section , in due course, shall prepare for the Chief Underwriter's
approval, Chief Underwriter's Subdivision Report and Rulings ,
FHA Form No. 2084 ( a) . At the same time the Rating of Location is
made in the usual manner . If a commitment is issued the original
copy of FHA Form No. 2084 (a) and the triplicate copy of the Report
of Valuator, with any pertinent exhibits, shall be forwarded im
mediately to the Underwriting Section, Washington , D. C. The
comments of the Underwriting Section shall be of an advisory and
informatory nature . The authority and responsibility for processing
cases of this kind are vested in the Underwriting Departments of the
Insuring Offices.
183 (5) . Underwriting Supervisors, especially desig
nated for this work , will frequently visit the Insuring Offices as repre
sentatives of the Underwriting Section , Washington , D. C. , with full
authority to issue decisions on any and all Undeveloped Subdivisions
or Partially Developed Residential Areas in which no commitments
have been issued . The Underwriting Departments are urged to con
sult with and obtain the advice and assistance of the Underwriting
Section , Washington, D. C. , when assistance and counsel are desired
in connection with any difficult decision .
184 (1 ) . Regular Compliance Inspections.
In cases
involving proposed new construction after a commitment to insure
a mortgage has been issued the Chief Underwriter shall authorize the
Chief Architectural Supervisor to bave periodic inspections made
during the course of the construction operations.
184 (2 ) . These inspections are necessary in order to
determine whether or not the improvements are being erected in
compliance with the approved drawings and specifications submitted
with the application covering the case . These compliance inspections
do not, in any sense , constitute architectural supervision or construc
tion supervision but are made solely for the protection of the Admin
istration in order to determine that the property upon completion
will comply with the requirements outlined in the submitted draw
ings and specifications upon which the commitment to insure was
based .
184 (3) . The regular compliance inspections shall be
made:
( a ) When the excavation is completed and ready for the foot
ings and foundations.
Part I
184
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(6 ) When the building is enclosed but the structural members
are still exposed and while the roughing -in , i . e . , heating, plumbing,
and electrical work, is in place and visible .
(c ) When the building is completed and ready for occupancy .
184 (4) . At the time of the first inspection the Archi
tectural Inspector ascertains that the placing of the building on the lot
is in accordance with the drawings. He determines whether or not
the size and depth of the excavation conform to the drawings, and he
examines those portions of the excavation on which footings and
foundations are to rest with reference to bearing capacity , distance
below frost line, and any other condition which might affect the
structural soundness or durability of the completed building.
He
reports whether or not the work inspected complies with approved
drawings and specifications, and regarding the suitability of excavation
to receive the footings and foundations. The results of this inspec
tion are entered in FHA Form No. 2051 , First Compliance Inspection
Report.
184 (5 ) . The second inspection requires a careful check
of all structural details and mechanical equipment to ascertain
whether or not they comply with the approved drawings and specifi
cations. The inspection covers materials, workmanship, equipment,
size, location, and arrangement. All parts of the heating, plumbing,
and electrical systems which have been installed , especially those
portions which will be finally concealed , must be examined at this
time . The results of this inspection are entered in FHA Form No.
2052 , Second Compliance Inspection Report.
184 (6 ) . The third inspection involves an examination
of all details of construction and finish to ascertain whether or not the
building has been completed according to the approved drawings
and specifications and is ready for occupancy . The Architectural
Inspector checks all heating, plumbing, and electrical equipment,
and compares the structure with the approved drawings and specifi
cations. He also takes two photographs of the completed property .
Two prints of each are attached to and made a part of the Third
Compliance Inspection Report, FHA Form No. 2053 , upon which the
result of this inspection is reported .
184 (7) . On each of the three regular compliance inspec
tion report forms two questions appear : “ Do variations, if any ,
modify the original Rating of Physical Security ?" and " Do variations,
if any , modify the original Estimate of Replacement Cost ?"
It is
important that affirmative answers to these be explained clearly and
in detail.
It is possible to allow changes or deviations from the
approved drawings and specifications provided that these changes do
not adversely affect the original Rating of Physical Security or
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
Part I
184-186
lower the Estimate of Replacement Cost . However, if the changes
or deviations from the approved drawings and specifications are of
major character and do adversely affect the original Rating of
Physical Security or lower the Estimate of Replacement Cost, the
Architectural Section must immediately notify the Chief Under
writer of the exact conditions. If in the opinion of the Chief
Underwriter the mortgage security has been impaired the applicant
must be notified immediately that the terms of the commitment
have not been fulfilled . Upon the completion of the final com
pliance inspection, either regular or additional, in cases where in
the opinion of the Chief Underwriter mortgage security is impaired
the applicant must be notified that the commitment in the particular
case is null and void . In such instances it is possible upon receipt of a
new application and an additional fee to re -process the case.
184 (8) . Sometimes in cases involving proposed new
construction it may be found that at the time a commitment to insure
is issued actual construction of the particular property has progressed
to sucb a stage as to render impracticable the making of the first or
second compliance inspection . In such cases the number of com
pliance inspections to be made will depend upon the stage of construc
tion existing at the time the Architectural Inspector first visits the
property .
185. Additional Compliance Inspections.
The Chief
Architectural Supervisor may deem it desirable or necessary to have
more than three regular compliance inspections made, for example,
where special installations are contemplated that will require more
frequent checking or where certain work will be concealed earlier in
the building operations than is ordinarily the case .
Additional
inspections are also necessary in cases where noncompliance with
approved drawings and specifications is discovered during one of the
regular compliance inspections and it is necessary for the contractor
to correct certain deficient items. In such instances, the Chief
Architectural Supervisor may order such special compliance inspec
tions as are necessary upon obtaining appropriate authorization in
writing from the Chief Underwriter. Reports shall indicate whether
or not all the deficiencies have been satisfactorily remedied .
186. Repair Compliance Inspections. There are two
types of cases involving existing construction in connection with which
the Chief Underwriter may require repair compliance inspections.
First, there are cases where the application states that there are pro
posed immediate improvements involving major repairs or alterations
affecting the design or structure of the property. For such cases
suitable drawings and specifications covering the proposed work
are submitted with the application. Second, there are cases where it
Part I
186
UNDERWRITING , MANUAL
is found that a " Reject " rating of certain Physical Security Features
was avoided by requiring certain major structural repairs or altera
tions in addition to those contemplated in the application. Where
such conditions occur it is the duty of the Chief Architectural
Supervisor to have a repair compliance inspection made . FHA Form
No. 2053 (a) , Repair Compliance Inspection Report, is used for this
purpose. In all such cases the Chief Architectural Supervisor sball
notify the Chief Underwriter when all repairs, alterations, or additions
have been completed in a satisfactory manner .
PART I
SECTION 2
METHODS OF MORTGAGE RISK RATING
INDEX
Definition of Risk Rating- .
Mortgage Eligibility Requirements ..
Nature of Mortgage Risk ....
Essentials in the Measurement of Risk ..
The Risk -Rating Process....
Control of Risk Measurement .
Paragraphs
201
202–206
207-212
213-220
221-235
236-240
Part I
201-203
PART I
SECTION 2
METHODS OF MORTGAGE RISK RATING
DEFINITION OF RISK RATING
201. Mortgage risk rating is the process of thoroughly
analyzing the major factors of risk undertaken in the making of a
mortgage loan and the rating of the mortgage in accordance with
the risk involved in the loan transaction or in connection with the
Risk rating is made necessary by the
terms of the National Housing Act . It provides a uniform method
by means of which to determine wbether or not a dwelling mortgage
is eligible for mutual insurance under Title II of the National Housing
Act . In addition, it serves as a basis for the classification of mort
insurance of the mortgage .
gages in accordance with their quality as investments.
MORTGAGE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
202. The National Housing Act prescribes certain
eligibility requirements relating to mortgages submitted for insurance.
Among these requirements are the following:
(a ) The principal of the mortgage loan cannot exceed a defi
nitely prescribed percentage of the appraised value of the mortgaged
property .
( 6 ) The mortgage loan must be completely amortized during
its life by means of periodic payments on the principal.
( c ) The mortgage loan may not have a maturity in excess of
a definitely prescribed period of time.
(d) The periodic payments in connection with the mortgage
loan may not be in excess of the mortgagors' reasonable ability to pay .
(e) The project with respect to which the mortgage is executed
must be economically sound .
203. In addition to the specific eligibility provisions of
the National Housing Act , the Federal Housing Administration
establishes certain administrative rules , regulations, and standards
which indicate the other minimum conditions of eligibility . These
Part I
203-208
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
embrace such matters as the types of communities in which the
properties may be located, standards in connection with subdivisions,
property standards affecting construction and layout, requirements
with respect to cash equities, and other matters.
204. The National Housing Act also specifies that the
mortgages accepted for insurance shall be grouped, for insurance
purposes, according to their risk characteristics.
205. In determining both eligibility and risk charac
teristics two types of analyses are made by the Federal Housing
Administration :
( 1 ) Those made for the purpose of determining whether or
not the submitted mortgage complies with the specific requirements
of the Act, administrative rules and regulations, requirements, and
standards;
(2 ) Those made to determine the quality of the mortgage in
terms of risk .
206. The latter operation , which is the determination
of economic soundness, requires a measurement of mortgage risk
and is accomplished by means of mortgage risk rating. Each mortgage
submitted is analyzed and assigned a percentage rating which ex
presses the relative amount of risk involved in it . To be economically
sound , a mortgage must be based on good security and involve a
borrower with characteristics and income which indicate a strong
probability that the debt will be paid off in accordance with conditions
of the transaction .
Such a mortgage transaction is mutually advan
tageous to the borrower, the mortgagee, and the Federal Housing
Administration . For practical purposes a mortgage is considered to
be economically sound when the risk -rating process results in a final
rating of 50 % or more.
If the percentage is less than 50 % , the
mortgage is not economically sound , and it is not eligible for insurance .
Ineligible mortgages must be rejected, unless modifications are intro
duced which raise the rating to at least the 50 % level.
NATURE OF MORTGAGE RISK
207. Mortgage risk is created whenever a mortgage is
made . It lies in the future . The risk continues to exist throughout
the entire life of the loan , although the degree of risk may change.
It is fallacious to presume that mortgages fall into two classes, viz .,
those that are safe and those that are unsafe . Each and every mort
gage investment is hazardous in some degree.
mortgages vary as to degree of risk .
However, different
208. Mortgage risk is an entity and can be treated as
such .
It is essential to so treat it in order to make it possible to
express a measurement of risk in simple terms.
As an entity, the over
METHODS OF MORTGAGE RISK RATING
Part I
208-210
all degree of risk is composed of all the possibilities of trouble, expense,
and loss in connection with the lending of mortgage funds. In other
words, risk includes probability of:
Difficulty in connection with collections
Unusual expense in connection with collections
Excessive servicing costs
Foreclosure trouble
Cost of foreclosure
Delay in foreclosure
Cost of rehabilitation
Cost of carrying until sold
Cost of resale
Loss, if any, on resale
The over - all degree of risk is necessarily associated with the relative
degrees to which there is likelihood of trouble and financial losses
such as those listed above . The list indicates the elements which
contribute to and affect mortgage risk . The factors comprising them
are numerous, complex, and subject to an almost infinite number of
possible combinations in practical cases .
209. Included among the elements which contribute to
risk are the wide variety of neighborhood and location characteristics.
Different types of cities create different kinds of residential neighbor
hoods. An almost infinite number of factors affect the probable future
trends of neighborhoods and of the values of the homes in them .
Some neighborhoods are more stable than others ; some may be
expected to have longer attractive lives than others. In listing factors
which contribute to risk , it is necessary to take account of the great
variety of architectural styles and designs.
They have differing
probabilities with respect to structural durability.
They will be
acceptable in future markets in widely differing degrees. Different
methods of dwelling construction, different room arrangements,
different sizes of houses , and different provisions for mechanical
equipment introduce different degrees of mortgage risk .
210. A most important group of factors which affect
mortgage risk is the one which embraces the relationship between the
physical property and the neighborhood in which it is located . This
relationship directly affects marketability of the property. Market
ability is a basically important characteristic of good mortgage loan
security .
Different degrees of marketability represent different
degrees of mortgage risk. There are varying degrees of conformity
and non - conformity between neighborhoods and individual houses
in them and this must be taken into account in listing factors which
contribute to mortgage hazard .
5124686
Part I
211-216
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
211. Also included are all of those elements of risk asso
ciated with the earning power of the prospective borrower, his ability
to pay, his attitude toward obligations, and his prospects for the
future.
In the final analysis the probability that a borrower will be
able and willing to meet the mortgage obligation represents the first
line of defense against trouble with the mortgage investment. There
fore, a poor borrower, when considered in relation to the mortgage
transaction , requires a low rating of mortgage risk . At the same time,
a good borrower cannot go very far toward replacing the necessity for
sound physical security in the real estate itself.
212. All the individual elements which contribute to
mortgage risk are presumed , in the final analysis, to combine and
constitute the over - all risk involved in the insurance of the lending
operation . In this sense , mortgage risk is considered to be an entity
capable of measurement and expression as a single percentage.
ESSENTIALS IN THE MEASUREMENT OF RISK
213. The underwriting staff of the Federal Housing
Administration utilizes the risk -rating procedure ( 1 ) to determine
whether or not a mortgage is eligible for insurance, and (2 ) to rate
the risk represented by the mortgage so that it may be grouped
correctly for mutual insurance purposes. The risk -rating process
accomplishes both objectives simultaneously.
214. These two operations require the use of a pre
scribed system which secures uniform decisions and conclusions when
applied by different competent men . It is necessary to deal with
many complex elements of risk . It is apparent that these may com
bine into an almost unlimited number of patterns. In order to
secure uniformity and consistency in decisions, the risk -rating system
prescribes that the elements of risk shall be treated by inter -related
groups and then integrated into a final result according to a speci
fied procedure. Adherence to the procedure is mandatory.
215. Risk -rating involves forecasting and prediction .
It deals with probabilities. Mortgage risk lies in the future . It
exists throughout the life of a loan. It relates to the possibility of
default and loss. Risk -rating involves the determination of the
chances and likelihood of default and loss . It seeks to foresee the
probable and possible ways in which failures and trouble may occur .
Risk -rating, therefore, is equivalent to predicting chances or likeli
hoods as seen at the time of analysis.
216. All the factors of risk in mortgage lending are not
included in the list of features in the risk -rating forms. Some have
been omitted deliberately ; others are included under other designa
tions . The ability of the mortgagee to service a loan wisely is an
METHODS OF MORTGAGE RISK RATING
Part I
216-218
example of an omission . This factor was omitted but not ignored ,
for the Federal Housing Administration will insure only those mort
gages submitted by approved mortgagees, and to gain approval a
mortgagee must establish that it is able to service mortgages properly .
Other mortgage - risk factors of prime importance are future changes
in conditions affecting world and domestic trade and changes in price
levels. These factors are too complex to be measured except in
very general terms and do not come within the scope of the risk
rating method except insofar as they are considered in valuations.
At the same time, practically all other factors of risk in connection
with which members of the underwriting organization can be expected
to have significant opinions are embraced in the system .
217. It cannot be presumed that the relative impor
tance given to the various factors has been determined with the ulti
mate highest degree of accuracy . However, reasonableness has been
held as the objective, and it is anticipated that future research and
experience will enable a greater degree of accuracy . Certain weights
have been ascribed to the elements of risk considered in the risk
rating system . The nature of these weights should be thoroughly
understood by the men who use the system . The weights ascribed
were fixed in accordance with the opinions with respect to the rela
tive importance of the various features as expressed by a large
number of experienced mortgage men . It is to be hoped that they
will lend themselves to more refined measurement as experience
accumulates. At the present time the introduction of the weights
into the system may be compared with the fire insurance rate system
adopted many years ago and gradually corrected through the years
as the relative importance of the risk factors became known . It is
probable, however, that the weights used in the risk - rating system
are sufficiently correct so that the results obtained by the use of the
system are reasonable and justified .
218. The risk characteristics and economic soundness
of a mortgage project cannot be determined on the basis of the loan
value ratio alone. This ratio merely expresses the relationship be
tween the loan and the property value at the time of appraisal. It
cannot throw any light on the possibility of default by the borrower
nor can it indicate what relationship may exist between the loan
and the property value at a future time. If the loan is to run for
twenty years but the building which, in part, constitutes the mort
gage security cannot be expected to sustain economic usefulness for
that period of time, the loan project is not economically sound ; and,
though the loan -value ratio may be relatively low, a rating of the
mortgage risk may indicate that it is ineligible for insurance . Again ,
the loan might not be economically sound if the probable rate of de
Part I
218-221
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
cline in property value will be greater than the rate of amortization
of the loan principal. Therefore, risk rating is significant because it
makes possible the examination of mortgages by means other than the
traditional one of determining the ratio between the principal amount
of the mortgage and the valuation . This ratio is included in risk
rating but is only a part of it .
219. Valuation analyses
include
consideration
of a
great number of factors. All of them are also mortgage -risk factors
since conditions with regard to them affect value which , in turn ,
affects the index of risk indicated by the loan-value ratio in any
case . Valuation requires the analysis of structural, functional, and
esthetic qualities of buildings; the making of estimates of the cost
of constructing or reproducing structures ; the analysis of the quality
and stability of environments in which individual properties are
located , the extent to which desirable or undesirable relationships
exist between individual properties and their surroundings, and
numerous other matters.
All these analyses are significant in mort
gage risk rating as well as in valuation . However, the valuation of
property is for the purpose of establishing an estimate of the price
which a purchaser is warranted in paying while risk rating determines
the quality of a mortgage investment. That is, the two processes
have different objectives. For this reason it is important to draw a
careful distinction between risk rating and valuation . Valuation is
used by the Federal Housing Administration ( 1 ) to make certain
that loans which exceed the maximum prescribed percentage of value
are not accepted for insurance, and (2) to ascertain the loan -value
ratio, which is one of the most heavily weighted features in the risk
rating system . In the first instance possible ineligibility is deter
mined by valuation . In the second instance, valuation is used to
assist in the determination of eligibility as dependent upon the
presence of economic soundness in the mortgage project as revealed
by risk rating
220. The risk - rating system is designed to guide the
judgment of underwriting staffs, to attain as great a degree of accu
racy as is practicably obtainable, and to secure a maximum degree of
The system requires the exercise of and
controlled uniformity.
dependence upon good judgment at every step in the procedure. It
is in no sense of the word a formula which can be applied without the
need for exercising intelligence and discrimination .
THE RISK-RATING PROCESS
221. The many individual factors which contribute to
risk have been combined and grouped into a few significant relation
ships which are called " features ” in the risk -rating system. These
METHODS OF MORTGAGE RISK RATING
Part I
221-222
features are , in turn, combined into larger groups described as
" categories."
There are twenty -eight features grouped into four
categories, as follows:
The Property :
Structural Soundness
Resistance to Elements
Resistance to Use
Livability and Functional Plan
Mechanical and Convenience Equipment
Natural Light and Ventilation
Architectural Attractiveness
Adjustment for Nonconformity
The Location :
Relative Economic Stability
Protection from Adverse Influences
Adequacy of Transportation
Need for Housing
Appeal
Sufficiency of Utilities and Conveniences
Adequacy of Civic, Social, and Commercial Centers
Level of Taxes and Special Assessments
Topography and Special Hazards
The Borrower :
Reputation
Attitude Toward Obligations
Ability to Pay
Prospects for Future
Past Record
The Mortgage Pattern :
Ratio of Loan to Value
Ratio of Debt Service to Rental Value
Ratio of Life of Mortgage to Economic Life of Building
Lowest Category Rating
Intermediate Category Rating
Highest Category Rating
222. Certain individual elements of risk are incapable of
intelligent rating. For example, if an attempt is made to rate a prop
erty according to the number of baths, no satisfactory clue to rating
is possible unless the Valuator relates the number of baths to the
requirements of the local market and the size of the house. However,
when he is asked to rate a factor such as “ Livability and Functional
Plan ” , he is able to form a very definite conclusion . Such a relation
ship is ratable.
The system does not rate the income of the borrower .
Instead, it rates the ability of the borrower to pay the debt service.
Part I
222-227
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
That is, the judgment of the Mortgage Risk Examiner is applied to
the relationship existing between the borrower's income and the debt
service of the contemplated mortgage.
The selected twenty -eight
features or relationships are sufficiently different from each other so
that an intelligent independent judgment in connection with any one
of them can be formed . In the aggregate, the twenty - eight features
embrace all the most important ratable elements of risk in the making
of a mortgage loan on a dwelling property .
223. In the processing of an application for insurance,
each feature is given a rating which varies according to the extent
to which conditions regarding it contribute to the risk involved in
the mortgage project. Each risk feature is either an individual
risk factor or comprised of a number of correlated factors which can
be analyzed separately but treated as a unit. For example, the
feature " Sufficiency of Utilities and Conveniences " requires con
sideration of the extent and adequacy of the pattern of street improve
ments, public utilities, and municipal services. The resulting risk
contributed by the presence , absence, or grades of quality of any of
these things is reflected in the rating of the entire feature.
224. In each of the four categories of risk, the individual
feature ratings when combined comprise the rating of the category.
The Rating of Property is assigned by Architectural Inspectors and
Valuators. The Rating of Location is assigned by Valuators. The
Rating of Borrower is assigned by Mortgage Risk Examiners. The
Rating of Mortgage Pattern is assigned by Chief Underwriters . All
ratings are reviewed and finally established by Section Chiefs or
Chief Underwriters in accordance with jurisdictions and responsi
bilities outlined elsewhere in this Manual.
225. The ratings ascribed to the first three categories are
treated as three features in the Mortgage Pattern category and when
combined with three other features in the Mortgage Pattern category
result in the final risk -rating index of the mortgage.
is referred to as the Rating of Mortgage Pattern .
The final result
226. The forms used by the underwriting staff contain
four rating grids, one for each of the four categories of risk . Each
grid lists the several features in a column at the left-hand side. Oppo
site, on the right- hand side , are seven columns headed , respectively ,
f‘Reject ” , “ 1 ” , “ 2 ” , “ 3 ” , “ 4 ”, “ 5 ” , and “ Rating .”
The accompanying
illustration of a grid indicates the typical arrangement.
227. In rating the individual risk features, the risk
rating system requires differentiation between six degrees of excellence
or poorness of conditions . First, differentiation must be made
between a condition that is so poor as to result in risk so great as to
warrant rejection of the insurance application .
Above this margin
METHODS OF MORTGAGE RISK RATING
Part I
227-229
below which a " Reject " rating of a feature is necessitated, differentia
tion must be made between conditions ranging from " poor but accept
able” on up the scale of excellence through " fair" and “ good” to
“ excellent."
These designations are presented here simply to indicate
that the system recognizes that risk measurements are relative.
The terms themselves are not used on the forms because they would
convey implications beyond the simple idea of rating as suggested
by the use of the figures " 1 " , " 2 " , " 3 " , " 4 " , and " 5 " . Each feature
is rated by placing an X mark opposite it in the grid . Every
feature must be rated but not more than one such mark is made for
any one feature. A feature rating in the " Reject " column indicates
that conditions relating to it are such that insurance of the mortgage
should be refused . A “ 1 ” column rating would indicate a very poor
condition just above the reject margin .
A " 5 " column rating would
indicate that unusually excellent conditions pertain to the feature.
Intermediate ratings would cover the range in between .
228. A small numeral or " weight ” appears in each rating
column after each feature. These are the weights assigned for differ
Capacity
Character
Rating of Borrower
Feature
Reputation
Attitude Toward Obligations
Ability to pay
Future Prospects
Past Record
2
1
REJECT
5
4
6
3
10
8
12
4
3
15
12
18
19
16
120
16
24
12
8
5
25
20 09
30
15
10
TOTAL RATING OF BORROWER
RATING
%
ent degrees of risk . When all X marks have been entered on the
grid, the indicated weights are copied in the right-hand column,
headed " Rating ."
The sum of the weights carried over and placed
in the last column is entered at the lower right-hand corner of the grid
and becomes the total rating ascribed to the entire category . The
only exception is found in the Property grid . In it one feature weight
is deducted instead of added in securing the final Rating of Property .
229. The final rating for the mortgage is obtained by
recording ratings upon a grid known as “ Rating of Mortgage Pattern . '
On this grid there are several features involving the relationships
between certain features of the mortgage instrument, such as the
amount of the loan and the mortgage term in years , and matters
pertaining to the property , such as its estimated value and the esti
mated remaining economic life of the building. Also listed as
features on this grid are the ratings of the several other risk categories.
Ratings on this grid are made for these last named features according
to the amount of the category ratings which have been previously
Part I
229-232
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
determined . The sum of the ratings made on the Rating of Mort
gage Pattern grid is the final index of the relative risk involved in the
mortgage project under analysis.
230. If the sum of the individual feature ratings in
any category is less than 50 %, this indicates a degree of risk too
great to permit insurance of the mortgage. A large number of low
feature ratings will result in rejection of the application for insurance
because the resulting category rating will fall below the 50 % margin
of acceptability. The use of the percentages to describe degrees of
risk is apt to be misleading unless it is recognized that there is no
implication that the 50 % rating which constitutes the lower limit of
eligibility in a category represents “ one-half” of the amount of risk
indicated when a category is rated at 100 % . The range from 50 %
to 100 % is intended to represent different degrees of risk above the
lower limit of acceptability .
231. The risk -rating system is so devised that after the
quality of the real estate security and the characteristics of the
borrower have been determined and found to be such that no undue
mortgage risk is created on their account, then by means of the system
it can be determined what is the maximum loan principal and maxi
mum loan term in years which would represent the margin beyond
which economic soundness and , therefore, insurability would cease to
exist. Thus , after the ratings of Property, Location , and Borrower
have been made in a case , the Chief Underwriter in rating the Mort
gage Pattern can determine whether or not the loan described in the
application is insurable, and if not insurable because the loan is too
large, or the term too long , or both , he can determine how large a loan
would be insurable and for what maximum term the loan could be
made .
232. Under the risk -rating system the determination of
economic soundness and eligibility of mortgages proceeds in four
steps as follows:
( 1 ) Determination as to whether mortgages submitted for
insurance are eligible or ineligible for further consideration , as indi
cated by the application of eligibility tests based on certain provi
sions in the National Housing Act , in the official administrative rules,
and in property standards .
(2 ) Determination
as to
whether mortgages accepted for
further consideration are insurable or non-insurable, by rating indi
vidual risk features and ascertaining if any individual feature receives
a " Reject " rating.
(3 ) Determination as to whether mortgages receiving no indi
vidual feature reject ratings are insurable or non - insurable, by rating
METHODS OF MORTGAGE RISK RATING
Part I
232-236
risk categories and ascertaining if any category receives a rating of
less than 50 %
( 4 ) Final determination of the degree of economic soundness
of mortgages receiving no individual feature reject ratings and no
category ratings under 50 %, by means of a rating based on all feature
and category ratings.
233. It may be pointed out that the relative importance
of the several categories of risk differs from case to case . For example,
in a case in which either the Property, the Location, or the Borrower
Category receives a very low rating and the other two categories
receive relatively high ratings, the relative importance of the one
low - rated category in the over - all degree of risk is substantially
greater than in a case in which all three categories are rated alike.
For this reason the fourth category, namely, the Mortgage Pattern,
includes a device by means of which to take account of this relation
ship. The category having the lowest rating is more heavily weighted
than the other two on the grid of the Mortgage Pattern.
234. The Mortgage Pattern is also so arranged that it
is possible to determine counter -proposals on a uniformly fair basis.
For illustration, consider a case in which the loan is too hazardous to
be acceptable for insurance because the amount of the loan is too
great.
Analysis of the Mortgage Pattern , after the three other cate
gories have been rated , makes it possible to determine how much of
a reduction in the amount of the loan is necessary to make it eligible
for insurance.
235. Detailed instructions in connection with the rating
of the twenty -eight features and four categories are presented in
Part II of this Manual.
CONTROL OF RISK MEASUREMENT
236. In the use of the risk -rating system , underwriting
staffs are instructed to consider the features as a check - list. As such
it will have the effect of preventing them from omitting from consid
eration matters of vital importance in the determination of risk .
Furthermore, they are expected to rely heavily upon their personal
judgment in establishing the ratings. It is specifically suggested that
there is no reason why they cannot form an over - all opinion with
respect to the proper rating of an entire category and check the rating
by a detailed analysis of the features . This device will serve to correct
any tendency to treat the features and the system as a fetish , and
will tend to orient and control judgment in connection with ratings.
The minutiae in the system cannot be significant in the absence of
the application of broad judgments.
On the other hand, broad gen
Part I
236-240
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
eral judgments are dangerous in that they may fail to give sufficient
consideration to important details. Both approaches are necessary
to a correct rating.
237. The Underwriting Section of the Mortgage In
surance Division, Washington , D. C. , prepares and distributes illus
trations of correctly rated cases for the guidance of the Underwriting
Staffs in the Insuring Offices. These illustrations include descriptions
of actual cases and outline the specific considerations which resulted
in the risk ratings ascribed . It is expected that members of the
Underwriting Staffs will consult the illustrations and make comparisons
between them and current cases to seek analogies and cognate situa
tions . Such practice serves to bring a high degree of consistency into
the ratings ascribed throughout the entire country and leads to a more
correct segregation of mortgages according to risk characteristics in
the mutual mortgage insurance groups .
238. Risk -rating illustrations are not regulatory. They
represent aids to judgment only . Underwriting staff members are
instructed to follow the illustrations insofar as feasible, but they are
not accountable for discrepancies between the illustrations and the
ratings which they ascribe in particular cases .
Where the discrep
ancies are unwarrantedly great, Underwriting staff members may be
held accountable on the basis of incompetence or lack of integrity ,
but in such instances the variations between illustrations and actual
cases may not be presented as the sole evidence.
239. Risk -rating illustrations are sent to Insuring Offices
by Washington headquarters and remain the property of the Federal
Housing Administration . Chief Underwriters are responsible for
their proper use and members of Underwriting Staffs are cautioned to
use risk -rating illustrations in a discreet manner .
240. Risk measurements are also controlled through the
provisions for review , described in Part I, Section 1.
Every effort
shall be made by Section Chiefs and Chief Underwriters to bring
consistency into the ratings ascribed to mortgages.
PART I
SECTION 3
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
INDEX
Valuation Principles . - .
Purpose of Valuation ..
The Character of Value .Axioms of Valuation ..
Use of Data in Dwelling Valuation ..
Residential District Changes..
Use of Sales Prices ,
Use of Rental Data --Use of Replacement Costs.
Valuation Concepts .
Average and Normal Value --Remaining Economic Life and Physical Life of Buildings .
Depreciation . Deterioration, and Obsolescence ..
Mechanical Equipment and Accessories.--.
Conformity ...
Rental Value ...
Valuation Procedure ..
Desirability of Methodical Procedure ....
Summation Method of Estimation ....
Capitalization Method of Estimation .
Comparative Method of Estimation ..-Residences on Apartment or Business Sites ..
Taxes and Special Assessments ..
Leasehold Estates ...
Tho Valuator's Final Judgment...
Paragraphs
301-303
301
302
303
304-314
305-306
307-311
312-313
314
315-330
315-318
319–323
324-326
327
328
329-330
331-348
331
332–333
334-335
336–339
340
341
342-346
347
Part I
301-302
PART I
SECTION 3
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
VALUATION PRINCIPLES
301. Purpose of Valuation . Because the National
Housing Act does not permit the insuring of any mortgage which
involves a principal obligation exceeding a definitely prescribed per
centage of the value of the mortgaged property , it is necessary that
the Federal Housing Administration secure appraisals of such proper
ties by its own Valuators so as to determine that the mortgage to be
insured meets this eligibility requirement. Furthermore, the value
must be ascertained because the ratio of the loan to the value is one
of the considerations in the risk -rating process.
302 ( 1 ) . The Character of Value.
The word " value"
refers to the ability of useful things to produce benefits for or to meet
the needs or satisfy the desires of human beings. The meeting of such
needs or the satisfying of such desires requires the occurrence of
events which always lie in the future, never in the past; for when a
need is met or a desire is satisfied , it ceases to exist. Value does not
exist unless future benefits are in prospect. Its measure is the present
worth of benefits which will be realized only upon the occurrence of
future events .
302 ( 2). Value, as applied to real estate, may be inter
preted as meaning the price which a well - informed buyer, acting intelli
gently, voluntarily, and without necessity , would be justified or
warranted in paying for the property appraised , and a well - informed
seller of the property acting intelligently , voluntarily, and without
necessity , would be warranted in accepting.
302 (3) . The buyer in any case is not warranted in
paying more than it would cost him to reproduce the property just as
it stands and environed as it is, nor is he warranted in paying any more
than it would cost him to purchase other properties affording equal
advantages and subject to equal disadvantages. Another statement
of this same principle is this: the buyer is not warranted in paying
Part I
302-303
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
any more, and seller is not warranted in accepting any less, than
the price at which other properties having equal facilities, equal
desirability, and equal utility, and subject to the same risk of loss or
possibility of enhancement of desirability or value in the future , can
be purchased from well- informed intelligently acting owners who are
free to act of their own volition and desire.
302 (4) . A careful distinction must be made between
cost and value. The two result from different economic phenomena .
Value depends on the production of future benefits, while cost is not
necessarily, and frequently is not, a measure of such benefits .
303 ( 1 ) . Axioms of Valuation. There are certain basic
valuation principles which are axiomatic, that is, self -evident, and fun
damentally true. For example, it is evident that :
( 1 ) Valuation presupposes the existence of a buyer .
(2 ) Valuation presupposes the existence of a seller.
(3 ) Valuation presupposes a sale in which the buyer is well
informed, and acts intelligently, voluntarily, and without necessity.
(4 ) Valuation presupposes a sale in which the seller is well
informed, and acts intelligently, voluntarily, and without necessity .
(5 ) Valuation endeavors to estimate prices which are fair and
warranted , that is , prices which represent the worth at the time of
appraisal of the future benefits which will arise from ownership,
rather than prices which can be obtained in the market .
(6 ) Valuation recognizes the importance and usefulness of sales
prices provided it is determined whether or not such sales prices were
fair and warranted ; and provided the motives, intelligence, and wis
dom of the parties to the sales, as well as other conditions surrounding
them and influencing the determination of the sales prices, are ascer
tained and weighed .
(7 ) Valuation presupposes and recognizes that intelligent
buyers and sellers consider the utility of real property .
(8 ) Valuation recognizes that replacement cost at the time
of appraisal sets one approximate upper limit of possible value.
(9 ) Valuation recognizes that value may be much less than
replacement cost .
( 10 ) Valuation recognizes that the prices at which competing
properties are available for purchase set or tend to set the approximate
upper limit of possible value.
( 11 ) Valuation presupposes and recognizes that well - informed
buyers and sellers are commonly aware of the existence of competing
properties and compare their respective asking prices, desirability,
advantages, and disadvantages, and future prospects.
( 12 ) Valuation presupposes and recognizes that well- informed
buyers and sellers compare and contrast the advantages and disad
vantages of renting with those involved in ownership.
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
303-304
303 (2 ) . There is no virtue in under -valuation of prop
erties, and great risk of loss is introduced by over -valuation. Federal
Housing Administration Valuators must avoid both under - valuation
and over - valuation . Their attention is directed to the fact that
speculative elements of value cannot be considered as enhancing the
security of residential loans; rather do such elements enhance the
risk of loss to mortgagees who permit them to creep into the valuations
of properties upon which they make loans. Valuators shall not
report valuations that cannot be justified by existing conditions
which they find and of which they are aware , and by reasonable
and plausible estimates with regard to the effects of conditions which
may reasonably be expected to prevail in the near future subsequent
to the date of valuation.
303 (3) . The axioms of valuation indicate that correct
residential valuation procedure must include consideration of the
following matters:
( 1 ) Physical characteristics of the property.
(2 ) Existing and prospective environing influences - adjacent,
nearby, city -wide, regional, and national — which affect, or may or
will affect, the utility or desirability of the property .
( 3 ) Replacement cost in new condition of the improvements,
their physical condition when appraised , and their probable remaining
economic life.
(4 ) Sales and listing prices, and equally as important, the
conditions surrounding them .
(5 ) Motives, viewpoints, and reactions of buyers and sellers .
(6 ) Rental values.
(7 ) Tax, assessment, and maintenance burdens incident to
ownership or avoided by " tenantship .”
(8 ) Comparisons of competing residential properties and
their sales or asking prices to establish relative desirability and util
ity , and the consistency of the valuation reported .
USE OF DATA IN DWELLING VALUATION
304 ( 1 ) . Valuation involves the gathering and analysis
of data which are great both in quantity and variety . Valuations
will be more or less accurate according to the adequacy and reliability
of the data , and the care exercised in the use of the data .
304 ( 2 ) . The investigations which the Valuator is re
quired to make , and the data he must gather and consider for valua
tion purposes , are identical in many respects with those which must
be made or used in determining mortgage risk . Special attention
must be given to all data relating to matters which will affect the
value of the property and the security of the mortgage loan during
Part I
804
the mortgage period .
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
The value reported by the Valuator is as of a
certain designated date and may not prevail at later times because
values are not permanently fixed but are subject to fluctuation in
response to changing economic , social, and governmental conditions,
and also to neighborhood changes, city growth , and many other influ
ences . The mortgage on the appraised property will exist, barring
foreclosure, for a number of years, possibly twenty. Therefore, the
matter of the degree of stability or permanence of the existing desira
bility or utility of the appraised property, and the possibility or proba
bility of the enhancing or lessening of that desirability or utility , is of
primary and fundamental importance.
304 (3) . The reasons for this are obvious but worthy
of statement. The mortgage loan is repayable in monthly install
ments over a period of years. The mortgage debt, therefore, con
tinues for a period of years , and the need for security for the debt
likewise continues. The security for a mortgage loan is the ability
and willingness of the borrower to repay the loan , and the right of
the lender to attempt recovery of the amount of the debt by foreclo
sure and sale of the mortgaged property. An additional element of
security is provided in the case of a mortgage insured by the Federal
Housing Administration . This insurance safeguards the mortgagee
against loss in the event the borrower defaults in his mortgage con
tract and the lender is forced to foreclose and take possession of the
property . If such foreclosure takes place, the mortgagee , upon con
veying title to the property to the Federal Housing Administrator,
becomes entitled to receive the benefits of the insurance provided
under the National Housing Act. The Administrator thereby
becomes placed in the position of the mortgagee , and one step which
he may take in order to avoid loss is to sell the property which has
been conveyed to him . If such sale can be made at a price equal to
the amount which represents the liability of the Federal Housing
Administration which was created when the insurance contract was
entered into, plus any expenses incurred by the Administrator in
handling, dealing with , and disposing of the property involved , then
no loss will be experienced . Therefore, anything which lessens the
salability or value of the mortgaged property or the property owner's
desire and ability to retain title to his home, lessens the security behind
the mortgage and increases the risk of loss of capital by the lender .
It follows that mortgage security is great or small according to
the degree of stability or permanence of the desirable and favorable
influences which result in and sustain value and the borrower's ability
and willingness to pay . Mortgage security is also affected by the
degree to which unfavorable influences, which act in the opposite
direction, are effectively minimized or excluded . These factors apply
to the entire period during which the mortgage is in existence ,
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
305 ( 1 ) . Residential District Changes.
Part I
305
A superficial
examination of residential areas in any American city reveals the fact
that, with practically no exception, such districts decline in desira
bility with the passage of substantial periods of time. It is possible
that the rate of such declines will generally be slower in the future
than it has been in the past because the rate of population growth in
the United States is, apd bas been , on the decline. This factor
(population growtb ) has been one of the main causes of the loss of
desirability which residential districts have experienced . It is
obvious that as new population comes into a given region, new resi
dential areas spring up within communities that have already been
established . These newer districts present a strong appeal as places
of residence, and people living in the older districts experience the urge
to sell or rent their old homes and acquire new ones in the newly
developing residential areas. In this manner the older districts
gradually lose the aspects of owner -occupied communities and take
on the aspects of tenant -occupied districts.
305 (2) . The older district still remains desirable, but
only to families whose social status or standards of living are lower
than those of the families which have vacated the district. This
process of change in occupancy by families of successively lower
standards of living is accompanied by declines in desirability and
value . The value decline may be arrested in some cases where the
utility of the sites in a particular district undergoes a transition to
more productive uses.
However , the district almost inevitably de
clines in desirability , and usually in value as well, after it is once
established and before any sucb transition to higher uses takes place.
The rate of decline varies in different districts according to the rapid
ity with which new forces destructive of residential values operate
within each district and according to the intensity with which these
forces act. Many districts enjoy sustained value levels for long
periods of time. In fact, most of them decline very slowly and the
lapse of a number of years is necessary before the fact that a decline
is taking place becomes obvious .
305 (3 ) . The phenomenon to which attention is here
directed also results from other causes than population growth . The
development of modern transportation systems, extensions of and
changes in the routes of transportation lines within individual com
munities, and the making available of automobiles to families of
comparatively low purchasing power have promoted the develop
ment of new residential districts and greatly speeded the rate of
declines in the desirability and value of the established ones . The
encroachment of nonconforming uses in residential sections (such as.
the introduction of commercial, manufacturing, and industrial enter
61246486
Part I
305-307
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
prises ), and the physical deterioration of the buildings in these sec
tions are other obvious and common causes .
305 (4) . It is very important that the Federal Housing
Administration Valuator make a study of the causes of declines in
the desirability and utility of residential districts. Otherwise he
will not develop the greatest accuracy in his valuation opinions and
in the ratings which he must make so that mortgage risk may be
estimated .
306 ( 1 ) . It is not possible to totally exclude or prevent
the growth or operation of value -destroying influences, for it is prac
tically inevitable that all residential property will decline in desir
ability or utility, and therefore in value , with the passage of sub
stantial periods of time. This risk is known and acknowledged .
If the decline is slow , the resulting risk can be offset in mortgage
transactions by requiring periodic amortization payments on the
loan . The important thing, however, is to discover if, during the
mortgage loan period , the property involved will be subject to un
usual, extraordinary , and excessive loss of desirability, such as would
occur if the district experienced a transition from fine residential use
to industrial use, or from occupancy by people with annual family
incomes of between $2,400 and $3,000 to people with family incomes
not exceeding $ 1,200 per year .
306 (2) . It is, therefore, especially important to search
diligently for the presence of any adverse influences which lessen or
destroy desirability or utility, and to discover the absence of safe
guards which are intended to protect against declines in value or
desirability. In such categories are included the following:
(a) A declining population in the neighborhood or community
or region ;
(6 ) A decline, or danger of decline, of the desirability of the
neighborhood through the influx of people of lower living standards;
(c) A decline, or danger of decline, of the desirability of the
neighborhood as a place of residence through the introduction into
it of commercial , industrial, or manufacturing enterprises, or nui
sances or inharmonious uses of any kind ;
(d ) Lack of appropriate and adequate deed restrictions and
effective provisions for the enforcement thereof;
(e ) Lack of appropriate and adequate zoning regulations.
307 ( 1 ) . Use of Sales Prices. Included in data the
Valuator must obtain is information regarding sales transactions in
volving residences similar to those which he must appraise. In the
past, and to a large extent still, great importance has been attached
to sales prices. They are frequently not as important as has been
believed. This is because the price in a given real estate sale results
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
307
from the points of view and the necessities of the particular parties
to the transaction , either or both of whom may have been poorly
informed , or motivated by unusual or compelling circumstances.
Before the sales price in any case can be of any substantial use , the
Valuator must obtain certain information regarding the conditions
and circumstances which existed when the sale was made.
Sucb
information includes :
(a ) The actuating motives of buyer and seller ;
(6 ) The relative intelligence of buyer and seller in negotiating
the sale ;
(c) The relative skill in bargaining of the buyer and seller;
(d) The fairness of the price paid in view of prices asked for
available properties affording equal advantages and subject to equal
possibilities of enhancement or loss of value;
(e ) The date of the sale and the general and specific environing
and economic conditions which then existed and whether or not such
conditions have changed since that date.
307 (2) . It must be noted , too , that sales prices are of
varying usefulness and importance according to the rapidity with
which price levels of real property may be changing. In an unusually
active sales market, such as exists in " boom " times, accompanied by
rapidly rising prices, the stimulus given to prices by strongly compet
ing buyers becomes such that fairness, as regards the prices paid ,
disappears. Stability and permanence are nonexistent at such times,
as well as in times of rapidly declining prices, and the prices then
obtained in sales are almost worthless as useful information in estimat
ing value, though their frequency, coupled with pyramiding prices,
constitutes a warning of the imminence of a reversal of the price trend .
Only in times of comparative stability of the price structure are sales
prices of substantial worth in valuation work . Thus after a price
decline has set in , developed , and finally spent its force, as at the end
of a period of economic distress, and voluntary sales transactions
begin to occur , it is probable that the sales prices in such transactions
will be equal to or closely approximate warranted prices, i . e . , value,
provided the parties are well -informed and act intelligently.
A
Valuator will generally over -value property unless he recognizes the
changing relationships between sales prices and value. He should
understand that in certain periods sales prices may generally exceed
value , while during other periods the prices may be below value.
