§1746 — Title 12 Banks and Banking | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary may insure mortgages (including loans made during construction) to help build large, modern housing projects and factory-made houses. To qualify, the loan must be held by a lender the Secretary approves, and the property must be approved and planned for at least 25 single-family homes. A factory or storage plant can be on the site during building and may be removed from the mortgage’s lien if the Secretary agrees. Loan limits and rules: the mortgage cannot be more than 85% of the Secretary’s estimate of the finished project value (not counting any on-site plant). For each house, the loan can’t be more than $5,950 or 85% of its value, whichever is less. If needed to build 3- or 4-bedroom homes without lowering quality, the Secretary can add up to $850 for each bedroom over two, but no house loan may exceed $7,650. Loans must be paid off by regular payments in the time the Secretary sets. Interest may not exceed 4% per year, though the Secretary with the Treasury can raise that cap to 4.5% if the market needs it. Parts of the property can be released from the mortgage, and after construction the single project mortgage can be replaced by insured individual mortgages for each house. World War II veterans and hardship cases get priority for occupancy under rules the Secretary makes. Other existing mortgage-insurance rules in the law also apply to these project and individual loans.

Title 12, §1746

Banks and Banking — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In addition to mortgages insured under other sections of this subchapter, and in order to assist and encourage the application of cost-reduction techniques through large-scale modernized site construction of housing and the erection of houses produced by modern industrial processes, the Secretary is authorized to insure mortgages (including advances on such mortgages during construction) which are eligible for insurance as hereinafter provided.

(b)To be eligible for insurance under this section, a mortgage shall—

(1)have been made to and be held by a mortgagee approved by the Secretary as responsible and able to service the mortgage properly;

(2)cover property, held by a mortgagor approved by the Secretary, upon which there is to be constructed or erected dwelling units for not less than twenty-five families consisting of a group of single-family dwellings approved by the Secretary for mortgage insurance prior to the beginning of construction: Provided, That during the course of construction there may be located upon the mortgaged property a plant for the fabrication or storage of such dwellings or sections or parts thereof, and the Secretary may consent to the removal or release of such plant from the lien of the mortgage upon such terms and conditions as he may approve;

(3)involve a principal obligation in an amount—

(A)not to exceed 85 per centum of the amount which the Secretary estimates will be the value of the completed property or project, exclusive of any plant of the