Only in times of comparative stability of the general economic struc
ture, and during periods when there is a fairly well- balanced relation
between the factors of supply and demand, will sales prices approxi
mate or actually equal value . If a Valuator does not understand these
considerations he will appraise incorrectly .
As sales prices increase
Part I
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UNDERWRITING MANUAL
in a rising market, his value estimates will accompany the prices in
their climb to a peak. Before they reach their peak, however, they
may have outstripped value . Later when a break occurs and prices
start down, his point of view will cause him to maintain his value
estimates at higher levels, although the value levels are below the sales
prices at the peak and stay below them in the early stages of the
decline. In the later stages they will become equal to the prices and
then , for a time , exceed them . It is apparent that Valuators must
understand sales -price and value-relationships under varying general
economic conditions and under varying directions or trends of price
changes.
307 (3) . As a general observation , it may be said that
the rate of change of real estate prices will indicate the relative use
fulness and importance of sales prices; the greater the rate of price
change, the lesser the significance of sales prices, and vice versa .
308. Often it is said that prices at foreclosure or forced
sales are not fair and therefore of no use. This may or may not
be true. In times of declining price levels, a forced sale might be
made quickly for an amount which would be higher than that ob
tainable if a reasonable time elapsed during which efforts to obtain
a higher price were made . Such a forced sales price could easily
be as much as (or even more than ) was warranted at the time . In
periods of comparative stability , or of advancing price levels , it is
probable that forced sales prices are unfair and of little worth as
useful data in valuation work .
309 ( 1 ) . Sales prices are of importance when they can
be analyzed and made to reveal points of view regarding value held
by substantial numbers of persons. In so far as they represent the
value estimates of isolated individuals they are of little worth as part
of the data needed in solving appraisal problems. This places
emphasis where it belongs, namely , on the " why ” and “ wherefore "
of the particular prices paid in specific transactions, rather than upon
the prices themselves.
309 (2 ) . Unless the sales transactions regarding which
information is gathered occurred close to the time at which the
Valuator makes his appraisal, correction because of changed environ
ing and economic conditions may be necessitated .
310 ( 1 ) . When sales prices are found to be fair and
are used by the Valuator, it is of extreme importance that careful
comparison of the physical characteristics of the property being
appraised and the one that was sold be made; and that a similar
comparison of environmental influences and their probable future
effects on the desirability and value of each property also be made.
The one property must then be intelligently and correctly rated in
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
terms of its relative desirability as compared to the other.
Part I
310-312
Then the
sales price of the one can be modified accordingly and regarded as a
tentative index of the value of the other property . For example , a
single family residence was sold for $ 10,000 . Investigation convinces
the appraiser that the sale price was fair and reasonable .
A rating
of 100 % is assigned this property for the purpose of comparing it
with a property being appraised. The two properties are compared .
The Valuator notes similarities and differences with respect to the
sizes of the houses, excellence of construction and design, floor plan ,
facilities, equipment, interior finish, probable remaining economic
lives, relative stability and permanence of the desirability of their
respective environments, respective fair monthly rental values, tax
burdens, cost of maintenance, and other factors . The property
being appraised is finally rated 80 % and the sales price ($ 10,000 ) is
modified by multiplying it by 80 % . The resulting figure of $8,000
is tentatively assigned as the value of the second property .
310 (2) . It is important to note that only properties of
substantially similar and equal desirability and general character
istics can properly be compared where the purpose is to resolve the
fair value of one property into a figure indicative of the fair value
of another. Thus it would be wrong practice to compare a property
which sold for and was fairly worth $ 15,000 with a property having
a residential structure with one half the number of rooms of the first
one and considered desirable only by people of substantially lower
purchasing power than that of those who could afford to buy and own
a $ 15,000 home .
311. Many of the statements made herein with regard
to sales prices also apply to consideration of asking or listing prices
for sales purposes. The latter are useful when comparisons are
made between listed properties and a property being appraised.
Ratings of the listed properties are made in terms of the desirability
and utility of the property to be appraised , and the listing prices are
modified accordingly so as to determine a fair listing price for the
property involved . This is done as in the case of the use of sales
prices. Listing prices generally may be regarded as fixing the maxi
mum value for properties of equal desirability . They do not, how
ever, of themselves, indicate fair values, and they must not be
regarded or used as if they did do so .
312 ( 1 ) . Use of Rental Data .
Asking prices for rental
purposes are somewhat different from such prices for purposes of
sale . Rental prices asked usually conform very closely ( frequently
they conform completely ) to fair rental prices, and to rental prices
actually paid or readily obtainable. Monthly rental values bear a
relationship to capital or sales values - a very close relationship ,
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312-313
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
except, perhaps, in the case of high - priced homes .
Because of this
fact they are useful and important in appraisal work . It is apparent
that rental value will vary somewhat according to the value variations
of property. Properties of greater value will have higher rental values
than those of lesser worth , other things being equal. As a property
ages and declines in value, its rental value will decline also. It is
important to note, however, that while several properties may have
the same monthly rental value, their capital values may be different,
because of such conditions as differences in the remaining economic
lives of the structures, and differences in tax burdens, maintenance
costs, and in the stability of the neighborhoods. It is essential, there
fore, that rental data be used only in conjunction with other impor
tant data, for the relationship between capital value and monthly
rental value is a varying one and can be determined in any case only
by ascertaining other matters affecting utility and desirability.
312 (2) . Inasmuch as a vast number of residential
properties now in existence are of a type which are commonly rented
out to tenants and, to a large extent, purchased or owned for such
rental purposes, the determination of the fair monthly rental value
of the property being appraised affords a very important approach
to the solution of the appraisal problem . If the appraiser fully
understands that there is usually a very close relationship between
monthly rental value and capital value, and ascertains this rela
tionship in individual cases, he will find that the monthly rental
value provides a very reliable index to aid in guiding his judgment
to his final conclusion .
312 (3) . In determining fair monthly rental value,
rentals paid or asked for like accommodations equally well located
must be ascertained . Rentals for inferior or superior accommoda
tions are also useful , for, by comparing and rating the various rental
units, actual rentals paid can be modified and used in estimating
fair rental value of vacant or owner -occupied premises.
313 ( 1 ) . There is always a rental market. Sales
prices of real estate have been subject to violent changes as have
all other prices in times past . When merchandise prices decline,
merchants clear their shelves by taking the best prices they can
get. They then buy new goods at lower prices and are able to
continue in business. However , when realty prices fall, owners
withdraw property from sale or else continue to ask prices that will
enable them to recover their costs. The result is that real estate
sales (except under compelling circumstances) cease to occur and
a “ frozen ” market comes into being. In a reasonably active real
estate market, the public's estimate as to value is ascertainable
and is useful in valuation work . When the market freezes and
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
313-314
property sales disappear due to declines in all prices , then it be
comes more difficult to estimate fair value, because people then are
not expressing their value estimates in purchases of properties.
However, there is always a residential rental market; and since rent
paying ability determines rental levels, and since this ability usually
changes shortly after or almost simultaneously with declines or rises
in value levels, but is little influenced by speculation which creates
artificially high and unsustainable price levels, therefore, residential
rental levels are nearly always excellent approaches to the determina
tion of residential property values and the determination of the
extent of changes in such values.
313 (2) . Again , in practically all residential neighbor
hoods when the " newness" of the district has disappeared, it is
common to find many homes vacated by their owners and rented
to tenants . Homes in such neighborhoods gradually acquire the
characteristics of investments, that is, they are no longer bought or
sold primarily as " homes" but as investments, and the net rental
returns they will produce become of primary importance in esti
mating their values. It is apparent that the “ value -rent ” relation
ship becomes more and more significant as the life of a residential
structure progresses. It is of the utmost importance that Valu
ators in making value estimates relating to dwellings which are not
new or in an early life stage, base these in large part upon the net
income, not the gross income, reasonably to be expected from these
properties. Estimates which rely heavily or solely upon estimates
of cost of replacement in new condition less arbitrarily determined
deductions for accrued depreciation ( such as by use of the so -called
" straight- line" method ) are likely to be very inaccurate, for they
ignore the value -rent relationship as well as other important data.
314 ( 1) . Use of Replacement Costs . Valuation pro
cedure consists of first estimating how high the value in a given case
could possibly be under ideal conditions if the building improvements
involved were new — that is, fixing a valuation " ceiling " -and then
narrowing the zone between zero and this ultimate upper maximum
as much as possible by analyzing and interpreting pertinent data.
In other words, the appraisal process involves confining the judgment
as to value within brackets and then narrowing the brackets as much
as is possible. The topmost upper bracket or limit of possible value
is the cost of replacement of the property in a given case , assuming the
building improvements to be in new condition . The first step of the
Valuator in analyzing and interpreting data is to fix this uppermost
bracket of possible value. Under the direction of the Chief Archi
tectural Supervisor estimates of the cost of replacement of building
improvements in new condition are made by the Valuator or are
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UNDERWRITING MANUAL
furnished to him by an Architectural Inspector.
These estimates
relating to building improvements are then utilized by the Valuator
to make an estimate of the cost of replacement of the entire property
land and buildings and all rights arising from ownership - in new
condition . This latter estimate becomes the topmost upper bracket
of possible value.
The word " possible " is chosen deliberately.
It
signifies that while value may possibly be equal to this uppermost
limit , it is also possible that it may be any amount below this limit.
This distinction is of the utmost importance and Federal Housing
Administration Valuators must understand the reasons for the dis
tinction. Comparatively few people realize that cost may substan
tially exceed value .
Value depends entirely upon usefulness
utility - not upon the costs of construction or replacement.
It is
true that value tends to conform to cost but this is not to imply that
it is always equivalent to cost. No value would result if an ocean
liner were to be constructed at an inland point from which it could
not be moved because no navigable stream would accommodate its
draft. Similarly, the expenditure of money for a dwelling structure
does not necessarily create value equal to the cost . The purpose of
the cost estimates made or used by Valuators must be fully compre
hended.
These estimates are not intended as measures of value , and
are not to be so regarded . They merely indicate the possibility that
value to an equivalent amount may exist. It is the Valuator's task
to decide whether or not the possibility is an actuality in any case.
His reports must show that he is distinguishing between cost and
value.
314 (2 ) . Another reason why cost of construction may
be in excess of value at a given time is that under some circumstances
a reduction in cost may be in prospect, and if construction costs
decline, value will also decline if it was equal to cost in the first
place. Thus , assume that a new method of constructing buildings
is invented . At first the costs of using it are great due , in part, to
high production costs attendant upon the construction of newly
devised machinery required to manufacture special materials or
fabricate special units used in the new construction method ; due ,
also , to high promotional costs attendant upon the introductions of
a new method to the public and the creating of a public demand for
its use ; and due to high labor costs when the method is being intro
duced because of lack of skill of building craftsmen in dealing with
unorthodox materials or utilizing construction devices or methods
not familiar to them . Obviously when the pioneering stage has been
passed , production costs will be decreased through mass production,
and labor costs will decline through increased skill of the laborers.
It is plain that the costs involved in the beginning must exceed value
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
314
because of the prospect of declines in costs if for no other reason .
This, perbaps , would not be true if a dwelling were a short- lived
commodity like certain articles of wearing apparel which may be
much more valuable than their cost when they are new and represent
the first -appearing of a new style . The satisfaction of having been
first to introduce the style compensates the wearer for the initial
excessive cost, and though he quickly discards the article he feels he
has received value for his money . But dwellings involve substan
tially large expenditures and they must last for a long time. There
fore if a decline in construction cost is in prospect , the intelligent
buyer will consider the value to be , at most, no higher than the
point to which construction costs will decline , unless be may believe
that some benefit will accrue to him by being first to own a house
of a new style . It is more than likely, however, that he would not
believe that any such benefit would accrue from style alone ; it would
have to come from superior living qualities and lesser operating and
maintenance costs , combined with lower construction costs than for
houses of usual type . It follows that, in cases involving new con
struction methods or materials, replacement costs may be of rela
tively little significance in valuation analyses , while the costs of
replacement of building improvements of the same design, size , and
layout, but built with orthodox materials and by traditional methods,
are likely to be of greater significance. In such cases , the latter costs
rather than the former , will tend to fix the upper limit of possible
value insofar as the building improvements are concerned .
314 ( 3 ) . In the previous paragraph reference was
made to the cost of replacement of a property.”
Such an estimate
should properly include all items of expense to which an individual
would be subjected if he were to undertake to replace or reproduce the
improvements involved in any case upon a site of equal desirability
or value. These items would include not only cost of land and build
ings but additional items as indicated in the following list :
( 1 ) Price at which an equally desirable site can be purchased.
(2 ) Expenses incidental to the acquisition of the site .
(3 ) Cost of preparing the site for improvement, including costs
of grading, terracing, retaining walls, and land
scaping .
( 4 ) The cost (to the owner) of construction of the improve
ments .
(5 ) Other items of expense during the construction period ,
such as :
(a ) Loss of interest upon invested capital .
Part I
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UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(6 ) Pro rata cost of taxes on land during construction
period .
( c) Pro rata cost of taxes on improvements .
(d) Pro rata cost of hazard insurance.
(6) Allowances for:
(a) Cost of financing ( if any) .
(6 ) Cost of mortgage insurance ( if any ).
From the foregoing, it is apparent that the Valuator's estimate of the
replacement cost of a given “ property" in new condition would exceed
the sum of the replacement cost of the building improvements and the
land, as such . This, at the same time, emphasizes the distinction
between “ land and buildings ", and " property ” , for the land and build
ings are simply material things while the property " which an in
dividual purchaser seeks and buys is, in reality, the rights and bene
fits arising from ownership . These rights and benefits sometimes are
equivalent in value to the costs to which a purchaser would be sub
jected and the allowances which it would be proper to make if he were
to attempt to reproduce or replace the physical property which he
contemplates buying or which is the subject of appraisal. It is the
replacement cost of the “ property ” rather than merely of land and
buildings which sets the approximate upper limit of possible value.***
314 (4) . An illustration of an estimate of the cost of
replacement of a property in new condition is given below .
Estimated Cost of Replacement of Building
Improvements in New Condition
Main Building
Garage ..
Other Improvements .
$6, 447
412
205
Total.-
$7,064
Cost of Replacement of Property in New Condition
$ 7,064
Building improvements (as above ) --Price at which an equally desirable site can be
1 , 350
purchased
Cost of grading, terracing, retaining walls, and
320
landscaping Miscellaneous:
Expenses incidental to acquisition of site,
such as cost of drawing conveyancing
instruments , monetary fees, recording
fees .
15
$ 7,064
1 , 350
320
$ 15
Part I
314
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
( Cost of Replacement of Property in New Condition - Continued )
(Miscellaneous - Continued )
Survey of site .
$25
$25
Fire, wind- storm , and other hazard insur
ance during 4 mos . construction period ..
Cost of financing and mortgage insurance .
Pro rata portion of tax on land during con
struction period of 4 mos . ($30 x 4/12 ) -Pro rata portion of tax on improvements
during construction period .
(No tax ) --
10
10
100
100
10
10
0
0
Subtotal (Total cash investment )------ $8, 894
Interest on invested capital at rate of 6 % per
annum for construction period of 4 mos .
($8,894 x 6 % x 4/12 ) ----
Subtotal (Miscellaneous items) .
178
$338
338
Total Estimated Cost of Replacement of Property in New
Condition .
$ 9, 072
314 (5) . Some of the items or allowances in the cost
estimate may not create equivalent value in a particular case but may ,
on the other hand, lessen the possible value . For example, the financ
ing in a given case may be unwise , and not only would the act of
incurring the cost of financing fail to create equivalent value, but the
completed property would be found less valuable than would be the
case if it were not encumbered with the mortgage financing which the
owner had negotiated . Again , the structure erected might be inap
propriate to the neighborhood and the completed property would be
less valuable than its cost . This again calls attention to the fact that
estimates of replacement cost are of little significance in valuation
work except as maxima . An owner might erect a house which would
cost him 50 percent more than the houses which generally characterize
the neighborhood ; but the value might be less than that of other
houses nearby providing the same facilities. In such a case a con
dition of " over - improvement” would exist, that is, the cost of the
improvement would be substantially over and above that which the
neighborhood standards would warrant . If the house was not up
to neighborhood standards and cost substantially less than typical
residences nearby, " under -improvement ” would exist; or if the house
were erected on a business site it would be a "misplaced ” improve
ment . In all such cases , the value created by the erection of the
structures would be less than their costs of reproduction , and the cost
estimates would not be measures of the values that could properly
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UNDERWRITING MANUAL
be attributed to the improvements as fractions of the " land -and
improvements ” unit.
The expenditure of money for retaining walls
and terracing and landscaping may also prove wasteful since exces
sive expenditures on account of such items may create value to the
extent of but a fraction of their cost. This is a matter which the
Valuator must clearly understand .
314 (6) . Notwithstanding the fact that there are three
types of items in the estimate of replacement cost of property ,
namely, ( 1 ) cost of building improvements, (2 ) land price, and (3 )
miscellaneous costs , when it comes to the distribution of a total value
estimate between the elements of which the property is comprised,
the entire amount can be divided between only two items— ( 1 ) land
and (2 ) buildings. For example , assume that in the illustration above
the value of the property equals the cost estimate of approximately
$9,000 . The cost estimate shows building cost $ 7,064 , lot price
$ 1,350 , and all other items $ 658 . Since it is assumed that the
value equals the cost , these three amounts must become reflected in
land value or building value or both. A proper distribution in this
case might be $ 1,600 land value and $7,400 building value .
In the
great majority of cases where cost and value are equal - and, obviously,
this can only occur in the case of new buildings, and not even then in
some cases -- the miscellaneous items become elements of building
value rather than of land value. This will be true unless the erection
of the building raises the level of land value of the entire neighborhood ,
an event which rarely happens. Of course , if a large number of
buildings are quickly erected in a new tract and the development is
a successful one, the level of land value can be raised by the entire
building operation . In this case , part or all of the miscellaneous
items in the cost estimate may be reflected in the land value . This is
the unusual case , however . The ordinary case is the one in which the
miscellaneous items are reflected in the building value, provided, of
course , that value and cost are equal. The truth of this becomes
apparent when the reverse of the building process is assumed . Assume
the building to be removed : there remains a lot such as there was
before and of the same value as before. Whatever of value disap
peared with the removal of the building, went along with the building
and must therefore have been an element of building value. But if
forty residences were erected and lot values rose from $800 to $ 1,000,
the removal of one house would not result in reducing the value of
the lot on which it stood from $ 1,000 to $ 800 ; the lot would still be
worth $ 1,000 . These same results would not follow if old instead of
new buildings and old instead of new neighborhoods were involved ,
as is pointed out elsewhere in this Section .
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
314-315
314 ( 7) . The building cost estimates which are used by
the Valuator give the cost of duplicating the structures involved in
new condition . The significance of such estimates is greatest in the
case of new , or nearly new , structures. They become of less and less
significance as older and older buildings are the subjects of valuation .
In a great many cases the buildings to be appraised will not be new
ones . The cost estimates therefore will be of hardly any significance
at all, and the Valuator's attention and consideration will have to be
centered almost entirely upon :
(a) The actual physical condition of the structure upon the
property which he is appraising ;
(6 ) The relative substantiality of construction ;
(c ) The presence of obsolescence ;
( d ) The manner and speed with which future deterioration
will limit the production of future benefits and limit remaining physical
and economic life ;
( e ) The manner and speed with future obsolescence will limit
the production of future benefits and limit remaining economic life ;
V The probable remaining economic life ;
( g ) The extent and degree of future utility ;
(h ) The degree of conformity or nonconformity to typical
neighborhood standards;
(i) The quality and stability of the neighborhood and the
social and financial characteristics of its inhabitants ;
6) Rental values, tax burdens , and other costs of ownership ,
and the many other matters to which attention is drawn in this
Manual.
314 (8) . Determination of the replacement costs of the
sites involved in specific cases , and discussion of essential data with
regard to this subject, will be found in this Section under the title
“ Comparative Method of Estimation .”
VALUATION CONCEPTS
315 ( 1) . Averages and Normal Value.
It is appropriate
to give a word of warning regarding the use of averages in appraisal
work .
It is quite common to hear appraisers speak of some “ average"
condition , “ average ” price , “ average " value , “ average " house, or
" average” lot . When they mean " typical” it is possible that their
concepts may be correct. However, there is a distinction to be made
between that which is “ average" and that which is " typical."
315 (2) . Assume that the average value of the residen
tial properties in a given block is $3,500 . The values of the indi
vidual properties range from $ 2,000 to $6,000 and none of them has
Part I
315-317
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
a value of $3,500 .
However, there are more houses in the block that
are worth $4,000 than there are properties worth any other figure,
and $4,000 is, therefore , the typical value of houses in this particular
area . In the illustration it is readily seen that the average value is
of no significance in appraising any residence in the block . However,
the typical value would be very important in appraising both typical
houses and those which are not typical.
315 (3 ) . An average figure or condition can only be of
substantial use in appraisal procedure if it is composed of quantities
that do not vary considerably from the average itself. Generally,
in real estate valuation work , it is much more helpful to ascertain
that which is most common or typical, rather than to seek out aver
ages . There are exceptions, however, as, for example, when the data
refer to district vacancies .
316. The best type of residential district is one in which
the values of the individual properties vary within comparatively
narrow limits.
In such a district one is likely to find people whose
living standards likewise are substantially the same , although their
individual tastes in some respects may be widely different. Such a
district is characterized by uniformity and is much more likely to
enjoy relatively great stability and permanence of desirability , util
ity , and value than a district in which the residential values are
found to vary within wider limits. In both cases one of the first
steps the Valuator must take is to determine the characteristics of
that which he would consider the typical (not the average ) residential
property in the district. In so far as properties in an area depart
from that which is typical, it will be found that fair values will be
less than replacement costs.
317. Sometimes statistics are published which report
various averages applying to entire municipalities or states , or the
nation as a whole. Some appraisers have used such averages by
applying them directly in cases involving particular properties.
Such practices are dangerous unless it is first ascertained that the
average figure can be properly utilized in the specific case which
engages the appraiser's attention . Thus , if it be reported that there
has been a 30 % decline in rental values in a particular city during
the previous four years, this figure should not be utilized in individual
cases where an estimate of current rental value is being made. The
past rental value should not be reduced 30 % and the resultant figure
used as the current rental value unless it be known that the immediate
district in which the property under consideration is located has
experienced a decline in that amount. It is entirely possible that the
district has experienced a decline of 10 % or of 50 % in spite of the
fact that the drop in the entire community has averaged 30 % .
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
318-319
318 ( 1 ) . Normal value is a term which is very fre
quently used by real estate appraisers and others. While the term
is so commonly heard, it is very rarely that one can satisfactorily
define the concept so designated. Usually normal value is made to
refer to some price or value of the past which was higher than that
which exists at the time the statement is made. Such a concept is
very apt to result in unsound valuations because it is nearly always
accompanied by the belief that in a short time prices and values will
return to " normal " , and, therefore, that it is not proper to recognize
existing conditions and facts which have created present values
at points which the appraiser considers are not " normal.”
318 (2 ) . The instability of the general price structure
in times past has caused great fluctuation in real estate price levels,
so that there is no single level that can be pointed out as a " normal"
one. It is possible that if a certain general price level can be main
tained indefinitely , then a " normal" value for various types of real
property may become a reality . In the meantime, normal real estate
value can exist only in the sense of that which is typical under con
ditions current at the time of appraisal, not past or future ones .
318 (3) . The foregoing statements are not to be inter
preted as meaning that the past or the future cannot be considered
when determining real estate values. The past is often very useful
in forecasting the future , and the manner in which events have
occurred in the past may in some cases be a very reliable indication
of what will happen in the future. However, new influences and
relationships continually come into being which affect real estate
prices and value. Therefore, it is essential to consider to what extent
the possible repetition of past events will be modified by the effects
of such new influences in the future. Furthermore, all values, of
whatever kind, lie in the future, and the process of estimating values
necessitates the making of assumptions with regard to the future.
The warning which is sounded herein is against assuming that some
certain level of real estate prices that existed at one time or another
is “ normal” , and that therefore prices will inevitably gravitate to
that level in the future
319 ( 1) . Remaining Economic Life and Physical Life
Because buildings are subject to physical deterioration
and obsolescence, their periods of usefulness are definitely limited .
As they deteriorate or obsolesce , their ability to serve useful purposes
decreases, and eventually disappears. This decline and ultimate
disappearance of utility may occur gradually or rapidly . The period
of Buildings.
of time between the completion of a building and the disappearance
of its ability to produce services or net income over and above a fair
return on the land value is the total “ economic life” of the structure .
Part I
319
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
At the end of its economic life, it may still be structurally sound and
in good physical condition , so that it can still be useful though not
profitably useful. The period of time between the completion of the
building and the time when it is no longer fit or safe for use , or no
longer practicable to attempt to maintain it in safe, usable condition,
is its total " physical life ."
319 ( 2 ) . Valuators are required to give estimates of the
remaining economic lives and physical lives of buildings.
Archi
tectural Inspectors also make estimates of the remaining physical
lives of buildings. In either case , the estimates should be for the
period from the time of examination until the predicted end of life,
rather than estimates of the total lives described in the foregoing
paragraph .
319 (3 ) . The value of any property arises from its
ability to produce returns for its owner. He receives these returns
either by occupying the property and receiving services from it,
sometimes called " amenities" , or by renting the property to a tenant
who receives the services and pays the owner its equivalent monetary
worth in the form of rent. The difference between the total services
or total rent and the expenses is the net returns or net income . The
value of property arises from its capacity to produce net returns.
Therefore, the characteristics of the future net income-stream must
be forecast in valuation work . The future net income- stream has
three characteristics , namely, ( 1 ) quantity-the size of the income
stream at the time of appraisal and thereafter ; ( 2 ) quality — the
changeability of the size in the future ; and (3 ) durability — the period
of time during which the stream , in any size, will endure. Deteriora
tion and obsolescence will decrease the amount of net returns from
time to time in the future, thereby decreasing the margin between
the amounts of net returns and the periodic amounts which represent
a fair return on the value of the land . The services of the land as a
building site are not limited as to duration , but continue indefinitely
into the future, for the land does not deteriorate and disintegrate.
Its earning capacity is continuous and is usually considered to be
interminable, that is , a perpetuity. However, the services of the
buildings are definitely limited in duration owing to the fact that the
buildings will eventually become useless , due to tbe operation of
forces which cause deterioration , disintegration and obsolescence.
Therefore, that portion of the income, whether measured in services
or dollars, which is attributable to the buildings, is of definitely
limited duration and subject to decline during the period of its con
tinuance.
Eventually , the value of the property declines until land
value only remains . At such a time, the building has reached the
end of its economic life .
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
319
319 (4 ) . It is to be noted that economic life can never
be greater than physical life . An estimate of the probable remaining
physical life of a structure is useful in fixing its maximum possible
remaining economic life, as well as in determining the qualities of the
building from an engineering standpoint. Of course , the estimated
remaining economic life may be, and usually is, less than the maxi
mum possible economic life indicated by the estimate of remaining
physical life as is made clear below .
319 ( 5 ) . In valuation work estimates of both physical
life and of economic life are made . Both types of lives are dealt
with and they are jointly treated , for the factors which limit them
both operate to lessen property values and often cannot be differ
entiated one from the other.
Both of these types of forces must be
considered by the Valuator . However, in a great majority of cases
those factors which result in obsolescence seem to operate with greater
rapidity than the ones which result directly in physical deterioration .
In most instances this results in the termination of economic life
before physical life becomes exhausted . This fact causes the distinc
tion which is made between the probable physical lives of residential
buildings and their probable economic lives . It is the probable future
economic life of a residence being appraised , rather than its probable
future physical life , which is of importance in valuation work , for
the greater the remaining economic life , the greater will be the value
in a specific case .
319 ( 6 ) . It is apparent from the foregoing that Valua
tors must clearly understand the significance of the terms " economic
life ” and “ physical life " and the distinction between them .
Other
wise their valuation estimates will not be reliable . For example ,
consider two properties the value of whose services at the time of
appraisal is the same , this being indicated by identical rental values
of $50 per month for each property . Both houses involved are equally
well - built and each can be assigned a remaining physical life of 50
years. However, the locations are different in character, and plaus
ible estimates of probable remaining economic lives are 25 years for
one and 40 years for the other. Obviously the property having the
house with the longer probable economic life is more valuable than
the other one , assuming the same expenses of operation in each case .
However , if the valuator did not understand the significance and dis
tinction between economic life and physical life, he would be tempted
to appraise both properties at the same amount .
319 (7 ) . The economic lives of residential structures
are limited . They are of shorter or longer duration according to :
(a ) The excellence of the workmanship and the durability of
the materials entering into construction ;
51286-36
Part I
319-321
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(6) The policy of the owners or occupants with regard to
maintenance and repair ;
(c) The
(d) The
heat , cold , and
( e ) The
use or abuse to which the structures are subjected ;
rapidity with which natural forces such as wind, rain,
fog , cause physical deterioration ;
permanence or mutability of favorable or unfavorable
environmental influences;
( ) The fortunes or misfortunes ( from the economic stand
point) of the community or region in which the properties are located;
(g ) The trend of changes in value of the sites upon which
they stand ;
(h) Their degree of conformity or nonconformity with their
surroundings;
(i ) The creation of new inventions , or the making of new dis
coveries , which result in changes in the tastes and preferences of
human beings and their modes of living, such as discoveries which
have resulted in the creation of new and more desirable building
materials, and inventions which have provided new conveniences in
homes, such as electric lighting, electric refrigeration, and air condi
tioning.
320. Some of the factors which shorten the useful lives
of dwellings can be controlled or partially offset but others are beyond
the control of any single property owner or group of owners . In
cases where control is possible , it frequently is not practically feasible
because of the costs entailed in exercising the control .
321 ( 1 ) . The economic life of a residence will terminate
at such time as its presence upon its site ceases to enhance the value
of the site . This may be illustrated as follows: It is found that an
old residence is capable of producing an annual income which is in
sufficient to pay the taxes upon the property to say nothing of the
costs of repairs, insurance, and maintenance, or the production of any
returns upon the value of the lot on which it stands. Since its
facilities are inadequate to produce any net returns, its useful life
has come to an end . The improvements upon the lot in such a case
possess no more value than the amount which can be obtained
from a purchaser who will buy them and remove them from the site.
321 (2 ) . In another case an old residential property is
found to produce annual revenue sufficient only to pay for taxes ,
insurance, and maintenance, and an additional amount which is
found to be a proper and sufficient return upon the value of the site
only . Note that there is no return which might properly be attributed
to the improvements upon the land. In this case the improvements
are producing only enough revenue to take care of the necessary ex
penditures and a return upon the land value . The economic life of the
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
321-323
improvements has, therefore, come to an end because of the inability
of the structure to justify its existence by producing a net return in
excess of the necessary returns to management and land , and it is
found that the value of the property is approximately the same as
that of the land alone.
322 ( 1 ) . The future economic lives of buildings cannot
be precisely determined, due to the impossibility of foreseeing the
occurrence of events or new discoveries which affect the values of
existing structures by making them obsolete or by hastening and
intensifying the operation of those forces which produce obsolescence .
All that can be expected is that estimates of future economic life will
be of such character as will cause them to be accepted as plausible
by well -informed and reasonably -minded people.
322 ( 2) . No very definite instructions can be given with
regard to the estimating of the probable future economic lives of
residential buildings. Very careful consideration must be given to
those matters to which attention has been directed herein . Of course ,
influences will come into existence in the future which will affect the
economic lives of residential structures in general. Other influences
will come into existence in particular cities, or neighborhoods, or
blocks or squares , within these communities. The most that can be
hoped for is that the Valuator will identify and give effect to such
influences as are known to exist or can be foreseen .
322 (3 ) . One thing that can be appropriately stated is
this: the probable future economic life of any residence is not de
pendent upon its present age, except insofar as great age may result
in a comparatively limited future physical life and thereby become
the most important factor in limiting remaining economic life.
Economic life, however, is solely dependent upon continuing ability
to produce returns, in dollars or in services, in excess of the necessary
expenses and a fair return on the land value.
322 (4) . While it is impossible to gauge the accuracy of
economic life estimates except in a very general way, it is possible
and necessary for Valuators to be consistent in making such estimates.
In cases of properties of very similar character and situation, the esti
mates will also be similar . Poorly built or environed structures will
be ascribed shorter lives. Better built or environed structures will be
ascribed longer lives.
323 ( 1 ) . It is believed that insofar as properties of the
type with which Federal Housing Administration Valuators must
deal that estimates of remaining economic life in excess of fifty years
will in no case be warranted, and that an estimate for this period
will apply only to now buildings receiving high Ratings of Property
Part I
323
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
and in locations receiving favorable feature ratings in the Location
category . In making these estimates Valuators should receive ma
terial assistance from analyses of the conditions and relationships
reflected in individual feature ratings in the Property and Location
categories . The feature ratings in these categories are indexes of the
relative stability of the income-stream , either in the nature of dollars
or services , which may be expected from the properties to which they
apply . High feature ratings in the Property and Location categories
will indicate that estimates of remaining economic life should be high
when compared to the possible maximum which the Valuator con
siders might apply under the most favorable conditions, and the
higher the ratings the more nearly should the estimate approach the
possible maximum .
323 (2) . Low ratings of the features in the Property
category will indicate that the estimate of remaining economic life
should likewise be relatively low , and the lower the ratings the further
should the estimate depart from the possible maximum applicable
under the most favorable conditions.
323 ( 3 ) . Low ratings of the features in the Location
category will not necessarily indicate that the estimate of remaining
economic life should also be relatively low . The economic life estimate
may be relatively high if the Rating of Property is high, although the
Rating of Location may simultaneously be low . This is true because
of the opposite effects produced on the economic life estimate and
on the Location rating by threatening or possible encroachments of
nonconforming land uses and by threatening or possible infiltration
of inharmonious racial groups. The possibility or imminence of such
encroachments or infiltrations will always result in low ratings of
some of the features in the Location category . However , these same
forces may operate to either extend or shorten the remaining economic
lives of structures in the areas involved. For example, if there is any
possibility of encroachment by a nonconforming use which will tend
to raise the level of land values in the neighborhood under considera
tion , this will have the effect of shortening the remaining economic
lives of residential structures in the district . On the other hand , if
the threatened encroachment involves the introduction of land uses
which will result in lowering the levels of land value in the neighbor
hood, the effect will be to lengthen the remaining economic lives of
the residential structures therein . In the first instance the introduc
tion of the more profitable uses will result in higher tax burdens ,
decreased percentage of owner -occupancy , and a decline in the gross
rental value of properties in the neighborhood . These forces will
operate to hasten the time when the residential structures cannot
produce income in excess of a fair return on the value of land and ,
Part I
323
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
therefore, will shorten the span of remaining economic life.
In the
second case the introduction of less profitable uses will tend to lower
tax burdens , and , while it will also decrease the percentage of owner
occupancy and the gross rental value and probably will lessen the
amount of net returns that can be produced , it will , at the same time ,
tend to maintain net returns at a point sufficient to assign a portion
of it as a return on the buildings. The infiltration of inharmonious
racial groups will produce the same effects as those which follow the
introduction of nonconforming land uses which tend to lower the
levels of land values and to lessen the desirability of residential areas .
In other words the probable future economic lives of the residential
structures will be lengthened .
323 ( 4 ) . The
Property
and
Location
category
and
feature ratings become especially significant and useful in the making
of estimates of remaining economic life when they are interpreted in
connection with the amounts of net income in dollars which may
reasonably be expected from the properties under appraisal . For
example , assume that in a given case it is found that of the gross
rental value of $240 there will remain but $82 after deduction for
vacancy , taxes , insurance , repairs, maintenance, replacements , man
agement, and other items of cost which must be met by the property
Owner. Assume further, that a fair return on the land value is $ 60 .
This leaves a net return to the buildings of but $ 22 which is only
about one - third of the land returns. The relation between the
amount of the land returns and the building returns indicates that
the land value is several times that of the improvements and suggests
that possibly the improvements do not represent the highest and best
use for the site , or it may indicate that the physical condition , struc
tural quality , or design of the improvements is bad . Assume that
the Rating of Property is 52 % and the Rating of Location 85 % .
These category ratings confirm the conclusions indicated
the in
come relationships as stated above, for the low Property rating indi
cates bad physical conditions possibly coupled with poor design and
nonconformity, while the relatively high Location rating indicates a
relatively high degree of stability and excellence of the location and
neighborhood . Analysis of individual feature ratings will throw
further light on these matters. All these deductions combine to force
the conclusion that the improvements will have a relatively short
remaining economic life. The amount of the estimate would be largely
influenced by the Valuator's conclusions as to whether or not the site
could be immediately and profitably improved with structures of a
different type. If he considers this not feasible at the time , his next
conclusion must relate to when it may become profitable to replace
Part I
323-325
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
the existing improvements with others of a more suitable type, and
his estimate of remaining economic life will be determined in accord
ance with his conclusion .
DEPRECIATION , DETERIORATION, AND OBSOLSCENCE
324 ( 1 ) . Depreciation is defined as loss in value from
any cause whatever. Frequently the term is used in the narrow sense
of loss in value caused by physical deterioration and sometimes it is
used to signify deterioration itself. Accrued depreciation at any
time is the difference between value at the time of appraisal and the
replacement cost of the structure in new condition .
324 (2) . The word " deterioration ” refers to the decay
and disintegration which takes place in structures with the passage of
time.
It is caused by natural forces, by the elements, and by use.
It operates to terminate the physical lives of buildings.
324 (3) . The term " obsolescence' refers
to
those
changes in the usefulness of structures which causes them to become
less desirable and less useful.
lives of buildings.
deterioration .
It operates to terminate the economic
It does not affect physical life as it does not cause
325 ( 1 ) . Deterioration and obsolescence cause a lessen
ing of utility and thereby result in depreciation, that is, loss in value.
Therefore , it is essential to understand the nature of the causes of
depreciation , not because of any necessity of measuring the amount
of depreciation which has occurred since the completion of a building,
but because of the necessity of estimating how these forces will proba
bly affect utility in the future. The forces which cause deterioration
and obsolescence operate continuously. They may operate in the
future in the same manner or in a different manner as in the past .
By studying the manner in which they have operated in the past,
greater accuracy in the estimates as to how they may operate in the
future is attained .
325 (2) . It is well here to stress the point that accrued
depreciation is not of primary importance in valuation but is of
subordinate importance. Accrued depreciation is something which
lies in the past. It is the amount by which value has declined since
erection of a building. To measure it , it is necessary to make two
estimates, ( 1 ) value as of date of appraisal and (2 ) cost of replace
ment in new condition . The difference between the two estimates is
the amount of accrued depreciation which occurred during the period
of time between these dates . The determination of accrued deprecia
tion is a by-product of the valuation process rather than an essential
step in it because value always depends on the amount of future
benefits, not upon the deduction of expired benefits from cost of
replacement. Therefore the valuation process properly concerng
Part I
325-326
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
itself with the estimation or forecasting of the probable extent and
nature of future benefits.
326 ( 1 ) . It may also be pointed out that attempts to
estimate accrued depreciation directly rather than to measure it
after the value estimate has been made are likely to produce grossly
inaccurate results in many cases . Such attempts usually start by
estimating the replacement cost in new condition of the building
involved . It is then assumed that this cost represents the value of
the building new , an assumption which frequently is incorrect. Next
it is assumed that the amount of accrued depreciation caused by
deterioration and obsolescence can be determined as follows: by
ascertaining the time which has elapsed since the building was com
pleted ; considering the physical condition of the structure as revealed
by examination so as to discover how deterioration has occurred ; and
by observing the extent to which the structure is obsolete in archi
tecture , design, equipment , and so forth . Then accrued depreciation
is presumably determined by assuming some annual percentage rate
of depreciation due to deterioration, multiplying it by the replace
ment cost and the age of the building, adding an amount equal to the
cost of needed repairs and of modernizing the structure so as to offset
unusual deterioration and obsolescence. But the resulting total may
be, and frequently is, very inaccurate, more inaccurate than a con
clusion arrived at by first estimating the value as of the date of ap
praisal and then taking the difference between this estimate and the
value in new condition . An illustration of a direct estimate of accrued
depreciation by the incorrect process outlined above and one showing
& correct method follow :
Illustration of incorrect method of estimating accrued depreciation :
Cost of replacement of improvements in new condition . $6,000
Age of building, 10 years.
Assumed rate of annual depreciation caused by
deterioration , 2 % .
Accrued depreciation due to deterioration at
the chosen rate ($6,000X10 yrs.X2 % )---- $ 1,200
Unusual deterioration due to improper main
tenance (cost of needed repair and main
tenance work ) --Accrued depreciation due to obsolescence (ar
bitrary estimate but including cost of replac
ing obsolete equipment and modernization ).
Total accrued depreciation from all causes .
300
500
$2,000
Estimated value of improvements at time of appraisal. $4,000
Part I
326
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Ilustration of correct method of estimating accrued depreciation :
Cost of replacement of property (land , buildings, and
$9,000
miscellaneous costs ) in new condition...
Value of property at time of appraisal (building 10 yrs .
old ) ---
5 , 500
Accrued depreciation in value of improvements
from all causes.
$3,500
$5,500
Value of property at time of appraisal .
3,000
Value of land at time of appraisal ..
Estimated value of improvements at time of ap
$2,500
praisal .
326 (2 ) . It is to be noted that in the incorrect method
illustrated above the chances of error are great, particularly if the
buildings are in early or mid - life. Valuation requires the assigning
of dollar values to degrees and extents of future utility. To attempt
in the valuation of residential properties to estimate the value of future
utility by directly estimating accrued depreciation , thereby placing
reliance on cost and age data to the exclusion of data pertaining to
sales and listing prices, rental values, social and financial charac
teristics of probable users or owners of properties, and other data not
relating to cost or age , is a procedure which should not be counte
nanced . Valuators are instructed not to use it.
326 ( 3) . Obviously in
the late life of a residential
building , when its value is small , the probable error in a direct estimate
of accrued depreciation is likely to also be small. The reason for
this is that in late life the age of the building usually is rather great
so that when this is multiplied by the assumed annual rate of depre
ciation, the product is correspondingly great and the difference
between it and replacement cost in new condition is correspondingly
small . This explains why in some instances the procedure under
consideration happens to produce a result which is approximately
correct.
However, the procedure is defective in principle and is,
therefore, not to be relied upon in view of the fact that procedures
which are correct in principle and possible of practical application
and use are available . Further discussion of the merits and demerits
of various estimating methods relating to depreciation occurs in
subsequent paragraphs.
326 (4 ) . Because deterioration affects remaining physi
cal life while obsolescence either causes remaining economic life to be
less than possible remaining physical life, or causes a greater decline
in future benefits than is caused by deterioration alone , therefore,
it becomes of greater importance than deterioration in the calcula
tions and considerations of the Valuator.
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
326
326 (5 ) . Obsolescence results from such occurrences as
these :
(a ) New inventions and discoveries ;
(6 ) Changes in the preferences and tastes of the public , as ,
for example , with regard to styles of architecture, geographical
locations as places of residence, the extent of plumbing facilities pro
vided in residences , sizes of rooms, and heights of ceilings;
(c ) The encroachment of nonconforming uses, as when com
mercial and industrial enterprises are introduced into residential
neighborhoods;
(d) The infiltration into residential districts of people whose
living standards are lower than those of the people who already
inhabit these districts ;
(e ) The failure of substantial numbers of property owners in
the district to maintain their properties in good condition ;
( To increases in land values which result in changes in the
highest and best uses for which land is suited .
326 (6 ) . The problems raised by deterioration and ob
solescence are not solved by attempting to rate physical conditions
and functional efficiency and then attempting to translate the rating
into a dollar amount to be deducted from replacement cost in order
to determine present value . They are properly solved by estimating
the extent of future benefits which will be produced during the
economic lives of buildings and reflecting the effects of deterioration
and obsolescence by forecasting a decline in the extent of these
benefits . For example, in dealing with a residential income property ,
the results of deterioration and obsolescence which will accrue in the
future — what has occurred in the past is not of direct importance
are properly given effect by forecasting a decline in future net income
and by assigning to the building involved a remaining economic life
which appears reasonable in view of the intensity with which these
causes of depreciation will probably operate in the future upon the
property under appraisal. It is not essential to make separate esti
mates regarding the extent to which deterioration on the one hand
and obsolescence on the other will cause depreciation . Both causes
operate to produce one effect. The advantage of understanding
their different character is that thereby more accurate estimates of
their over -all effect will result .
326 ( 7) . There is a tendency, but no certainty , that
value in new condition will be equivalent to replacement cost in new
condition .
a tendency .
It cannot be too strongly emphasized that this is merely
However , since value and replacement cost can be equal ,
estimates of replacement cost in new condition can be used as " ceiling"
estimates of possible value , thereby acting as controls on the judg
Part I
826
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
ment of the appraiser . When these estimates relate to the replace
ment costs of buildings that are not new , they are of comparatively
limited importance in correct valuation procedure; because , while
new buildings may be as valuable as their costs of reproduction, old
ones cannot be . As buildings progress in age they become less val
uable . Due to the fact that the passage of time and the loss in value
of improvements upon land occur simultaneously , procedures have
been devised to ascertain the value of buildings which are not new by
estimating accrued depreciation on an age basis and deducting the
amount so determined from replacement cost . These procedures
place major emphasis upon the ages and replacement costs of struc
tures which are being valued . In real estate valuation work the
emphasis properly belongs upon the length of the probable remaining
economic life, rather than upon the length of the past physical life,
and upon probable future benefits rather than replacement costs.
The reason for this is that all value derives from the future, none of it
from the past. Past events are useful in forecasting future probabili
ties but the past services of real properties cannot be relied upon as
bases for the valuation of their probable future services.
326 (8 ) . In the valuation of residential property great
reliance, unfortunately, is commonly placed upon a valuation pro
cedure which starts with replacement cost in new condition, then
estimates accrued depreciation of building value by a direct method
usually the so -called straight-line method or some variation of it
next deducts this item from cost, then adds present land value, and
calls the result the value of the property under appraisal. Sometimes,
by coincidence, use of this procedure gives a correct conclusion , but
it is erroneous in principle since it places major emphasis upon the
past and does not estimate the extent of future utility.
326 (9) . The straight -line method of estimating accrued
depreciation (or of any method which depends on cost and age data)
is defective in a number of important particulars. First, its use
requires acceptance of the premise that replacement cost in new con
dition is equivalent to value in new condition and therefore that
so -called " depreciated replacement cost " is equivalent to value, that is,
replacement cost less accrued depreciation calculated by some arbi
trary method of direct estimation based on cost and age data is
equivalent to value at the time of appraisal. This is a very serious
defect because some properties when new are less valuable than the
sums which represent their cost .
326 ( 10) . The straight -line method is also defective in
that it is based upon the premise that buildings decline in value in
equal yearly amounts. All appraisers know that this premise is not
correct. While the average depreciation per year may be 2 % , it
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
326–327
does not follow that in 10 years the building value will have declined
20 %, in 30 years 60 % , 45 years 90 % , and so on . Therefore, such a
procedure is of questionable merit.
327 ( 1) . Mechanical
Equipment
and
Accessories.
Many new electrical and mechanical devices are being installed in new
homes. In many instances the installations are such that some or all
of this equipment loses its character as personal property and becomes
an integral part of the real property . Equipment which is part of
the real estate is part of the security for the mortgage on the property ,
and therefore affects the value estimate . If the equipment is wisely
chosen and installed it may enhance the value of the property to the
Yull extent of its cost in the case of a new dwelling. If, however, the
cost of the equipment is too great an outlay in relation to the cost of
the structure, or if the typical buyer cannot afford the cost of
operating the equipment, it will not enhance the value of the property
to the full extent of its cost. Thus, when dealing with new properties,
the Valuator must, first, be able to know just what equipment in the
building is part of the real property and what is personal property so
that he may know exactly what he is to appraise; and, second, he
must determine to what extent the value of the property is enhanced
by the equipment which is part of the realty. Insofar as any of the
equipment is in the nature of chattels, he must omit it from the value
estimate .
327 (2) . If the case is one involving an old structure
in which it is intended to install new mechanical equipment and
accessories in such a way that they will become part of the realty
the Valuator's problem is the same as in the case of new structures.
The Valuator must determine to what extent the installation will
enhance the property value.
Many of these mechanical devices are
subject to rapid deterioration due to the wearing out of moving parts
and to speedy obsolescence due to continual change and improve
ment in design . For these reasons it may not be wise to install them
where the costs of installation , maintenance, and operation will be
too great in relation to the value of the property .
327 (3) . In cases involving residential income proper
ties or old rented single dwellings the value added by special me
chanical equipment will be reflected in the amount of rent these
properties can command . In estimating the value of such a property
the Valuator must ascertain what the equipment consists of, what
its replacement cost is, what it will cost to operate and maintain it,
and how long a remaining useful life it will probably have. Then he
must calculate what amount per annum will have to be taken from
the gross income the property will produce in order ( 1 ) to operate and
maintain this equipment and ( 2 ) to recover the value he assigns to
Part I
327-329
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
it during its remaining useful life.
This amount he uses as a deduc
tion in his income analysis in ascertaining the net income which may
be expected from the property. In this way he can justify the value
assigned to the property including its short - lived equipment.
327 (4 ) . The Valuator is given assistance, where new
buildings are involved , by the Architectural Inspector, who is in
structed to include in his report a separate item representing the
replacement cost of any equipment which is part of the real property
and which will suffer rapid deterioration or obsolescence .
328. Conformity. The extent to which the property
being appraised conforms to its environment must be determined by
the Valuator. This matter is dealt with in some detail in Part II ,
Sections 1 and 2. Data relating to conformity are of very great im
portance because nonconformity produces adverse effects, such as the
shortening of economic life, hastening of obsolescence, and limiting
of marketability, thereby affecting value. Regardless of the replace
ment cost of any residential property, its value can be utterly de
stroyed by influences external to itself.
329 ( 1 ) . Rental Value. In the risk rating system , use
is made of rental data in rating the feature Ratio of Debt Service to
Rental Value , in the Mortgage Pattern grid . The Valuator is required
to report the fair monthly rental value, unfurnished , of the property.
There should be no difficulty in ordinary cases in determining the
proper figure inasmuch as there is practically always an active rental
market, so that by making intelligent comparisons, and using verified
data , a fair and accurate estimate can be made. Rentals which are
out of line with others involving like properties and facilities are
readily discarded . Competition between landlords and the dis
criminating judgment usually exercised by prospective tenants are
such that most actual rentals for residential properties are likely to be
fair, and acceptable as a basis of comparison .
329 (2) . The estimates of monthly rental value reported
by the Valuator must be estimates which relate to the properties on an
unfurnished basis. They are not to relate to properties on a furnished
basis , either wholly furnished or only partially furnished . The
estimates are not to be offhand opinions. The Valuator may make
inquiries of people actually renting dwellings in the neighborhood and
to obtain information from real estate rental agents and from news
paper advertisements. If these sources of information are used the
estimates will usually he correct . In comparing rentals for different
properties the same conditions of tenancy must apply . That is, the
agreement between landlord and tenant as to who is to pay for light,
gas, and water must be the same in each case or else necessary adjust
ments must be made before comparing the rentals.
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
329-331
329 ( 3 ) . Care should be exercised in cases where prop
erties are located in areas in which there are wide seasonal fluctua
tions in rental values, summer or winter resort areas, for example .
Rental values at the height of the rental season should not be reported
as the fair monthly rental value . Likewise, rental information at
the ebb of the rental season will lead to an erroneous conclusion .
330. In every case the reported rental value must be
the price which a prospective tenant would be warranted in paying
for the right to occupy the premises for a full year on an unfurnished
basis, the tenant being required to pay all expenses in connection with
the use of the property except those costs of repairs and maintenance
for which owners usually are responsible. Usually when dwellings
are rented on an unfurnished basis, the landlord agrees to pay only
for the maintenance of the structure and for major repairs made
necessary by defects in the structure or its equipment or because of
deterioration which has been allowed to accrue through no fault of
the tenant. Thus the basis of the rental value estimate assumes that
the tenant is required to pay all charges for gas, light , water , fuel,
power , gardener, maintenance of lawns and shrubs, and for minor
replacements such as for washers in plumbing fixtures . To secure
necessary uniformity the basis of the estimate must be as defined
above.
VALUATION PROCEDURE
331 ( 1 ) . Desirability of Methodical Procedure .
advantages of methodical procedure in valuation are these :
The
( a ) The discovery, isolation , identification , and rating of
individual influences which combine to create, sustain , or destroy
1
value is accomplished ;
(6 ) Appraisal procedure is standardized to a reasonable and
desirable degree ;
(c ) The extent of the zones within which acceptable valuation
estimates must fall is limited, bringing under some control the esti
mates of individual appraisers.
331 (2) . In valuation it is preferable to resort to
analytical methods rather than to depend on unaided judgment .
The methods used in valuation have definite limitations and are useful
aids only when the appraiser knows their limitations and uses the
No method of calculating realty values can
be relied on implicitly to the exclusion of what the experienced
appraiser knows to be in accord with common sense and good judg
ment. A perfect valuation method would, of course , be absolutely
reliable, but no valuation method can be perfect due to the character
of the data which must be used. These data deal with many matters
methods intelligently.
Part I
331-332
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
that are incapable of exact measurement.
Furthermore, valuation
requires forecasting of matters that cannot be definitely ascertained .
Estimates are used in place of measurable quantities. If the estimates
are based on such knowledge as is available with regard to the matters
considered , and are in accord with sound , common -sense principles,
then the conclusions produced will be sound and will be acceptable as
reasonable and accurate estimates by reasonably minded and well
informed individuals. Absolute necessity for good judgment char
acterizes every step in valuation procedure.
332 ( 1 ) . Summation Method of Estimation. A sum
mation estimate is one in which the fractions of a property , i . e . , land
and improvements, are treated separately and without regard to their
relationships to each other or to their surroundings. For example,
a lot in a given case is determined to have a value, as a vacant site,
of $ 1,200 . It is proposed to erect a new residence upon this lot at an
estimated cost of $6,000 . A summation estimate, if used for valua
tion purposes, would suggest a value of $ 1,200 plus $6,000 plus
miscellaneous costs totalling about $200 , or $7,400 . Such a method
is not truly a valuation method ; it is really a cost estimating process .
Sometimes it produces an estimate which is equal to warranted value
but being wrong in principle from a valuation standpoint it cannot
be depended upon for valuation purposes. If the structure in a given
case is not suitable to the site or the neighborhood, the summation
estimate will exceed the value of the property . If the Valuator
ignores the comparative method of estimation and relies solely upon
the summation method , bis conclusions will very often be erroneous .
332 (2) . This does not mean that consideration cannot
properly be given to land and buildings separately, for this procedure,
in one form or another , is followed in practically all methods of
valuation . However, when a fractional part of a property is being
valued , the Valuator must remember that the fraction is but a part
of a unit comprised of land and improvements ; that the value of the
fractions can only be fixed intelligently by endeavoring to ascertain
to what extent they individually contribute to the value of the entire
unit . The sum of the values ascribed to the fractional parts cannot,
in any event , exceed the value of the entire property , nor can the
entire property be more valuable than the sum of the values of its
fractional parts .
Therefore, if a value be assigned to a fraction of a
property , then the value assigned to the remaining fraction can only
be the difference between the value of the entire property and that
which has been ascribed to the first fraction . For example , if, in a
hypothetical case , a value of $ 1,200 is imputed to the site, the value
contributed to the whole by the building improvements which it is
proposed to erect could only be the difference between the total value
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
332-334
of the completed property , say $5,250 , and $ 1,200 , which difference
would be $4,050 , although it might cost $6,000 to build the con
templated improvements.
332 (3 ) . Summation estimates ignore considerations as
to whether the improvements existing upon individual sites represent
the best utilization of those sites. If such improvements are more
costly than the site and neighborhood justify , then a condition known
as over -improvement exists. If the improvements are less costly than
is warranted by the circumstances and conditions environing the lot
in a given case , then a condition of under-improvement exists. If a
certain lot is best suited as a site for a single -family residence but
is improved with a cheap store building, the structure upon the
lot becomes properly classified as a misplaced - improvement. In any
case where over- improvement, under -improvement, or a misplaced
improvement exists, a summation estimate will always exceed war
ranted value.
333. There is one set of conditions under which a sum
mation estimate will be equivalent to value. These conditions are
as follows: (a) the structure must represent the highest and best use
for the site ; ( 6 ) the structure must be entirely suited to the site and
neighborhood in all respects; (c) construction costs must be in proper
and fair relationship to other costs in general; and (d) there must be
a proper relationship between supply and demand factors in the mar
ket. Very frequently different conditions than those named exist.
Therefore, the usefulness of the summation method of estimation is
almost entirely limited to providing a replacement cost estimate ,
which merely serves as the upper limit of possible value. Valuators
are forbidden to use the summation method in valuation procedure
except for the purpose of fixing an uppermost limit of possible value
of properties in new condition . Used in conjunction with compara
tive estimates and capitalization estimates, summation estimates
serve in a helpful role but they must not under any circumstances be
relied upon by Valuators as determinants of value unless the other
estimating methods are used and produce the same results .
334 ( 1 ) . Capitalization Method of Estimation . A
dwelling property is valuable solely because of its ability to produce
a stream of returns in the future for the benefit of its owner. The
size of this stream , the possibility of future increase or decrease in
its size, and the constancy and permanency of the stream will deter
mine the value of the property . In the case of rental property , the
returns are in the form of streams of dollar incomes , In the case of
new single - family residential properties, the returns are usually in the
form of amenity income-streams, that is, in the form of direct satis
factions. Residential properties are of both types . Both types of
Part I
334
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
streams produce income, the one measurable in dollars, and the other
not concretely measurable but, nevertheless, ratable comparatively
in terms of assumed standards with regard to quantity , quality , and
duration . The Valuator must make forecasts of the sizes of these
incomes, their probable future sizes, and their probable future dura
tion . He cannot avoid such forecasting in his work for he is dealing
constantly with future contingencies, which being unknowable, can
only be estimated , and which very largely determine present value.
334 (2) . Most new residences are bought or owned pri
marily because of their ability to produce amenity income- streams,
while old residences are, perhaps, nearly always purchased or owned
because of their ability to produce rentals. During the life of ordi
nary residences the markets in which the properties will be sold will
include some purchasers having the one motive and some having the
other. It is probable that the first type of purchaser predominates
in the market in which newer houses are sold and that the second
type predominates in the market in which older houses are sold .
The method of valuation must reflect the dominant market.
334 ( 3 ) . Real
property
which
produces
streams
of
dollar incomes may be appraised by placing values on these income
streams. This is done by resolving them into capital sums the
interest upon which , at proper rates of return , would be equivalent
to the periodical amounts of income produced by the various proper
ties, having in mind and making due allowance in the process of capi
talization for the fact that these dollar streams will not last indefi
nitely. Such resolution of income streams into equivalent capital
sums is known as “ capitalization of income. ” Thus an income stream
of $800 per year in perpetuity has a capitalized value of $ 10,000 , using
an 8 % rate of capitalization , for $ 10,000 invested at 8 % per year will
produce an income of $800 yearly . An income stream of the same
amount ( $800 per year ) for only 25 years would have a capitalized
value of $8,540 , using an 8 % rate, since the deposit of $8,540 in an
account bearing 8% interest per annum would permit payment of an
income of $800 per year for 25 years, at the end of which time all of
the original $8,540 would have been paid out.
334 (4) . The capitalization process of realty valuation
is fully understood by comparatively few appraisers; and since an
unusual degree of knowledge and good judgment are necessary to use
it effectively , its usefulness is subjected to considerable limitations.
Its most intelligent and effective use requires the availability of
certain data not now in existence, but which the Federal Housing
Administration will gather in its research work and statistical studies.
As the results of these studies become available, a proper capitaliza
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
334-336
tion procedure suitable for the purposes and requirements of appraisal
by Valuators will be developed and utilized .
net income.
335. Income-producing realty produces both gross and
In the capitalization method of value estimation the
latter is the important item, not the former, for only the net income
comprises the measure of benefit received by the property owner .
Estimating net income necessitates the estimating or forecasting of
gross rental value and gross income, and the forecasting of those items
which must be paid out of the predicted gross income after allowance
for vacancy and rent losses. In residential properties these items
usually are taxes, insurance, water, power for electric refrigeration ,
rubbish disposal, janitor, management, gardener , repairs, decorating
and maintenance, and other expenses . When the net earnings have
been thus estimated on the basis of currently existing conditions, the
probable stability and permanence of these earnings, the extent to
which they may decline in the future, the probable manner of such
decline , and the length of the probable remaining economic life of the
structure involved must then be considered . This will permit the
selection of a stream of net earnings which coincides in its characteris
tics with that which appears to be the one which will most likely be
produced by the subject property. Selection may then be made of a
proper capitalization rate , or rate of return which correctly reflects
the hazard or risk involved in the case and which is sufficient to attract
a well - informed buyer.
The net income stream selected as the most
plausible one may then be resolved into its equivalent capitalized
value . The process of capitalization , when properly understood and
applied , makes full allowance for the return (out of income) of the
value of wasting assets, that is , of that portion of the total property
value which is assigned to the structure on the site.
336. Comparative Method of Estimation .
The Federal
Housing Administration Valuator will find greatest use for the Com
parative Method of estimation in appraising single -family residences .
In this method residential properties that are substantially similar
in their physical characteristics and environments are subjected to
careful analysis so that comparisons of their relative desirability and
utility, and the permanence of these elements, may be made. The
method requires the use of data relating to replacement cost of both
land and buildings ; sales prices and conditions under which such
prices are obtained ; monthly rental values ; and other matters. In
fact, almost the entire range of data which are useful in solving
valuation problems involving any type of property will be useful in
the comparative method of estimation when it is intelligently and
properly applied in the case of residential properties.
612464-36
Part I
337
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
337 ( 1 ) . In using this method of estimation, compari
sons between residential sites, irrespective of the existence or absence
of residences upon them , are made ; and the comparisons also extend
to the relative desirability and utility of individual and substantially
similar residential properties as single units comprised of two elements,
namely, land and improvements.
337 ( 2 ) . It is common to find residential communities
of considerable area in which the characteristics of the individual
properties are substantially alike, and in which influences originating
in neighboring districts, or in the city as a whole , or in larger regions,
operate substantially alike upon each of the properties in the districts
under consideration . From this fact arises the principle of uniformity
upon which the comparative method of land valuation is based . It
is usually true that in specific residential localities, lots are found to
be approximately uniform in size , shape , and other physical character
istics, as well as uniformity affected by factors which determine or
influence their utility and stability of value. Therefore, when &
value has been determined for a typical vacant lot in such a district,
this value constitutes a very reliable index of the value of other
vacant lots which are also typical , as well as of lots which may vary ,
in some respects, but not substantially, from such typical vacant lots.
337 ( 3 ) . In making comparison between residential lots,
it is essential that the Valuator realize that the factor of primary im
portance is utility. Comparisons almost entirely lose their significance
where the utility of the properties compared is substantially different.
Thus , & comparison between a lot restricted to use as a site for one
single - family residence only and another one upon which a four
family apartment building might be erected , would be much less
significant, and any conclusions drawn would be much less reliable ,
than in & case where each of the lots compared is available and
suited for use for one single -family residence only .
337 (4) . The comparative method as applied to land
valuation starts with consideration of the physical characteristics and
potential uses of the lot to be appraised and of the environing influ
ences which affect it. Such consideration is also given to other lots
of known value . The values of properly comparable sites may then
be resolved into units such as $ 0.80 per square foot, $25.00 per front
foot, etc. These unit values may then be applied directly to the site
which the Valuator is appraising and a tentative index of the value of
that site obtained . The Valuator's maximum estimate of value of
the site will be controlled by the prices at which sites of equal desir
ability may be obtained from well - informed sellers who are under no
compulsion to sell. His land-value estimate may be less than these
prices but it cannot properly exceed them unless the neighborhood is
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
337
a very old one in which nobody would desire to erect a new residential
structure because its value would be less than its cost immediately
upon completion. In this one instance , the value of a lot which is
already improved may be in excess of the prices at which equally
desirable lots can be purchased. At any time when a reasonable
demand exists for residential lots of equal desirability to the one
being appraised, sales prices actually established in transactions
between intelligently acting, well - informed sellers and buyers prac
tically fix the value of the lot.
337 (5) . Instead of utilizing unit values per square foot
or per front foot, in many cases the comparisons may be made directly
between the lots considered . In comparing one lot with another, the
physical characteristics of the two sites must , of course, be given atten
tion; however, the main consideration with regard to such character
istics is the relative desirability of the two sites as suitable areas upon
This can
which to erect residences appropriate to the district.
frequently be accomplished by direct comparison without utilizing
unit values .
337 (6) . The use of front- foot and square-foot unit
values is subject to certain limitations. For example, the front-foot
unit gives no indication of depth involved ; the square- foot unit gives
no indication of frontage or depth ; and both units fail to give any indi.
cation of lot shapes or topography. Therefore, when any of these units
are utilized, it is essential that variations in width , depth, shape, and
topography be given consideration . A lot 86 feet deep and 40 feet
wide many have a front- foot value of $20 , but this unit probably would
not apply to an adjoining lot which was 130 feet in depth, although it
is possible that it might apply in the case of a lot 95 feet deep or 80 feet
deep . A residential lot of extremely great depth might be no more
valuable than one of much lesser depth provided the latter was sufficient
to meet the minimum requirements for desirable residential sites in the
district. This would be the case if the additional depth were of no
practical use but resulted in a larger tax levy or heavier cost of main
tenance than in the case of the shallower lots.
337 (7) . If, in making comparisons, the appraiser does
use a front-foot unit value , he must determine what amount of
frontage constitutes a typical width for lots in the district. This
is necessary because residential lots that are considerably wider or
narrower than typical lots in a given locality will generally be found
to be worth less per front foot than are lots having typical widths.
For example, the typical size of single -family residential lots of
rectangular shape in a particular district is 50 feet by 150 feet.
Such lots are fairly worth $25.00 per front foot, or $ 1,250 in this
area . The residence being appraised is situated upon a lot which is
Part I
337-338
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
100 feet by 150 feet in size, and the deed restrictions permit but one
residence upon this site. On a basis of $ 25.00 per front foot, the 100
foot lot would be worth $2,500 . However, its fair value is found to
be only $ 1,875 , or $ 18.75 per front foot. If the restrictions permitted
the use of this site for two single- family residences, instead of one,
and if the existing residence were located upon the ground so as to
leave one-half of the width of the lot vacant , then the value of the
site might readily be $25 per front foot, or $2,500 . This would not
necessarily follow , however . If the vacant half of the lot could not
be immediately improved to advantage, and it is more likely that it
will remain vacant for a number of years in the future, due to the
absence of any present or prospective demand for its utilization, its
value would be less.
337 (8) . Sometimes, 80 - called " depth tables" and
" corner-influence tables ” are utilized for valuation purposes by real
estate appraisers.
While it is recognized that such tables are use
ful in the solution of some problems, such , for example , as those
which confront tax assessors, where mass appraisals are necessary , and
while such tables do , to a limited extent, express correct general
relationships , still their use in valuation work involving individual
parcels of land is always subject to serious objection . Such tables
are composed of a large number of averages and cannot give effect
to variations in the utility of individual sites, except in a very general
way.
338 ( 1 ) . A site which has been improved by the erection
of a residence may under certain very limited conditions be more
valuable than a vacant lot of the same physical characteristics which
adjoins it. This condition can prevail in a district of homes which
have suffered great obsolescence. In such a district it might not be
at all feasible to erect a new residence upon a vacant site, and therefore
unused land in the district might be of very nominal value, especially
if no transition to more profitable uses were taking place in the same
block. At the same time, the sites upon which residences already
exist in the district are serving useful purposes and may possess
considerable value , because they are profitably utilized . This
condition should serve as a further warning to the Valuator when he
uses asking prices or sales prices in making comparisons, for the price
of a vacant site may differ from the value of the improved sites
adjoining or nearby if the neighborhood is of the type described
above.
338 (2) . The conditions described in the preceding
paragraph do not exist in new or nearly new residential districts.
The belief that in sparsely built-up , but developing, neighborhoods
the lots upon which dwellings have beon erected are more valuable
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
338-339
than the vacant lots is incorrect. The mere erection of one dwelling
in such a district will not increase the value of the site unless it simul
taneously raises the land value level in the entire neighborhood, which
is not likely to be the case . Of course , as the district as a whole is
built- up , land values in it may rise for a while but all lots in the area,
whether improved or unimproved with buildings, will be equally
valuable provided they are of the same physical characteristics and
equally desirable. The value of the lot is more dependent on matters
external to the lot itself than on the building upon it. The building
does not raise or lower the lot value, for the potential usefulness of the
site determines its value. Values of improved sites in such areas are
no different from those of neighboring vacant sites and the prices of
the latter control value estimates relating to the former.
339 (1 ) . It is contemplated that the Chief Valuators in
the several Insuring Offices will pick out houses in various neighbor
hoods in the territory within which they operate , which will be
representative of the houses which may be considered typical in these
various neighborhoods. Values will be established for these " repre
sentative type houses” taking into account complete data covering
style, size, design , construction, setting, neighborhood, and the gen
eral economic background. From time to time these values should be
revised . Valuators will be furnished with the valuations of the
representative type houses. These valuations will serve as bases for
valuing other nearby properties. This procedure will enable greater
accuracy of valuations and result in attainment of a certain degree of
controlled uniformity .
339 (2) . In comparing the desirability of several resi
dential properties as complete units, the Valuator must rate the
desirability of the accommodations provided in the homes, as well as
the relative desirability of their environments. The Valuator gathers
information on properties which he intends to compare with the
property under appraisal. Properties which have recently been sold
or which the Valuator has appraised are chosen for this purpose ,
He ascertains the conditions entering into the sales transactions so
that he can conclude whether or not the sales prices were fair and
warranted . He studies the various properties and is then in a posi
tion to ascribe ratings to them in terms of their relative desirability,
These ratings are relative, the property under appraisal being assigned
a rating of 100 % regardless of its physical condition or characteristics,
remaining economic life, and desirable or undesirable features. The
ratings ascribed to the other properties will be over or under 100 %
according to the extent to which their desirability and utility are
greater or lesser than those of the subject property. The ratings
are used for two purposes: ( 1 ) to indicate, by comparison, the market
Part I
339-340
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
price probably obtainable for a particular property ; or (2 ) to indicate ,
by comparison, the probable value of the property . The Valuator
has two invaluable aids in determining proper factors : first, he has
the Property and Location category ratings; second, he can make
use of rental data .
340 ( 1) . Residences on Apartment or Business Sites.
There will be frequent cases in which the property to be appraised
will consist of a single -family residence upon a lot that is suitable
for multiple -family residential use or commercial use. In such cases
a valuation arrived at by adding the value of the land as determined
by comparative analysis to the so - called “ depreciated replacement
cost” of the residence will be incorrect. Such a valuation would be
based upon the premise that the value attributed to the land alone
was enhanced by the residence by an amount equal to the so - called
depreciated replacement cost of the structure . The fact that the
residential use does not represent the highest and best use for the
site would be ignored . The premise would therefore be incorrect,
and any conclusion based upon it would likewise be erroneous.
340 ( 2 ). The value of a residential property is equiva
lent to the sum of the value of the site and the replacement cost of
the structure upon it only if the case is one in which the structure is
now and represents the highest and best use for the land , and con
forms to those standards which determine the characteristics of that
which is typical in the particular district where the property is situ
ated . Furthermore, there must be a demand for dwellings of the
same type in the neighborhood , at prices equivalent to this sum.
Obviously, the conditions described cannot apply in the case of old
residences on apartment or business sites , and therefore a summation
estimate cannot be used for valuation purposes in such cases , for such
an estimate will always exceed the value of such properties.
340 (3 ) . In dealing with properties which are not im
proved to their highest and best use, it is essential to determine
with as much accuracy as possible the probable remaining economic
life of the improvements . If the residence has reached the end of
its economic life , then the value will not be in excess of the worth of
the land plus the salvage value of the improvements .
If, however,
the improvements are capable of producing a net return in excess of
the sum of that which is rightly imputable to the land and the costs
of taxes , operation, and maintenance, then their economic life has
not yet terminated and their value upon the site may be determined
by the use of the capitalization method of estimation , having in mind
that the earnings of the improvements cannot be treated as though
they were to continue indefinitely , when , as a matter of fact, they
will continue but for a relatively short time .
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
340-341
340 (4 ) . Where the residential site is found to be zoned
for business use, or where it fronts upon a street portions of which
are being devoted to commercial purposes , the Valuator must not
assign a value to the lot equal to the value of another nearby site
which is actually being profitably used for commercial purposes.
This is a very common error . For the residential site to have a value
equivalent to that of the lot which is actually improved and being
profitably utilized for business purposes, there must be an immediate
need for the residential site for business purposes equally as profitable.
Generally speaking, in American cities most lots which are being
used for residential purposes but which front upon commercially
zoned streets will probably not be utilized for business purposes until
the lapse of long periods of time, during which their owners will
receive little or no net income from them but will have to carry exces
sive burdens of taxation and sacrifice the interest earnings which
they might enjoy if the sums which they paid for the properties were
invested in some productive form of property . The tendency gen
erally is to overestimate the value of such properties .
341 ( 1 ) . Taxes and Special Assessments.
The level of
general property taxes and the character and amounts of special
assessments affect the values of properties. The greater the amounts
of such burdens, the less valuable are the properties subjected to
them even though they may offer identical services to their owners.
341 (2 ) . General property taxes are levied yearly and
must be paid yearly or more frequently. Within any given com
munity the level of taxes is reflected in the market prices which
properties command , and except in cases where the assessed valuations
are not properly equalized , appraisal procedure is not affected, inas
much as the market price data and rental data used by the valuators
already contain the necessary adjustments . Differences in tax levels
do , however, affect the comparisons which appraisers make and
should be taken into account .
341 (3 ) . The effects upon value of special assessment
liens are different from those produced by general property tax liens.
Whereas all properties in a community may be subject to general
property taxation, levies in the nature of special assessments are
made only upon the properties within the boundaries of the special
assessment district. Such special assessments differ from general
property taxes not only in the respect just mentioned but also in
this respect : they continue only for a definite period of years,
whereas the general property taxes continue indefinitely. Therefore,
in cases where special assessment liens exist, due allowance for this
condition must be made in the valuation process. Properties against
which special assessment liens exist are less valuable than would be
Part I
341
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
the case if these liens did not exist . This is made apparent by con
sidering the conditions reflected in the several cases outlined below.
Case # 1 . A property free of special assessment liens but subject
to general property taxes : Value, $ 6,000 .
Case #2 . The same physical property subject not only to
general property taxes but also special assessment liens totaling
$200 now due and payable. A purchaser of this property must pay
the amount due and the value of the property is therefore less: Value,
$5,800.
Case #3 . The same physical property subject not only to gen
eral property taxes but also to special assessment liens totaling $500
payable in ten yearly installments of principal plus interest at 6
percent per annum on the deferred amounts. Because of the risk
created by the possibility of default in paying the installments of
interest and consequent foreclosure and loss of title , or because of the
interest rate charged which may be excessive in the light of current
financial conditions, this property may be $500 , or more, less valuable
than a similar property free from assessment liens: Value $5,500 or
less.
Case # 4 . The same physical property subject not only to gen
eral property taxes but also to a special assessment lien which is a
lien upon all of the properties within the special assessment district
and which continues a lien upon all of these properties until it is
entirely extinguished . Special assessment bonds outstanding, $ 500 ,
000. Assessed value of the special assessment district, $ 3,000,000.
Assessed value of the property being appraised , $3,000 , or 1 /1000th
of the district assessed value . The effect of the assessment lien on
the value of the property is much more pronounced than in Case #3 .
The following paragraph discusses the reasons for this. Value less
than $5,500 , probably considerably less.
Case #5 . The same physical property and condition as in
Case #4 except that the assessment district is broken down into
zones, each of which bears a different percentage of the total levy
against the entire district. Assume that the assessed value of the
property is still $3,000 and of the entire district $3,000,000 . How
ever , the property is in an area which is designated “ Zone A ” of
the assessment district, which zone is required to pay 20 percent of
the total district lien ( $ 500,000 ), or $ 100,000 .
It is seen now that
the assessed value of the property is 1 / 100th of that of the zone in
which it is located, so that if all owners of properties in the zone
and assessment district pay their yearly assessment levies, the prop
erty appraised will be charged ( 1 / 100th of $ 100,000 ) $ 1,000 plus
yearly interest charges. The value will therefore be less than $5,000 ,
and probably considerably less.
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
341
341 (4) . In Case # 4 above, it will be noted that if all
of the property owners in the special assessment district pay in
stallments of principal and interest each time they become due, the
owner of the specific property considered will have to pay 1 / 1000th of
$ 500,000 or $500 , in yearly installments, plus interest. Therefore, the
minimum reduction in value as compared with Case # 1 would be $ 500 .
However, if any of the other property owners in the district become
delinquent in their assessment payments, the delinquency may cause
an increase in the amounts which will be levied against the properties
in the district during the following year.
This may result in an
increase in the amount of delinquency and necessitate a still greater
levy for the next year. In this way the special assessment burden
may mount up year by year, falling more and more heavily upon the
shoulders of those owners able to pay or unwilling to abandon their
properties. It is possible for such burdens to reach the point where
owners in the district voluntarily surrender their properties. This
possibility is mainly responsible for the statement above that the
value probably would be considerably less than $5,500 . In cases
where special assessment liens of the type mentioned in Cases #4
and #5 exist, it is essential that information be gathered with re
gard to the amount of delinquency, if any, the likelihood of fore
closure by the owners of the lien, and the likelihood of a pyramiding
of the assessment levies .
341 (5 ) . In cases where special assessment liens exist,
the Valuator must appraise the properties as they stand subject to
the assessment liens . In no such case is it permissible for him to
assume the hypothetical condition in which his appraisal is based
upon exemption from the assessments . In each such case the esti
mate will be decreased by at least the amount of the liens against the
property or that proportion of the lien upon the entire district which
would represent the minimum that would probably be equal to the
total sum ( excluding interest) to be assessed in all the future yearly
levies against the specific property under appraisal. In determining
this minimum he would be influenced by :
(a ) The assessment levy made during the current year against
the property appraised ;
(6 ) Whether or not the levies had been increasing during the
prior years during which the assessment lien had existed ;
(c) The probable trend of the amounts of the levies in the
future ;
(d) The total amount of the lien outstanding against the
district;
(e) The ratio of the assessed value of the property appraised
to the assessed value of the assessment district, or of the zone in
which the property lies.
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Part I
841-342
341 (6) . When properties lying within the boundaries
of special assessment districts are sold , the buyer may either assume
the burden of paying the assessments as they come due , or he may in
sist upon the immediate payment by the seller of existing special
assessment liens. Obviously, the purchase price will be different in
the two cases . For this reason , it is essential that when sales price
data are obtained by Valuators, they ascertain the conditions of the
sale with regard to special assessment liens as well as other conditions
already mentioned under the title “ Use of Sales Prices."
342 ( 1 ) . Leasehold Estates. Section 201 of the Na
tional Housing Act permits the insurance of mortgages eligible in
other particulars which are first liens on real estate the titles to which
are held by mortgagors either in fee simple or :
( 1 ) Under a lease for not less than ninety -nine years, which
is renewable ;
( 2 ) Under a lease having a period of not less than fifty years
to run from the date the mortgage was executed .
In certain localities in the United States considerable numbers of
residential properties are leasehold estates . The valuation procedure
in such cases is somewhat different from that which applies in cases
where title is held in fee simple .
342 (2) . When a long -term lease upon real property is
made , the effect is to create two distinct properties. The lessor still
holds his title in fee simple, but since it is encumbered by the lease
which he has given , his interest is designated the " leased fee." The
lessee acquires the rights to the benefits which the property will pro
duce during the term of the lease , provided he does not default in
the performance of those acts required of him under the terms of
the lease .
His interest is designated the " leasehold
estate."
In
exchange for the rights, he is obligated to pay a rental to the owner
of the fee and to discharge the other obligations placed upon him
by the lease .
Inasmuch as this Manual concerns dwelling properties
only, it is not deemed essential to prescribe the more complex methods
of leasehold estate appraisal . The procedure set forth herein pro
vides good approximations of the values of leasehold estates and is
presented with the aim of giving sufficient direction to Valuators, 80
that they will be able to properly perform their functions in cases
submitted for insurance where this type of ownership exists. The
prescribed procedure follows.
342 (3) . The Valuator determines the total value of
the property as though owned in fee simple and unencumbered by a
lease . He then determines the value of the leased fee . Finally, he
deducts the value ascribed to the leased fee from the estimated value
of the unencumbered property and accepts the difference as a reason
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
able approximation of the value of the leasehold estate.
Part I
342
He then
enters the results on the Report of Valuator in the following manner :
ESTIMATE OF VALUE LEASEHOLD ESTATE ----34,800
In my opinion the value of the property described above, assuming the contemplated improvements or new
construction described in exhibits, if any, accompanying Mortgagors' Statement , or assuming the repairs or altera
tions or additions, if any, listed under item " (4)" ofthis report have been completed,isunencumbered by lease ----$6,000
Distribution of total valuation :
$.. 1,500
Land..
@ $..... 30
per lot, front foot, square foot.
Remaining tern of lease , 30 yrs . renewable
Main building
S...49.000
Annual
ground
rent
$60
Garage..
S........ 400
Capitalization rate
5%
100
Other improvements.
Value of leased fee--- $ 1,200
These steps are described in greater detail in the following paragraphg.
342 (4) . The first step to be taken is to estimate the
value of the property as though owned in fee simple. This is done in
the same manner as in any case where a leasehold estate is not in
volved , and all the instructions and suggestions contained in the
Underwriting Manual are to be followed in this step .
342 ( 5) . The next step is to estimate the value of the
leased fee, that is, of the lessor's estate . In order to do this, it is
necessary to be familiar with the terms of the lease. This necessi
tates a reading of that document . A decision must be made as to
whether or not the lease terms are fair and equitable . If they are
not so , it is possible that the lessee will default. Of course , if he
has erected a building at a substantial cost to him, and the building
is suited to the site , the default of the lessee may not result in any
loss to the lessor, but on the other hand , may result in substantial
monetary gain to him . Such would be the case if the lease provided
that upon default of the lessee and consequent forfeiture of his
rights, all improvements upon the land would revert to the lessor
without cost to the latter . Such a condition is usual where long
term leases are made . The elements of value in the lessor's rights,
i. o . , the leased fee, are :
( 1 ) The present value of the net rentals which the lessee is
to pay under the lease ;
(2 ) The value of the " reversion " , that is , the value of the
right to regain possession of the property and the benefits it will
produce after expiration of the lease .
342 ( 6) . While the valuation procedure in the case of a
lease for a definite period of years and not renewable differs in some
respects from that which is followed in the case of a lease renew
able forever, it will not be necessary in the operations of the Federal
Housing Administration Valuators to make any distinction in the
two cases . The reason for this is that , under the provisions of the
National Housing Act, a lease in an eligible case must run for at
least fifty years. Furthermore, in view of the fact that the values of
the sites in all cases will not be large, the possible error that may
Part I
342-344
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
result from failure to follow a different procedure will be so minute
that it will always be inconsequential.
343. Valuation of the Leased Fee . — The ground rents
a lease renewable forever may be treated as " per
under
reserved
petuities ”, that is, as payments which will continue periodically
forever. The valuation of such rentals is by direct capitalization
after a proper rate of capitalization has been chosen . The rate of
capitalization varies in different cases depending upon the reason
ableness of the amounts reserved as rent; the certainty that the lessee
will be able and willing to pay the rents when due ; the amount of
the " stake” of the lessee in the property ; the future prospects of the
property with regard to maintaining or enhancing its desirability ,
utility, and value; and the rate of return obtainable from other types
of investments. Where conditions are on the whole favorable , it
will not be unusual for capitalization rates applicable to the valuation
of leased fees to range upwards from about 4 %. The process of
capitalization of a net rental receivable in perpetuity is simple,
merely involving division of the yearly rental by the capitalization
rate . For example , if the ground rent, in a given case, is $90 per
year net to the lessor, and it is assumed that the proper capitalization
rate is 4 % , the capitalized value of the ground rent payable in per
petuity is ($90 divided by 4 %) $2,250. If, instead of 4 %, it were
determined that the capitalization rate should properly be 6 %, the
value would be ($90 divided by 6 %) $ 1,500 . Under the conditions
of this case, there will be no " reversion " to the lessor, that is , the
property will presumably never revert to the lessor inasmuch as the
lessee has the right to renew his lease forever. Therefore the total
value of the leased fee in the example quoted would be $2,250 or
$ 1,500, depending upon the rate of capitalization .
344 ( 1 ) . Valuation of the Leasehold Estate . — Having
taken the steps outlined above, the Valuator will have come to a con
clusion with regard to :
(a ) The total value of the property in fee simple unencum
bered by the lease ;
(6 ) The value of the leased fee (lessor's interest ).
The valuation of the leasehold estate (the lessee's interest in the
property ) is then determined by deducting the value of the leased
fee from the total value of the property in fee simple unencumbered
by the lease. The result so obtained is used by the Administration
as an acceptable approximation of the value of the leasebold estate .
Example # 1 . A ground lease upon a single -family residence
site having more than fifty years to run calls for a rental of $60
per year , representing 6 % upon a ground value of $ 1,000 at the
time the lease was made.
The lessee erected a residence upon the
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
344
site at a cost of $5,000 several years prior to the date of appraisal.
What is the value of the leasehold estate ?
( a ) Estimated value of the property in fee simple
unencumbered .-- .
$6,000
Distribution of total valuation :
Land .
$ 1,500
s
4 , 500
Building .
Total.--
6 , 000
(6 ) Estimated value of the leased fee: The lease is
well secured ; land value has increased since the lease was
made ; the district is well protected with appropriate restric
tions and zoning and has developed into a uniformly desir
able residential area . It is determined that a fair capitaliza
tion rate of lessor's ground rent is 5 % ; therefore, the value
of the leased fee is ($60 Divided by 5 %) --( c ) Value of leasehold estate .----
1 , 200
4 , 800
In the foregoing example , it will be noted that the value of the
leasehold estate exceeds the value of the improvements. This is
because the land has enhanced in value and the ground rent is there
fore lower than it would probably be if a new lease were to be made
at the time of appraisal.
Example #2 . In this case, the conditions are the same as in
the foregoing example, except that the district has depreciated in
value, and it is found that the owner's expenditure of money for his
home has proven unwise .
The lessor's ground rent is still well
secured, but because of the unfavorable factors affecting the neigh
borhood , the proper capitalization rate is 6 % .
(a ) Estimated value of the property in fee simple
unencumbered ..
$4,000
Distribution of total valuation :
Land .-$ 500
Buildings ..
3,500
Total...
$ 4,000
(6) Value of the leased fee ($60 divided by 6 % )--
1,000
( c ) Value of the leasehold estate .-
3,000
In the above example the value of the leased fee exceeds the value
of the land . Likewise the leasehold estate is less valuable than the
portion of the total valuation ascribed to the improvements. In
Part I
344-345
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
such cases, the results are entered on the Report of Valuator in the
following manner:
$ 3,000
LEASEHOLD ESTATE
ESTIMATE OF VALUE
In my opinion the value of the property described above, assuming the contemplated improvements or new
construction described'in exhibits, if any, accompanying Mortgagors' Statement, or assuming the repairs of altera
tions oradditions, if any, listed under item " (!)” ofthis report have been completed, isunencumbered by leage---$4,000
Distribution of total valuation :
Land.....
......... ............500 . @ $ ..... 500........ per a lot, front foot, square foot.
Main building.......
2.500. Remaining
tern of lease,
years
Reserved annual
rent
Garage...
Capitalization rate----- 6 %
Other improvements.
Value of leased fee--$ 1,000
344 (2) . The laws of some states fis the
methods
whereby lessees of residential properties under long -term ground
leases may " redeem ” (that is, purchase the fee simple title from
the lessor, thereby destroying the lessor -lessee relationship ) the
ground rentals reserved under their leases. In such instances the
appraisal procedure must be consistent with the legal requirements.
For example , assume that under a state law a lessee has the right to
redeem the ground rent by paying the lessor a sum equal to the capi
talized value of the ground rent on a 6 % basis.
Thus, in ex
ample # 1 above if such state law existed, the value of the leased
fee would be ( $ 60 divided by 6 %) $ 1,000 instead of $ 1,200, and
the value of the lessee's estate would be $5,000 instead of $4,800.
Legal enactments of the type mentioned have the effect of giving
lessees options to buy at definite prices; and whenever an option to
purchase exists in a lease, the value of the lessor's interest, or leased
fee , cannot exceed the option price, although it may be less than that
figure.
345 ( 1 ) . Subleasehold Estates. Sometimes lessees under
long -term leases create subleasehold estates by subleasing their rights
to others. Such subleasing is not unusual in cases where one indi
vidual leases several parcels of ground and then subleases each
parcel separately to different persons. The procedure to be followed
in valuing subleasehold , or sub -subleasehold estates is the same in
principle as that outlined herein for the valuation of ordinary lease
holds. The Valuator simply capitalizes the total rental reserved in
the sublease and deducts the resultant sum from the total valuation
ascribed to the property as if unencumbered .
345 (2) . Valuators must realize that the ownership of
a property which is a leasehold estate involves more risk than the
ownership of either a leased fee or an unencumbered property.
Furthermore, mortgage investment in leasehold estates is generally
more hazardous than in unencumbered properties. Consequently,
valuation procedure in such cases requires the exercise of discrimi.
nating judgment.
METHODS OF DWELLING VALUATION
Part I
346-347
346. In any case in which a mortgage upon a leasehold
estate is submitted for insurance, the value of the lessee's interest,
that is, of the leasehold estate - not the value of the property in fee
simple unencumbered by the lease — is the basis upon which to deter
mine the maximum amount of an insurable loan . Thus, in the first
example above , a mortgage loan exceeding the prescribed maximum
percentage of $4,800 ( the value of the leasehold ) would be ineligible
for insurance. In the second example, the maximum insurable loan
would be based on the prescribed maximum percentage of $3,000 .
347 ( 1) . The Valuator's Final Judgment. The Valu
ator must never lose sight of the fact that the value which he must
estimate is the price which a well- informed buyer would pay, and be
warranted in paying , for the property appraised , rather than the
maximum price which could be obtained if the property were offered
for sale . In determining such a warranted price such a buyer will
not only give consideration to both the cost and the value which may
be assigned separately to the land and to the improvements upon it
but he will also consider the prices at which he can obtain other prop
erties of like characteristics and equally desirable from well -informed
sellers who when selling would be acting intelligently , voluntarily ,
and without necessity . He will contrast the advantages of renting
with the advantages of buying, as indicated by comparison of the cost
of renting and cost of buying , and he will consider the many other
matters to which attention is drawn in this Section of the Underwriting
Manual. He will not be especially interested in or greatly influenced
by what the property has cost someone else in times past or what it
would cost to build it today, though he will desire information regard
ing these matters; but he will be vitally interested in the ability of the
property to produce a stream of future benefits for him if he were to
purchase it. The characteristics of this stream of benefits — its
present size, the extent of any probable diminution in its size in the
future, the certainty of the continuation of the flowing stream , and
the length of the period during which the flow may be expected to
continuo — will determine the price which he is warranted in paying,
and, hence, the value of the property .
347 (2) . The valuation process requires the Valuator to
gather, analyze , and interpret a great volume and variety of data.
Because the necessary data are gathered piecemeal, as it were, there
is danger that he will assign greater importance to some of the data
than they are rightly entitled to receive , and reach a conclusion which
is premature and unsound. Before reaching his final conclusion ,
it is essential that he place himself at a distance, figuratively speak
ing, from the problem with wbich he is dealing in order that he may
get a broad, comprehensive view of the whole group of data and of
Part I
347
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
the aspects of the problem in its entirety . He must not remain so
close to the great volume and variety of data which he must consider
that he will fail to properly appraise the relative importance of the
various matters which comprise the data and lose sight of the gen
eral characteristics of the entire problem . Let him stand off at a
distance after analyzing the data, and consider the resultant effect
proudced by the multiplicity of influences which operate in every
case . Then it is more likely that the conclusions which he reaches
as a result of any valuation method or procedure which he may
follow , or comparisons which he may make, will accord with that
which will be required of all Federal Housing Administration Valu
ators, namely, that their conclusions in every case shall be fully
supported , reasonable , sound, and sensible .
PART I
SECTION 4
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
INDEX
Basis of the Cost EstimateBasis of Estimation ...
Equipment and Accessories ..
Paragraphs
401-407
401-404
405-406
407
408–410
411-415
416-421
418
419-420
New Materials and Methods of Construction.
Prescribed Cost Estimating Procedures ..
Calculation of Cubic Volume and Square Foot Area ..
Cubic and Square Foot Method of Cost Estimation .
Classification of Houses.
Compiling Cubic and Square Foot Cost Units .
Example of Estimating Replacement Cost by the Cubic and
421
Square Foot Method .-422-430
tion.d
e
.
Estima
of
Cost
Inplac Unit Price Metho
426
Measurements ..
427
Factors ...
428-429
Example of the Compilation of Inplace Unit Costs..Example of Estimating Replacement Cost by the Inplace Unit
430
Price Method ...
31246-36
-8
Part I
401-403
PART I
SECTION 4
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
BASIS OF THE COST ESTIMATE
401. Basis of Estimation .
Estimates of the cost re
quired to replace building improvements in new condition shall be
made by either Architectural Inspectors or Valuators for use in con
nection with the valuation of the real estate pledged as security for
mortgages submitted for insurance . Estimates of replacement cost
in new condition shall be made on the basis of fair costs which would
have to be met by an individual lot owner who would secure suitable
drawings and specifications, obtain competitive bids, and contract
with a responsible contractor for the construction of one dwelling
only.
402. The estimate shall be based upon replacement of
the improvements in new condition . In any case where alterations
or additions to the improvements are contemplated by the mortgagor,
or where none are contemplated but the inspector finds that a
" Reject ” rating of one or more of the Physical Security Features will be
necessary unless alterations or additions are made , the cost estimate
shall be based on replacement of the improvements in new condition
as they would exist with the proposed alterations or additions incor
porated . However, in the event the buildings include excessive or
wasteful use of materials or details , excessive ceiling heights or room
sizes, attention shall be called to this fact under Estimate of Cost
Required to Replace Building Improvements in New Condition in
€ per sq . ft. " on FHA
sq . ft . @
the blank space beneath "
Form No. 2014 or 2015 .
403. The estimate shall include the cost of all labor,
materials, sub -contracts, inspection fees, permits, builder's overhead
and profit, and architectural fee entering into the cost of construction
of the following:
( 1 ) Main building including porches and attached masonry
terraces when supported on foundation walls.
(2 ) Garage and other accessory buildings.
(3 ) Walks, drives, and terraces laid on the ground .
Part I
403-407
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(4) Private septic tank , well, and electric generating plant.
The builder's overhead and profit may be based on, but shall not
exceed , the customary local and current charges for the type and
class of building under consideration . The architectural fee shall
be calculated on the basis of the percentage customarily charged in
the locality for this type of work at the time of the estimate. If
the building is of the type for which plans are ordinarily purchased
outright, no more than the purchase price ordinarily charged for
such plans shall be included .
404. The estimate shall not include the following:
( 1 ) Savings due to quantity production of buildings or unusual
efficiency of builder or workmen .
( 2 ) Deterioration and obsolescence and resulting depreciation.
(3 ) Carrying charges during construction and cost of financing.
( 4 ) Structures of temporary character or structures not perma
nently affixed to the ground .
(5 ) Landscaping including shrubs, trees , grass, retaining walls,
and grading of site.
(6 ) Chattels, that is, equipment and accessories which are
not in a legal sense part of the realty.
405. Equipment and Accessories . Many newer dwell
ings contain increasingly greater amounts of mechanical equipment
and accessories which are now coming to be regarded as standard
equipment and are provided by the builder to create sales appeal.
Determination as to whether certain equipment or accessories are
chattels or parts of the realty depends on local custom and State laws,
and to assist the Chief Architectural Supervisor, who must make this
decision , the Underwriting Section, Washington, D. C. , has supplied
the Insuring Offices with opinions from the Legal Division as to the
items to be construed as parts of the realty or as chattels in the
different States.
406. Because certain items of equipment and accessories
may be subject to rapid depreciation and obsolescence as a result of the
wearing out of moving parts, continual improvements in design , and
anticipated reductions in initial and operating costs , the estimator
shall indicate under Estimate of Cost Required to Replace Building
Improvements in New Condition in the blank space beneath "
sq.
ft. @ - ¢ per sq . ft." on FHA Form No. 2014 or 2015 , the esti
mated cost of all the equipment in the subject property which will,
in his opinion, materially depreciate or suffer rapid obsolescence in
the early life of the mortgage .
407. New Materials and Methods of Construction .
New materials and methods of construction which have not been
generally used in dwellings may be subject to wide fluctuations in cost
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Part I
407-409
over comparatively short periods of time. To meet this condition
the estimator shall estimate the cost of the subject building according
to the drawings and specifications, except that conventional materials
and methods of construction shall be substituted for the new materials
and methods of construction . The substituted conventional materials
and methods of construction shall offer the same structural sound
ness, relative resistance to fire, to use , and to the elements, the same
insulation value, and maintenance costs as the units they replace .
In the event this transposition increases the thickness of the floors,
walls or roof, the size of the building shall be increased by this amount
so that the property will contain the same living space. This cost
establishes the Maximum Allowable Estimate of Cost Required to
Replace Building Improvements in New Condition, and is not the
cost of the improvements as they actually exist. The actual cost of
the improvements as they exist may or may not be known and it is not
necessary to figure such cost. Insert the words “ Maximum Allow
able" before " Estimate of Cost Required ...
etc., on FHA Form
No. 2014 or 2015 .
PRESCRIBED COST ESTIMATING PROCEDURES
408. Selection of Method to Use. In general under
writing practice cost estimates shall be made by the Cubic and
Square Foot Method , as described in paragraphs 416 to 421. All
typical buildings and all buildings on which the Valuator completes
the dual inspection provided for in the Modified Procedure (Part I ,
Section 1 ) shall be estimated by this method except in the event
that there are no Cubic and Square Foot cost data available for the
particular type of building. In such cases the Architectural Section
shall estimate the replacement cost by either the Inplace Unit Price
Method described in paragraphs 422 to 430, or other approved
methods as described in paragraph 409. It is the responsibility of
the Chief Architectural Supervisor to select the method which is to
be used .
409. Erceptions and Adaptations. The existence of a
number of different cost estimating methods and of a number of
adaptations of the Cubic and Square Foot Method and the Inplace
Unit Price Method are recognized and are permitted where , in the
opinion of the Chief Architectural Supervisor, they accelerate the
processing of cases or the assembling of Cubic and Square Foot cost
data without sacrificing accuracy . However, in order to secure
uniformity it is necessary to forward data and explanations of these
methods or adaptations to the Underwriting Section, Washington ,
D. C. , for approval.
Part I
410-413
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
410. Preparation and Distribution of Cost Data . The
Chief Architectural Supervisor is responsible for the preparation and
distribution of necessary cost data as follows:
( 1 ) Cubic and Square Foot cost data shall be prepared in a
uniform manner as outlined in paragraphs 419 and 420 and shall be
furnished each Architectural Inspector and Valuator.
(2 ) Cost data pertaining to the Inplace Unit Price Method or
other approved methods shall be prepared in a manner similar to that
outlined in paragraph 429 and furnished each Architectural Inspector.
CALCULATION OF CUBIC VOLUME AND SQUARE FOOT AREA
411. Calculations of the cubic volume and square foot
area of building improvements shall be made according to the uniform
method prescribed in the following paragraphs. Because it is essen
tial to secure uniformity no alternative methods are to be used .
412. Calculation of Cubic Volume.
Cubic volume of the
building improvements shall be computed as follows:
( 1 ) To be included and calculated in full:
The actual space enclosed within the outer surfaces of the
outside walls and between the bottom of the basement floor slab , or,
in unexcavated areas, between the ground and the outside of the roof,
including bays , oriels, light shafts, dormers , and exterior chimneys up
to the average height of the roof, enclosed porches and built -in garages.
(2 ) To be included and calculated in part:
( a ) Non-enclosed porches
1. Within house proper.
2. As an extension to house ...
% volume
* volume
(6) Masonry terraces supported on foundation walls . 44 volume
(3 ) Not to be included :
Outside steps, cornices, parapets, and footings.
413. Calculation of Square Foot Area . The square foot
area of building improvements shall be computed as follows:
( 1 ) To be included and calculated in full :
The finished and livable floor area above the basement, in
cluding bays, oriels, dormers, light shafts, exterior chimneys, enclosed
porches , and built- in garages. In computing these areas, measure
ments shall be taken to the outside surfaces of the exterior walls or
partitions enclosing the areas.
(2 ) To be included and calculated in part:
(a) Finished livable area of basement, such as a recrea
tion room , or servants ' quarters, measured to the
outside of exterior walls or partitions....
1 area
Part I
413-415
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
(6) Semi-finished area of attic, not used as a livable
area measured to the outside of exterior walls or
partitions.--(c) Non -enclosed porches:
1. Within house proper ..
2. As an extension to house ..
( d ) Masonry terraces supported on foundation walls .
12 area
3% area
32 area
Y area
(3 ) Not to be included :
Outside steps, cornices, parapets , and footings.
414. The following example shows the uniform method
of calculating cubic volume and square foot area of the building
shown in the accompanying isometric, plan , and section sketches.
For convenience, the dimensions are identified in both the sketches
and computations by capital letters just above the dimensions.
Dimensions are given by feet and inches on the sketches and are con
verted into decimals to the nearest half foot in the computations.
This practice is considered sufficiently accurate.
Identification
House --House..
Bay ---Porch --Terrace
Chimney--Totals---
Dimen
sions
А в
25 x 21
C D
17 x 7
E F
5x2
G H
13 x 8
I J
6x5
K L
5x1
Area
Sq. Ft.
Factor
Height
Sq. Ft.
Cu.Ft.
525
N
2.0
N
2.0
R
32. 0
1 , 050
16, 800
31.0
238
3,689
12.0
U
5. 5
V
1.0
R
32.0
10
120
52
572
7
30
10
160
119
10
1.0
Р
104
30
5
Q
. 25
N
2.0
1 , 367 | 21, 371
415 (1 ) . The following instructions serve as explana
tions of entries made in the above computations.
Identification :
Dimensions:
Insert identifying word, such as house or bay.
Insert the horizontal dimensions for measured area .
Area :
Insert the product of the horizontal dimensions.
Sq. Ft. Factor: Insert the number by which the area is multiplied to
determine the number of square feet.
Height:
Insert dimension indicating the height by which the
area is multiplied to determine the number of
cubic feet.
Square Feet:
Cubic Feet :
Insert the product of the area times the sq. ft. factor.
Insert the product of the area times the height.
Part I
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
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METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
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Part I
414
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Part I
415-416
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
415 (2) . Following are explanations of square foot fac
tors and heights used in the above computations.
Square foot factor “ N ” is made up as follows:
Finished area of first floor ...
Finished area of second floor ....
1.0
1.0
Total or square foot factor " N "
2.0
Square foot factor “ O ” is 1.0 as the bay is only one story high .
Square foot factor “ p ” is 0.5 as the porch is an extension to the
house and is calculated at % area .
Square foot factor " Q ” is 0.25 as the terrace is calculated at
Height " R ” is made up as follows:
Bottom of basement floor to first floor ...
First floor to second floor ..
Second floor to ceiling --One- half the distance between the ceiling and ridge -----
area .
8' 6"
10 ' 0"
8' 0"
5' 3 "
31'9 "
Total or Height " R " ( use 32.0 feet) .
Height " S ” is made up in the same general manner .
Height " T " is made up as follows:
Grade to first floor ....
2' 0"
10 ' 0 "
First floor to top of roof..
12 ' on
Total or Height " T " .
Height " U " is made up as follows:
Grade to first floor ..
Floor to ceiling
2 ' 0"
8 ' 0"
1' 1"
One -third the distance from ceiling to roof peak ..
Total height (use 11.0 feet) ----As the cubic volume of the porch is calculated at
height of 11 feet is divided by 2 .
Height " U "
11 ' 1 '
, the
5: 5
Height “ V ” is made up in the same general manner .
CUBIC AND SQUARE FOOT METHOD OF COST ESTIMATION
process.
416. The Cubic and Square Foot Method is a single
Realizing the limitations of the accuracy of either the cubic
foot or the square foot method of cost estimation when used alone,
the Federal Housing Administration does not depend on either
method by itself but combines them in the Cubic and Square Foot
Method, using one as a check against the other.
This check performs
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Part I
416-418
two functions.
( 1 ) It reduces the chances of error in the area and
volume take-off. Any great variation between the estimated cost
arrived at by these two methods serves as a flag and should cause
the estimator to recheck his take -off .
(2 ) It brackets the estimated
cost after the take -off has been rechecked and found correct by indi
cating the upper and lower limits of the cost. After the cost has thus
been bracketed it then becomes a matter of judgment for the estimator
to fix the estimated replacement cost at some point within the limits
of the bracket. The result is known as the " fixed cost."
417. The Cubic and Square Foot Method of cost esti
mation is sufficiently accurate only when its cost units have been
secured in the proper manner. It shall be used only when the units
have been determined as follows:
(1 ) The houses shall have been classified by a method similar
to that described in paragraph 418 .
(2 ) At least five houses of each classification shall have been
estimated by either (a ) the Inplace Unit Price Method , described
in paragraphs 422 to 430 , (6) some other approved method or adap
tation as permitted in paragraph 409 , or (c ) a method in which the
costs have been secured from some outside source such as the pub
lished bids received on a building and for which the plans are avail
able for the calculation of cubic volume and square foot area .
(3) The houses shall have had the cubic volume and square
foot area calculated as described in paragraphs 412 and 413 .
(4 ) The cost per cubic foot shall be the result of dividing
the total estimated cost by the number of cubic feet of volume,
and the cost per square foot shall be the result of dividing the total
estimated cost by the number of square feet of area .
418. Classification of Houses. The Cubic and Square
Foot Method is sufficiently accurate only when the cost units are
derived from houses of the same classification as those to which the
units are finally applied.
Therefore, it is necessary to use a uniform
method of classifying houses. The first step in establishing the
Cubic and Square Foot cost units is to classify the houses. For
the purpose of accumulating cost estimating data all houses shall be
classified in the following general manner . However, as classifica
tion is purely local certain Insuring Offices may find it necessary to
increase, decrease, or change the number of classifications in each
group or the number of square feet in each bracket in order to cover
all types of houses. Houses are classified according to five criteria :
( 1 ) Type of Plan, (2) Number of Rooms, (3 ) Number of Stories,
(4 ) Number of Square Feet, and (5 ) Class of Construction . Multi
family dwellings shall be classified separately to meet local condi
Part I
418-419
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
tions. The following gives a possible grouping under each of these
five classification criteria :
( 1 ) Type of Plan
full basement
X basement
( a ) Regular, square, or rectangular .
no basement
full basement
12 basement
no basement
(6) Irregular, L, or T shaped ..-
full basement
12 basement
no basement
( c) Rambling, U shaped ...
(2 ) No. of Rooms
(3 ) No. of Stories
4 room
1
(4 ) No. of Square Feet
750
650
to
to
750
5 and 6 room.
1
1200
1%
2
1400
1
7 and 8 room .
172
2
to
850
1400
to
1600
to
850
to
1000
1800
to
1600
1800
1
1400 ( 1600 / 1800 / 2000
to
to
to
to
2000
1600
2400
1800
2000
2200
2200
2200
(5 ) Class of Construction
A-Good ..
different types of exterior walls
alternates for different features
B - Average
different types of exterior walls
alternates for different features
C - Poor .
different types of exterior walls
alternates for different features
Class of Construction shall be based on different types of construction
and features generally accepted as determining class " A " , " B " , or
“ C ” houses in each state or district.
419. Compiling Cubic and Square Foot Cost Units.
Inasmuch as cost estimates of building improvements in new con
dition made in the past by either the Inplace Unit Price Method or
other equally accurate method have been translated into cost per
cubic foot and cost per square foot, and as volume and areas have been
calculated in a uniform method , it is only necessary to classify these
houses as outlined in paragraph 418 and tabulate the cost per cubic
foot and the cost per square foot in order to compile the Cubic and
Square Foot cost units .
The prices used in the above estimates of
replacement cost shall have been the average prices prevailing in the
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Part I
419-420
locality at the time the estimate was made, except that seasonal
fluctuations shall have been ignored . Cubic and Square Foot cost
units become increasingly accurate as additional estimates are made
by the Inplace Unit Price Method or other equally accurate approved
method.
Should there be any material change in the cost of con
struction it will be necessary to re -estimate a number of houses of
each classification , tabulate the results, and revise the Cubic and
Square Foot cost units accordingly.
As the construction cost levels
of towns and cities differ within a state or district, this variation can be
adjusted by location differentials using the costs in the city in which
the Insuring Office is located as 100 and adding or deducting a per
centage for the other locations.
420. Following is an example of a Cubic and Square
Foot Cost Data Sheet. The use of this form or an adaptation is
ggested . The following instructions apply to the form : Fill in
blanks under location differentials with the name of the city or town
to which the differentials apply and add additional differentials as
they are needed .
Under " General Description of Houses” fill in the
blanks with a brief description of the construction and features which
determine Class “ A ” , “ B ” , and “ C ” houses, adding any additional
features that are necessary . Add any additional features under
“ Types of Exterior Walls," and " Alternates ” that will increase the
scope of the data . In the alternates certain items which are included
in the Class “ A ” house are additions to the Class “ B ” house and also
to the Class “ C ” house , and certain items that are included in Class
“ B ” house are a deduction from the Class “ A ” house and an addition
to the Class " C " house .
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Part I
420
Cubic and Square Foot Cost Data Sheet
Insuring Office
Plan .
Room
to
Location Differentials (Cities)
Basement
%
%
%
%
%
%o
jo
Story
Square feet
Date Compiled
Date Revised
General Description of Houses :
Cla88 “ A ” . Foundations
Floor Construction.
Wall Finish
Finished Floors
Bath and Kitchen
Finish
Doors, Windows and Trim .
Roof and Sheet Metal
Plumbing
Electrical Work_
Heating
Floor Construction .
Class “B” . Foundations.
Wall Finish
Finished Floors
Bath and Kitchen
Finish
Doors, Windows and Trim .
Roof and Sheet Metal
Plumbing
Electrical Work .
Heating
Class “ C ” . Foundations
Floor Construction
Wall Finish
Finished Floors_
Bath and Kitchen
Finish
Doors, Windows and Trim .
Roof and Sheet Metal
Plumbing
Heating
Electrical Work
Cost per Sq. Ft.
Base Cost for Types of Exterior
Walls
A
C
Bc
2 x 4s, sheathing & face brick
Veneer
masonry and 4 " face brick .
masonry and stucco .-- .
8"
2 x 4s, sheathing, metal lath,
and stucco ...
2 x 4s, sheathing and siding ---Alternatesadd or deduct
Recreation room in basement.-- .
250# Compo. shingle roof ..
Slate roof.--Additional Lavatory .
Additional Bath ..
Cost per cu. Ft.
A
B
Part I
421
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
421. Example of Estimating Replacement Cost by the
Cubic and Square Foot Method . The building improvements used
as a basis for the following example are shown by drawings preceding
paragraph 430. Paragraph 430 is an example of estimating replace
ment cost of the same improvements by the Inplace Unit Price
Method .
The use of the form or an adaptation is suggested .
Cost
units are assumed for illustration only.
Work Sheet - Cubic and Square Foot Method
-Insuring Office
State
City
Property Address
Date
Made by
Serial Number
6
144
1,200
to
1,400
B
Brick Veneer
Pull
Regular
Plan
Exterior
Basement Rooms Stories
Class
Walls
Sq. Ft.
$ 6,840.00
Cubic Foot Cost : 19,800 Cu. Ft. @ 314 ¢ - .
$ 5,875 , 00
Square Foot Cost : 1,250 Sq. Ft. @ $4.70 = .
$ 6,058.00
Fixed Cost ( Average Cost used )
( Explanation )
Resultant Unit Costs 80424 per cu . ft., $ 4.86 per sq. ft.
Garage 12 x 20
240
288.00
$
146.00
$
Sq. Ft. @ $ 1.20 ------ $
Sq. Ft . @
Outbuildings
Driveway 12 x 62 = 744 Sq . Ft. @ 16¢ = $119.00)
14.0 30 120
$ 189 Sq. Ft. @ 14 ¢ =
27.00
Walks 3 x 23
69
Other Improvements :
Estimated Replacement Cost of Building Improvements in New
Conditions .-$ 6 , 492.00
Calculation Of Cubic Foot Volume And Square Foot Area
Identification
Dimension
Area
Sq. Ft.
Factor
House...
Chimney
Bay --end floor...
2nd
Dormers, s @-Porch ....
Stoops, & @...
38 x 25
1.5 1 5.0
6.5 28
15 x 14
17 & 14
8 x 3.5
18 8
4I6
800
7
20
310
238
1.0
1. O
1.0
1.0
.5
1.0
..5
. 25
104
48
Cubic
Foot
Height
Sq. Ft.
89. 3
23. 3
17.8
800
7
20
210
119
38
52
18
18, 640
166
356
1, 252
19, 786
8. 5
5.
80
520
24
Part I
422-425
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
INPLACE UNIT PRICE METHOD OF COST ESTIMATION
422. The Inplace Unit Price Method of cost estimation
is an adaptation of the quantity survey method , designed to reduce to
a minimum the number of arithmetical operations. This is accom
plished by applying to the total number of surface square feet of a par
ticular part of the building, such as exterior walls or floors, a square
foot unit cost which is compiled by adding together the square
foot cost of all items entering into the construction of that particular
part. There are certain parts of a building which cannot be reduced
to surface square feet and these parts are estimated by applying a
price per unit to the total number of units involved . This method is
more exact than the Cubic and Square Foot Method and if the cost
data are properly assembled and kept current, the resulting estimates
will fall within a reasonable range of those which could be secured by
competitive bids and this degree of exactness is sufficient for the pur
pose. Material and labor prices and prices per unit including sub - con
tractor's profit shall be obtained from at least three local material deal
ers, contractors and sub -contractors and the average price used . Unit
prices shall be checked from time to time to insure their being kept
current. All unit costs used should be compiled according to the
various types of construction , as outlined in paragraph 429. Garages,
other out-buildings, drives, walks, and terraces should be estimated
in the same general manner as the main buildings.
423 (1 ) . Quality Variation . - Because quality of work
manship varies an adjustment may be necessary in some cases . This
adjustment, if necessary , is made by the addition or deduction of a
percentage of the total estimated cost of labor and materials.
423 (2 ) . Builder's overhead and profit and the archi
tectural fee, on the basis prescribed in paragraph 403 , are added as
separate items after the cost of labor and materials has been esti
mated and the adjustment for quality variation , if any, has been
made.
424. It is not necessary to set up a complete set of In
place unit costs for each section of the state or district which has a .
distinct cost level. By checking several estimates it will be possible
to estimate the cost of all buildings in these sections by using the
cost data compiled for the city in which the Insuring Office is located
as 100 , and adding or deducting a percentage of the total cost to
compensate for the differences in cost levels .
425. The cost estimate of the main building is divided
into the following parts : ( 1 ) excavation , (2 ) foundations , exterior
steps and chimneys, ( 3 ) floors and ceilings, (4 ) roof and sheet metal,
(5 ) exterior walls, (6 ) interior partitions, (7 ) millwork , (8) plumbing,
(9 ) heating, and ( 10 ) electric light and power. The following items
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Part I
425-426
are estimated separately from the main building : ( 11 ) garage and
other out-buildings, (12 ) walks and drives, ( 13 ) private septic tank ,
well, and electric generating plant.
426. Measurements. Over - all outside measurements
are used to determine areas .
Openings such as doors, cased open
ings, arches, windows, stair wells, etc. , are not deducted as experience
shows that the cost of excess quantities so obtained is balanced by
the cost of forming the openings. The work of measurement and
calculation is kept down by grouping together all parts which have
the same surface area such as basement floor, first floor, second floor,
and ceiling. Measurements are taken either from the building itself
or its plans or sketches and should be to the nearest half foot. Further
instructions for taking off measurements for each general item are as
follows:
( 1 ) Excavation . Estimate the number of cubic yards in tbe
excavation in two classes (a) bulk , and (6 ) trench , since trench excava
tion is the more expensive. In bulk excavation assume horizontal
dimensions one foot greater on all sides than shown on plan to take care
of width of the footing over width of wall and back filling. In trench
excavation assume length of trench one half foot greater on all sides
than shown on plans and increase width of trench to nearest half or
whole foot to take care of back filling.
( 2 ) Foundations, Exterior Steps, and Chimneys.
All founda
tion and area walls and piers are figured from bottom of footings to
the bottom of the wall sills or floor slabs. Outside dimensions are
used , deducting for chimney when it is part of an outside wall but not
deducting for corners or openings. Walls of the same thickness are
lumped together. Where there is less than 6 " difference in the height
of walls they are figured the same. Interior brick piers are estimated
by the cubic foot and the quantity included as 12 " brick walls .
Chimneys are estimated solid , which takes care of hearth slab , flue
lining, and firebrick back, and the quantity included as 12 ' ' walls.
Exterior steps of masonry , stone , or concrete are measured by the
lineal foot of treads. Paving of adjacent small area is included as an
extra tread . When only one or two treads occur in conjunction with
a stoop , terrace, or porch it should be included as part of the floor
of those items.
(3 ) Floors and Ceilings. Where floors and ceilings cover iden
tical areas they are grouped under that one area as shown in example .
Other floors and ceilings are taken off separately. When a change in
finish , such as tile floor in a bath , occurs such area must be taken off
additionally for separate treatment. The measurements are taken
through to the outside of all exterior walls or interior partitions ,
51246-36
-9
Part I
426
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
( 4 ) Roofs and Sheet Metal. Take off all measurements along
the rake and include overhang. As dormer roofs and the triangular
part of connecting roofs will approximately balance the openings
which are occasioned by them , these areas need not be calculated nor
the openings deducted . Take off as separate items the number of
lineal feet of gutters, downspouts, valleys, and flashing and counter
flashing.
(5 ) Exterior Walls. Measure walls starting at the top of foun
dation and extending through to the outside of roof as this takes care
of the cornice . In taking off gables and dormer side walls, multiply
the width by the average heighth . Do not deduct door and window
openings. Do not take off stone, cast stone, or terra cotta sills,
lintels, or other ornamental trim as separate items since they are
compensated for by adding the difference over masonry in a lump
sum .
(6 ) Interior Partitions.
Measure the interior partitions from
finish floor to finish ceiling and through all crossing walls to the outside
of exterior walls or cross partitions. Do not deduct door or cased
openings.
(7 ) Millwork .
List all doors and windows (wood or metal),
louvers, porch columns, ornamental entrances, mantels, and facings,
and bearths. List the number of treads of interior stairs, the num
ber of surface feet of cabinets and bookcases, and the lineal feet of
porch rail. Do not list running trim as it is a part of exterior wall
and interior partition. Do not list standing trim as it is a part of
doors and windows.
(8 ) Plumbing. List all plumbing fixtures, gas connections,
connections to public water supply and public sewer , and built - in
tile fixtures such as medicine cabinets, towel bars, soap dishes, etc.,
under this item.
(9 ) Heating. List heating plant, special fuel burners, me
chanical stokers, and thermostatic controls under this item . When
radiation is indicated list total number of square feet.
When radia
tion is not indicated , estimate the number of square feet required.
Indicate radiators thus: 3/26/11.
“ Z ” indicates the number of tubes,
“ 26 " indicates height in inches, and " 11" indicates number of sections.
( 10) Electric Light and Power . List as a total all electric
outlets for light fixtures, switches, and convenience outlets. List
separately power outlets for kitchen range, oil burner, or ventilating
fans.
( 11 ) Garage and Outbuildings.
Measure and list items in the
same general manner described for main building.
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
( 12 ) Drices, Walks, and Landscape Terraces.
Part I
426–427
Measure witb
in property lines.
( 13 ) Private Septic Tank, Well, and Electric Generating Plant.
List as separate items .
427. Factors.
A factor is a number which indicates
the quantity of a particular material including waste and incidental
items required in one square foot of construction . The following
factors have been rounded off to one decimal place which is sufficiently
accurate for the purpose :
( 1 ) Excavation : No factors are used for excavation .
(2 ) Foundations, Exterior Steps, and Chimneys.
( a ) Foundation walls :
Factors
Concrete
Brick
Walls
7 hrk .
.33 cu . ft.
6"
.5 cu . ft.
.67 cu . ft.
13 brk .
8"
1.0 cu . ft.
19.5 brk .
12 "
(6) Exterior Steps :
Per lineal foot of tread
ft .
ft.
ft.
ft .
-Factors (including 4" slab) Stope
Concrete
Brick
1.0 cu . ft.
20 brk .
.8 cu. ft .
(c) Chimneys :
Per cubic foot
Stone
.33 cu.
.5 cu.
67 cu.
1.0 cu.
Brick
19.5 brk .
Factors
Concrete
1.0 cu. ft.
Stone
1.0 cu. ft.
( 3 ) Floors and Ceilings.
(a) Floor factors. The factors for joists in frame floor
construction include the joists , wall sills, girders, 2 x 4 bond timbers,
and one row of 1 x 4 bridging, and are based on a bay 12 feet square,
with wall sills and girders on two sides figured twice the thickness of
the joists and on the other two sides of same thickness as the joists .
The factors for subfloor and finished floor include material lost in
dressing and matching, and waste in cutting on the job.
Joists
2' ' x 12 "
2 " x 10 "
2' x 8 "
Subfloor
1 x 68 & 88 - S2S
1 x 68 & 88 T& G
Finished Floor
Pine or Oak
-Factors
16 " on center
20 " on center
2.2
2.6
2.2
1.9
1.8
1.6
Right angles
Diagonal
1.2
1.3
1.3
1.4
274 " Face
34 " Face
1.4
1.3
(6) Ceiling Factors . The factors for joists in frame
ceiling construction include joists and one row of 1 x4 bridging and
Part I
427
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
are based on a bay 12 feet square, starting and ending with a joist.
The factors for ceiling and insulating boards include material lost in
dressing and waste in cutting on the job .
-Factors
16 " on center
20 " on center
1, 2
1. 5
1. 2
1. O
1. 0
.8
1. 3
1. 1
Joists
2 " x 10 "
2 " x 8' '
2' ' x 6 "
Ceiling 3 " Face
Insulating Boards
(4) Roofs.
The factors for rafters in frame roof construction
include rafters, ridge of same size, and wind braces 8 feet long on
alternate rafters of same width and one-half the thickness of rafters .
They are based on a bay 12 feet square (measured on the roof sur
face), starting with rafter on one side and ending with half rafter
on other side.
-Factors
Rafters
16 " on center
20 " on center
1.4
1. 7
2 ' ' x 10 "
1. 1
1.4
2" x 8"
. 9
1. O
2" x 6 "
(5) Exterior Walls.
The factors for studs in exterior frame
wall construction include studs, shoe , double top plate , doubled
headers, sills, jambs, and trussing for one window opening, and are
based on a bay 9 feet high and 12 feet wide, starting on one side with
corner post and ending on the other side with half corner post . The
factors for siding include the actual loss in dressing , lapping, and
waste in cutting on the job .
Factors
1. 4
Studs 2 " x 4 " -16 " on centers ..
Studs 2' ' 36" -16 " on centers ...
2. O
7 brick
4 " brick veneer
Siding 1 " x 6 " , 444"' to weather ..
1. 4
1. 4
Siding 1" X 8' ', 6 " to weather
1. 3
Siding 1 " x 10 " , 8'' to weather
· 11
Base and picture mould ..
(6) Interior Partitions.
The factors for studs in frame interior
partition construction include studs, shoe, double top plate ; double
headers, jambs, and trussing for one door opening ; and one row of
bridging. They are based on a bay 9 feet high and 12 feet wide,
starting on one side with a corner post and ending on the other side
with half corner post . Factors for wall finish and running trim
provide for the occurrence of these items on both sides of the partition .
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Factors
1.4
2. 0
2. 0
22
2. 2
2. O
Studs 2 " x 4 " -16 " on centers ...
Studs 2' ' x 6 " -16 " on centers .
Plaster ....
Base and picture mould .
Insulating boards...
Paint or other finish .
(7 ) Millwork .
( 8 ) Plumbing.
(9 ) Heating.
Part I
427-428
No factors are used for this item .
No factors are used for this item .
No factors are used for this item .
( 10 ) Electric Light and Power .
No factors are used for this
item .
( 11 ) Garage and Outbuildings. Proper factors should be
selected from items (2 ) to (6 ) , inclusive, above for each part of the
garage or outbuildings.
( 12 ) Drives and walks.. No factors are used for this item .
( 13 ) Private Septic Tank, Well, and Electric Generating Plant.
No factors are used for this item .
428. Examples of the Compilation of Inplace Unit
Costs. The following examples show how the total Inplace unit costs
are developed for each of the various parts of a building. The items
used are derived from the drawings preceding paragraph 430. The
unit costs of the items here developed are used in the example of esti
mating replacement cost by the Inplace Unit Price Method in para
graph 430. The material and labor prices are assumed for the
purposes of illustration only.
( 1 ) Excavation .
Secure unit prices from subcontractors.
(2 ) Foundations, Exterior Steps, and Chimneys.
( a ) Foundations:
common brick
12' ' brick walls
mortar
8 " brick walls
common brick
mortar
Cement steps
(6 ) Exterior steps :
concrete
(c ) Chimneys:
brick
Brick chimney
mortar
Material Labor Total Factor
.015 .010 .030 19.5
. 005
.015 . 011 . 031 13.0
. 005
600
300
900
.015
. 005
C 010
.030
. 100
.040
140
Unit
Cost
.585
. 403
.8.720
19. 5
585
(3 ) Floors and Ceilings.
(a ) Main area of house:
Basement
Floor
4 " concrete
1. 0. 104
Part I
428
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
First floor
Joists
Subfloor
Finish floor
Paint
2 x 8, 16 ' ' on centers
diagonal S2S
select oak , 24 '' face
fill and 2 cts . shellac
Material
.022
. 020
.070
Labor Total
.012.034
.008
028
.030 . 100
. 030
Factor
1. 8
1. 3
1. 4
1. O
Unit Cost for Floor
Unit
Cost
. 061
. 036
140
. 030
. 267
Ceiling
Paint
Finish
Joists
size and 2 cts.
wood lath and plaster
2 x 8, 16' ' on centers
.055
. 035
.020.075
1. 0 .035
1.0.075
. 061
. 171
Unit Cost for Ceiling ---
578
Combined 'Unit Cost for Main Area of House --(6 ) Second floor finished area :
Floor
right angle T. and G.
# 1 com . oak, 2/4 " face
fill and 2 cts. shellac
Subfloor
Finish floor
Paint
. 020
. 060
.010
.030
.030
. 090
1. 3
1. 4
Unit Cost for Floor.
. 039
. 126
. 030
. 195
Ceiling
Paint
Finish
Joists
size and 2 cts. cal.
insulating board
2 x 6, 16 ' ' on centers
. 045
. 022
.010
.012
. 020
.055
.034
1. 0
1.
1. 0
. 115
Unit Cost for Ceiling ---
. 310
Combined Unit Cost for Second Floor Finished Area ..
Subfloor
Ceiling
(c ) Second floor unfinished area :
right angle T. and G.
compo. boards
. 025
.005
.030
Combined Unit Cost for Second Floor Unfinished Area .
( d ) Addition for bathroom floors:
. 800
Floor
74 '' ceramic tile
Base
. 085 .030 . 115
3 ' concrete
As tile replaces finished floor ( .140) and paint (.030) , deduct
Net Additional Unit Cost for Bathroom Floor ..
.020
. 061
. 034
1. 1
039
. 033
. 072
1.0.800
1. 0
115
. 915
. 170
. 745
Part I
428
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
( e) Porch and stoop :
Floor
Floor base
Finish floor
4 " reinforced concrete
red quarry tile
Material Labor Total
. 190 .060.250
. 350
Unit
Factor Cost
1. 0 .250
1.0.350
.600
Unit Cost for Porch or Stoop Floor .--
Ceiling
Paint
Ceiling
Joists
2 cts. lead & oil
“ B ” grade, 34/" face
2x6, 16 " on centers
. 050
. 022
.010
. 012
. 030
.060
034
1.0.030
1. 3 .078
1.0.034
Unit Cost for Porch Ceiling only ----
. 142
Combined Unit Cost for Porch ..
. 742
(4 ) Roofs and Sheet Metal.
(a) Main Roof :
Rafters
2x6 , 16 " on centers
S2S
Sheathing
Felt
30 #
Roofing
250 # asphalt shingles
. 022
. 020
.020
.095
.013
.008
.005
.015
035
.028
.025
. 110
1.
1.
1.
1.
0
2
0
O
204
Unit Cost for Main Roof ...- ..
Rafters
Sheathing
Felt
Roofing
( 6 ) Bay and Porch Roofs :
2x6, 16 " on centers
S2S
15 #
40 # tin
.010
. 130
.004
.020
014
. 150
035
. 034
1.0.014
1. 0 . 150
. 233
Unit Cost for Bay and Porch Roofs ...
( 5 ) Exterior Walls.
( a ) Main walls:
Paint
2 cts. masonry
com . brick
Exterior
mortar
Sheathing
diagonal S2S
Structural
2 x 4, 16 " on centers
Finish
wood lath and plaster
Base and picture
53 member 6 " 1
mould
11 member 2' ')
Paint
size and 2 cts .
Unit Cost for Main Walls..
. 035
.034
.025
. 110
.015 .015
. 005
.020 .010
.022.015
. 035
.035
1. 0
7. 0
.035
. 245
.030
. 037
1. 3
1. 4
.039
.052
. 075
. 080
. 100
.020
. 035
.11 .011
1. 0
.035
. 492
Part I
428
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Material Labor
Paint
Exterior
Sheathing
Structural
(6 ) Gable and dormer walls :
3 cts.
1 x 8 siding, “ B ” grade
right angle S2S
2 x 4, 16' ' on centers
. 045
. 020
015
.008
Total
Factor
.040
060
.028
1. 0
1. 4
1. 2
Unit
Cost
.040
.084
. 034
. 052
Unit Cost for Gable and Dormer Walls ..
210
(c ) Second floor finished area :
Paint
2 cts. cal.
Finish
insulating board
Base and picture
mould
. 020
. 061
.011
· 092
Unit Cost for Second Floor Finished Area ---( d ) Second floor unfinished area :
Finish
compo . board
Base and picture mould
. 033
.011
. 044
Unit Cost for Second Floor Unfinished Area ..
(e ) Addition for bathroom wall :
Walls
tile
1. 00
1. 0
1. 000
As tile replaces lath and plaster (0.75) , base and picture mould (.011) , and
finish (.03
. 121
deduct ...
. 879
Net Additional Unit Cost for Bathroom Wall...
(6 ) Interior Partitions.
(a) First floor:
Paint
size and 2 cts .
Finish
wood lath and plaster
Base and picture mould
Structural
2 x 4 , 16 ' on centers
.022.015
.035
. 075
. 100
.037
2.0
2.0
. 22
1. 4
( 6 ) Addition for tile bathroom :
Same as under Exterior Wall.--
Paint
Finish
Structural
Unit Cost for Basement...
( d ) Second Floor finished area :
Paint
2 cts. cal.
Finish
insulating board
Base and picture mould
Structural
2 x 4, 16 " on centers
Unit Cost for Second Floor Finished Area..
070
150
022
052
. 294
Unit Cost for First Floor....
(c ) Basement partition :
2 cts. lead and oil
1x 6 T. and G.
2 x 4, 16 ' on centers
.
.
.
.
. 879
.030
. 030
2.0
2. 6
. 060
. 078
. 052
. 190
.
.
.
.
020
061
011
052
. 144
Part I
428
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Upit
Cost
. 033
.011
.052
(e ) Second floor unfinished area :
composition boards
Finish
Base and picture mould
Structural
2 x 4, 16 ' on centers
. 096
Unit Cost for Second Floor Unfinished Area .....
(7 ) Millwork . The following examples show how the unit
prices of typical exterior doors, interior doors, cased openings, attic
and basement stairs, bookcases, and kitchen cabinets are compiled .
The labor includes all labor necessary to set, apply hardware, and
finish the item . The paint covers painting the complete item three
coats or fill, two coats, shellac and varnish . Standing trim is two
member black band. When part of an item is better than usual,
interior door, or better grade of hardware or trim ,
such as 1 %
increase the unit cost accordingly.
(a) Exterior Doors:
Front
3x 7
1% "
6 pan . col.
$ 6 . 50
3. 50
1. 00
2. 50
4. 20
2. 50
Door
Frame
Trim , one side
Hardware
Labor
Paint
Base Costs .
Screen dr . G. I. wire
Weatherstrip
Caulking around frame
$ 20 .
8.
8.
1.
Total Unit Costs...---
20
50
50
50
$ 38. 70
Side
2' 6' ' x 7'
1% "
15 lts.
$ 5 . 50
3. 00
1. 00
1. 75
3. 60
2. 00
Rear
2' 6' ' x 70
1% "
1 pan. It .
$ 4. 50
3. 00
1. 00
1. 50
3. 00
2. 00
Basement
2' 6 " x 7'
1% "
5 x pan .
$ 3. 50
3. 00
1. 00
1. 25
3. 00
1. 75
85
50
50
50
$ 15.00
6. 50
6. 50
1. 50
$ 13. 50
$31. 35
$29. 50
$ 15.00
$ 16 .
6.
6.
1.
1. 50
(6) Interior Doors and Cased Openings:
Door
Jambs
Trim - two sides
Hardware
Labor
Paint
2'6 " x 7' x 19 "
Two Panel
$ 3. 25
1. 40
2. 00
1. 25
3. 60
2. 00
Total Unit Costs .----- $ 13. 50.....
2'6 " x 7' x 19 "
Five Cross Pan.
$ 2. 75
1. 40
1. 50
plain
1. 00
3. 00
1. 25
- $ 10.90 ...
Cased Opening
5'6 " x 7'
$
1. 50
2. 50
2. 00
1. 00
$ 7. 00
Part 1
428
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(c) Windows, Steel Sash and Louvers:
12 lts.
9 " x 12"
Dble . hung,
1- % "
Window , sash or louver
Frame
Trim - back band
Wts. & cords
Glass
Hardware
Screens
Labor
Paint
$ 2.
2.
1.
.
15
75
30
75
Stl. Sash,
3'- 1 %
x 4'- " ,
full vent
$ 12. 25
2. 65
1. 10
Stl. Base
ment Sash
2'- 9 % " x 1'
$ 2. 25
1. 50
1'6 " x 36"
Louver
$ 3. 10
3. 35
.80
3. 00
2. 00
4. 14
2. 70
2. 00
1. 00
.50
.60
0. 50
Base Costs.-Screens, wood frame, half
length , GI wire
Weatherstrip
Caulk around framo
$ 12. 30
$ 28. 19
$ 6 . 05
$ 4. 20
Total Unit Costs ..
$ 17. 30
$ 28. 19
$ 6. 05
$ 4. 20
. 35
1. 50
2. 25
1. 25
( d ) Stairs :
Cost per
Mato
rial
Labor
Basemont stairs, open , pine treads and risers,
2 " x 4 " hand rails
Attic stairs, closed, pine treads and risers, pine
hand rail
Paint
Tread
. 80
. 70
.60
$ 2.00
1. 25
1. 00
. 76
3. 00
(@) Cabinets and Bookcases :
Kitchen cabinets, stock , wood doors below ,
lass above
Bookcases , stock , glass doors, movable shelves
. 75
. 60
Cost per
Surfaco
Ft.
. 25
1. 60
1. 30
. 20
. 60
. 50
( 8 ) Plumbing. Secure unit prices from subcontractors.
( 9 ) Heating. Secure unit prices from subcontractors.
( 10) Electric Light and Power . Secure unit prices from sub
contractors .
Unit cost
( 11 ) Garage and Out Buildings.
.403
( a ) Foundation same as 8 ' ' wall of house ...
(6) Floor same as basement floor of house ....
( c) Exterior walls same as gable of house ...
( d ) Roof same as roof of house .
( 12 ) Drives and
tractors.
Walks. Secure unit
prices
from
. 140
. 210
.204
subcon
( 13 ) Private Septic Tank , Well, and Electric Generating Plant.
Secure lump sum or unit price from subcontractors.
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Part I
429
429. Following is a suggested data sheet for developing
and recording Inplace Unit Price data for typical exterior walls and
for changes in materials that are usually encountered . Similar data
sheets should be compiled for all main items of construction . Data
sheets should always include a sketch of the basic wall section as
indicated .
Inplace Unit Price Cost Date Sheet
Insuring Office
Exterior Wails
Prices secured
-193_
In
- (City )
-4COM . BRICK
2x4" S.L. 160.C.
LAIR SPACE
-193
Data compiled.
VOOD LATH
AND PLASTER
[" SHEATHING Data compiled by
Exterior
common brick
mortar
diagonal 528
Sheathing
2 " x 4 " -16 " on center
Structural
Finish
Wood Lath and Plaster
Base & picture 3 member 6 "
1 member 2 "
mld .
Paint
size & 2cts .
Material Labor Total
.015 .015
035
. 005
. 020 .010 .030
. 022
015 .037
. 055 .020.075
. 080
020
. 100
. 035
Unit
Factor Cost
. 245
7.0
1. 3
1. 4
1. O
. 039
. 052
. 075
11
1. O
011
. 038
. 457
Total Unit Cost per Square Foot
For changes in materials from the above wall as shown substitute
following costs:
030
030 1.0
2cts. lead & oil
Paint
. 040
. 040 1.0
Paint
3cts. lead & oil
. 035
. 035 1. O
Paint
2cts. masonry pnt.
. 301
.020.018 .043 7.0
Exterior
face brick
. 005
mortar
. 080
Exterior
1 " x6 " siding, “ B ” grade
. 042 .015 .057 1.4
1 " x8 " siding, “ B ” grade
Exterior
. 084
. 045 .015.060 1.4
· 095
shingles, # 1 cypress
.080.015.095 1.0
Exterior
. 120
Exterior
metal lath and stucco
. 085
085 . 120 1.0
.034
.020 .008 .028 1. 2
Sheathing
right angle S2S
. 022 .014 .036 2. O
. 072
2 " x6 " -16 " on center
Structural
Structural
4 " x8 "x12 " cinder block .065 .020 .100 2. 6
. 260
mortar
.015
. 090
. 065 .025.090 1. O
Finish
gypsum lath & plaster
.. 105
metal lath & plaster
. 075 .030 . 105 1. O
Finish
. 020
. 020 1.0
Paint
size & Acts. calsomine
..040 1. 0
. 040
Paint
size & paper, 25¢ roll
Part I
430
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
TIN
slo
FINISHED
ROOM
11-07
TIN
5-04
32-04
SECOND - FLOOR - PLAN :
S -FELT
ER
250" COMPO. AFT
7 :6 R
SHINGLES
2*4STUDS
218 JOISTS
-AIR SPACE
-SHEATHING
HOUSE
DRIVE
PLASTER
FIN. FLOOR
2-8 JOISTS
4 CONC.
89-20° FOOTING
SECTION
STREET
PLOT ~ PLAN
8-3
DOWNA
"
25.0
OH
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Part I
430
6.0 "
3
0:"
32-0 "
-10
3-26-15
H1
7-6" (
0
ROOM
btD
KITCHEN
BATH
NUPI
"
25-0
ROOM
0DINING
1-9
3.5.
DOWNT
"
12:10
5-8 %
2- 6
"
4-0
*.26
BED Roompi
5:6-8
9:11
LIVING ROOM
189
17.0"
3-26-27
9-69
3- 26415
3.09
32-0 "
8.00
FIRST - FLOOR - PLAN
10-0"
32-0"
€
25-0
"
01:11
15-4 "
11-6
15-4"
"0
:
4
6-09
BASEMENT
FLOOR - PLAN
"
11110
7 :4 "
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
8-39
8-69
3-09
2-61
7-69
Part I
480
0
8-
3-9
tors
ELEVATION
8-09
:
12
8-6
"118
05-0
7-55
5-6
FRONT
ISIDE –
TIIVATION
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Part I
430
430. Example of Estimating Replacement Cost by the
Inplace Unit Price Method . The building improvements used as a
basis of the following example are shown by drawings immediately
preceding this paragraph . Paragraph 421 is an example of estimating
the same improvements by the Cubic and Square Foot Method .
Paragraph 426 explains how the measurements are made and para
graph 427 gives the factors used. Paragraph 428 shows how the
material and labor prices are combined with factors to form the
Inplace Unit Price unit costs .
purpose of instruction .
Considerable detail is developed for the
Quantity
Unit Price
Cost
( 1 ) Excavation .
( a ) Bulk excavation :
House 34 x 27 x 7.3 = 6, 700
Bay
4 x 8.5 x 7.3
248
Area 4 1 4 3 7.3
117
4 x 8.5 x 3.6 = 122
7 , 187 + 27
( 6 ) Trench excavation :
Porch
8.5 + 13.8 + 8.5 = 31
= 16
Frnt. stoop 4.5 + 7 + 4.5
= 16
Rear stoop 4.5 + 7 + 4.5
266 cu. yds.
. 50
$ 133. 00
63 x 1.5 x 3.5 = 331
= 160
House 33 + 26 + 33 + 21.5 = 114 x 23.7
Area
3.5 + 11.5 + 3.5 = 19 x 1.5 3.5 = 14
Chimney 6.5 x 2-13 3.7
514 + 27 = 19 cu. yds.
1. 00
19. 00
$ 152. 00
Total Cost of Excavation ...
(2) Foundations, Exterior Steps, and Chimneys.
( a ) 12 " walls and chimney:
House
32 + 25 + 32 + 20.5 = 109.5 x 8.3–
Chimney 2 x 5.5 x 16.5 =
2x3 x 15.5
909
182
93
1, 184–1,184 cu. ft .
. 585
693. 00
. 403
135. 00
(6) 8 " walls:
Porch 8 + 13 + 8
= 29
Front stoop 4 + 6 + 4-14
Rear stoop 4 + 6 + 4 = 14
57
Area 3 + 3 = 6x8
Area 7.5 + 3 = 10 x 6
45228
48
60
336
336 sq . ft .
Part I
430
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Quantity
Unit Price
Cost
(c ) Interior piers:
4 " pipe
1
(d ) Exterior steps:
10 treads @ 2' 4 "
23 lin . ft.
$ 8.00
.72
Total Cost of Foundations, Exterior
Steps and Chimney --( 3 ) Floors and Ceilings.
( a ) Basement, first
17.00
$ 853. 00
floor, and ceiling:
32 x 25 800
6.5 x 3 = 19. 5
819.5
820 sq. ft.
. 578
473. 00
2228
sq. ft.
. 310
69.00
262 sq. ft.
. 072
19. 00
24 sq . ft.
. 745
18. 00
102 sq. ft.
. 742
76. 00
48 sq. ft.
.600
29. 00
(6) Finished second floor :
14 x 15 = 210
4 x 3 = 12
222
(c) Unfinished second floor:
14 x 17 = 238
2@ 4 x 3 = 24
262
( d ) Bath floor :
3 x 8a
(e) Porch :
12.8 x 80
() Stoops:
2 @ 4 x 60
$ 684. 00
Total Cost of Floors and Ceilings ...
(4 ) Roofs and Sheet Metal :
( a ) Main roof:
House 18.5 x 33 x 2 = 1222
18
Stoop 3 x 6
1240
. 204
253. 00
144 sq. ft.
233
34. 00
90 lin . ft.
48 lin . ft.
61 lin . ft.
. 180
. 180
. 150
16.00
9. 00
9. 00
1,240 sq . ft.
(6) Porch and bay roofs :
Porch 8.5 x 14 = 119
Bay
7 x 3.5 = 25
144
( c ) Sheet metal:
Gutters 33 + 33 + 14 + 10 = 90
Downspouts 6 @ 8 feet = 48
Flashing 11 + 14 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 6 = 61
Total Cost of Roofs and Sheet Metal...
$ 321. 00
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Part I
430
Unit Price
Cost
. 492
$ 528 . 00
394
394 sq. ft.
( c) Second floor finished area :
102
14 x 7.3 =
4 + 3 + 4 = 11 x 4.8 = 53
. 210
83. 00
155
155 sq. ft.
( d ) Second floor unfinished area :
14 x 7.3 =
102
2 @ 4 + 3 + 4 = 11 x 4.8 = 106
092
14. 00
208
208 sq . ft.
(e ) Addition for bath walls:
3 x 4=
12 sq . ft .
. 044
9. 00
. 879
11. 00
Quantity
( 5) Exterior Walls.
( a ) Main walls:
House 32 + 25 + 32 + 26 = 115 x 9.3 =
(6) Gables, dormers,
and porch ends:
Gables
25 x 6 x 2 = 300
Dormers 3 @ 3.5 x 2 x 2 = 42
3 @ 4x3 36
Porch
8 x 1 x 2 = 16
1,074 sq . ft.
Total Cost of Exterior Walls ....
(6 ) Interior Partitions.
( a ) Basement:
80 sq . ft.
3 + 5 + 3 = 11 x 7.3 =
(6) First floor:
3 + 3 + 3 + 32 + 15 + 3 = 59
12 + 12 + 13 + 3 + 25 = 65
124 x 8.5
1,054 sq . ft.
( c) Second floor finished area :
15 + 6 + 6 + 14 = 41 x 7.3 =
300 sq. ft.
(d) Second floor unfinished
area :
17 + 6 + 6 + 14 = 43 x 7.3
314 sq. ft.
(e ) Addition for bath wall:
104 sq . ft.
8.5 + 6 + 8.5 + 3 = 26 x 4
Total Cost of Interior Partitions..
(7 ) Millwork .
Front door, 194" 6 pan . colonial, screen
1
door, weatherstripped and caulked
Side door, 1 % " , 15 lts . , screen door , weather
1
stripped and caulked
Rear door , 198 ' , 1 lt. and 1 pan ., screen
1
door , weatherstripped and caulked
51246-36_10
$ 645 . 00
190
15. 00
. 294
311. 00
144
43. 00
.096
30. 00
.879
91. 00
$490.00
$ 39, 00
31. 00
30. 00
Part I
430
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Quantity
Basement door, 1 %8 ", 5 cross pan ., caulked 1
Windows, 1 %"' , D. H. , 42 screens, weather
16
stripped and caulked
6
Steel basement sash
Louver
1
2
Blinds, pair
4
Columns
Front Entrance
1
11
Inside doors, 19 " , 2 panel
2
Inside doors, 1 %" ' , 5 cross panel
Cased opening
1
Kitchen cabinet, stock , wood door below,
glass above, 2 @ 2' x 7' = 28 sq . ft .
28 surf. ft.
Bookcase , stock , glass doors, 3' x 7' - 21 sq.
ft .
21 surf. ft.
Attic stairs, closed , pine treads and risers,
13 treads
pine rail
Basement stairs, open , pine treads and
risers, 2' ' x 4 " rail
12 treads
Mantel, tile facing and hearth
Total Cost of Millwork
(8) Plumbing.
% " water meter and line
Sewer connection and line
5' double shell recess tub
Lavatory , apron front, wall type
Syphon action closet, combination
Apron front kitchen sink , 5' double drain
board
Double concrete laundry trays
20 gallon automatic gas heater and storage
tank
Wash down closet combination
Medicine cabinet
Built - in tile fixtures
Unit Price
Cost
$ 15.00
17. 30
6. 05
277.00
36.00
4. 00
8. 00
16.00
25. 00
148.00
22. 00
7. 00
4. 00
4. 00
13. 50
10. 90
1. 60
45. 00
1. 30
27. 00
3. 00
39. 00
2. 00
24. 00
50. 00
$ 843. 00
...
1
1
1
1
1
50. 00
20. 00
85. 00
30.00
45. 00
1
1
65. 00
30. 00
1
60.00
30. 00
10. 00
15. 00
1
6
2. 50
Total Cost of Plumbing
( 9 ) Heating.
Living room
3/26/22,
Kitchen
3/26/10,
Dining room , 2 @ 3/26/10,
Bedroom # 1
3/26/15,
Bedroom #2
3/26/15,
Bedroom #3
3/26/15,
Bathroom
3/26/6,
51 sq.
23 sq.
46 sq.
35 sq.
35 sq.
35 sq .
15 sq.
$ 440.00
ft.
ft.
ft.
ft.
ft.
ft .
ft.
Feet of Radiation
240 sq . ft .
2 pipe steam heat
240 sq. ft.
Addition for oil burner and thermostatic
control
Total Cost of Heating-
1. 60
384. 00
175. 00
$ 559.00
Part I
430
METHODS OF DWELLING COST ESTIMATION
Quantity
( 10 ) Electric Light and Power.
Outlets
44
1
Range outlet
1
Electric refrigerator outlet
1
Kitchen ventilating fan and outlet
Fixture allowance
Unit Price
2. 00
Cost
$ 88.
50.
5.
25.
50.
00
00
00
00
00
Total Cost of Electric Light and Power ---Subtotal, labor and materials
Quality variation , good , add 2 %
$ 218. 00
5 , 202. 00
104. 00
Builder's overhead and profit, 10 %
5, 309. 00
531. 00
Architectural fee, no supervision , 4 %
5 , 840.00
234. 00
6, 074. 00
Total Cost of Main Building
( 11 ) Garage.
( a ) Foundaton :
20 + 12 + 20 + 4 = 56 x 1.5 =
( 6 ) Floor:
12 x 20 =
( c ) Exterior walls :
56' X 8' =
448
2 Gables @ 12' x 3' = 72
520
( d ) Roof:
21 ' x 9' X 2 =
. 403
34. 00
240 sq. ft.
140
34. 00
520 sq . ft.
. 210
110. 00
378 sq . ft .
. 204
77. 00
84 sq . ft.
30. 00
( 6) Overhead doors:
217.00
22. 00
Subtotal labor and materials
Builder's overhead and profit - 10 %
$ 239.00
10. 00
Architectural fee, no supervision - 4 %
$ 249.00
Total Cost of Garage -...
( 12 ) Drives and Walks.
Drive, 12' x 62 ' = 744
Walks 4' x 30 ' = 120
8' x 23 ' = 69
189
744 sq . ft.
160
119. 00
189 sq. ft.
. 140
27. 00
Total Cost of Drives and Walks .
Total Cost of Main Building, Garage, Drives, and Walks..
$ 146 . 00
$6, 469.00
PART II
SECTION 1
RATING OF PROPERTY
INDEX
General Instructions ..
Structural Soundness
Resistance to Elements ..
Resistance to Use ...
Livability and Functional Plan ..
Mechanical and Convenience Equipment.-Natural Light and Ventilation ..
Architectural Attractiveness ..
Adjustment for Nonconformity .
Paragraphs
101-111
112-124
125–128
129-130
131-138
139-146
147-149
150–155
156–169
Part II
101
PART II
SECTION 1
RATING OF PROPERTY
Durability
GENERAL RATING INSTRUCTIONS
Physical Security Features
REJECT| 1
3
2
45 RATING
15
10
15 20 25
2
4
16
1
12
3
Structural Soundness
8
10
Resistance to Use
5
10
15
15
20
25
2
4
6
8
10
1
2
3
4
5
4
12
16
20
Livability and Functional
Plan
Mechanical and Conveni
ence Equipment
Natural Light and Venti
lation.
8
Function
5
ܩܐܐ
ܕܐ8
Resistance to Elements
Architectural Attractiveness
Adjustment for
Nonconformity
Total Rating of Physical Security
3 10
12 9 16
%
%
TOTAL RATING OF PROPERTY
%
101. Rating of Property is determined by rating eight
features of risk according to the principles outlined in this Section
and in Part I, Section 2. The first seven are described as the Physical
Security Features and are so weighted that the Total Rating of Physical
Security may be as high as 100 %. The eighth feature, Adjustment
for Nonconformity, is separately rated and the result deducted from
not added to - the Total Rating of Physical Security to determine
the final Rating of Property.
Part II
102-105
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
102. The Total Rating of Physical Security , which is
obtained by rating the first seven features, presumes that the subject
property is free from any detrimental influence resulting from non
conformity with typical properties in the immediate neighborhood.
Because nonconformity definitely affects the marketability of proper
ties, it is important to compare the subject property with surrounding
properties and make any necessary adjustment in order to convert
the Total Rating of Physical Security into the Rating of Prop
erty. The Total Rating of Physical Security presumes a hypothetical
condition. The Rating of Property represents a measurement of
the mortgage risk introduced by the characteristics of the physical
property and by its relation to its actual environment.
103. The Rating of Property does not include consider
ation of those risk factors introduced by the characteristics of the
neighborhood and location. These are included in the Rating of
Location ( Part II , Section 2 ) .
104. In rating Adjustment for Nonconformity no con
sideration is given to factors of nonconformity unless they are of such
a character that they increase mortgage risk . Nonconformity which
does not impair the quality of the real estate security is not permitted
to reduce the final Rating of Property .
105. Total Rating of Physical Security shall be accom
plished by rating separately each of seven features. The features have
been weighted on a scale of 100 % in order to obtain the relative impor
tance of each when all are combined to obtain the Total Rating of
Physical Security. Each feature is marked on a scale of from “ 1” to
" 5 " , " 5 " being the highest rating.
The rating grid reproduced at the
head of this Section enables this rating to be made easily and quickly.
For example , assume that the Architectural Inspector or Valuator is
ready to rate the various physical security features. The first is
Structural Soundness . Suppose that the structure is well constructed
and in very sound condition . The inspector puts an X mark in the
" 5 " column and immediately carries over to the extreme right - hand
column of the grid the figures appearing in the marked square , in this
case 25. If the mark were to be placed in the " 2 " column, the number
in that square would be carried over, 10 in this case . If the structure
is deemed to be sub -standard , the X mark would be made in the Reject
column and the word " Reject” written in the extreme right-hand
column. One such rating anywhere in any category will necessitate
a recommendation for the rejection of the application for insurance.
In the event an X mark appears in the Reject column, the word
" Reject" must be written in the Rating column on the Total Rating of
Physical Security line and on the Rating of Property line. If no such
mark appears after any of the seven features, the Total Rating of
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part II
105-108
Physical Security is obtained by adding the figures in the Rating
column .
The system is so designed that this figure will be an expres
sion of the Rating of Physical Security on a percentage basis.
106. The seven features which are rated to determine
the Total Rating of Physical Security are listed below with the weights
which have been ascribed to them :
(1)
( 2)
(3 )
(4 )
(5)
(6)
( 7)
Structural Soundness...
Resistance to Elements_
Resistance to Use ...-Livability and Functional Plan .-Mechanical and Convenience Equipment .
Natural Light and Ventilation ...
Architectural Attractiveness ..
25
10
5
25
10
5
20
An eighth feature appears on the grid but it is not a Physical Security
It is designated “ Adjustment for Nonconformity . "
In
structions for rating this eighth feature are given below in paragraphs
156 to 169 .
Feature.
107. The seven features are analyzed from several
different points of view . The first three features, namely, Structural
Soundness, Resistance to Elements, and Resistance to Use are studied
in terms of durability. The next three features, namely, Livability and
Functional Plan, Mechanical and Convenience Equipment, and Nat
ural Light and Ventilation , are studied in terms of function . The
words " Durability " and " Function ” have been placed at the left edge
of the grid to remind the inspector to assume the proper points of view .
The last feature, Architectural Attractiveness, is studied in terms of
lasting appeal.
108. In rating the Physical Security Features, the in
spector must be aware of the fact that he is rating mortgage risk . In
connection with existing construction he must rate either that which
he finds on the site or the same property assuming completion of
alterations, additions, and repairs in contemplation by the borrower
or required by the Federal Housing Administration . No hypothetical
conditions may be assumed by him , however, unless they are specifi
cally defined in his report. In the case of new construction , he is to
analyze the submitted drawings and specifications in detail and reflect
in the rating the relative degree of excellence or poorness which the
property will exhibit upon completion according to these drawings and
specifications. In either existing or new construction he must base
his rating on possibilities and probabilities with respect to what may
happen to the structures in the future. The past experience and
present condition with respect to the first seven features in this cate
gory are significant only to the degree to which they indicate the likeli
hood of future difficulty . Surface indications are invaluable clues to
hidden defects or deficiencies.
Part II
109-111
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
109. To obtain consistency from case to case it is neces
sary for inspectors to utilize the " z " column in the ratings of the
Physical Security Features only ) as an average basis from which
relative poorness and excellence descend and ascend. In rating the
features, personal preferences and prejudices must be subordinated
except in so far as they are commonly shared by informed persons.
It is not intended to nullify the judgment of the inspector but to
obtain disinterested , uniform analyses of the mortgage security. The
tendency to alter design or to change drawings on the basis of the
inspector's personal tastes should be avoided and not allowed to
influence his considerations.
110. The physical conditions prevailing in the structure
directly affect the ratings of a number of the Physical Security Fea
tures and the Total Rating of Physical Security. This is especially
true with regard to the three features relating to structural durability
and to the features Livability and Functional Plan and Mechanical
and Convenience Equipment.
Poor physical condition will tend to
result in low ratings of these five features . The ratings bear a direct
relationship to the estimate of remaining physical life of the building.
Inspectors are required to give estimates of remaining physical lives
of buildings and it is important to relate these estimates to the ratings
ascribed to these five features. Thus, if Structural Soundness is
given a low rating because of physical deficiencies of the building, the
estimate of the remaining physical life should be shorter than if high
ratings have resulted from the analysis. Inasmuch as the actual
remaining physical life of a building is a matter of considerable con
jecture, it is evident that estimates of lives are largely significant
only in relation to one another. That is , an inspector cannot be
expected to have any very definite opinion with respect to the actual
remaining physical life of a building, but he can have a very significant
opinion with respect to which of several structures may be expected
to have longer or shorter lives. It is suggested , therefore that well
built houses, newly completed , be ascribed remaining physical lives
of from 50 to 60 years and that other houses be ascribed lives in rela
tion to these arbitrarily established lives.
111. The inspector must take into account the provi
sions in established property standards by considering them to be
the minimum requirements necessary to avoid reject ratings of
features. Those properties which barely meet the eligibility require
ments will warrant a low rating and the degree to which they surpass
the minimum
requirements should be favorably reflected in the
feature ratings. In cases where repairs, alterations, or additions are
contemplated by the mortgagor, or where such work is found to be
necessary if reject ratings are to be avoided , the instructions stated in
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part II
111-115
Part I , Section 1 , must be followed in making the Physical Security
Feature ratings in the Rating of Property category .
STRUCTURAL SOUNDNESS
112. The rating of Structural Soundness is an index of
the ability of all structural members, materials, and methods of
assembly incorporated in a structure to withstand the imposed loads
with the minimum acceptable amount of settlement and deflection .
In rating this feature the inspector shall consider and weigh carefully
the adequacy of the design of the structural fabric, the size, quality ,
and durability of the materials comprising the structural members ,
the quality and methods of workmanship incorporated in the assem
blage , and finally the extent to which physical deterioration has
created unsoundness or weakness.
113. The list of questions in subsequent paragraphs
serves to indicate the principal considerations which enter into the
formation of judgment with regard to a proper rating of this feature.
114. Foundation .
(a) Soil: Is the nature of the soil such as to withstand imposed
loads?
(6) Footings: Do footings possess adequate width and thick
ness to distribute properly the weight on the soil ? Sufficient depth
to resist upheaval by frost ? Has adequate reinforcing been provided
where necessary ?
(c ) Foundation Walls : Are foundation walls adequately de
signed and do they possess sufficient strength to carry the imposed
loads and resist outside earth pressure and hydrostatic pressure ?
( d ) Columns and Piers: Are columns and piers of sufficient
size and strength to carry beam loads ?
115. Floors.
(a) Basement Slab : Is basement slab designed and reinforced
so as to resist hydrostatic pressure, if any ?
(6 ) Porch and Terrace Slabs: Has adequate reinforcing been
provided to carry the load ?
(c ) Beams and Sills : Are beams, wall sills, and plates of ade
quate size and construction, and do they possess sufficient bearing
surface ?
(d ) Joists : Are floor joists of sufficient size and properly
spaced so that there will be no undue deflection in their span ?
Adequately bridged and unimpaired by the installation of the mechan
ical equipment ? Is there sufficient bearing area on supports ?
there adequate support for joists abutting headers ?
Is
Part II
115-122
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(e ) Openings:
headed ?
Are openings properly framed, trussed, and
(f) Sub Floors: Is sub -flooring so employed as to add addi
tional bracing to the structure ?
116. Exterior Walls .
(a) Are structural members of sufficient size to carry the im
posed load and properly braced or sheathed to resist wind pressure ?
(6 ) Are frame walls well tied to masonry ?
(c) Have all openings been properly framed and linteled ?
117. Interior Walls and Partitions.
( a ) Are structural members of adequate size, properly spaced
and braced ?
(6) Have all load -bearing openings been properly framed or
trussed and double studded at jambs ?
118. Ceilings.
(a) Are ceiling joists of adequate size, properly spaced and
bridged ?
(6 ) Is there sufficient bearing area on supports and is the tie
continuous between outside walls ?
119. Roofs .
(a) Are rafters of adequate size, properly tied, and seated so
as to carry the roofing material and resist wind and snow loads ?
(6 ) Is roof properly braced with supports and collar or wind
beams?
120. Accessory Buildings.
Are foundations, floors, side
walls, and roof of such materials and construction as to assure a
physical life for the accessory buildings equal to that of the main
building ?
121. Although a fire- proof building, properly designed
and constructed , deserves the highest rating under Structural Sound
ness, this does not imply that a building of frame or masonry veneer
construction, when properly designed and constructed , could not
possess sufficient quality to warrant the highest rating . The deter
mination is dependent upon whether or not the methods of assembly,
materials used , and workmanship are such as to assure a long life for
the structure.
122. A low feature rating will be warranted if defects.
such as sagged beams, floor joists, or rafters, excessive settlement, or
cracked basement walls are present in a serious degree. The fact that
it has been necessary for the present or previous owners to install
additional piers and beams in the basement, or to patch cracked
basement walls, or to install additional roof bracing should serve as a
warning to the inspector and as an indication that a close analysis
should be made of the structure to discover other hidden faults which
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part II
122-126
may be expected in construction, the low quality of which is thus
reflected .
123. Certain regions of the United States are subject
to tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural hazards, and in these
areas structural soundness must be rated according to the degree
with which the building was designed and erected in order to mini
mize the danger from these special natural hazards.
124. In the final analysis it is necessary to consider
the loads which will be imposed upon the structural fabric by the
use for which it was designed and to estimate the degree with which
it will be able to withstand these requirements. The cost range of
the structure under analysis should not enter into the consideration
of its structural soundness.
RESISTANCE TO ELEMENTS
125. The rating of this feature reflects the degree of
resistance exhibited by the structure to the deteriorating and dam
aging effects produced by the elements.
These effects may in
themselves lessen the durability and may render the entire building
or certain portions of it uninhabitable. The inspector shall bear in
mind that the excellence of resistive ability in one material may be
off -set by poroness in adjacent materials and in such cases the rating
will be adversely affected . Conditions entering into the rating of
this feature are discussed below under three headings, “ Resistance
to Weather” , “ Resistance to Fire” , and “ Resistance to Decay,
Corrosion , and Insect Hazards." Resistance to special natural
hazards such as earthquakes and tornadoes is primarily a structural
resistance and was discussed above under the feature " Structural
Soundness . ” The following list of questions serves to indicate the
principal considerations which enter into the formation of judgments
with regard to the proper rating of this feature.
126. Resistance to Weather.
( 1 ) Roof:
(a) Is the roof correctly pitched and are the slope and angles
of the roof of such a nature as to afford proper drainage and to avoid
" snow pockets" ? Have crickets or saddles and snow guards been
provided where necessary ?
(6) Is roofing material of such quality and condition as to
effectively resist rain , snow, and ice, and to withstand high winds in
areas where these climatic conditions occur, and to withstand exposure
and rapid temperature changes without resulting damage?
(c) Are ridges properly protected ?
(d) Are the materials and construction of roof decks of such
nature as to withstand the elements ?
Part II
126-128
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(2 ) Sheet Metal:
(a ) Have ferrous and non - ferrous metals been used in com
bination so that erosion will result ?
(6 ) Valleys: Is the material of all valleys of such quality as
to have a life equal to that of the roofing materials ?
(c) Flashing and Counter- Flashing: Are flashing and counter
flashing of proper quality and workmanship installed where necessary ?
( d ) Guttering and Downspouting : Have gutters and down
spouts been provided where necessary and are they so designed as to
adequately dispose of the water and so constructed as to resist
snow loads ?
(3 ) Walls:
(a ) Basement or Foundation Walls: Are
these walls ade
quately designed and constructed to resist penetration of moisture ?
(6) Principal Walls: Are the principal walls so constructed
and in such condition as to effectively withstand the elements of the
section of the country in which they are erected and to resist driving
rains and rapid freezing and thawing ?
(c) Where more than one type of material is used in principal
walls , are the different materials properly tied together and has pro
vision been made for the absorption of their different coefficients of
expansion ?
( 4 ) Insulation :
(a ) Have the methods of insulation and insulation materials
been incorporated in such a way as to effectively retard transmission
of heat and cold ?
(6 ) Has weatherstripping and caulking been provided ?
(c ) Have storm doors, storm windows, and vestibules been
provided in regions where climatic conditions warrant?
127. Resistance to Fire .
(a) Do the materials and structural methods used offer a high
or low degree of fire retardance to both the exterior and interior
construction ?
( 6 ) Has fire resistivity been aided by proper framing around
chimney, by the use of flue tiles, and by adequate fire -stopping ?
128. Resistance to Decay, Corrosion , and Insect
Hazards.
( 1 ) Decay and Corrosion :
(a ) In unexcavated portions is there ample circulation of air
around wood or metal members ?
(6 ) Is there adequate provision to exclude surface water ?
(c ) Are materials subject to decay or corrosion adequately
protected ?
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part II
128-129
(2 ) Insect Hazards:
( a ) In regions where termites or borers are prevalent, have
suitable protective measures been provided , such as metal shields
under all frame bearings, and have timbers been impregnated ?
RESISTANCE TO USE
129. In rating this feature the inspector must reflect the
degree to which the quality of the materials and workmanship will
withstand the wear and tear to which they are subjected through
continued use . Further, the inspector must bear in mind that the
cost of maintenance of a dwelling is directly correlated to the factors
considered in rating this feature. As the interior of the structure
contains the major portion of the wearing surfaces, the considerations
entering into the rating of this feature must, therefore, be concerned
primarily with the interior of the main structure and of accessory
buildings, and must also include the surfaces of walks, drives, porches,
and terraces. The heaviest wear resulting from use is experienced by
flooring, wall finish, doors, sash , trim , and hardware . The inspector
must consider whether or not the material and workmanship incor
porated in both the finish and base of the following items are of such
quality as to be highly resistant to the wear to which they will be
subjected :
( a ) Floors, Utility Areas:
( 1 ) Basement floor.
(2 ) Kitchen , pantry and service porch floors .
(6) Floors, Living Areas:
( 1 ) First, second, and third floors.
(2 ) Baths and lavatory floors.
(3 ) Porch and terrace floors.
( c ) Walls:
( 1 ) Exterior walls.
(2 ) Interior walls .
(3 ) Bathroom , lavatory walls and wainscote.
(4 ) Kitchen walls and wainscote .
(d) Ceilings.
( e ) Interior:
( 1 ) Doors, jambs, and trim .
(2 ) Windows, frame, and trim .
( 3 ) Finish hardware .
Accessory Buildings:
( 1 ) Floors, walls, and ceilings.
( 2 ) Doors, windows, frames, trim , and hardware .
( 9 ) Walks and Drives:
( 1 ) Include base and surface.
Part II
180-133
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
130. The materials and workmanship of both plaster
base and plaster must be noted inasmuch as the best wall finish is
no stronger than its base and the best painting or wall papering
applied to poor plaster may result in an unsatisfactory wearing
surface. The quality of interior painting, tinting, or wall papering
must be carefully considered. Doors and sash, either of wood or
metal, that are of light, flimsy construction will not withstand
constant use and for this reason will affect the feature rating un
favorably . The wearing qualities possessed by all these items,
assuming ordinary maintenance, shall be weighed against the sever
ity of wear and tear to which they will be subjected .
LIVABILITY AND FUNCTIONAL PLAN
131. In rating this feature it is imperative that the
inspector determine the degree of practical usefulness for residen
tial purposes to the typical family likely to occupy the subject
property . If the property has been planned and constructed so
that a high degree of livability and functional efficiency exists,
then a high rating for this feature will be warranted .
132. The inspector must determine whether or not
the layout of the structure is economical, practical, and efficient.
An economical layout is one which presents the greatest proportion
of usable floor area in relation to the gross floor area. An excess of
unusable space makes a house less desirable.
For example, if the
hall area is larger than is necessary in view of the uses to which it
will be put, and perhaps because of this the sizes of other rooms in
the house where increased area is desirable have had to be restricted ,
then the layout would to some degree be uneconomical. Again , if
space is provided which is not readily and conveniently usable,
economy is sacrificed because of unwarranted additional cost of
construction
and
maintenance
together
with
the
attendant
in
creased labor involved in the occupancy and use of such a structure.
The inspector must recognize that large entrance halls, galleries,
and similar spaces are considered desirable and necessary in dwell
ings in the higher cost range. Where such spaces properly serve
a functional purpose they do not indicate inefficiency of plan .
133. The rating of this feature must reflect the func
tional qualities, adequacy of sizes, and efficiency of the individual
rooms. Lower ratings will be warranted if any of the following
objectionable conditions are present :
(a)
(6 )
(c)
through a
Sleeping quarters with insufficient privacy.
Dark or poorly ventilated rooms.
Bathrooms not readily accessible , or accessible
major room .
only
RATING OP PROPERTY
Part II
133-136
(d ) Kitchen inadequate for or ill -arranged for food storage,
food preparation , and dish washing.
(e) Insufficient provision for hanging clothes, or for storage
of linens, blankets, and brooms.
The relation of the location of the service or utility portion
of the house to the living quarters also definitely affects the rating
of this feature.
134. If the probable occupant is likely to have laundry
work done in the home, the rating will be affected by the relative
adequacy of the provision for laundry work . This is to be judged,
not merely on the presence or absence of laundry trays and conven
ience outlets but also upon such items as the light and ventilation of
the laundry space, space available for drying, and access to outdoor
drying.
135. The rating must also be influenced by the ease of
circulation throughout the house afforded to the occupants . The
most desirable conditions will occur where access from room to room
is according to logical sequence, where there are no long, dark , or
winding corridors, where movements into and out of the various rooms
or units cause the least disturbance, where staircases are sufficiently
wide, not too steep, and in such locations as to permit moving of
furniture readily. Ratings of this feature will be favorably affected
in the case of houses having rooms of such sizes and shapes as to accom
modate furniture readily in proper grouping for convenient living.
Shape is very important as well as size . Broken or short wall areas
do not permit flexibility in furniture arrangement. Protruding radi
ators that are in the way are objectionable . Windows should be
spaced in relation to internal function as well as to exterior appearance .
The rating of this feature must reflect the practical quality of the
interior layout. This factor will contribute to the rating favorably
or unfavorably , depending on the existence or absence of agreeable
proportions of the rooms. For example, a room 5 feet by 15 feet is
poorly proportioned for conventional use .
136. Another important factor which affects the liva
bility and functional quality of a residential property and one which
the inspector must consider in making this feature rating is the plan
of improvement of the site. Consideration should be given to the
suitability of the size, shape, and topography of the lot in relation to
the type and size of the dwelling and accessory buildings. Buildings,
walks, plantings, and terracing (in the case of a sloping lot) may be so
laid out or arranged on the plot as to result in a high degree of excel
lence or an opposite condition may result. The rating of this feature
will be favorably affected in cases in which the general plan of improve
ment, because of the functional aspect, is excellent, so that the result
312463611
Part I
136-137
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
ant effect is one that, because of excellent livability characteristics,
endows the property with strong appeal to those who would be com
monly attracted as purchasers of such property . In any such case
the buildings will be found located upon the site in the most advan
tageous and desirable positions. Structures will be found placed on
the lot so that the fullest advantage has been taken of the possibilities
for sunsbine, ventilation , scenic outlook , privacy , and safety. Where
high ratings of this feature are warranted , it would also be found that
the grounds have been laid out so that opportunity is afforded for
effective landscaping and gardening. Furthermore, in such cases
there would exist a high degree of easy accessibility to garage buildings
and other accessory structures, and the placing of buildings, walks, and
drives would not result in cutting of the grounds into small and
unusable areas. A condition tending toward high ratings of this
feature will also result in cases where accessory buildings are so
located upon the site as not to create hazardous conditions affecting
the safety of the occupants of the property , and where they are so
placed that the convenience of the occupants is served in the most
advantageous manner. In cases where no accessory buildings have
been provided, the rating of this feature will be influenced by the size
and location of the available area of the site upon which accessory
buildings might be erected . As the actual conditions which are found
in any case depart from the conditions which have just been described ,
ratings of this feature will become progressively lower . Although
natural light and ventilation are covered under a separate rating
feature, consideration must be given to the requirements of natural
light and ventilation as affecting livability and functional efficiency .
For example, if a kitchen is so poorly lighted and ventilated as to
impair its usefulness, convenience, and comfort, this condition should
be reflected in the rating of livability. Proper orientation of rooms
to obtain maximum benefit from sunlight and exposure is definitely a
factor affecting livability . If the sun porch is placed on the northern
side of the building or if a living portion is not shielded from the sun
during the hotter part of the day in a region subject to extreme heat,
the rating will be adversely affected .
137. The following list of questions will assist the in
spector in the proper rating of this feature:
( 1 ) Does the arrangement of the plan present an economical
layout in relation to the ratio of usable floor area to gross area ?
(2 ) Is the separation and relation of living units arranged so
as to provide ease of circulation and privacy ?
(3 ) Has the separation and relation of service units been con
sidered from a circulation and utility standpoint?
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part II
137-140
( 4 ) Are rooms of adequate size for their intended purposes ?
Are wall spaces of such size and location, and are openings and radia
tors so arranged as to provide for convenient and suitable furniture
placing ?
(5 ) Do the ingress and egress both from living and service
units contribute to livability ?
(6) Has interior planning been accomplished so that the fullest
possible advantage has been taken of orientation and the facilities
offered by the plot, and are provisions for natural light and ventila
tion adequate for the functional necessities of the dwelling ?
(7 ) Is the plot of suitable size, shape, and topography, and is
the utilization of the plot of such character as to afford a high degree
of livability to the occupants of the property from the standpoint of
service, convenience, and safety ?
138. If the property under consideration is occupied by
more than one family, in rating this feature the inspector must con
sider certain matters that do not pertain to single -family dwellings.
To be warranted in giving such a building a high rating as to livability
and functional plan he must satisfy himself as to the following: that
there is separate access to each family unit without undue annoyance
to other families; that the plan is so arranged that families do not look
into each other's windows across narrow intervening space ; that
adequate venting has been provided so that objectionable odors are
properly and effectively carried off; that provision has been made to
retard sound transmission from one unit to another . If the heating
of such a building is accomplished by means of separate installations
rather than a common plant the rating of this feature is favorably
influenced when there is proper provision for access by each family
to the heating rooms, separate fuel storage facilities for each family
unit, and adequate, efficient facilities for fuel delivery.
MECHANICAL AND CONVENIENCE EQUIPMENT
139. The rating of this feature reflects the degree of
adequacy and durability of the mechanical and convenience equip
ment in the subject property to perform the functions for which this
equipment is designed , considering the number and type of people
likely to occupy the particular property, and the class of property.
Analysis of this feature proceeds under three phases: " Plumbing and
Sewerage” , “ Heating " , and " Electric Light and Power .”
140. Only such items of mechanical and convenience
equipment as are definitely identified as a part of the real property ,
either by custom or State law, can be included for consideration.
(See Part I , Section 4. )
From a functional standpoint, public water
supply, public sewerage , and public utility electric supply systems
Part
140-144
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
are preferable to private systems on the property itself.
Considera
tion must be given to the dependability of all supplies and services.
141. Items of mechanical equipment that are of
recognized and reputable manufacture and for which replacement
parts are readily obtainable possess better quality and superior
durability. In new construction particular attention should be given
to any evidence of the use of ante -dated , second - hand, or rebuilt
equipment. Such equipment will necessitate a low feature rating.
142. Systems in which equipment and fixtures are of
poor quality and design, and improperly installed will show more
rapid deterioration and obsolescence and give rise to frequent damage
and heavy repair costs. It is axiomatic that the rating will be
affected by the age and condition of the equipment; that is, the older
the equipment, the less chance there is for this feature to receive &
high rating. The economical operation and maintenance of mechani
cal and convenience equipment has a direct bearing upon its functional
qualities.
143. The following list of questions serves to indicate
the principal considerations which enter into formation of judgments
by the inspector with regard to a proper rating of this feature .
144. Plumbing .
( 1 ) Baths and Lavatories:
(a) Are there sufficient baths and lavatories for the number of
persons likely to occupy the property including servants, if any ?
(6) Are fixtures of proper design, material, and workmanship
for this class of structure ? Are trimmings suitable for this class of
structure ? Are trimmings readily accessible and adjustable ?
(2 ) Service Facilities:
(a) Are the plumbing facilities in kitchen, pantry, and laundry
adequate to perform the service required ?
(6) Are fixtures of proper design , material, and workmanship
for this class of structure with trimmings readily accessible and
adjustable?
( 3 ) Supply , Waste, Drains, and Accessories:
( a ) Are supply pipes properly graded as to size, of durable
material, good workmanship, and provided with sufficient conven
iently placed stop and drain valves ?
(6 ) Are soil, waste, and vent pipes of adequate size, of durable
material, and good workmanship ? Are soil and waste lines properly
trapped and vented ?
(c) Is the domestic hot water supply system of proper size,
kind, design , and workmanship to combine adequate service with
economy, and is the storage tank properly installed and insulated ?
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part II
144-147
(d ) Are the cellar, area , and roof water drains of sufficient size,
and properly designed and installed so as to function properly and
without excessive maintenance ?
( e) Is there an ample supply of pure water, preferably from
public, or municipal utility source ?
Has adequate provision been made for the disposal of
sewage, preferably by public or municipal systems?
145. Heating.
( 1 ) Heating plant:
( a ) Is the heating plant of ample size, design, and construction
to operate conveniently, economically, and efficiently under all
conditions, and is the furnace insulated ?
(6) Are the pipes or ducts properly graded , sized, of good
material, workmanship , and insulated against heat losses ?
(c) Is the type of heating plant and is the fuel used suitable
to the class of dwelling ?
( 2 ) Radiators and Registers:
(a) Are the radiators or registers of sufficient size and properly
placed so that they most effectively distribute the heat throughout
the various rooms ?
(6) Are radiators or registers effectively designed, of good
material and workmanship , properly valved and controlled ?
146. Electric Light and Power.
( 1 ) Supply and Accessories:
( a ) Are the feeders, switches, and panels of sufficient size
to fulfill the requirements to which they are put, without the over
loading of circuit or switch capacities, and do they conform to the
Underwriters' Code and local ordinances ?
(6) Is the system divided into light and power circuits ?
( c) Is there an adequate and dependable supply of electric
energy available, preferably from public utilities ?
(2 ) Fixtures and Outlets :
Is there a sufficient number of fixtures and outlets to properly
distribute illumination and are fixtures of suitable design and con
struction to harmonize with the subject property ?
NATURAL LIGHT AND VENTILATION
147. The rating of this feature is an index of the
adequacy of the extent to which the various rooms of the dwelling
are served by natural light and ventilation under ordinary circum
stances. In making the rating the inspector must be mindful of the
provisions in property standards relating to conditions which have
a bearing upon this feature.
Accessory and adjoining buildings, if
Part II
147-151
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
in too close proximity to the main structure , will adversely affect
this rating. The measure in which the plan provides cross ventilation
and more than one exposure for the various rooms will also affect this
feature rating.
rating.
148. The orientation of the building will affect the
If the plan is such that the principal rooms have the most
desirable exposure with respect to sunlight and prevailing winds, a
favorable influence upon the rating results . Furthermore, natural
air circulation throughout the interior is highly desirable. Unsatis
factory orientation in the case of proposed new structures can be
frequently corrected by the reversal or rearrangement of the plan .
149. In order to rate this feature properly , it will be
necessary for the inspector to consider the following items as they
affect natural light and ventilation :
( 1 ) The ratio of glass area to floor area .
( 2 ) Orientation of the building upon the site .
( 3) Cross ventilation in the individual rooms, particularly
bedrooms.
(4 ) Double exposure in principal rooms.
(5 ) Mechanical ventilating equipment to remove odors from
service area .
(6 ) Proximity to adjoining buildings.
(7 ) Relation of accessory buildings to principal structure.
ARCHITECTURAL ATTRACTIVENESS
150. In rating this feature, the inspector must be guided
by " taste." However, he must disregard , in so far as is humanly
possible, his prejudices and preferences where they are not in sub
stantial agreement with likes and dislikes held by others who may be
competent to judge these matters . The inspector shall consider
architectural attractiveness in relation to the property as a whole
and to the exterior and interior characteristics of the buildings.
Mortgage risk is presumed to be lessened in those instances in which
architectural treatment may be expected to remain attractive for
long periods of time.
151. Of primary importance is the general impression
created by the entire property . The degree to which there is unity
is a first consideration . The highest rating is warranted when the
architectural treatment of site, planting, and buildings is such that
they comprise a harmonious entity . Such combinations of improve
ments and land attain the maximum degree of desirability possible
from the standpoint of design .
In such cases the structures are most
effectively and pleasingly accommodated by the width , depth, or
area possessed by the sites upon which they are erected , and topog
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part II
151-154
raphy has been permitted to contribute to the agreeable impression
which is created when the property is viewed in its entirety.
152. Accessory buildings impair or contribute to the
degree of unity attained . Unless they are so designed as to become
integral parts of the design and ensemble of the house and grounds a
condition will result which will tend to cause some penalty in the
rating of this feature. Garages and other accessory buildings are
too often conceived as afterthoughts without the proper regard for
the resulting effect . The planting upon the site may either be care
fully laid out in an attractive arrangement, or it may be placed upon
the site without proper consideration for usefulness of the entire plot
of ground. Planting should also be considered with reference to the
measure in which it serves the purpose of forming a desirable and
harmonious setting for the buildings; to the measure in which it
permits the occupants of the building to secure the maximum enjoy
ment possible from the use of the lot; and the measure in which it
succeeds in screening out and protecting the property from unsightly
objects and surroundings.
153. It is necessary in making a rating of Architectural
Attractiveness to give consideration to architectural style .
Atten
tion must be given to the relative excellence or poorness of the par
ticular design and to the refinements (or lack of them ) incorporated
in the subject property . The architectural attractiveness of the
interior should be viewed with consideration of pleasing proportions
of rooms, materials and textures of walls and floors, and the design
of important details such as mantels, staircases, and woodwork .
No consideration should be given to the degree to which the style is
in conformity with the architectural styles prevailing in the neigh
borhood. If nonconformity with styles in the surrounding environ
ment is of such a character that it increases mortgage risk , it is taken
into account in the feature Adjustment for Nonconformity .
154. A structure of the so -called " shirt- front” , or one
sided treatment design, in which the exterior appearance of the
remaining side walls of the building has not been considered , would
merit a low rating of this feature. Architectural designs that are con
sidered freakish or those characterized as hybrids should be penalized
in this feature rating .
To receive the better ratings, all design motifs
should be in good taste and have a utility basis, should furnish a con
venience, and add structural value and attractiveness to the general
scheme. The elaborate use of motif and detail, the inclusion of an
unnecessary variety of materials, and the straining for the picturesque
cannot increase the rating. Use of false effects of roofing, false half
timber work, or the unusual handling or combination of materials ,
or materials inappropriately used in the particular case involved , will
also adversely affect the rating of this feature.
Part II
155-156
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
155. The inspector in assigning a final rating to this
feature shall consider the subject property on its merits and in the
same manner as individuals of reasonable tastes likely to become inter
ested in the property as tenants or owners will view it.
By answering
the following questions the inspector will be aided in determining the
proper rating of this feature :
( 1 ) Do the elevations express frankly the plan contained there
in or is the design of a freakish nature straining for the picturesque ?
(2 ) In whatever style the building has been designed , does it
express to a reasonable degree refinement and proper interpretation
of that style , or does the design indulge in an over -use of superfluous
ornament or an improper use of materials as they relate to each other ?
(3 ) Is the fenestration arranged so as to result in a pleasing
effect ?
( 4 ) Are room proportions pleasing ? Are interior details so
designed as to be appropriate and attractive ?
(5 ) Has the entire ensemble effect been considered in the
arrangement of buildings to the plot plan ?
(6) Do the accessory buildings tie in to the composition of the
entire project ?
(7 ) Has the entire project a pleasing appeal to the typical
potential purchaser ?
ADJUSTMENT FOR NONCONFORMITY
156 ( 1 ) . The last feature of the Rating of Property
category is designated " Adjustment for Nonconformity . " It is rated
in the same manner as are the other features in the risk -rating system .
However, it will be noted that the weights in the columns in the
rating grid for this feature are in a reverse order to that of other
feature weights. Thus, in the " 1" column the weight is “ 12 ” while
in the " 5 " column it is “ O ” . A column " 5 " rating indicates either
that nonconformity is not present at all or that if it is present it does
not adversely affect the desirability or marketability of the property .
The feature rating is always deducted from Total Rating of Physical
Security, thereby accomplishing whatever adjustment is necessary
because of adverse effects attributable to conditions of nonconformity .
156 ( 2 ). It is a demonstrated axiomatic principle of
mortgage lending that a harmonious relationship between properties
within an immediate neighborhood area tends to lessen the risk in
volved in mortgage investments. Many forms of nonconformity
adversely affect the mark- otability of properties. One of the most
pronounced is that of cur -improvement or under -improvement.
The rating of the feature, Adjustment for Nonconformity, is for the
purpose of measuring the degree of mortgage risk introduced because
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part 1
156-158
of an unsatisfactory relationship between the subject property and
typical properties in the immediate neighborhood. The word typical
refers to the properties which are the most characteristic of the im
medíate neighborhood. The nonconformity of a particular property
is its degree of variation from the typical. The feature rating , how
ever , is not a rating of nonconformity but an adjustment to compen
sate for risk resulting from decreased desirability and marketability
because of nonconformity .
157. Nonconformity does not necessarily result in in
harmony. A pleasing variety that results in harmoniously blended
properties is greatly to be desired and should result in a high rating
of this feature. Variety does not mean an incongruous mixture
resulting in unpleasing contrasts. It has been demonstrated that
pleasing variety for neighborhoods and entire developments can be
successfully accomplished even in areas designed for modest homes.
It must be determined in each case whether or not the property in
volved conforms in various respects with properties that are typical
to the immediate neighborhood and whether or not marketability
and desirability are adversely affected by nonconformity if it exists.
In this connection the relationship between the subject property and
those adjacent to and near it is most important.
As comparisons
are made of dwellings more and more distant from it, the comparisons
become less and less significant. It is to be noted also that in a given
neighborhood there can be several types of dwellings which can be
typical. Therefore, when comparing a property with others nearby
to determine what rating to give to the feature Adjustment for Non
conformity , the comparison must relate not to one property, either
actual or hypothetical, which is considered typical, but rather to all
properties which are typical in the district.
158. The rating ascribed to Adjustment for Noncon
formity is deducted from the Total Rating of Physical Security in
order to determine the Total Rating of Property . The significance
of Adjustment for Nonconformity may be indicated by an example.
For illustration, two properties may be identical in every respect
except location . One is situated in an area in which there are a
large number of homes of similar characteristics, such as size and
quality . The other is located in a neighborhood where all the other
houses are markedly smaller and of lower quality . In both instances
the Total Rating of Physical Security will be identical, say 86 %.
In the first instance the rating of Adjustment for Nonconformity
will be high and the “ X ” mark will be placed in the " 5 " column.
The weight in the " 5 " column is 0 % . Hence, there will be no deduc
tion and the Rating of Property will be 86 %, the same as the Total
Rating of Physical Security. In the second case the rating of
Part II
158-161
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Adjustment for Nonconformity will be low and the " X "
mark
might be placed in the “ 2 ” column. The weight in the " 2" column
is 9 %. Hence, 9 % will be deducted from Total Rating of Physical
Security and the final Rating of Property will be 77 %. In other
words, the Total Rating of Physical Security will be the same regard
less of the location of the two properties. The Rating of Property,
however, differs in the two cases, because of differences in the degree
to which nonconformity affecting the desirability and marketability
of the properties is present.
159. The feature Adjustment for Nonconformity has
been so weighted as to result in a maximum penalty ( 12 %) in the
" 1" column, and a minimum penalty ( 0 % ) in the " 5 " column.
The Reject column is used only in cases involving extreme noncon
formity resulting in the practical destruction of marketability. In
event the " X " mark appears in the Reject column, the word
" Reject" must be written in the Rating column on the Rating of
Property line.
The principal factors entering into the rating of
Adjustment for Nonconformity are discussed under the following
four headings:
( a ) Nonconformity as to Purpose and Exterior Design .
( 6 ) Nonconformity as to Size .
( c) Nonconformity as to Usefulness and Function .
( d ) Nonconformity as to Lot Characteristics.
160. Nonconformity as to Purpose and Exterior De
sign . — The word " purpose " as used here refers to the use for which the
property is designed, whether single - family , multiple-family, com
mercial, or other use . In some neighborhoods, structures designed
for one purpose only may be found . This is generally true in the
case of comparatively recent subdivisions where appropriate deed
restrictions and zoning regulations have governed the development.
It is more usual, however, to find structures of different character
istics or purposes in residential neighborhoods. This mixture creates
nonconformity and introduces varying degrees of risk in mortgage
transactions which involve properties in such neighborhoods. It is
well recognized that marketability and rentability are adversely
affected by the introduction into a residential neighborhood of a
structure which does not conform with those already existing in the
area . For example , the erection of a multiple - family dwelling in a
single -family residential area will usually adversely affect the mar
ketability of single - family residences in that area . The purpose of
a structure will largely control its design .
161. In considering exterior design it is essential to
determine the extent of nonconformity which the subject property
exhibits in comparison with the exterior treatment of the typical
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part 1
161-165
properties in the immediate neighborhood . The degree of noncon
formity as to exterior design of a structure with the exterior design of
other structures in the immediate neighborhood is not important
except insofar as it results in a failure to harmoniously blend with
them . It is to be noted that the rating does not exclusively involve
the making of a judgment as to the degree of homogeneity which
exists with regard to the structures in the neighborhood , inasmuch as
& property may differ in several respects from others but still be char
acteristic of the immediate neighborhood area .
It is universally
recognized that a structure, though conforming in every respect except
exterior design , may clash so violently with that which is typical
that the marketability of the property is largely destroyed. In such
cases a low or possibly a reject rating of the Adjustment for Non
conformity feature would be necessary . However, reject ratings are
rarely justified .
162. In an immediate neighborhood where a consider
able mixture of purposes of structures and exterior designs exists it
may not be possible to characterize the district as other than hetero
geneous. While this characteristic would be reflected in the Rating
of Location it must also be considered in the rating of Adjustment for
Nonconformity. Under such conditions the rating of this feature
reflects the degree of marketability of the subject property in com
parison with the marketability of other properties situated nearby in
its immediate neighborhood.
163. In some instances it will be found that residential
properties are located in areas which have been zoned for commercial
use by local zoning ordinances but that no commercial use has yet
been made of sites in the immediate neighborhood , which is still a
residential district. An adverse effect will be created by such situa
tions and will find expression in this feature rating if the use of sites
for non - residential purposes is a prospect in the near future.
164. In order to reflect the degree of mortgage risk
involved , the Valuator must determine nonconformity as relating to
both the original purpose of the structure and the use to which it
is actually put. If the property is used for a purpose other than that
for which it was originally constructed, but there has been no important
change of exterior or interior design, rating of this feature will not
be adversely affected insofar as purpose and design are concerned .
165. Nonconformity as to Size . — The word " size" as
here used refers not only to the number of rooms but also to the mass
of a building. A modern eight room house of compact design beside
an old - fashioned eight room house with twelve foot ceilings and large
room areas is an example of difference in size. Again , size is reflected
in the number of rooms, as in the case of a twelve room house in an
Part II
166-166
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
area comprised largely of five room houses. In rating this feature, it
is necessary to determine whether or not the marketability of the
subject property is adversely affected because of variation from the
sizes of typical properties in the neighborhood .
The rating will be
favorably affected when the subject property is approximately the
same size as the typical properties in the district. The feature rating
will be adversely affected if the property under consideration is much
larger or much smaller than the surrounding dwellings. This does
not imply that because a twelve room house is located in a neighbor
hood of ten room houses, the feature rating will be penalized, as it
may still be typical of the properties in the immediate neighborhood .
However, it is possible that a property might exhibit a high degree
of conformity as to purpose and exterior design , usefulness and func
tion , and lot characteristics, but from the standpoint of size in com
parison with the typical properties it might be so completely out of
conformity that a low rating of Adjustment for Nonconformity might
be warranted .
166. Nonconformity as to Usefulness and Function.
Rating of Adjustment for Nonconformity requires a contrasting of
the efficiency of planning and design , quality of workmanship and
materials, and the conveniences embodied in the improvements in a
given case with the same attributes and elements of the structures
which are typical in the immediate neighborhood . The subject
property may be a six room house having four bedrooms, living room ,
kitchen , and bath, but no dining room . The typical property also
may have six rooms but there are three bedrooms, living room , kitchen ,
bath, and dining room . Therefore, the usefulness and function of the
subject property by virtue of the lack of a dining room is in noncon
formity with the typical property in the immediate neighborhood.
It will be found that the requirements of inhabitants of properties
will vary according to the income level of the inhabitants. For ex
ample, homes in a neighborhood of $ 15,000 properties should provide
more in the way of efficient planning and conveniences, including
mechanical and other equipment, than those in a neighborhood of
$5,000 properties. It is necessary that the comparison in a given
locality be with properties of typical value in that particular area .
Continuing the example above, if a home valued at $5,000 is in a
location where typical homes are of $ 15,000 value, judgments as to
usefulness and function should be based on the requirements of the
$ 15,000 homes . If, through poor planning, deficient interior design,
inadequate mechanical equipment, poor workmanship , or inferior
quality of materials, the usefulness and function of a property is lower
than the usefulness and function of typical properties, the rating of
Adjustment for Nonconformity will be affected unfavorably . Should
RATING OF PROPERTY
Part II
166-169
conditions be such that any or all of the deficiencies very seriously
affect the marketability or rentability of the property, a reject rating
will be warranted .
167. The highest rating will occur where the interior
design , layout, equipment, workmanship, and materials are such that
the property will function with a degree of efficiency and livability
equal to that which characterizes typical properties in the same area .
It is most important that the Valuator assume the attitude of weighing
the usefulness and function of the property he has under investigation ,
regardless of its value, against that which characterizes structures of
typical value in the neighborhood .
168. Nonconformity as to Lot Characteristics . - It is
generally true that the residential sites in any neighborhood are more
or less uniform in their physical characteristics, such as width , depth,
shape, topography, soil, and adequacy as areas of land sufficient to
properly accommodate a dwelling and necessary accessory buildings.
The rating will be favorably affected where the site under considera
tion conforms in its physical characteristics with those that characterize
sites in the neighborhood generally . This does not mean that it is
essential that the lots under analysis be identical in size, shape, and
80 on , with other lots in the district. It is possible for nonconformity
as to lot characteristics in some respects to exist without adversely
affecting the rating of Adjustment for Nonconformity . This will be
true in cases where the desirability of the lot is not affected by such
nonconformity. Thus a lot may be very different in its shape from
other lots nearby but if its area is sufficient to accommodate an appro
priate dwelling just as efficiently and in as desirable a manner as other
nearby sites, and if the lot loses none of its desirability by virtue of
its lack of conformity as to shape and size, the feature rating will not
be adversely affected .
However, nonconformity may exist in such a
degree or in such a manner as to make a site decidedly less marketable
and less desirable . In such a case a lower rating will result.
169. The degree to which the marketability of the sub
ject property is affected because of variations from typical properties
from the standpoint of purpose and exterior design, size, usefulness
and function, and lot characteristics determines the rating of Adjust
ment for Nonconformity .
PART II
SECTION 2
RATING OF LOCATION
INDEX
Paragraphs
201–206
General Rating Instructions....
207-210
Analysis of Neighborhoods .....
211-217
Economic Background Rating ..
218-225
Relative Economic Stability .
226-233
Protection from Adverse Influences ..
234-241
Adequacy of Transportation ...
242-247
Need for Housing ..
248-256
Appeal.--257-260
Sufficiency of Utilities and Conveniences.261-268
Adequacy of Civic, Social, and Commercial Centers .
269–274
Level of Taxes and Special Assessments ..275-279
Topography and Special Hazards....
Special Considerations in Undeveloped Subdivisions and Partially De
280-291
veloped Residential Areas.
RATING OF LOCATION
Part II
201
PART II
SECTION 2
RATING OF LOCATION
GENERAL RATING INSTRUCTIONS
REJECT
Feature
4
5
4
4
8
12 16 20
2
4
6
8
10
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Adequacy of Civic, Social,
and Commercial Centers
1
2
3
4
Relative Economic Stability
Protection from Adverse In
fluences
3
2
1
5
Level of Taxes and Special
Assessments
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
RATING
Adequacy of Transportation
Need for Housing
Appeal
Sufficiency of Utilities and
Conveniences
Topography
Hazards
and
Special
TOTAL RATING OF LOCATION
%
201. The following definitions are used :
(1 ) Location is defined as the actual site of a property viewed
in terms of its relationship with its immediate surroundings and
general economic background.
(2 ) Rating of Location is defined as the process of determining
the degree of mortgage risk attributable to location . " Rating of
Location " also refers to the percentage expression which results
from the process .
51246-36
-12
Part II
201-203
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(3 ) Established Rating of Location is defined as rating of a
selected location which is used as a basis of comparison in connection
with the rating of other locations in the same neighborhood .
( 4 ) Neighborhood is defined as & single area composed of
locations separated only by publicly -used land, the residential por
tions of which exhibit a degree of homogeneity. In general, a neigh
borhood is available for or improved with dwellings of more or less
similar character, age, and quality .
(5) Outlined Neighborhood is defined as a neighborhood in
which the approximate borders have been established and in which
Established Ratings of Location have been completed and made avail
able to Valuators.
202. Rating of Location shall be accomplished by rating
separately each of nine features. The features have been weighted
on a scale of 100% in order to retain the relative importance of each
when all are combined to obtain the rating of location . Each feature
is rated on a scale from " 1" to " 5 " , " 5" being the highest rating.
The rating grid which appears on the Report of Valuator is so designed
that conclusions reached by the Valuator or Chief Valuator after a
thorough inspection and study of conditions as they exist may be
readily recorded and the total rating quickly ascertained . The
Valuator makes ratings of all features in accordance with the
eral principles outlined in this Section and Part I, Section 2.
example, when rating the feature “ Sufficiency of Utilities and
veniences " if the Valuator has ascertained that all utilities and
gen
For
Con
con
veniences are present, with excellent service furnished at moderate
cost, an X mark would be placed in the " 5 " column. If conditions
were such that a complete lack of utilities and conveniences existed
the Valuator would consider the location substandard and the X
mark would be placed in the Reject column and the word " Reject "
written in the extreme right-hand column. One such rating any
where in the category necessitates a recommendation for the rejection
of the application for insurance. In such an event, while the remain
ing features of the grid are rated , in lieu of a numerical total percentage
expression the word " Reject " is written on the Total Rating line.
If no reject ratings are ascribed , after all nine features of the grid
have been rated the Valuator will review the individual feature
ratings which have been set down and will consider the Rating of
Location completed for this particular application .
203. The Valuator does not carry over to the extreme
right- hand column the ratings for the individual features. This task
is performed by the Chief Valuator who also assigns to the first
feature, " Relative Economic Stability " , the weight which is war
ranted for the area under consideration . The Chief Valuator carries
BATING OP LOOATION
Part I
203-206
over to the extreme right-hand column the respective feature ratings
and adds the nine ratings to obtain the Total Rating of Location.
204. The nine features,
assigned to them , are listed below :
(1)
( 2)
(3 )
(4 )
(5 )
(6 )
( 7)
(8)
( 9)
together with the weights
Relative Economio Stability ...
Protection from Adverse Influences..
Adequacy of Transportation ....
Need for Housing --Appeal....
Sufficiency of Utilities and Conveniences.
Adequacy of Civic, Social, and Commercial Centers...
Level of Taxes and Special Assessments ..
Topography and Special Hazards...
(40)
20
10
5
5
6
6
5
6
205. The primary purpose of the Rating of Location
is to determine the degree of mortgage risk involved because of a
property's location at a specific site. The rating is a prediction of
the degree of mortgage risk likely to be experienced at such location
during a period of about the next twenty years. This point of
view makes necessary the study and consideration of not only what
is present at the time of inspection but also a determination of the
future trend in the neighborhood area and economic background for
at least the coming twenty years. There are many areas which have
great charm , where planning has been well executed , and the sur
roundings present to a marked degree a harmonious picture of
beauty and comfortable living. If properties in such areas possess
ready marketability, that is, if there is a sufficiently large number of
financially capable prospective buyers for the properties, and if it is
expected that this market will continue, and that the financial capac
ity of buyers will remain the same or increase, a high Rating of
Location is justified . If, however, there is a limited market, that
is, fow financially capable prospective purchasers of homes in the
price range at which properties in the area are offered , and if it is
anticipated that the number of prospective buyers will decrease ,
and if the stability of buyers' incomes is questioned, high ratings are
not justified . Beauty and charm alone do not suffice to make a
satisfactory area . When , on the other hand, these attributes are
combined with a high degree of marketability, a high Rating of
Location is entirely justified .
206. A rating below 50 % requires the application to be
rejected. A rating above 50 % is considered better than merely
acceptable. In making a Rating of Location the Valuator must
realize that the 50 % minimum rating does not represent one- half of
perfection. It is a barely -passing acceptable rating. In general, the
Valuator should consider the " 5 " column to represent excellence of
the highest order and rate other conditions down from this point .
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Part II
206-208
As varying degrees of acceptability occur for the various features, the
true relative condition should be reflected in the rating assigned . It
will be noted that in establishing a 50 % minimum rating as the basis
of acceptability some features may be rated in the “ 1” and “ 2 ”
columns without making it impossible to have a total category
rating which will qualify. In rating any one feature, if the degree of
risk caused by the factors comprising this feature is such as to render
the insuring of mortgages at this location too hazardous, the rating
should be in the Reject column.
ANALYSIS OF NEIGHBORHOODS
207. It is highly desirable for the Valuation Section in
Underwriting Departments in Insuring Offices to make Established
Ratings of Locations based upon Outlined Neighborhoods. Prepara
tion of this character contributes to speed in the processing of cases
and ultimately leads to economy and consistency. Furthermore, the
practice of making Established Ratings of Locations improves the
effectiveness of preliminary examination . For the purpose of making
Established Ratings of Locations it is not always necessary or desir
able to establish Outlined Neighborhoods by indicating the specific
borders of the areas . The practice of fixing borders has certain
obvious advantages but need not be applied in all cases .
208. In fixing Outlined Neighborhoods and Established
Ratings of Locations, the first step is to make an analysis of the
economic background in accordance with the procedures outlined be
low in paragraphs 211-217 . This permits a weight to be assigned the
first feature . The second step is the determination of the central
downtown core of the city which can usually be outlined and con
sidered as an ineligible area . Downtown reject areas must be out
lined with the greatest of care in order to save embarrassment to the
Insuring Office in connection with applications on mortgages which
lie within such borders. Central downtown core areas include the
business and commercial sections of the cities as well as the slum and
blighted areas which almost invariably surround downtown sections
of major cities. The next step requires the Valuator to proceed
through the town , observing as much of the entire city as possible
until he reaches the outskirts where development ends. Study should
reveal the directions of city growth . Competing areas should be
studied to determine which areas justify the highest ratings. In
general, the process of outlining neighborhoods should start on the
outer fringe of development and work inward toward the downtown
district. Neighborhoods should be outlined so that adjoining areas
having properties of similar age and quality will be included in one
neighborhood.
This treatment permits the inclusion of a considerable
RATING OF LOCATION
expanse of territory in one neighborhood .
Part II
208–209
It is not necessary that
all locations within the neighborhood boundary be of almost similar
mortgage- risk quality. Wide variations in total ratings will appear
when individual cases are handled . Once the Established Ratings of
Location in Outlined Neighborhoods have been completed, the Valu
ator handles the rating of all other locations by comparing the subject
location with the Established Rating of Location , feature by feature.
This procedure may be applied to all locations, whether situated in
large cities or country hamlets.
209. Each Insuring Office should maintain suitable
records of Established Ratings of Location . A combination of cards
and maps proves desirable in most cases. First the neighborhoods
are outlined on maps. The better locations are rated by the use of
the Rating of Location grid. The ratings are ascribed on the basis of a
local comparison of competing neighborhoods except that in small
communities where there are but few neighborhoods the entire city
is usually considered as a unit. Descriptive material should be placed
upon a card so that the basis of the rating may be recorded. This
can be accomplished by recording in separate lists the favorable and
unfavorable features present at the location for each feature, together
with a summary of the line of reasoning which caused the particular
feature rating to be assigned. The Chief Valuator will keep these
location rating cards readily available for the use of Valuators so
that when an application is received for the insurance of a mortgage
on a property situated within the neighborhood boundary , the Valu
ator to whom the application is assigned will have available for his
use the Established Rating of Location of what is considered the best
location in the area . He can proceed to this location, familiarize
himself with conditions existing at that point, and then proceed to
the location of the property described in the application. By ascer
taining the conditions present at the subject location and comparing
them feature by feature with those determining the Established Rating
of Location , a quick, accurate determination of the risk of the sub
ject location can be ascertained . It is quite improbable that any one
location in a neighborhood area will rate higher than all other loca
tions for all features in the grid . When the Valuator encounters a
condition where the subject location exceeds in quality the rating
ascribed to the Established Rating of Location , he should not hesitate
to make the rating of the subject location higher for that particular
feature . If it is found that some location other than the original Estab
lished Rating of Location possesses a higher total rating, it may be
selected as a new or additional Established Rating of Location and a
card made as described above. By inserting on the map a number
for each neighborhood with the Established Rating of Location prop
erly designated, the processing of applications will be expedited .
Part D
210
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
210. Certain generally accepted principles should gov
ern a Valuator's judgment when he is engaged in analyses of neighbor
hoods or locations. Among the principles are the following:
( a ) Homogeneous development of properties in any neighbor.
hood tends to reduce mortgage risk . Areas which contain structures
of about the same age are usually better mortgage lending areas than
those in which a variety of age groups is present.
(6) Areas in which development has been accomplished in
accordance with accepted principles of good housing are quite apt to
prove much more stable than those areas where little thought or
attention has been paid to the various requirements for light and air,
lot coverage, and controlled similarity of types of structures.
(c) The Valuator is confronted with quite different problems
when rating new and old locations. Where development has been
completed and there are few vacant lots, a satisfactory measurement
of mortgage risk is usually more easily made than when a sparsely
developed location is being rated . The latter usually requires &
more thorough study of the future before a significant rating can be
made. There is in progress a definite decentralization of housing
which will probably continue the building up of suburban neighbor
hoods. If the location under consideration does not lie in a path
of city growth and there is apt to be a lapse of a number of years
before the neighborhood is well built- up, a much lower rating will be
ascribed than where the location lies in the path of city growth with
every prospect that the neighborhood will be built up in a compara
tively short time.
(d) Neighborhoods containing old structures mixed with new,
where little has been done in the way of planning to present an
attractive appealing appearance , are in many instances inhabited at
the present time by established financially -capable owners. It may
be that the same types of persons now provide a strong market for
properties in such areas. Such conditions may be deceptive and the
Valuator must determine whether or not the coming generation will
regard locations in such neighborhoods as desirable. It is possible
that such areas will, within the next twenty years , suffer greatly .
The mixed neighborhood in competition with a modern, homogeneous
area will invariably suffer, since the chances are that within a com
paratively short period of time a lower grade of social occupancy will
exist. The past has demonstrated that where entire neighborhoods
or subdivisions were laid out forty years ago with a well-executed,
conscious effort to develop beauty and charm in an economical man
ner, the areas have tended to continue in high favor, although other
neighborhoods just as favorably situated , but where no effort was
made for planning or homogeneous development, have suffered and
RATING OF LOCATION
Part II
210-211
are now occupied by owners or tenants of a markedly lower social
and financial class. Coming years will bring this condition more
pointedly to the attention of prospective buyers. It has been demon
strated that well planned and homogeneous development amid
attractive surroundings can be secured at no great increase in
cost of properties. Further progress in this regard is confidently
anticipated. The mixed neighborhoods with heterogeneous types of
properties and methods of construction with varying sizes of homes
and age groups of structures, when placed in competition with the
better areas, will retrograde at a much faster rate in the future than
they have in the past, regardless of the probability that population
increase may be at a much slower rate in future years.
( e) Neighborhoods tend to decline in investment quality.
The exception to this rule usually lies in undeveloped or partially
developed new neighborhoods. Such areas, when favorably situ
ated, when attractive to now purchasers constituting the market,
when adequately protected against adverse influences, and definitely
planned in accordance with accepted good housing practice will
probably improve for a period . However, unless they fill the re
quirements listed above and unless the development is completed
within the period of a very few years, the chances that they will
achieve reasonably permanent stability are limited .
W The stage of development of a neighborhood is an impor
tant factor to consider. It cannot be presumed that neighborhoods
50 % , 75 %, or 15 % developed represent any specified degrees of
mortgage risk when generalization is attempted . However, the stage
of development of favorably located new neighborhoods in which &
strong appeal exists may be a significant element in the ratings.
The stability of such an area may be limited at the start. Later it
may progress to a point where definite evidence is available to indi
cate the probable future character of the neighborhood .
In other
words, the character of the neighborhood will then have been estab
lished . At this point a higher Rating of Location may be justified
as a result of certainty which was lacking in the less- advanced stage
of development. In most cases, the prospect of further improvement
in the location is remote.
ECONOMIC BACKGROUND RATING
211. The unit area considered in connection with Eco
nomic Background Ratings is the metropolitan district.
In most
instances the same rating should be ascribed to all portions of a
metropolitan district. The Bureau of the Census lists in 1930 one
hundred metropolitan districts, each with a population in excess of
100,000 persons. The Chief Valuator should determine metropolitan
Part I
211-218
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
districts of all smaller centers of population for the purpose of estab
lishing Economic Background Ratings. In most cases " twin cities"
should be treated jointly and but one rating ascribed . In virtually
all cases, suburban communities should be included in the same eco
nomic background area and accorded the same rating as the entire
metropolitan district. On the other hand many satellite cities may
be ascribed ratings independent of the one given to the major city
near which it is located . Chief Valuators must establish the limits
of the unit areas and are required to make certain that all Valuators
know the established limits of the areas in which they work .
212. In rating the first feature, " Relative Economic
Stability " , two sets of elements are reflected :
(1 ) The general economic background including opportunities
for employment and trends of industrial, commercial, and other
activities which affect the risk in all dwelling mortgages located in the
metropolitan area .
(2 ) The relationship between the general economic back
ground and the location under consideration . This relationship
involves the extent to which owners and occupants of properties in
the neighborhood may be expected to share in and enjoy the advan
tages attributable to residence in the economic background area .
213. These two sets of elements cannot be treated
jointly . The first is the concern of the Chief Valuator. It is neces
sary for him to establish for each economic background area or metro
politan district the maximum possible rating which may be ascribed
to the first feature, namely , “ Relative Economic Stability .”
This
rating may not exceed 40 % in any case and is scaled downward for
different areas in accordance with the Chief Valuator's Economic
Background Rating.
When the Chief Valuator makes an Economic
Background Rating, his conclusion includes the weights applicable
to each of the five rating columns. For example, if he finds it neces
sary to rate an economic background area with a maximum possible
weight of 30 %, then he has established the following table of weights
for the first feature :
In
In
In
In
In
the
the
the
the
the
“
"
"
“
"
1”
2"
3"
4"
5"
Column..
Column ...
Column ..
Column ..
Column ...
6%
12 %
18 %
24 %
30 %
If he finds it necessary to establish the maximum possible weight at
15 %, then the following table of weights applies to the first feature :
RATING OF LOCATION
In
In
In
In
In
the
the
the
the
the
“ 1”
“ 2”
“ 3”
" 4"
"5"
Column....
Column ....
Column ..
Column ..
Column .
Part II
213-216
3%
6%
9%
12 %
15 %
The other set of elements, the general relationship between the eco
nomic background and the location under consideration, is the con
cern of the Valuator who renders the Report of Valuator on the
case . It is necessary for him to form a judgment with respect to the
degree to which the particular neighborhood and location receive the
benefits of the economic background. This judgment is formed in
accordance with the instructions below in Paragraphs 218–225 and is
recorded by an X mark in one of the spaces opposite the first feature
on the rating grid .
214. Chief Valuators are required to keep a confidential
record of their ratings of the economic backgrounds of the various
communities in their states or districts. It is advisable to express
the Economic Background Rating in terms of the weight ascribed for
the “ 5 ” column, 40 % being the rating ascribed to the areas in the
United States in which conditions permit the highest rating. In no
instance, however, is an Economic Background Rating of less than
10 % in the " 5 " column permitted . To assist in establishing these
ratings an Economic Background Rating Form is provided and
recommended for the use of Chief Valuators. Its use will insure
uniform treatment of all areas. Full instructions covering its use are
furnished. This form is not inserted in the case binders.
It is used
solely as an aid to the Chief Valuator in arriving at a suitable Eco
nomic Background Rating for use in connection with all cases in the
area to which the rating applies. Chief Valuators are not permitted
to allow their conclusions to become known to borrowers, mortgagees,
the public, or others than the Chief Underwriter and Director.
215. In making an Economic Background Rating the
Chief Valuator forms an opinion of the probable future stability
and sufficiency of the industrial, commercial, and other economic
activities in the town , city , and economic background area . In arriv
ing at his opinion he shall consider the factors involved in terms of
sources and amounts of family incomes which support investment
in residential real estate . These elements are viewed in terms of
their sufficiency, diversity, and probable future stability.
216. The effect of the economic background upon the
risk involved in mortgages has been recognized by mortgage lenders.
Some companies have excluded entire cities from their lists of ac
ceptable areas. Others have limited their activities to cities beyond
definite population sizes and have favored selected locations within
the accepted larger metropolitan areas. It is not the policy of the
Part II
216-220
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
Federal Housing Administration to exclude entire cities and towns
from the benefits of mutual mortgage insurance.
It may well be,
however, that within certain communities whose present- day and
expected future stability is exceedingly low, only certain favored
locations which surpass the general average of the town or com
munity may prove acceptable for insurance. The rating ascribed
shall apply to all locations situated in the area rated .
From time
to time Chief Valuators will find it proper to revise their Economic
Background Ratings to keep abreast of new conditions and to im
prove work done previously. Such revision does not, of course,
affect cases already processed .
217. The Economic Background Rating gives con
sideration only to the underlying factors that affect the population
of the entire city or area . It does not show how the various income
groups are distributed throughout the city or what neighborhoods
are good or bad from the standpoint of mortgage risk . It cannot
be taken as a substitute for the analysis of specific locations. It
must be recognized that even in cities having the most stable eco
nomic backgrounds there are slums that do not derive any great
benefit from their locations in such cities.
RELATIVE ECONOMIC STABILITY
218. In rating this feature the Valuator expresses the
extent to which owners and occupants of properties in the neigh
borhood may be expected to share in and enjoy those employment
and income advantages attributable to the metropolitan area as a
whole . Within such an area neighborhoods will reflect these bene
fits in varying degrees. This feature is rated on the basis of local
comparison , the highest ratings being accorded the locations where
the most favorable conditions exist.
In this respect it is treated in
exactly the same manner as the other features in the Rating of
Location category. The feature is an expression of the relative
security of the position of the families as a whole in the neighborhood
in which the location under analysis is situated.
219. The Valuator, in order to rate intelligently
Relative Economic Stability must ascertain the extent or limits
of the area included in the Economic Background Rating. These
limits are established by the Chief Valuator according to the prin
ciples described in Paragraph 211 .
220. When rating this feature the attention of the
Valuator is centered on a consideration of the sufficiency and stability
of sources and amounts of family incomes available to the owners
and occupants of properties at the location under consideration .
This requires a consideration of the adequacy and permanency of
RATING OP LOCATION
Part II
220-222
incomes received to maintain present levels of living including pur
chase of homes, together with the adequacy and permanency of
the number and character of sources from which these incomes are
It is desirable to consider whether or not families in occu
pancy will find ready employment at the same wage or salary if
their present sources are cut off for any reason . The adaptability
of the individuals together with availability of other means from
which they may secure an income should be considered jointly .
derived .
The individuals themselves may be sufficiently versatile to perform
other duties or tasks and still receive no or relatively little benefit
from such capacity because of a dearth of other sources of employ
ment. Or it may be that many and varied sources are available
but the adaptability of the individuals themselves is such that they
cannot take advantage of opportunities offered . In either case a
low rating of this feature is indicated .
221. When the owners or occupants of properties near a
location are generally living beyond their incomes or where the
percentage of incomes devoted to the purchase of homes is excessive
for their income levels, a low rating is warranted . If, on the other
hand, the owners are living well within their means and the burden
of home purchase is light, a high rating of this feature is indicated,
provided the owners or occupants are versatile and sufficiently diverse
sources of incomes are available . There is no scale which the Valuator
may use in determining at what point the proportion of income
devoted to the purchase of homes becomes excessive. For the lower
income levels a higher proportion of income is usually devoted to
this purpose than in the higber income brackets. In general, owners
whose incomes approximate $2,000 a year are not paying too much
for housing when they devote $500 to this purpose . Owners at the
$6,000 income level ordinarily do not expend the same percentage,
25 %, or $ 1,500 per year.
222. Rental areas require special treatment. The
characteristics of tenants rather than the qualities of owners will
determine the rating. Unless income -producing properties are self
supporting and provide some income to the owners, there is grave
danger that the desire to retain title to the property will recede to
the point of indifference. This attitude will be created by the in
come characteristics of the present occupants and those comprising
the prospective rental market in so far as income is dependent upon
these factors. Of course, operating and maintenance expenses
including taxes also affect incomes. In the case of an isolated rental
property situated in the midst of owner -occupied properties the
income characteristics of the owners are considered . If a few rental
properties are occupied by tenants of radically lower income -level
Part II
222-225
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
than that of the typical property owners, and if it is determined that
the presence of the lower income-level occupants is indicative of the
characteristics of future typical occupants in the area, the income
characteristics of the tenants should control judgment. This applies
to neighborhoods in transition where the first indication of blight is
usually the introduction of lower income - level tenants.
223. Where incomes received from rentals of duplex
apartments represent an appreciable part of total income received,
it is necessary to determine the permanence of the rental market for
such living units before rating this feature .
If it is ascertained that
there is great likelihood of a reduction in rental, or if it may be
assumed that a depression will cause a sharp decline in the amount of
rentals received, a low rating of this feature is warranted .
224. The Valuator should determine the character of
work performed by owners and occupants and reach a conclusion
regarding the stability of incomes in the neighborhood. Incomes of
certain types of individuals are apt to be far more stable than those
of other types. Earners in the higher income brackets and in the
laboring class are first to feel the effect of depressions, whereas the
medium class income producers, especially in industry and trade,
continue unaffected until a somewhat later period . Earners in
established professions, such as doctors, dentists, and lawyers, when
they have stable practices, usually suffer losses in cash incomes in
event of a depression but their primary incomes continue. Less
fortunately placed professional men may expect an almost complete
loss of income. This feature will receive a high rating when the
owners and occupants of properties in a neighborhood are living well
within their means and are able to set up reserves for future emer
gencies. The plan for retirement of mortgages sponsored by the
Federal Housing Administration requires a continued regular income.
It may be considered that the sufficiency of incomes is at a high level
when these reserves can be established . The Valuator is cautioned
against assuming that the incomes of owners of high -priced properties
will be more stable than the incomes of owners of moderately -priced
properties. Experience demonstrates that an assumption of this kind
is entirely unwarranted .
225. The foreclosure experience in a neighborhood is of
limited significance as an index of the sufficiency and stability of
incomes of residents . New residential areas where mortgages repre
sent a high ratio of loan to value may show a high foreclosure rate.
Older residential areas where mortgages have been reduced to a low
percentage of value may show a more favorable foreclosure experience.
The added burden of interest and amortization payments on the
larger loans may have been such that during trying times foreclosures
became almost inevitable .
RATING OF LOCATION
Part
226-228
PROTECTION FROM ADVERSE INFLUENCES
226. This feature has a total weight of 20, making it one
of the most important features in the Rating of Location .
Protec
tion from adverse influences is not concerned merely with zoning and
deed restrictions. These are of great importance, but they do not
represent all of the protection which is or may be afforded a location .
Where little or no protection is provided against adverse influences the
Valuator must not hesitate to make a reject rating of this feature.
227. Protection in the form of zoning restrictions is
becoming almost universal. The best artificial means of providing
protection from adverse influences is through the medium of appro
priate and well drawn zoning ordinances. If the framers of the zoning
ordinance have used excellent judgment in establishing areas, and if
the provisions of the ordinance itself have been well worded and
drawn from a thorough knowledge of conditions existing in the city
and those which will most probably exist in the future, and if the
zoning ordinance receives the backing of public approval, an excellent
basis for protection against adverse influences exists. If the ordinance
has been drawn with little or no real understanding of its purpose or
a genuine desire to promote an orderly city growth , or if it lacks public
approval, the chances are that it will offer little protection against
adverse influences to residential properties. Even when ably exe
cuted, investigation must be made to determine whether or not
infractions of the zoning law are permitted .
If the law may be
changed readily or if the provisions themselves are not strictly
enforced, it should be given little consideration by the Valuator in
determining a location's protection from adverse influences. Greater
importance is attached by the Federal Housing Administration to
zoning protection in and near large metropolitan centers than in
places having smaller populations and less rapid rates of growth .
Absence of zoning may be a proper basis for rejection in the former
case , but would not cause rejection in the latter type of case .
228. Deed restrictions are apt to prove more effective
than a zoning ordinance in providing protection from adverse influ
ences. Where the same deed restrictions apply over a broad area and
where these restrictions relate to types of structures, use to which
improvements may be put, and racial occupancy , a favorable condition
is apt to exist. Where adjacent lots or blocks possess altogether dif
ferent restrictions, especially for type and use of structures and racial
occupancy , the effect of such restrictions is minimized and adequate
protection cannot be considered to be present. A location lying in the
path of business expansion is often unprotected from the business
encroachment even though deed restrictions for residential use may be
present.
It must be realized that deed restrictions, to be effective,
Part II
228-230
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
must be enforced . In this respect they are like zoning ordinances.
Where there is the possibility of voiding the deed restrictions through
inadequate enforcement of their provisions, the restrictions themselves
offer little or no protection against adverse influences. In other words
the property so situated that its logical use is other than for residential
purposes, even though it is restricted to such residential use, will
inevitably be put to its highest and best use in the course of time .
229. The geographical position of a location may afford
in certain instances reliable protection against adverse influences. If
the location lies in the middle of an area well developed with a uniform
type of residential properties, and if the location is away from main
arteries which would logically be used for business purposes, prob
ability of a change in type, use, or occupancy of properties at this
location is remote . The Valuator should consider carefully the im
munity or lack of immunity offered to the location because of its
geographical position within the city.
Natural or artificially estab
lished barriers will prove effective in protecting a neighborhood and
the locations within it from adverse influences. Usually the protec
tion against adverse influences afforded by these means include
prevention of the infiltration of business and industrial uses , lower
class occupancy , and in harmonious racial groups. A location close
to a public park or area of similar nature is usually well protected
from infiltration of business and lower social occupancy coming from
that direction . Hills and ravines and other peculiarities of topog
raphy many times make encroachment of inharmonious uses so
difficult that protection is afforded . A college campus often protects
locations in its vicinity . A high -speed traffic artery or a wide street
parkway may prevent the expansion of inharmonious uses to a loca
tion on the opposite side of the street.
These natural and artificial
barriers are of such importance that the Valuator should make a
thorough study to determine their presence and reflect such conditions
in the rating of this feature. On the other hand, when a high -speed
traffic artery passes directly through a desirable neighborhood area
with similar development on each side of the artery, instead of
offering a protection the noise and danger attendant upon its presence
constitutes in itself an adverse influence. The same holds good for
the presence of railroads, elevated or surface lines, and other
transportation ,
230. When a neighborhood with its locations has been
solidly developed in accordance with accepted good housing practices
such development alone usually constitutes, in the absence of extreme
adverse conditions, good protection against adverse influences. But
many solidly developed neighborhood areas present conditions which
are far different from what is at present regarded as good housing
BATING OF LOCATION
Part II
230-233
practice. In these little protection is offered to the neighborhood
since there is little doubt that new competing neighborhoods will
be developed whicb will provide more comfortable and enjoyable
surroundings. The solidly built- up neighborhood where good housing
has not been provided will easily lend itself to a change in occupancy .
The Valuator must realize that when making a prediction for a period
of twenty years this condition shall be reflected in his rating. It is
difficult to over -emphasize the importance of the presence or absence
of well -executed neighborhood planning in rating locations. Narrow
streets, excessive lot coverage, inadequate light and air , and poor
circulation within the neighborhood area, as well as the inter - mixture
of types, price levels, and a general absence of architectural attractive
ness in dwellings represent adverse influences in themselves.
231. The quality of dwelling construction is of some
importance, inasmuch as unsubstantial, flimsy construction is subject
to rapid deterioration which hastens the lowering of class of occu
pancy .
present
The same condition holds for locations whose properties
The presence of over
freakish architectural designs.
improvement or under -improvement in the neighborhood constitutes
a condition which may adversely affect location ratings. Mainte
nance and repair of neighborhood houses is a clue to the future
physical condition .
232. Where nuisances are present in a neighborhood little
protection is offered to locations close to such undesirable elements.
A nuisance may be defined as anything, whether temporary or
permanent, which is considered objectionable to any or all of the
occupants of residential structures in the neighborhood. In esti
mating the full import of nuisances which may be present the
Valuator must consider whether or not it is probable that the nui
sance will be changed or removed . In all instances the rating must
reflect the presence of the nuisance to some degree, a heavy penalty
being assigned in instances where it is felt that the removal of the
nuisance is improbable. Thus the dwelling situated adjacent to a
filling station is subjected to the adverse influence of such a nui
sance . The rating in this instance should severely penalize the
location , perhaps to the point of rejection . A few nuisances may
be listed : Presence of billboards, undesirable domestic animals,
stables, chicken coops and runs, liquor dispensing establishments,
rooming houses, zoos, public playgrounds, schools, churches, mer
cantile and industrial establishments, cemeteries, homes of an insti
tutional character, offensive noises and odors, and poorly -kept,
unsightly properties.
233. The Valuator should investigate areas surrounding
the location to determine whether or not incompatible racial and
Part II
233-235
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
social groups are present, to the end that an intelligent prediction may
be made regarding the possibility or probability of the location being
invaded by such groups. If a neighborhood is to retain stability
it is necessary that properties shall continue to be occupied by the
same social and racial classes. A change in social or racial occupancy
generally leads to instability and a reduction in values. The pro
tection offered against adverse changes should be found adequate
before a high rating is given to this feature . Once the character of
a neighborhood has been established it is usually impossible to induce
a higher social class than those already in the neighborhood to pur
chase and occupy properties in its various locations.
ADEQUACY OF TRANSPORTATION
234. Ready access to places of employment, main
shopping districts, and other neighborhoods within the city is &
requisite for neighborhood stability . The Valuator does not rate
transportation itself but rather the adequacy of transportation for
the type of residents occupying the location . Areas developed with
low - cost homes where the income level of inhabitants is also low
need better and cheaper transportation facilities than an area devel
oped with higher -priced homes where the incomes of inhabitants are
much higher. The former will need public transportation facilities.
The latter may rely to a considerable degree upon the use of auto
mobiles. The price range of properties near a specific location will
have a direct bearing upon the quality of the transportation facilities
that will be adequate for the use of the inhabitants. Neighborhoods
or subdivisions located on the edge of a city where typical values are
about $ 4,000 need much more in the form of public transportation
than other neighborhoods or subdivisions similarly located but built
up with homes of higher value. The occupants of the first area will
possess automobiles but it is highly probable that the cost of opera
tion will prove so high that an undue proportion of income must be
devoted to transportation .
235. In rating " Adequacy of Transportation " it is
necessary to consider the quality and frequency of the service offered
by the carrier, as well as the cost to passengers and the length of
time required to reach places of employment, shopping centers, and
other neighborhoods. Comparisonsshould be made between similar
and competing neighborhoods with different transportation facilities .
The highest rating is given to those areas where services and schedules
are the best and where costs are the lowest. If comparison is con
fined to neighborhoods of the same value range, a logical and correct
rating of this feature will result.
RATING OF LOCATION
Part II
236-239
236. In many instances the areas with the finest trang
portation facilities are those situated close in to the center of the city
where street-car lines, bus lines, or other means of transportation
are available. These are frequently the most undesirable areas in
the city.
Proximity to the center of any major city , especially where
the location is within easy walking distance of the downtown area ,
has a tendency to produce rooming houses, boarding houses, or
crowded tenements . Nevertheless, when rating this feature such
areas shall be rated high for " Adequacy of Transportation . "
237. Many expensive neighborhoods and some mod
erately -priced areas are quite inaccessible to the downtown area and
other neighborhoods within the city except by automobile. The
Valuator when encountering such a condition should determine how
servants are transported from their homes to their places of employ
ment. If considerable inconvenience is caused the owners and occu
pants of such properties in getting their servants to and from their
homes a lower rating of this feature is in order.
238. Due to climatic conditions, the locations within a
neighborhood may prove inaccessible during certain portions of the
year.
When such conditions prevail, a low rating of this feature,
perhaps to the point of rejection , is required .
239. The permanence and performance of the common
carrier providing the transportation is of vital interest to the Valuator
whether such carrier be a bus line, street- car line, subway, railroad,
or ferry . Where there is high probability of a discontinuance of
service, a low rating will be indicated . Those areas which are within
easy walking distance of the center of the city or where the bus line
or other carrier represents only an accessory convenience to the
general use of automobiles are exceptions. The quality of transpor
tation service extended by two different types of transportation
within a city, for example, a bus line in competition with a street
car line, may show considerable variance. Where this occurs, those
locations served by the more efficient and desirable carrier will be
rated higher than those locations compelled to rely on the inferior
facilities.
Transportation lines usually follow city growth .
It is
difficult to expand and develop a city in a direction where adequate
transportation facilities are not present.
In some instances trans
portation services will anticipate development but in most cases
they will be provided after development commences . When rating
a new neighborhood, especially one on the outskirts of the city, those
areas where the transportation already exists will invariably be rated
higher than those where the service is merely contemplated , since it
is impossible to anticipate in all instances the successful completion
of plans or hopes for the establishment of these transportation
facilities.
5124636 -13
Part II
240-243
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
240. Where travel is by automobile the condition of
the roads and streets is considered . A proper penalty must be made
in rating those locations where access is hampered by streets which
are inadequately surfaced for the traffic they carry . A location which
is dependent upon street -car or bus transportation facilities shall be
rated according to the quality, schedule, and length of time taken by
the utility to reach the downtown area, and by the length of time
and the effort required in walking or riding from the location to the
point of boarding the transportation . Where it is necessary to trav
erse steep hills or cross dangerous intersections a lower rating is
necessary .
241. The automobile has accelerated the decentraliza
tion of cities.
Inhabitants of all income levels usually desire to live
away from the crowded , older sections of the town . There is a strong
urge to move out where there is sufficient light, air, and ground space
for play and gardening. For the medium and upper income levels
this desire to move to suburban locations is easily possible of fulfill
ment. For many in the lower income groups in large cities it has been
quite impossible except in those instances where adequate and cheap
transportation facilities exist. When rating this feature the Valuator
is urged at all times to confine his consideration to the needs of present
and prospective future inhabitants near the location under consideration
and not to assume that transportation needs apply evenly to all in
come levels of inhabitants.
His rating will be the result of comparing
the adequacy of transportation afforded competing locations within
the city, that is, locations where similar price-level properties are occu
pied by inhabitants of similar income level.
NEED FOR HOUSING
242. “ Need for Housing" is rated from either of two
points of view depending on whether or not the Valuator is confronted
with a new and partially -developed neighborhood or an old and fully
developed residential district. In the first instance greater emphasis
is placed on the need for additional housing facilities. In the other
case consideration centers around the likelihood of a continued de
mand for the housing now in the neighborhood .
separately discussed below .
Each situation is
243. Newer Neighborhoods.For a high rating of this
feature, new building capable of absorption by prospective, finan
cially capable purchasers must exist with values and sales prices of
homes approximating reproduction costs. This implies a physical
need for the new construction, as well as a financially satisfactory
group of purchasers who will buy homes in this particular neighbor
hood area . It is highly necessary that a new neighborhood possess a
RATING OF LOCATION
Part II
243-248
qualified and reasonably broad market; a physical need for homes of
the type and price range which will most likely be erected ; and an
appeal sufficient to attract these new purchasers. Only under these
conditions is a high rating for this feature justified .
244. For a high rating of this feature it is necessary
that the development of a sparsely developed new neighborhood be
completed over the span of a very few years. Unless this happens
an undesirable age mixture of structures will result. The new and
modern will be intermixed with the old and obsolescent, which condi
tion may adversely affect both classes. In other words, a neighbor
hood whose structures are of a similar age is usually the better mort
gage - lending area and where this condition is assured a higher
rating of this feature is warranted .
245. Higher rating of this feature requires that new
construction be placed on the market at a selling price conforming to
the value range of properties which have already been built. There
must be demonstrated a ready demand and market . The new $ 5,000
homes in a $ 10,000 neighborhood may be readily salable but they
have an adverse effect on existing properties. New $ 10,000 homes
in the same neighborhood may not be absorbed inasmuch as there
may be no need for housing at such a price. Neither condition
is desirable . The highest rating would be given , for example, to the
$5,000 neighborhood in which $5,000 houses were being built, pro
vided the new prospective purchasers were financially capable and
preferred this neighborhood or location to competing areas.
246. Older Neighborhoods. It is usually doubtful that
any new building will be undertaken in older neighborhoods.
The
highest rating of this feature will be given to those locations where a
ready financially capable market for homes exists at their current
value levels. The market must be both qualified and ready to buy
at the present level of values if a good rating is to be given .
247. The examination of market demand must include
consideration of competing areas. For a high rating it is necessary
that these old areas or neighborhoods possess a high degree of desira
bility when compared with competing areas, that is, when compared
with neighborhoods and locations developed with the same type and
price range of homes. For such a condition to exist there must be
a lack of new dwellings at the same price range at other locations which
might be considered to be superior in quality and livability and which
would require the expenditure of less money to maintain .
APPEAL
248. In rating this feature the Valuator shall take into
consideration all elements which may be considered to draw prospec
Part II
248-252
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
tive purchasers to this location . Appeal relates to a great deal more
than mere physical charm , beauty of layout, and other esthetic qual
ities. If the appeal of a location is not sufficient to preserve present
values, that is, to keep up the present level of rentability and market
ability of properties, it is rated low by the Valuator.
249. Appeal is purely relative and is to be measured by
the attitude of the income group or the social class which will con
stitute the market for properties near the location under consideration .
Thus it will be possible for a neighborhood in the $4,000 price range
to possess as high an appeal for its prospective market as a neighbor
hood in the $ 12,000 class. Appeal must be measured by a compari
son between competing areas of the same level of property values
where the market is made up of the same income groups . The
Valuator is cautioned against comparing the appeal of a low - priced
area with that of a high - priced neighborhood since these areas are in
no sense competitive and appeal to completely different groups of
prospective purchasers.
250. Physical charm in many instances will present a
vital element of appeal. A beautifully laid - out area with adequate
street improvements, good plot layouts, and well - planted shrubs and
trees will tend to create strong appeal. If this beauty has been
created at moderate expense where properties will not be heavily
assessed for the resulting effect, a much greater appeal will exist
than where the effect has been created through extravagance and
high assessments against the properties.
251. Where properties of one definite type are present
and where the architectural designs blend harmoniously, a physical
condition exists which attracts prospective purchasers to the location .
If, in addition to physical attraction of the neighborhood, the present
class of occupants is of such quality as to make the area desirable to
the social group which will form the prospective market, additional
appeal is created. If proximity to cultural centers or recreational
activities is combined with both of these favorable elements , this
feature may be rated even higher.
252. Of prime consideration to the Valuator is the
presence or lack of homogeneity regarding types of dwellings and
classes of people living in the neighborhood . An area that is being
developed along the lines of accepted good housing practice where
adequate light and ventilation are assured , play space available, easy
circulation to other parts of the neighborhood present, with attrac
tively styled, harmoniously blending residences, will ordinarily possess
a more lasting appeal than an area lacking some or all of these features.
The Valuator is interested in what will occur during the next twenty
years. The grading of this feature should reflect whether or not the
attitude of the present -day market toward the location will continue.
RATING OF LOCATION
Part II
253-257
253. Some areas which may lack in accommodations or
conveniences usually regarded as requisites for stability will possess
an appeal created by the social class of occupants, or prestige created
by associations, which will make properties at the locations as market
able as any similar value range location within the city. The Valua
tor must determine whether or not the younger generation which will
represent the market for these properties at a future date will regard
the area as equally desirable . In many instances this prediction will
be difficult to make. In others it can be easily ascertained . The
Valuator must, in any event, study possible changes in the attitude of
the future market before rating this feature.
254. The geographical position of the location in rela
tion to the city considered with the effects of favorable or unfavorable
topography will have a distinct bearing upon the rating of this feature .
Those areas which lie in a path of city growth where the topography
of the ground lends itself to economical development, in the absence
of other conditions which may exert an adverse effect, will be found to
possess a strong appeal.
255. The utilities
and conveniences available
to
a
location will have a pronounced effect upon the appeal . A lack of
desirable conveniences exerts a negative effect which must be reflected
in the rating. Presence of noisy and high -speed traffic arteries, rail
roads, commercial or industrial properties, or the presence of incom
patible racial elements results in a lowering of the rating, often to the
point of rejection . The approach to the neighborhood is of impor
tance. Where it is necessary to pass through a slum or an otherwise
undesirable area in order to arrive at the location less appeal will be
present than where such a condition does not prevail.
256. While the husband and wife who own a home or
are prospective purchasers of a dwelling might be willing to tolerate
certain adverse conditions affecting themselves, an altogether differ
ent attitude will be taken when the welfare of their children is en
Parents wish their children to have all available advan
tages for physical and cultural development and those areas offering
the most will be the places in which they will prefer to live. The
Valuator will reflect true conditions in his rating of this feature only
when he includes in his consideration the effect upon appeal of the
dangered .
presence or lack of advantages for rearing children .
SUFFICIENCY OF UTILITIES AND CONVENIENCES
257. In rating this feature the Valuator will take into
consideration the presence and quality of such items as police and
fire protection , telephone service, gas, electricity , water supply ,
sewerage (both sanitary and storm ), garbage disposal, street lighting,
Part II
257-260
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
street paving or surfacing, sidewalks, and curbs. The presence or
absence of any or all of these features will be considered in relation to
the requirements of the inhabitants of homes in the area and what
would be desired by prospective purchasers of homes at this location .
These requirements will vary with differences in the social and finan
cial class of people occupying the area . It may generally be assumed
that the prospective market will be composed of the same class but
where a neighborhood is changing in occupancy the needs and desires
of the lower class which will eventually prove to be the occupants of
the neighborhood shall be taken into consideration ,
258. In different communities the presence or absence
of certain utilities or conveniences will show a varying effect. In his
rating the Valuator reflects the degree to which the present utilities
and conveniences fill the needs and desires of both the present occu
pants and prospective purchasers of homes at the location . In most
instances pure community water under sufficient pressure is considered
a definite requirement. In other communities individual water
supplies will prove adequate for some of the locations. Thus it is
necessary to interpret the present and expected future desires of the
market when rating this feature. The highest rating will be given not
only to those areas where all the utilities and conveniences are present
but also to those which in all particulars meet the requirements of the
occupants, both present and prospective.
259. It is necessary for the Valuator to consider not
only the presence or absence of these utilities and conveniences, but
also the quality of the service which is rendered together with the
cost of such services. Where part of the cost is reflected in taxes or
special assessments, such as those levied for street improvements,
that part should not be considered in rating this feature, since it will
be taken into account in the feature, " Level of Taxes and Special
Assessments . ”
260. The rating of this feature can easily be made
once the total list of utilities and conveniences in the city is deter
mined together with the cost and quality of the services extended .
Where certain vital utilities or conveniences are absent at a specific
location the Valuator should not hesitate to give low ratings or even
reject ratings when required.
Although the Valuator shall take into
consideration the probability of additional utilities and conveniences
being installed, the rating under such circumstances can not be as
high as it would be if the additional utilities and conveniences were
already present at the location . Until the service is in actual existence
and available, there is always some doubt regarding its ultimate
installation . Where those utilities and conveniences which represent
minimum requirements for comfortable living are absent at a location
RATING OF LOCATION
Part II
260-265
rating of this feature by the Valuator should be made in the Reject
column .
ADEQUACY OF CIVIC, SOCIAL, AND COMMERCIAL CENTERS
261. For a neighborhood to remain stable and retain
desirability for the same class of occupancy now living in its various
locations it is necessary for it to have adequate shopping centers and
facilities for recreation and cultural improvement. In some instances
these are available to the residents at points within a neighborhood,
although in other instances they may be situated beyond the bound
aries of the neighborhood . The question for the Valuator to deter
mine is their sufficiency in amount and availability for use to the
occupants of the location under consideration .
262. The presence and quality of grade and high schools,
neighborhood shopping centers, churches, theaters, other means of
recreation or amusement, parks, playgrounds, community halls ,
libraries, and colleges tends to determine the desirability of the
neighborhood. Only in a few instances will all the kinds of facilities
entering into the consideration of this feature be present. A favor
able rating is made when it is considered that those present provide
adequate means for convenient and pleasant living with suitable
provision for cultural development.
263. The older residential areas within a city will
usually have available more of these facilities than the newer neighbor
hoods. The centers making for convenience in living and cultural
benefit usually follow rather than precede the building up of any
residential area . However, those new neighborhoods which are better
served by conveniences will usually develop and maintain a character
more favorable to stability than those in which they are lacking.
264. The Valuator should relate the presence or absence
of these facilities to the requirements of the social class of occupancy
at the location . Areas occupied by low income groups will ordinarily
require easier access to commercial and business centers, schools,
churches, and the other desirable elements listed above, than the
area occupied by residents of a higher income level. While the
presence of neighborhood stores may be essential to the well- being of
occupants of a low income area , the mere existence of such elements
near a location occupied by people of high incomes would be a destroy
ing influence rather than a favorable asset . However, it is desirable for
the higher income level area to have these shopping centers and other
facilities easily available, although it is undesirable for the dwelling
locations to be situated adjacent to such centers .
265. When considering the question of schools, the
Valuator should take into consideration the desirability of the school
Part II
265-268
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
accommodations offered .
Distances to the schools should be related
to the public or private means of transportation available from the
location to the school.
266. The social class of the parents of children at
the school will in many instances have a vital bearing.
Thus,
although physical surroundings of a neighborhood area may be favor
able and conducive to enjoyable, pleasant living in its locations, if
the children of people living in such an area are compelled to attend
school where the majority or a goodly number of the pupils represent
a far lower level of society or an incompatible racial element, the
neighborhood under consideration will prove far less stable and desir
able than if this condition did not exist. In such an instance it might
well be that for the payment of a fee children of this area could
attend another school with pupils of their same social class. The
question for the Valuator to determine is the effect created by the
necessity for making this payment upon the occupants of the location .
Under any conditions the rating could not be as favorable as if the
desirable school were available without additional cost. In many
instances where a school has earned a prestige through the class of
pupils attending, it will be found that such prestige will be a vital
element in maintaining the desirability of the entire area comprising
the school district.
267. Where the Valuator encounters an area built up
with high - priced properties occupied by people of high-level incomes
and adequate school facilities are not immediately present, he should
investigate to determine whether or not children of the area are
attending private schools and whether or not such private schools
are served by a bus line for the children . It may be that the area is
occupied by people of sufficient financial strength to provide trans
portation to and from the school by private automobile with chauffeur.
Such a condition is rarely as favorable as when the school is served
by public transportation . Where it is necessary for members of the
pupils' families to drive the children in the family automobile to and
from school, rating for this feature will be adversely affected since the
inconvenience will reflect unfavorably on the desirability of the
location .
268. For certain types of neighborhoods means of rec
reation are essential whereas in others they represent merely a passive
contribution to general welfare. For locations in cities which are
devoted in part or as a whole to the tourist or resort business almost
the entire basis for stability is represented by the means provided for
recreation and amusement. Ready access to neighborhood and down
town theaters, public and private golf courses, and park and play
ground areas is always desirable. It is required that the Valuator
RATING OF LOCATION
Part II
288-272
determine what is needed by the present and prospective occupants
of the location and make his rating from what is present in com
parison with what is needed or desirable . Where facilities are in
sufficient and such absence has a detrimental effect upon the market
ability and rentability of properties situated near the location a low
rating will probably result.
LEVEL OF TAXES AND SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS
269. In the rating of this feature the Valuator is con
cerned with the effect which taxes and special assessments may have
on the desirability of the location for home ownership. It is there
fore necessary to determine the total amount required for taxes and
special assessments and to express that amount as a percentage of the
Federal Housing Administration valuation . The tax rate itself is of
little importance unless the actual basis of assessment is known. Thus
a tax rate of $5 per $ 100 of assessed value is meaningless, whereas a tax
rate of $ 5 per $ 100 of Federal Housing Administration valuation , or a
5 % tax, is an exact indication of the seriousness of the tax burden .
270. The effect of the tax burden in the city as a whole
has been considered and is reflected in the Economic Background
Rating of the area . The Valuator's only concern in rating this feature
is to determine the relative advantages or disadvantages of the tax level
at the subject location in comparison with other locations within the
area . It is well known that the basis for assessment, and often the tax
rate itself, varies for different areas within a city. Where specific
locations are receiving preferential treatment in this regard , and where
it is estimated that such condition will continue, a high rating of this
feature is in order regardless of the reasons for the condition .
271. The Valuator is interested in measuring the effect
of the taxes upon home ownership. When it is found that the total
tax and assessment rate is such as to have little or no effect upon the
desirability for home ownership a high rating is given to this feature.
On the other hand , if the total tax bill has a detrimental effect on home
ownership the condition must be reflected by lowering the rating.
Only when the tax is at such a high point as to be almost confiscatory
in its requirements is a reject rating required .
272. Inasmuch as the extent of the general tax burden
in the city as a whole is not considered in the rating of this feature it
should be observed that it is proper to give certain locations a high
rating even though the city has a relatively high tax level. Thus it is
possible to have locations which warrant a " 5 " column rating in a
city with a 3 % tax level as well as in the city with only a 1 % tax
level. For residential properties the point at which the level of
taxes and special assessments will have a detrimental effect on home
Part II
272-277
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
ownership will vary in different parts of the country according to
what the local residents have learned to expect. The rating of this
feature depends a great deal upon determining these effects .
273. Where special assessments exist the Valuator
should consider the length of time such assessments run as well as
the total payment required. But even though special assessment
payments may be required for only a few years , they should be given
consideration in the rating. From the point of view of mortgage
risk the first few years of the loan are apt to be a critical period and a
few years of high special assessments may seriously affect market
ability and desirability for home ownership . Only when the special
assessments are about to expire may they be left out of consideration .
274. Special care must be taken in cases where special
assessments are in the nature of ad valorem taxes . Each individual
property is security for an entire bond issue and cannot be freed from
the special assessment lien until the bond issue has been entirely
retired . Low ratings of this feature must be given in all such cases,
and where the special assessment burdens are excessive Reject
ratings may be warranted .
TOPOGRAPHY AND SPECIAL HAZARDS
275. The Valuator must consider the suitability of the
topography of the land at the location as it affects marketability
and rentability of residential improvements which are present or
contemplated , together with the presence of any special hazards to
which the occupants of the location may be subjected. Special
hazards refer directly to conditions which have an influence on the
personal safety of the occupants.
276. Where the contour of the land is such that public
opinion regards it with favor and where there are no conditions
present which will affect the safety of people a high rating of this
feature is in order . Where the contour of the land is such that
marketability or rentability is materially restricted , or where con
ditions are present which may adversely affect the safety of people,
a low rating of this feature is required. The test to be applied in
determining the proper rating is the effect that the conditions exist
ing will have upon the present and future marketability and rent
ability of properties at the location .
277. Where generally hilly land prevails within a city
only those locations where the steepness of the hills and grade of the
streets is such as to exceed the general average, and by such conditions
present less desirability to the prospective market will a low rating
be required . In another city where land is generally flat or gently
rolling , and even a moderate hillside is encountered , a low rating for
RATING OF LOCATION
Part II
277-280
the hillside location may be in order, provided those people repre
senting the market for properties near the location regard such
conditions as undesirable .
278. Among special hazards may be listed streets with
a heavy grade, ravines, abrupt changes in contour of land, high
speed traffic arteries, heavy traffic over streets, fogs, presence of
commercial or industrial activity dealing with the storage or manu
facture of volatile or explosive mixtures, possibility of flood, land
slides, soil erosion, conflagration , or danger from tidal waves , cave -ins,
or subsidence due to underground tunnels or excavations as in
mining operations.
The Valuator should remember that in rating
this feature he is expressing the comparative advantages or dis
advantages of the location under consideration with all other loca
tions having a similar range of value within the city. Wherever a
condition such as the recurrence of tornados or earthquakes, excessive
heat or cold , high wind velocity, or generally unfavorable climate
applies to the entire city, it is advisable to set a " ceiling " or maximum
rating for this feature. Where such conditions are found the Chief
Valuator will establish this rating. No location's rating of this
feature may exceed the ceiling rating established . Locations will
grade down from this ceiling rating when additional hazards or detri
mental variations in topography appear. In any event, the rating
of this feature should reflect the desirability of the location in the
opinion of the present and future market. Where conditions are such
that the marketability and rentability of the properties are seriously
affected a low rating is required ; in some instances a rejection will
be necessary .
279. The topography of some cities is such that low
land will be developed for residential purposes largely because such
ground is located close to centers of employment or the downtown
area of the city. These areas may be subjected to intense summer
heat, poor circulation of air, periodic fogs, and , in some instances,
floods. Where the Valuator encounters such locations low, or
possibly reject, ratings may be warranted .
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN RATING UNDEVELOPED SUBDIVISIONS
AND PARTIALLY DEVELOPED RESIDENTIAL AREAS
280. The instructions and principles for developed neigh
borhoods set forth in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section apply
with equal force to undeveloped or partially developed areas . When
judging the latter the Valuator must, to a considerable degree , look
into the future and forecast the environment that will be created
because of the existence of certain conditions in combination with
certain assumptions.
Special consideration must be given various
Part II
280-284
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
features when rating such locations. These special considerations
will be outlined in succeeding paragraphs.
281. Successful new areas are recognized as the
best mortgage- lending areas . To be successful a new or partially
developed area must reach a stage of being substantially built up
within a period of a very few years . Due to the fact most out
lying residential areas will be developed as a result of the decentrali
zation movement rather than as a result of population increases, the
economic background of the community assumes great importance,
since those communities which will experience a prosperous future
will decentralize much faster than those for which a less advantageous
future is forecast.
282. With assumptions in combination with certain
known conditions as the basis for rating, new and partially developed
locations require low ratings, that is , satisfactory areas receive a
passing percentage but no high total rating. As the character of
these areas is established , ratings can be raised or lowered to reflect
the existing conditions. The character of the area becomes evident
when a considerable percentage of lots have been improved or when
a satisfactory concentration of dwellings is present. The wave system
of development, that is, concentration of improvement and building
activity in a definite portion of the subdivision until it is established
before starting activity in an adjoining section, is an orderly procedure
which may greatly reduce mortgage risk . Such a program assures
structures of the same age, and if development is halted for any reason
the close grouping of homes will increase neighborhood and location
stability.
283. Relative Economic Stability . - In rating this fea
ture the Valuator considers the combined income characteristics of
both occupants and persons constituting the market for the type and
price class of improvements contemplated. Since an assumption is
the basis for rating high ratings are seldom justified.
284 ( 1) . Protection from Adverse Influences . The
Valuator should realize that the need of protection from adverse
influences is greater in an undeveloped or partially developed area
than in any other type of neighborhood and , in general, a high rating
should be given only where adequate zoning regulations or effective
deed restrictions exist inasmuch as these provide the surest protection
against undesirable encroachment and inharmonious use .
284 (2) . Carefully compiled zoning regulations are the
most effective because they not only exercise control over the subject
property but also over the surrounding area . However, they are
seldom complete enough to assure a homogeneous and harmonious
neighborhood.
RATING OF LOCATION
Part II
284
284 (3 ) . Recorded deed restrictions should strengthen
and supplement zoning ordinances and to be really effective should
The restrictions should be
include the provisions listed below.
recorded with the deed and should run for a period of at least twenty
Recommended restrictions include the following:
( a ) Allocation of definite areas for specific uses such as single
or double - family houses, apartments, and business structures .
years.
(6 ) The placement of buildings so they will have adequate
light and air with assurance of a space of at least ten feet between
buildings.
( c) Prohibition of the resubdivision of lots.
( d ) Prohibition of the erection of more than one dwelling
per lot .
(e) Control of the design of all buildings through requiring
their approval by a qualified committee and by appropriate cost
limitations.
( 1) Prohibition of nuisances or undesirable buildings such as
stables, pig pens, temporary dwellings, and high fences.
(g ) Prohibition of the occupancy of properties except by the
race for which they are intended.
(h) Appropriate provisions for enforcement.
284 (4 ) . The fact that zoning regulations and deed
restrictions exist does not necessarily mean that a high rating is
warranted . The type of use permitted by such regulations should
be carefully analyzed, for frequently areas are zoned and restricted in
a manner that would encourage land use which would greatly decrease
its desirability for residential purposes. The Valuator should make
sure that the protection provided is appropriate to the best use of the
land .
284 (5) . Some areas in which there are no zoning
regulations or restrictions may be considered properly protected
because of the favorable situation of the development or the topog
raphy of the land . The natural protection afforded in such instances
might be sufficient to warrant a good rating.
284 (6) . Additional protection and stability is afforded
by city plans and subdivision regulations that are officially recognized
and enforced . Such plans will avoid making noisy, high -speed traffic
arteries out of residential streets ; will establish barriers between
residential and industrial or railroad properties; and assure that the
forward growth of the city will be orderly and harmonious. Any
undeveloped subdivision falling within the jurisdiction of a city ,
county , or regional plan shall conform to such plan and regulations.
These regulations may be evaded in many States through the sale of
property by metes and bounds, for when a subdivision is sold in this
Part 1
284-286
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
way the plot plan can be changed at the whim of the developer. For
this reason it is highly preferable that a subdivision be sold from a
recorded plat.
284 (7) . A partially developed area that remains long
in that condition represents in itself an adverse influence that will
make the area undesirable for mortgage lending. The Valuator is
cautioned against placing too much reliance on deed restrictions and
zoning in such areas. He should look for other factors which will
insure early development of the area and thus offer protection against
stagnation or slow , unhealthy growth . Among the factors which
will offer such protection are the following:
(a) Situation of development in a path of city growth .
(6) Contemplated use of land for best purposes, considering
such conditions as topography, character of land , and situation of
area .
(c) A physical need for properties of the price class contem
plated .
(d) Combined cost of lot and improvements approximating
selling prices and values of completed properties.
( e) Development planned in accordance with accepted stand
ards of good housing.
( 1 ) A strong financially capable developer who enjoys the
confidence of the market.
285 ( 1) . Adequacy of Transportation . It is necessary
to determine the requirements and desires of the prospective pur
chasers of homes in the new area and to reflect the standing in this
regard of the area under consideration in relation to competing areas
within the city . In a development for the low income group an in
crease of a few cents in the cost of transportation may ruin the mar
ketability of otherwise desirable properties. Reliance upon private
automobiles alone cannot be considered adequate transportation for
any except the higher income groups and even in these groups suit
able public transportation facilities greatly increase the desirability
of the area .
285 (2) . At times transportation facilities to outlying
new areas will be planned though not installed . In such instances a
low rating is required until the transportation is physically present.
A rejection is indicated unless adequate facilities are definitely
assured even though planned and anticipated .
286 ( 1) . Need for Housing.-- There should be convinc
ing evidence of a healthy and active demand for homes of the type con
templated in the particular locality and at the prices asked before a
good rating is warranted . For an undeveloped or partially developed
area to qualify under this feature it must be found that:
RATING OF LOOATION
Part II
286-288
( a ) There is a physical need or shortage of homes of the type
and in the price class contemplated .
(6 ) This need originates with a financially capable group of
purchasers.
(c ) The area is ripe for development and is in a path of city
growth .
( d ) Sales prices and values approximate reproduction costs of
completed properties.
(e) Sales price of the lots and properties in combination with
other attractions are such that the development compares favorably
with competing areas .
286 (2) . If the area under consideration fails to qualify
satisfactorily in any of the particulars listed above the Valuator
should reject when rating this feature. The best way to demonstrate
a need for housing is through the actual construction and bona fide
sale of houses to financially - capable purchasers.
287 ( 1) . Appeal. - In rating the appeal of an undevel
oped or partially developed area the Valuator must not only take
into account existing conditions and surroundings but must also
consider the effect which the contemplated program of development
will have on the attractiveness of the area .
287 (2) . In addition to the regular considerations under
“ Appeal ” special attention should be given to the following factors:
( a ) Have care and intelligence been used in planning the street
and lot layout ?
(6) Are the street lines pleasing ?
( c) Has consideration been given to the topography and to
natural features ?
( d ) Have efforts been made to save the trees and to beautify
the landscape ?
(e) Does sponsorship contribute to appeal?
288 ( 1) . Sufficiency of Utilities and
Conveniences.
In all cases there must be appropriate and necessary utilities and
street improvements installed or definite assurance given that such
facilities will be furnished . Due to climate and local custom and
conditions street improvements and utilities that might be considered
satisfactory in one section of the country may be undesirable in
another. No hard and fast rules can be drawn covering the type of
improvements. However, the streets should be graded and properly
surfaced . There must always be definite assurance of an adequate
supply of pure water at reasonable rates.
288 (2) . If the water is furnished by a private organi
zation rather than from public mains the financial standing of the
water company should be carefully investigated . It has been a
Part I
288-289
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
practice in some localities for developers to increase the water rates
after all the lots have been sold , thereby forcing the lot owners to
purchase the system at an exorbitant price.
288 ( 3) . Water supply from wells is seldom satisfac
tory . The danger of pollution is always great. Little or no fire
protection is provided and the cost of the construction of the well
and of installing the necessary pumping system is usually as great or
greater than the per lot cost of water mains. With very few excep
tions and only when the lots are generous in size and when the
supply and purity of the water has been certified as satisfactory by
the local or state health authorities should water supply from
individual wells be considered satisfactory, and under exceptional
circumstances only should a high rating be given .
In judging the
adequacy of a water system the size of the mains and the pressure
must be considered .
288 (4) . There must be means of disposing of domestic
sewage in a manner which meets the approval of the local and state
health authorities. Where public sewer mains are not installed or
readily available approved individual septic tanks may be used .
If
the soil is heavy and the drainage is poor septic tanks or cesspools
may become a real hazard . Where the cost of extending the city
sewers is no greater per lot than the cost of a properly designed
septic tank and tile disposal field the extension of the sewer line is
to be preferred.
288 (5) . An excellent gauge of the appropriateness and
the quality of utilities and street improvements is the standards
established for dedication and acceptance by the municipality . If
the utilities and street improvements are dedicated to and accepted
by the city, township , or county, the responsibility for maintenance
is transferred from the property owners and there is assurance that
the construction is appropriate to the climate and needs.
289 ( 1) . Adequacy of Civic, Social, and Commercial
Centers.These elements of comfortable living usually follow rather
than precede development. Those centers serving the city or section
in which the development is situated should be readily available to
its occupants . Schools should be appropriate to the needs of the
new community and they should not be attended in large numbers
by inharmonious racial groups. Employment centers, preferably
diversified in nature, should be at a convenient distance.
289 (2) . The development which bases its sales pro
gram almost solely upon lower -cost land in order to compensate for
its inaccessibility to community and cultural centers, especially when
the sales appeal is to the low - income group , will seldom prove
successful.
RATING OP LOCATION
Part II
290-291
290 (1) . Level of Taxes and Special Assessments.
The tax and assessment burden to which properties in an area are
liable exerts a tremendous influence on the future of any residential
area .
In the case of an undeveloped area it will be necessary for the
Valuator to determine what the approximate burden will be. He
should ascertain whether the improvements are to be put in by the
developer and included in the lot price or whether their cost will be
paid by yearly assessments. In either case he should reduce this
expense to a front-foot cost basis for purposes of comparison.
In
most communities complete street improvements and utilities range
in cost from $7 to $ 15 per front foot. When the improvement costs
are greatly in excess of these figures heavy delinquencies in purchase
contracts or in assessments may usually be expected. The cost of
these improvements will not always decrease with the cost of the
contemplated dwelling since with small lots and increased density
of population better traffic facilities are needed and larger sewer and
water mains must be installed . Consequently, cases will frequently
be found where the front - foot improvement costs for high -priced homes
is considerably less than the cost of such improvements for a low
income group with small lots.
290 (2) . In the case of a partially developed area the
Valuator should investigate the number of delinquencies in purchase
contracts and in assessments and when a disproportionate number of
owners are found to be in arrears, it should be considered a danger
sign and he should govern the rating accordingly.
290 (3) . Some State tax moratorium plans provide an
excellent medium for recasting accumulative burdens from overdue
tax and assessment payments. The security offered by such plans
as well as the lowering of the taxes payable should be considered when
encountered .
290 (4) . If too expensive improvements are installed
in an area, or an uneconomical layout has been designed , the tax and
assessment burden will prove heavy. The Valuator will compute the
entire tax and assessment payment required for the typical property
in any new area and will make his rating by comparing this payment
with that required for typical properties in competing areas.
291. Topography and Special Hazards . - Considerations
under this feature include the effectiveness of the planning to take
advantage of natural topographic conditions, as well as the degree to
which dangers to personal safety are nullified . In those instances
where contemplated improvements can be completed only at excessive
costs due to topographic conditions or quality of the soil, a low rating
is required, at times to the point of rejection .
61246-36-414
PART II
SECTION 3
RATING OF BORROWER
INDEX
General Rating Instructions ...
Reputation .
Attitude Toward Obligations..
Ability to Pay --Future Prospects.
Past Record ...
Rating of Corporate Borrower.
Endorsers, Co - Signers, and Co -Makers ..
Paragraphs
301-310
311-314
315-317
318-326
327-331
332
333-339
340–341
Part II
301-302
PART II
SECTION 3
RATING OF BORROWER
GENERAL RATING INSTRUCTIONS
Capacity
Character
Rating of Borrower
Feature
REJECT
Reputation
Attitude Toward Obligations
Ability to pay
Future Prospects
Past Record
5
2
1
12
15
12
18
20
16
24
12
8
RATING
25
20
130
15
10
TOTAL RATING OF BORROWER
%
301. The rating grid for the Rating of Borrower appears
on the Report of Mortgage Risk Examiner . When the borrower
is a corporation , a special form is used and the rating grid contains
four features. Paragraphs 333 to 339 give instructions covering the
handling of such cases . When the borrower is an individual, the
form used contains a rating grid of five features. It is illustrated
above . The instructions contained in paragraphs 302 to 332 apply
to individual borrowers.
302. Rating of Borrower shall be accomplished by rat
ing separately each of five features.
The five features have been
weighted on a scale of 100 % in order to retain the relative importance
of each when all are combined to obtain the rating of the borrower .
Each feature is marked on a scale from " 1" to " 5 " , " 5 " being the
highest rating. For example, the first feature is " Reputation .”
If
the facts indicate that the borrower is a person of excellent reputation,
an X mark is placed in the “ 5 ” column. The figure appearing in
the marked square , which in this case is “ 25 ” , is immediately carried
over to the extreme right-hand column of the grid . If the mark were
to be placed in the " 4 " column the number in that square would
be carried over, " 20 " in this case . If the borrower's reputation is,
in the opinion of the Mortgage Risk Examiner, so questionable that
an undue risk would be involved in insuring a mortgage loan made to
Part II
802-304
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
him , the X mark is placed in the " Reject” column and the
Each
word " Reject" written in the extreme right-hand column.
of the other features is similarly rated .
One such rating anywhere
in any category will necessitate a recommendation for the rejection
of the application for insurance. When the word " Reject" appears
in the Rating column, it must also be written in that column on the
Total Rating line. If no such rating appears after any of the five
features the final rating of the borrower is obtained by adding the
figures in the Rating column. The system is so designed that this
figure will be an indication of the rating on a percentage basis.
303. The borrower has a very important place in the
rating of mortgage risk . His conduct and performance will deter
mine whether the mortgage insurance transaction with the Federal
Housing Administration will merely create a contingent liability or
result in the actual issuance of the debentures and certificate of claim
of the Federal Housing Administration to the mortgagee in accord
ance with the terms and conditions of the mortgage -insurance con
tract. Because of this it is obvious that the risk involved in mortgage
insurance transactions will vary according to the character, actions,
financial status, and prospects of the borrower who is responsible for
the repayment of the loan . The National Housing Act requires that
a mortgage, in order to be eligible for insurance, must " contain com
*
plete amortization provisions
* * requiring periodic payments
by the mortgagor not in excess of his reasonable ability to pay as
determined by the Administrator.” This provision , of itself, neces
sitates analyses
Examiners .
with regard
to
mortgagors
by Mortgage
Risk
304. It is highly important that complete information
regarding the borrower be assembled . The information will not
eliminate the risk introduced by the characteristics, personal traits,
financial status , and prospects of the borrower but it will reveal the
degree in which it exists. This will enable the proper rating of
borrowers and the avoidance of cases where the hazard is too great
for prudent business practice . In making the rating of the borrower,
the Mortgage Risk Examiner may have available and before him :
( a ) The information given in the Mortgagors' Statement
accompanying the Mortgagees' Application for Insurance ;
(6) Experience of mortgage lending institutions that have held
or are holding mortgages on properties owned by the borrower, includ
ing the property described in the application if the borrower has been
the mortgagor prior to filing the application ;
( c) Remarks, if any, in the Report of Valuator ;
(d) Results of inquiry directed to references furnished in the
Mortgagors' Statement;
RATING OF BORROWER
Part II
804-308
(e ) Factual Data Report on the borrower from a character and
credit reporting agency ;
Commercial Report from a mercantile agency on employ
ers, corporations, partnerships, or individual enterprises from which
the borrower derives a substantial portion of his income;
( 9) Information from other sources .
305. Should the Mortgage Risk Examiner deem it
advisable to direct inquiry to the references furnished in the Mort
gagors' Statement very definite information should be requested
with the understanding that any information supplied will be held
as strictly confidential. If he is trying to clear up an apparent dis
crepancy that may have appeared in analyzing information already
obtained definite questions should be asked which will accomplish
this purpose. It is entirely within the discretion of the Examiner
whether he makes inquiry by letter or otherwise .
306. The procedures used to secure Factual Data
Reports from credit reporting agencies are described in Part I ,
Section 1. The Chief Mortgage Risk Examiner has authority , in all
cases in which he considers it necessary or advisable, to obtain a
Factual Data Report on the borrower from any credit reporting agency
approved by the Underwriting Section , Washington, D. C. , and
assigned to service his Insuring Office. Forms for this purpose are
approved by the Federal Housing Administration . Commercial
credit reports from an agency approved for this kind of service are
also available to all Insuring Offices. When a Mortgage Risk Exam
iner considers it desirable or advisable to obtain a credit agency report,
he should make an appropriate recommendation to the Chief Mort
gage Risk Examiner.
307. In all cases the information given in the Mort
gagors' Statement should be compared with similar information
obtained from all other sources. Particular attention should be given
to checking the reported family income and attendant responsibilities,
rental income, if any , from the property covered by the mortgage, and
the outstanding obligations of the borrower. Should any serious or
outstanding discrepancy appear in the information derived from the
various sources, it must be reconciled before the rating of the borrower
and the certification by the Mortgage Risk Examiner are made .
308. The rating of the borrower is not a mechanical
compilation of facts and figures, a perfunctory analysis of such
matters, nor an expression of a casual conclusion or judgment. It
involves careful study, with understanding, of all pertinent data
including the traits, characteristics, and prospects of the borrower.
A very definite responsibility rests on the Mortgage Risk Examiner
to draw no hasty or poorly supported conclusions. His information
Part II
308-312
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
must come from reliable sources and it must be complete. He must
always be careful to see that his decisions are well -founded and do
justice to borrowers as well as the Federal Housing Administration .
Cases in which the borrowers' characteristics, circumstances, and
prospects are such that insurance of their mortgages should be
declined shall be handled with certainty and dispatch.
309. The five features and their weights are as follows:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Reputation ...
Attitude Toward Obligations.
Ability to Pay ....
Future Prospects .
Past Record ...
25
20
30
15
10
310. The five features which are considered in Rating
of Borrower may be regarded from several points of view . The first
two features, “ Reputation” and “ Attitude Toward Obligations” ,
reflect the moral and ethical codes to which the borrower adheres.
They are, therefore, considered from the viewpoint of character and
the word " Character " is placed in the extreme left margin space on the
grid to remind the Mortgage Risk Examiner to consider these features
in terms of character. The other three features, " Ability to Pay ” ,
" Future Prospects ”, and “ Past Record ” , relate to the borrowers'
probable capacity. They are, therefore, considered from the point
of view of capacity and the word “ Capacity ” is placed opposite to
them at the extreme left margin .
REPUTATION
311. A borrower's reputation over a reasonable period
of time usually reflects his thoughts, actions, and choice of associates.
The reputation of the borrower indicates reasonably well the degree
of his moral stability . A borrower of excellent reputation is entitled
to the highest rating of this feature. However, the Mortgage Risk
Examiner must give careful consideration to the fundamental factors
supporting the borrower's reputation , for these factors will affect the
risk involved in a mortgage loan to him .
312. The borrower's habits and conduct will generally
be a good indicator of the moral standards underlying his reputation ,
desires, judgment, and moral and ethical principles — all of which
taken together reasonably determine whether his character is excel
lent or otherwise . It is possible, however, to attach a too restricted
meaning to the words " habits " and " conduct " . If the Mortgage
Risk Examiner makes the mistake of rating a borrower's reputation
on the basis of the very few actions of the borrower which may be
only publicly observed , and fails to secure or disregards information
revealing his apparent trend of thought, the rating of the feature
“ Reputation ” will not be correct .
RATING OF BORROWER
Part II
313–315
313. The reputation of the borrower is also indicated
by the type of persons with whom he associates. Individuals who
have interests, ideals, habits, and moral and ethical codes in common
usually associate with each other . This fact makes it possible to
draw certain conclusions regarding an individual by obtaining in
formation regarding the people with whom he constantly and volun
tarily associates . It is probable in most cases that more important
information may be obtained in considering the character and type
of people with whom the borrower associates socially , rather than
those with whom he is associated in business activities, although the
latter group must not be ignored . The important consideration is
the type of people who are voluntarily picked as associates, rather
than those with whom the borrower is thrown into association under
conditions whereby he is not permitted to exercise free choice. A
high rating, of course, could hardly be ascribed in cases where the
borrower's chosen associates are other than substantial, law-abiding,
sober -acting, sane-thinking people of approved ideals and acceptable
ethical and moral standards. Few reject ratings of this feature will
be warranted on the basis of associates unless such ratings also
occur in other features in the Rating of Borrower category. In
some cases the borrower's record will be good but his associates ques
tionable . While this may jeopardize his reputation and indicate a
threat to his future socially, morally, and financially, it will be
exceptional, in view of the good past record , for these conditions to
necessitate a reject rating of this feature.
314. Although character in its fullest significance is a
too deep -rooted virtue to estimate, it is reasonable to presume that
in most cases a borrower of excellent reputation will have a good
character. However, it is entirely possible that a reject rating of
the feature “ Reputation " might be warranted in a case where the
borrower's attitude toward his obligations, his ability to pay , his
history, and his wisdom in the conservation and use of his income,
are favorable . It is obvious that reliance cannot be placed on
reputation until complete, reliable, and definite information required
in rating of the other four features of the Rating of the Borrower
category has been gathered and studied .
ATTITUDE TOWARD OBLIGATIONS
315. This feature deals with the borrower's principles,
or the ethical side of his character. A borrower may be of excellent
character morally , his reputation may be good and his associates
above reproach , but his attitude toward his obligations may be so
irresponsible that he will constitute an unacceptable risk in the
matter of a mortgage loan .
His financial obligations may rest so
Part II
315-318
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
lightly upon his shoulders that although he will pay his bills for
living expenses, he will make no special effort to pay for other services
rendered to him . If such conditions exist, the Mortgage Risk Exam
iner is warranted in recording a low rating for this feature, or in
entering a reject rating if the borrower's attitude seems to be suf
ficiently careless or irresponsible as to make it imprudent to insure
a mortgage involving a loan to him .
316. In rating this feature, it is also necessary to take
into account the presence and amount of cash equity. It may be
necessary to give this feature a reject rating in certain cases where it is
apparent that the resulting project with respect to which the mortgage
is being executed is economically unsound.
317. Highest ratings of this feature will occur in those
cases where the borrower's attitude toward obligations which he has
incurred is one not only of willingness but of eagerness to comply with
both the spirit and the letter of any agreement or contract to which
he is a party . Such a borrower will be the type of person of whom
it is said , " His word is as good as his bond." The meeting of his
obligations will be a serious matter with him , and he will save, plan
and budget his income in order to meet his mortgage payments fully
and promptly. He will be found to regard his home ties and relation
ships as imposing upon him responsibilities in the prompt discharge
of which he must be scrupulously faithful. With regard to mortgage
loans, it is usually found that borrowers with domestic responsibilities
are more dependable than those without such responsibilities. This
is especially true in cases where the wife is efficient in household
economy and motivates and inspires the husband to apply himself
closely to his work and urges him to regard the payment of his just
debts as a requirement somewhat of the nature of a sacred obligation .
ABILITY TO PAY
318. Ability to Pay is the most heavily weighted feature
in the Rating of Borrower category because, in the final analysis,
the satisfactory payment of the mortgage loan is largely dependent
on the borrower's financial ability to meet the prescribed monthly
installments. Regardless of excellent reputation and commendable
attitude toward his obligations, unless the borrower also possesses
the ability to meet his obligations, the Mortgage Risk Examiner will
be obliged to make a reject rating of the feature Ability to Pay.
It is obvious that default is inevitable if the borrower's resources will
not enable him to comply with all the contractual obligations created
by the mortgage and mortgage notes which he signs . Such obliga
tions include principal and interest payments on the mortgage debt,
the payment of taxes , special assessments , fire and other insurance
premiums, and expenditures for the proper maintenance of the home.
RATING OF BORROWER
Part II
319-320
319. In rating this feature a Mortgage Risk Examiner
shall ascertain the sources as well as the amount of income of the
borrower. He shall ascertain the nature and amounts of the financial
obligations which the borrower must meet.
He will also draw some
conclusion as to the probable permanence of the borrower's income
both as to amount and continuity . For a high rating of this feature
to be warranted , the borrower's yearly income should substantially
exceed his yearly obligations, and his position with regard to the
permanence of his income should be substantially secure . The rating
will range downwards to the extent to which the borrower's ability
to pay all obligations which he has incurred appears to be question
able. Reject ratings will be warranted in cases where the borrow
er's yearly obligations exceed or are too large for his yearly income or
where it is obvious that some obligations which he has incurred, but
which do not mature until a future time, will probably necessitate a
default in his mortgage payments .
320. In order to properly rate this feature the
Mortgage Risk Examiner must determine the maximum value of
residential property which the individual can reasonably afford to
purchase with the annual income which he may be expected to receive
during the period within wbich he must complete payment of the
purchase price. Unless the purchaser acts witb wisdom and good
judgment he will incur an obligation that he cannot meet or one
which will involve him and his family in unavoidable bardsbips and
sacrifices . If the value of the purchased residence does not bear the
proper relation to the buyer's income, a substantial risk is involved
in the making of a mortgage loan to him . In such a case a Mortgage
Risk Examiner will be warranted in entering a reject rating of
this feature . As the best ratio of property value to annual income
in one case may be substantially different from the best one in another
case , the significance of its influence on the rating of this feature
cannot be ascertained mechanically. Rules, such as the one that a
man should not undertake to purchase a property when the price
exceeds 2 or 2 % times his yearly income, cannot be applied blindly .
Consideration must be given to the number of children or other
dependents, if any, in the borrower's family, to the nature and
extent of his financial obligations other than the mortgage upon his
home, and to the cost of ownership of his home . By " cost of owner
ship " is meant the amount he would have to obtain as rent for his
home that would represent a fair return on the purchase price after
providing for all costs incident to ownership, such as loss by vacancy
and tenants ' failure to pay, taxes, special assessments, maintenance
and repairs, and other items. The borrower's position in this respect
should be carefully analyzed in order to determine from his annual
Part II
320-323
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
income whether or not he can afford to own the home to which he
has title, or is purchasing, or intends to build , and whether the con
templated mortgage obligation will absorb his income to an extent
that will adversely affect his ability to pay.
321. Careful consideration must also be given to the
ratio of the monthly obligation to monthly income because it reveals
whether or not the borrower's monthly mortgage obligation will
absorb so much of his monthly income that an insufficient amount
will remain with which to provide for living expenses, costs of educa
tion, life insurance, recreation , and other necessary items. If his
monthly mortgage obligation is too great, then the risk involved will
be correspondingly too great and this will warrant a reject rating.
322. As in the factor ratio of value of property to annual
income no definite zone limits can be prescribed within which the
ratio of monthly mortgage obligation to income must fall and the
degree of influence it will have on determining the rating of this feature
cannot be ascertained mechanically. Statements in this paragraph
containing ratio percentages must not be interpreted as laying down
positive rules for the making of ratings, for they are intended merely
to serve as guides to Mortgage Risk Examiners in rating this feature.
It is obvious that what is a good ratio between monthly mortgage
obligation and income in the case of one borrower may be a bad
ratio in the case of another one . Although the two borrowers have
the same monthly income, a lower feature rating may have to be made
in the case of the one borrower than in the case of the other, even if
their respective monthly mortgage obligations are in
the
same
amount, because of a wide variance of their family responsibilities
and other obligations. Generally speaking, as family incomes are
found to be in lower and lower brackets, progressively higher per
centages of the family income will be devoted to paying for the cost
of shelter, but the actual amounts in dollars and cents should be cor
respondingly lower. This is a fact which Mortgage Risk Examiners
must carefully analyze in each individual case in order to determine
accurately how much the borrower can afford to pay monthly on
the mortgage obligation in his circumstances and with his financial
resources . If in the judgment of the Mortgage Risk Examiner the
monthly payment will not allow a sufficient balance of income for
other necessities and responsibilities, it will be obvious that the
borrower is attempting to maintain or purchase a property that is
too valuable for him and not within his ability to pay , and a reject
rating of this feature will be warranted .
323. The chart showing the annual rent paid at a given
annual income has been computed from data obtained throughout
the United States by the Division of Economics and Statistics of the
Part II
323–324
RATING OF BORROWER
Federal Housing Administration . The shaded space between the
upper and lower lines drawn across the face of the chart shows the
range of annual rent paid at a given income. The center line drawn
across the face of the chart shows the mean , or average, annual rent
paid at a given income. Thus, borrowers earning $2,500 a year pay
an annual rent in an amount somewhere between $285 and $540 .
The average rent paid by borrowers of the same earning capacity
was found to be about $ 412 a year, as shown by the center line.
AVERAGE
ANNUALRENT
1000
900
800
700
NT
RE
AL
NU
600
AN
500
400
300
200
100
$ 1000
2000
3000
AVERAGE
4000
5000
ANNUAL
6000
7000
INCOME
324. This chart is not intended to indicate the ratio
between rent and income for any definite area. Its tabulation shows
only the range on a national basis and is to be used as a guide by
the Mortgage Risk Examiner whose further duty is to determine the
difference of rental range existing between definite local areas and the
nation as a whole . In order to derive the greatest benefit from this
chart the Mortgage Risk Examiner should use it as a starting point
to help him establish with reasonable assurance the prevailing ratios
between annual rent and annual income in communities within the
jurisdiction of his Insuring Office.
Part II
825-329
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
325. Cases will be found which fall outside the range of
ratios prevailing in the local community. Such cases require close
scrutiny in order to ascertain whether or not the ratio between annual
income and annual rent is sufficiently hazardous to make the borrower
an unacceptable risk for insurance.
326. While it is the responsibility of the Mortgage Risk
Examiner to avoid the acceptance of borrowers who might default,
it is likewise his duty to exercise good judgment in behalf of the
borrower so that he will not unduly or unfairly penalize him on account
of fears concerning remote possibilities or unpredictable occurrences .
FUTURE PROSPECTS
327. In drawing a conclusion as to whether the future
prospects of the borrower will be favorable or otherwise, his past
record will be useful to a certain extent. If he has profited by past
mistakes and improved his situation in the face of adversity, these
evidences of progress and persistence will result in a favorable rating .
His present position and his attitude toward it will give some indication
as to the likelihood of his progressing in a business way in the future.
Effort should be made to ascertain the extent of his natural ability.
Inquiry should also be made to determine the extent and nature of his
ambitions; whether or not he is interested in educating himself more
thoroughly in his business or field of commercial endeavor ; whether or
not he is resourceful, mentally alert, or lazy and apathetic. Many
other lines of inquiry will commend themselves to the Mortgage Risk
Examiner in rating the borrower's future prospects. The conclusion
which is sought and which sums up the whole matter may be found in
the answer to the questions: “ Is the borrower self-satisfied or ambi
tious ? Is his mental capacity such as to permit or assure business
and other progress ?"
328. Two borrowers of similar ages and incomes may be
totally unlike in temperament and pursuit, thereby constituting entirely
different mortgage risks. The one may seek and know how to grasp
opportunities and advantages while the other is content with his
situation . Furthermore, the one may be following a vocation for
which there can be anticipated a reasonable future need while the
other is trained in highly specialized duties for which there will be &
limited field , thereby making it difficult for him to obtain reemploy
ment if, for any reason , his present position should terminate.
329. Due regard must be given to the borrower's age
so far as it affects his net worth and the possibilities of its retention ,
increase, or reduction . The degree of stability as well as the amount
of his personal assets is highly important, for in the event of any
RATING OF BORROWER
Part II
329-331
unforeseen misfortune necessitating a reduction or probable elimination
of occupational income, returns from his investments would most likely
be the main source of the supply of funds to meet his obligations.
In this connection any contingent liabilities should be carefully scruti
nized to determine their probable effect on the risk during the existence
of the mortgage loan . Age, alone, does not determine the degree of
risk involved . It is very possible that a borrower in the prime of life
could be a " reject” , while another borrower well up in years could
properly be regarded as acceptable . From a superficial point of view ,
it would appear that the borrower, who has reached an age partially
or entirely beyond his productive period would be too old to be con
sidered a good risk . It is quite possible that he might die before the
maturity of the insured loan . While this fact is true, the possibility
of his demise or incapacitation is not in itself a sufficient reason to
warrant rejection .
In analyzing such cases , the Mortgage Risk
Examiner shall determine the source and stability of the borrower's
net worth and the amount of his net worth that will probably con
tribute to his estate . When it appears that the estate of an aged
or incapacitated borrower will be adequate to assure a satisfactory
continuance of the mortgage payments, his physical disability or
possible decease will not constitute sufficient reason to justify a reject
rating in this feature . On the other hand , an aged borrower who is
entirely dependent upon income derived from his own activities or
enterprise that will cease with his death or incapacitation without an
accompanying net worth sufficient to assure a continuance of the
payments, will in all probability warrant a reject rating in this
feature unless acceptable co-parties to the mortgage loan showing
reasonable financial ability and intention to carry the mortgage obli
gation are introduced .
330. Experience shows that men will fight to preserve
an asset for which they have made a cash advance while the same
men will place much less importance on an asset acquired without
great sacrifice. For this reason a cash equity or its equivalent is
necessary properly to motivate the borrower and to encourage an
attitude toward the mortgage obligation which will justify the pre
sumption that he will make every effort to discharge the debt .
331. Because there is a degree of uncertainty in ventur
ing opinions of the borrower's future, it is probable that a reject
rating of this feature will be warranted only in rare instances and
in cases where such a rating occurs in some other feature of the Rating
of Borrower category. If no reject ratings appear after any of the
other four features in this category, a reject rating should not be
made for the feature " Future Prospects ” unless exceptional circum
stances justify such an action .
Part I
832-333
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
PAST RECORD
332. A record of the past experience, enterprise, appli
cation , and accomplishment of the borrower is useful in determining
the degree of risk involved in the loan transaction and in the insurance
of the mortgage securing the loan . Human beings are very largely
creatures of habit. For the purpose of rating the feature “ Past
Record ” information should be gathered which will disclose the
nature and extent of financial obligations which the borrower has
incurred in times past, and the excellence or poorness of his record in
meeting them . If at some time in the past he became insolvent or
was adjudged bankrupt, the causes of such conditions should be
ascertained and his record in discharging his obligations to his creditors
examined . If past failures have been occasioned by shortcomings on
his part, and he has not become aware of his deficiencies nor attempted
to correct them , it is likely that his future experience will be similar
to the past. In such a case a reject rating of this feature would be
warranted . If, however, he has profited by his past mistakes, his
experience need not constitute a cause for a reject rating. In
quiries which will be helpful in determining the proper rating in a
given case include the following: What is the borrower's history as to
real- estate transactions and his mortgage-loan record ? Is he a " pro
moter” type of a questionable character ? Has he met satisfactorily
all his obligations in times past, or is his record satisfactory only as to
certain classes of obligations such as mortgage loans or secured loans ?
Is he a chronic litigant? What inclinations have been reflected in
his business and personal pursuits in times past ?
RATING OF CORPORATE BORROWER
Rating of Corporate Borrower
1
3
5
REJEOT
Feature
10
15
25
History and Reputation
20
10
125
15
Ownership and Management
15
15
20
125
10
Financial Condition
10
15
20
25
Future Prospects
TOTAL RATING OF CORPORATE BORROWER
RATING
333. The Rating of Corporate Borrower shall be accom
plished by rating separately each of four features. The four features
have been weighted on a scale of 100 % in order to retain the relative
importance of each when all are combined to obtain the rating of the
corporate borrower. Each feature is marked on a scale from " 1 "
to “ 5 ” , “ 5 ” being the highest rating.
The rating grid for the rating
of the corporate borrower appears on Report of Mortgage Risk
Examiner — Corporate Borrower. In all such cases the Mortgage
RATING OF BORROWER
Part II
333-337
Risk Examiner shall be guided by the same basic principles as those
involved in rating the individual borrower,
334. If a Mortgage Risk Examiner considers it desirable
to obtain a report on the corporate borrower from a commercial credit
reporting agency , he may make a request for either or both of the
following:
(a) Mercantile Commercial Report on the corporate borrower;
(6 ) Factual Data Report on the corporation officers.
335. The Mortgage Risk Examiner has authority also
to require the corporate -borrower applicant or the approved mort
gagee to furnish documents , statements, reports, or other detailed
information that will enable him to complete the rating accurately,
He is permitted and instructed to secure additional information from
all available sources . The information secured may include financial
and operating statements of recent date, an explanation or elabora
tion of given items appearing in the financial statement, operating
statement, statement of business experience, record and history of
the corporation, list of officers and directors, and, particularly if the
borrower is an operative builder, information relative to the technical
knowledge and actual experience, executive ability , and general train
ing of the individuals comprising the management.
336. The features and their weights are as follows:
History and Reputation ...
Ownership and Management .
Financial Condition ...
Future Prospects.---
25
25
25
25
337. The following list of factors will be of assistance
to Mortgage Risk Examiners in determining the rating of the respec
tive features under which they are shown:
( 1 ) History and Reputation .
Date of incorporation, capital authorized , subscribed , and paid
in, and purposes of operation ;
Character and reputation of majority owners, officers, and
directors ;
Business record of corporation ;
Corporate record in discharging obligations;
Experience in this line of business ;
Corporate failures, litigations , judgments, and disputes .
(2) Management and Ownership.
Capital ownership or control;
Age , experience, and ability of officers;
Time principals devote to the business ;
Operating program ;
Contractual obligations .
6124686_15
Part II
337-341
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
(3 ) Financial Condition .
Sources of funds for financing business and method of control ;
Balance Sheet;
Contingent liabilities;
Income profit and loss statement;
Current credit position.
( 4 ) Prospects for Future .
Possibilities for marketing merchandise ;
Advantages and hazards created by the current financial situ
ation ;
Burdensome contracts ;
Possible risks in contingent liabilities;
Progressiveness of corporation .
338. In rating a corporate borrower, corporations and
individuals whose signatures appear as co -makers or endorsers of the
note , bond , or evidence of debt shall be considered separately for the
purpose of determining sufficiency of financial ability but rated as one
borrower.
339. To be considered and rated as the corporate bor
rower, it is not required that each individual whose signature appears
as co -maker, joint maker or endorser of the note, bond , or evidence of
debt, have a legal interest in the real property conveyed by the mort
gage. However, the Federal Housing Administration regulations
require that the signature of all parties who own the legal title shall
appear as makers of such note, bond , or evidence of debt.
ENDORSERS, CO- SIGNERS, AND CO- MAKERS
340. In some cases, the title to the real property
involved will be vested in several individuals. In such instances
it is necessary for all the parties owning an interest in the real property
to execute the mortgage, note , bond , or other evidence of debt. In
cases of this nature, all such parties shall be considered separately
but rated as one borrower.
341. Unless coupled with an interest in the real estate
involved in the application for mortgage insurance , the eligibility of a
mortgage loan for insurance shall not in any degree rest upon the
presence or absence of co -makers', co -signers', or endorsers' finan
cial responsibility or rating, except in the following cases :
( 1 ) Where property is in the name of either the husband or
wife, but not both , and both sign the credit instrument their joint
income and credit character shall be considered in the rating of the
borrower. This would not be true , however, if the husband or wife
were legally separated ,
RATING OF BORROWER
Part II
341
(2 ) Where a son or daughter of legal age desires to sign the
credit instrument with the parent or parents, weight may be given
to the amount of income such son or daughter can contribute in
determining whether or not sufficient financial ability exists . At the
discretion of the Mortgage Risk Examiner, this will also be permitted
in cases involving close relatives where it is assured that they have the
interests of the owners at heart and where their own interest in the
obligation is sincere and dependable .
( 3) Where the borrower is a corporation or a corporate opera
tive -builder borrower, the ability to pay of joint or co-makers may
be considered in determining whether or not sufficient financial
ability exists . Endorsements may be considered only when such
endorsements are made by responsible officials of the corporation.
PART II
SECTION 4
RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
INDEX
General Risk - Rating Instructions ..
Ratio of Loan to Value ...
Ratio of Debt Service to Rental Value ....
Ratio of Life of Mortgage to Economic Life of Building
Category Ratings ...
Rejections and Counter- Proposals ...
Paragraphs
401-404
405–410
411-417
418-420
421-424
425-427
Part II
401-402
PART II
SECTION 4
RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
GENERAL RISK- RATING INSTRUCTIONS
Rating of Mortgage Pattern
Feature
REJECT
1
%
%
%
%
%
%
10
15
5
3
2
12
Ratio of Loan to Value
Ratio of Debt Service to Rental Value
Ratio of Life of Mortgage to Economic Life of
Building
(...
Lowest Category Rating
Intermediate Category Rating
(....
Highest Category Rating
20
12
16
18
14
25
|16
12
RATING
20
10
5
30
20
15
TOTAL RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
%
401. The term " Mortgage Pattern ” refers to the rela
tionships which exist between the mortgage security, the borrower,
and the provisions and conditions in the mortgage transaction .
The
expression " Rating of Mortgage Pattern ” refers to the degree to which
these relationships are satisfactory , acceptable, proper, and advan
tageous from the point of view of investment in the mortgage.
There
fore, tbe Rating of Mortgage Pattern is a measurement of the economic
soundness of the mortgage. For practical purposes a mortgage is
considered to be economically sound when the Mortgage Pattern may
be rated 50 % or more .
If the rating is less than 50 % , the mortgage
is not economically sound , and it is not eligible for insurance .
Ineli
gible mortgages must be rejected unless modifications can be intro
duced which raise the rating to at least the 50 % level .
402. Rating of this category is accomplished by con
sidering the extent to which risk is created by the characteristics of
the security , the borrower, and the provisions and terms contained
in the mortgage instrument. The Rating of Mortgage Pattern
combines the Rating of Property , the Rating of Location, the Rating
of Borrower, and the major factors in the mortgage transaction to
arrive at a final conclusion with respect to the eligibility of the mort
Part II
402-403
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
gage . The six features which are embraced in the Mortgage Pattern
are listed below with the weights which have been ascribed to them :
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Ratio of Loan to Value ..
Ratio of Debt Service to Rental Value .
Ratio of Life of Mortgage to Economic Life of Building -Lowest Category Rating -Intermediate Category Rating
Highest Category Rating-
20
10
5
30
20
15
The ratios which comprise the first three features shall always be
expressed in whole numbers except as stated below . All decimals
and fractions shall be dropped . Thus, if the ratio of debt service to
rental value is 78.8 %, record the ratio as 78 % ; if 102.3 %, record it as
102 % . However , if the ratio of loan to value is any amount in
excess of the maximum permitted , the exact percentage to two
decimal places must be recorded . This, of course, will occur only
where no counter -proposal is feasible .
403. Rating of Mortgage Pattern shall be accomplished
by rating separately each feature. At the left side of the Reject
column on the Mortgage Pattern grid is a column for the various
percentages used in rating the features in this category . The Chief
Underwriter transcribes or computes these percentages and places
them in this column. Three blank spaces are provided opposite the
last three features in which to place the abbreviations, " Property " ,
“ Location " , and " Borrower ”, in the order applicable in the particular
case . The features have been weighted upon a scale of 100 % in
order to retain the relative importance of each when all are combined
to obtain a rating of the Mortgage Pattern. Each feature is rated on
a scale of from “ 1” to " 5 ", " 5 " being the highest rating. The rating
grid which appears on Report of Chief Underwriter, and which is
reproduced above, enables this rating to be recorded easily and
quickly. For example, assume that the Chief Underwriter is ready
to rate the various features . The first is " Ratio of Loan to Value."
If the ratio is less than 60 % , he puts an X mark in the " 5 " column .
He immediately carries over to the extreme right-hand column of the
grid the figure appearing in the marked square, in this case " 20 " .
If the mark were to be placed in the " 1 " column, the number in that
square would be carried over (“ 6 ” in this case ). If the ratio is more
than the limit prescribed by the National Housing Act, or more than
is considered economically sound , the Chief Underwriter determines
the amount he is willing to insure and then rates the feature Ratio
of Loan to Value in the appropriate column according to the
amount permitted for insurance . One reject rating anywhere in any
risk category will necessitate a recommendation for the rejection of
the application for insurance. In the event an X mark appears
RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
Part II
403-408
in the Reject column, the word " Reject" must be written in the
Rating column opposite the feature so rated and again on the Total
Rating line. If no such rating appears after any of the features,
the final rating of the Mortgage Pattern is obtained by adding the
figures in the right-hand column . The system is so designed that the
figures will be an expression of the rating on a percentage basis.
404. In cases where repairs, alterations, or additions
are contemplated by the mortgagor, or where such work is found by
the Underwriting Department to be necessary if the loan is to be
acceptable for insurance, the Chief Underwriter shall follow the
instructions stated in Part I , Section 1 , in which provision is made for
the Architectural Inspector and Valuator to give due credit in risk
rating and valuation for such necessary repairs or contemplated
improvements. The conditions which must be complied with if a
commitment is to be issued are stated on the Report of Chief
Underwriter.
RATIO OF LOAN TO VALUE
405. The ratio of the mortgage loan to the value of the
property is the first, and a very important, feature in the Mortgage
Pattern category . The greater the loan , the smaller is the equity of
the borrower in the property . If the borrower's equity is not sub
stantial , he is more likely to default on the mortgage debt because he
has comparatively little to lose, and may even be willing to lose the
property if, by so doing, he can free himself from a burden of debt
that proves to be too heavy for him to carry .
406. The element of safety is increased as the percent
age of loan to value is lowered . This enhances the chance of full
recovery of the money invested in the mortgage if the property is
sold in a forced market . Default is usually preceded by a period of
financial distress of the owner. During this period the property is
allowed to deteriorate through lack of proper maintenance. It is ,
therefore, self -evident that the wider the margin between the amount
of the loan and the value , the less is the chance for loss. The borrower
is also a better risk when his equity is greater . If the property and
financing are suited to the needs and ability of the borrower when
the loan is made , default is less likely to occur. If the margin be
tween the amount of the loan and the value of the property is wide
and the ratio low, unforeseen burdens of expense and obligation on
the borrower may not be sufficiently heavy to overtax his ability.
Also , the borrower is more apt to maintain an excellent attitude to
A still further advantage of the lower ratio is
ward his obligation .
that should default be threatened , the borrower will make every effort
to preserve his equity and will attempt to maintain and repair the
property and dispose of it himself and thus relieve the lending insti
Part II
400-410
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
tution or the Federal Housing Administration from acquiring the
property .
407. This situation would also be true in cases where the
owner does not live in the property but rents it to others . In such
cases a burden of debt that is too heavy might reduce the net income
from the property to the vanishing point, and the owner might not
then be willing to make any special effort or sacrifice to retain owner
ship or to use income from other sources to carry the property . It is
a decided advantage to have the ratio of loan to value low because if
the owner becomes distressed and is forced to rent on a low basis, the
smaller rental will be sufficient to take care of the debt service.
The
same condition would be true in depressed times when all rentals
decline to lower levels .
408. Attention is called to the existence of two kinds
of equities that may exist when a house is purchased at a bargain
price. A cash equity is created in the amount of cash , or its equiv
alent, which the owner actually pays. This cash equity or its equiv
alent must be of such size as will encourage the owner to make every
effort to protect his investment .
The greater his cash interest the
greater will be his effort to protect it. Since the Administrator must.
determine the economic soundness of a loan for mortgage insurance,
minimum requirements for such cash equity or its equivalent are
established and will be found in the administrative rules. The other
equity, which is not to be confused with the one just set forth , is the
difference between the sale price and the value of the property . The
two together constitute the total equity.
409. The loan -value ratio has been used in traditional
mortgage lending practice as the most important and , in some in
stances, as the sole test by means of which to determine investment
quality and risk . Its significance is not under-estimated in the risk
rating system of the Federal Housing Administration . It may be
noted that a relatively low rating in this feature requires consider
able compensation in other Mortgage Pattern features if a high final
rating of the category is to be obtained . It is a basic assumption of
the National Housing Act that high -percentage, long -term loans are
adequately secured when they are made in good , stable neighbor
hoods on property owned by borrowers who themselves are good
risks.
410. This feature shall be rated according to the ratio
of the amount of the loan to the Federal Housing Administration
valuation of the property, and in accordance with the following
instructions :
RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
If the loan is
Less than
60 % of FHA Valuation .-60 % but less than 65 %
70 %
65 %
70 %
75 %
75 % to and including the maximum % permitted in Act.
In excess of permitted maximum .
Part II
410-413
Place X
in columo
5
4
3
2
1
Reject
RATIO OF DEBT SERVICE TO RENTAL VALUE
411. As a feature in the Mortgage Pattern , the Ratio
of Debt Service to Rental Value is only partially analogous to the
foregoing feature , Ratio of Loan to Value .
Much emphasis is placed
on the ability of the borrower to pay . The smaller the carrying
charges the more able is the borrower to pay. The Ratio of Debt
Service to Rental Value introduces still another angle, namely , the
ability of the income of the property itself to pay the monthly debt
service as it accrues . The ability of the monthly rental to pay the
monthly debt service will not only encourage the owner to continue
his obligation , but will better enable him to do so in the event his
financial condition becomes distressed . A favorable ratio between
the debt service and the rental value will also assist the lending
institution or the Federal Housing Administration in recovering the
investment in the event of acquisition by default . It cannot, there
fore, be presumed that this feature is a repetition of the foregoing
feature, although , in general , the direction of the rating tends to be
the same because the feature contains factors which also reflect con
clusions in the other feature rating.
412. The fact that the monthly gross rental of a prop
erty will be sufficient to take care of the total monthly payments of
the loan will give strength of security to the lender . As the monthly
gross rental increasingly exceeds the monthly debt service , the degree
of security increases. By the same token , as the monthly gross rental
becomes insufficient to meet the monthly debt service, the risk be
comes correspondingly greater .
413. In rating this feature the Chief Underwriter shall
calculate the ratio of the debt service to the rental value by
dividing the former by the latter to secure a percentage. Having
established this percentage, Ratio of Debt Service to Rental Value
will be rated in the Mortgage Pattern according to the following
table :
Place X
If the debt service is
in column
5
Less than
75 % of rental value .
4
75 % but less than 90 %
3
110 %
90 %
2
135 %
110 %
135 %
1
to
200 %
Over
Reject
200 %
Part II
414-417
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
414. Monthly Debt Service.—The Monthly Debt
Service consists of all the estimated charges which the owner must
pay during the year on the insured mortgage, but prorated on a
monthly basis.
It is composed of the following:
(a ) Monthly payment on principal and interest
( 6 ) Monthly service charges by mortgagee
(c ) Taxes and special assessments
(d ) Ground rentals ( if leasehold )
(e ) Fire and hazard insurance
o Federal Housing Administration insurance premium
415. Rental Value . - The rental value figure used in
connection with the computation of Ratio of Debt Service to
Rental Value is the rental value reported by the Valuator on Report
of Valuator. The rental value of a property will be computed on
the basis of the typical rental being received for similar properties
in accordance with the instructions contained in Part I , Section 3 , of
this Manual ,
416. If the ratio of debt service to rental value is more
than 200 % , the Chief Underwriter may recommend a commitment
for a smaller loan amount. This has the effect of cutting down the
debt service. However, the rejection point, over 200 % , is rather low ,
and it is seldom that a slight lowering of the loan amount will appre
ciably lower the high ratio . It is likewise probable that the condi
tion creating the low ratio will have been reflected in the Rating of
Borrower, Rating of Property , and Rating of Location. The mere
fact that the monthly debt service is 200 % , or slightly less , of the
monthly rental value and results in a rating in the " 1" column is not
sufficient evidence that the loan is sound in that respect. If there
are other low feature ratings lack of economic soundness may be indi
cated if the ratio of debt service to rental value is rated in the “ 1 ”
column . If the latter rating is caused by unusual circumstances,
such , for example , as by a large debt service resulting because the
loan is for a short term rather than because it is for a large amount,
and it is compensated by strong ratings of other features, the Chief
Underwriter must use his judgment in determining whether or not
economic soundness is present, and , it not, what counter-proposal, if
any , shall be made .
417. The point of rejection for this feature has been
placed at a fairly low level, namely , where the ratio of debt service to
rental value is more than 200 % . It was so placed because ( 1 ) proper
ties of higher value tend to have relatively low rental values, and (2 )
short term loans where borrowers are willing and able to reduce the
BATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
Part II
417-420
mortgage debt at a rapid rate and which should be accepted might
otherwise be rejected .
RATIO OF LIFE OF MORTGAGE TO ECONOMIC LIFE OF BUILDING
418. The relationship expressed by the ratio of the " life "
(that is, the remaining term , in years) of the mortgage to the esti
mated remaining economic life of the building will result in a high or
low rating of this feature according to the extent to which the re
maining economic life of the building exceeds the life of the mortgage.
In rating this feature, the Chief Underwriter uses the estimate of
remaining economic life recorded on Report of Valuator.
419. The Ratio of Life of Mortgage to Economic Life
of Building is significant because it deals with the extent to which
there is time within which to recover the mortgage investment. It
recognizes that there is a strong probability in practically all cases
that the value and usefulness of properties will decline and that the
mortgage pattern should take account of such declines. It might
appear axiomatic that loans for shorter terms are necessarily more
attractive as investments and subject to less risk . If this were uni
versally true it would be feasible to rate the life of a mortgage rather
than the ratio of its life to the remaining economic life of the building.
It is not feasible to rate a mortgage directly in accordance with its life
because the factors which together increase or decrease risk do not
affect risk in the same direction simultaneously . For example , short
ening the life of a loan reduces risk by reducing the bazards which
result from rapid declines in value . At the same time, shortening
the life of a loan increases the debt service, and thereby increases
risk . However, the ratio of the life of the mortgage to the remaining
economic life of the building is ratable , and changes in the ratio always
affect risk in the same direction . Thus while the ratio is admittedly
subject to some criticism because the estimation of the economic life
of a building is a matter of considerable conjecture, the use of the
ratio as a factor in the Mortgage Pattern is justified .
420. The ratings shall be made in accordance with the
following instructions:
Place X
If the life of the mortgage is
in column
of economic life of bldg..
5
50 % or less
4
More than 50 % but less than 57 %
57 %
66 %
3
2
66 %
80 %
80 %
not over 100 %
1
Reject
More than 100 %
Part II
421-423
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
CATEGORY RATINGS
421. The final ratings ascribed to the Property category ,
the Location category , and the Borrower category are used to estab
lish the ratings of the last three of the six features in the Mortgage
Pattern . The relative importance of the first three risk categories
differs from case to caso . " A chain is no stronger than its weakest
link .”
If, in a given case, the Property and the Borrower have re
ceived fairly high ratings and the Location has received a fairly low
rating, the relative importance of the Location category rating is
great. If, in another case, the Property receives a low rating and the
other two categories receive high ratings , the relative importance of
the Property category is greatly increased . If, in still another case ,
the three categories receive ratings whicb are about the same, there
is no great difference in their relative importance . In the last case,
this is true whether the ratings are high or low.
422. In order to reflect the changes in relative impor
tance of the first three categories, the last three features in the Mort
gage Pattern are weighted differently. The first of these three fea
tures , " Lowest Category Rating ", is the most heavily weighted and
the rating ascribed to it is based on the rating of the category which
has the lowest rating. The second of the three features, " Interme
diate Category Rating ” , is less heavily weighted and the rating ascribed
to it is based on the rating of the category which has the next to lowest
rating . The third of the three features , “ Highest Category Rating ”,
is given the lightest weighting and the rating ascribed to it is based on
the rating of the category which has received the highest rating.
Where the three ratings are exactly alike it makes no difference how
they are arranged for the purpose of rating the last three features of
the Mortgage Pattern . If two are alike , the same is true provided
the third one is used for the rating of the first or third feature, depend
ing upon whether it was rated lower or higher than the other two .
423. In rating the three features , the Chief Under
writer enters the names of the categories and the ratings ascribed to
them on the grid to the left of the Reject column in the spaces
provided.
The following table is used in rating these features:
If category rating is
80 % to 100 % ----70 % but less than 80 %
70 %
60 %
55 %
60 %
55 %
50 %
Under 50 %
Place X
in column
5
4
3
2
1
Reject
Part II
424
RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
424. Following are two examples of correctly filled - out
Mortgage Pattern grids. It will be noted that whole numbers only
are recorded on the grid ; all fractions or decimals are dropped.
This practice is to be followed in all instances except that if the
ratio of loan to value is in excess of the prescribed maximum it shall
be computed to two decimal places and so recorded .
Of course , this
condition will never occur if a counter -proposal is submitted .
In
the first example the result of examination revealed the following
conclusions :
$3, 800
$ 5,000
$26.74
$40.00
20 years
40 years
73 %
85 %
55 %
Principal Amount of Loan...
FHA Valuation ...
Total Debt Service .-- .
Rental Value of Property ..
Life of Mortgage .-Remaining Economic Life of Building --Rating of Property- ..
Rating of Location ...
Rating of Borrower..
Rating of Mortgage Pattern
Feature
REJECT
2
1
Ratio of Loan to Value
Ratio of Debt Service to Rental Value
Ratio
of Life of Mortgage to Economic Life of
Building
( Borrower...)
Lowest Category Rating
Intermediate Category Rating (...Property.....)
( Location ....)
Highest Category Rating
76. %
66 %
50.%
.55 . %
73. %
85. %
3
12
16
3
15
20
X
12
19
19
10
4
8
20
10
5
X
25
30
16
20
X
15
12
RATING
16
18
6
10
5
15
16
15
67 %
TOTAL RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
In the second example the result of examination revealed the following
conclusions:
$2,000
$4, 000
$ 17.48
$37.50
15 years
45 years
91 %
65 %
82 %
Principal Amount of Loan ..
FHA Valuation .
Total Debt Service .
Rental Value of Property
Life of Mortgage .-Remaining Economic Life of Building --Rating of PropertyRating of Location.
Rating of Borrower ..
Rating of Mortgage Pattern
Feature
Ratio of Loan to Value
....50. %
Ratio of Debt Service to Rental Value
...46. %
of Life ofMortgage to Economie Life of
Ratio
33.%
Building
Lowest Category Rating
(... Location ...) ....65.%
Intermediate Category Rating ( ...Borrower ) ....82 %
Highest Category Rating
(...Property...) ....91.%
2
1
REJECT
10
4
2
15
18
3
16
12
18
6
13
20
25
X
12
16
19
12
6
20
10
5
X
30
20
X
15
X
TOTAL RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
RATING
20
10
5
20
20
15
90 %
Part II
425-427
UNDERWRITING MANUAL
REJECTIONS AND COUNTER- PROPOSALS
425. The Rating of Mortgage Pattern is made from
results already determined and is therefore a more or less mechanical
process or recapitulation of the risks. If reject ratings of any one
of the features have occurred in one of the risk categories, that cate
gory rating will have been recorded on one of the other report forms
as " Reject" in accordance with instructions in this Manual. In such
cases the Mortgage Pattern on Report of Chief Underwriter shall be
filled out as follows :
Rating of Mortgage Pattern
Feature
REJECT
Ratio of Loan to Value
.80 %
185%
Ratio of Debt Service to Rental Value
Ratio of Life of Mortgage to Economic Life of
. 100 %
Building
( Location ...) Rejects%
Lowest Category Rating
Intermediate Category Rating ( ...Property.....) 59 %
Highest Category Rating
(...Borrower....)-..... 70 %
2
1
3
16
13
20
12
19
2
x
15
10
X
5
4
16
18
0
125
16
12
X
RATINO
6
2
1
Reject
8
12
10
5
30
20
16
X
TOTAL RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
Reject %
426. If a category rating is less than 50 % , the Mort
gage Pattern shall be filled out as follows :
Rating of Mortgage Pattern
Feature
REJECT
1
6
Ratio of Loan to Value
..65%
Ratio of Debt Service to Rental Value
.89 %
Ratio of Life ofMortgage Economic Life of
79 %
Building
( Property....)Rejects 2
Lowest Category
Rating
Intermediate Category Rating (...Borrower ....) 62 %
(..Location ...)L .... 62 %
Highest Category Rating
1
10
x
3
2
19
4
2
12
4
5
RATING
16
20
x
10
X
3
14
5
X
25
20
30
15
8
12 X 16
20
6
9
12
15
X
TOTAL RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
12
8
2
Reject
12
9
Reject
The intention is that the Mortgage Pattern grid shall show a percent
age rating only for each category in which no reject feature ratings
occur ; and that the need for rejection in any case shall be made appar
ent by entry of the word “ Reject” after any category rating which is
less than 50 % . A percent total is never to be recorded on the Total
Rating line when reject feature ratings or category ratings less than
50 % occur.
427 ( 1 ) . In instances in which the Rating of Mortgage
Pattern , when based on the loan described in the application , is
less than 50 % , Chief Underwriters are required to determine whether
or not a modified loan having ( 1 ) a smaller principal amount and a
shorter life, or (2 ) simply a smaller principal amount, will qualify
as economically sound .
If a counter- proposal appears feasible, the
RATING OF MORTGAGE PATTERN
Part II
427
Chief Underwriter recommends it and modifies the Rating of Mort
gage Pattern to correspond with the counter-proposal. The alter
native proposal should be made for the largest principal amount
and longest life of mortgage which trial ratings of the Mortgage
Pattern show as eligible. Where the Rating of Borrower is affected ,
the Report of Mortgage Risk Examiner is amended.
In many
cases the counter - proposal requires the re -rating of all three of the
first three features in the Mortgage Pattern. In other instances
only the first two will be affected . In cases where no feasible counter
proposal will result in a Rating of Mortgage Pattern of 50% or
more, the grid is marked according to the terms of the loan de
scribed in the application and the word “ Reject ” is entered on the
line provided for the Total Rating of Mortgage Pattern .
427 ( 2 ) . If the ratio of loan to value exceeds the pre
scribed maximum , and there are no reject feature or category ratings,
the Chief Underwriter recommends a counter-proposal for the largest
principal amount which can be insured .
In this connection reference
is made to paragraph 168 of Part I. This procedure will preclude
rejection of any case on account of a too high ratio of loan to value.
However, if reject feature or category ratings occur and it is not feas
ible to make a counter -proposal, the ratio of loan to value, if in excess
of the maximum , will be computed on the basis of the application as
submitted and recorded in the Mortgage Pattern without modification .
O
51246-3616 .
1
2014
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Form
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REPORT
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side
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any
the
on
fisted
requirements
.
issued
be
should
terms
and
conditions
these
with
accordance
in
reasons
:
following
for
reject
application
the
necessary
to
is
It
Annuael
servic
charge
Estimated
total
monthly
payment
first
year
%
(transcribe
only
construction
new
):For
2014
No.
Form
FHA
from
following
–MAIN
BUILDING
MATERIALS
WALL
GARAGE
PLOT
OF
AREA
L
%AND
COVERAGE
NUMBER
OF
UNITS
FAMILY
NUMBER
ROOMS
OF
NUMBER
BATHS
OF
Type
No.
of
Cars
Exterior
Underwriter
Chief
—Report
2017
of
Structural
ESTIMATED
REPLACEMENT
,
Cost
BUILDING
MAIN
OF
16-4158
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
MUUTTURALE
3 9015 01840 9246
12 1938
@FedFRASER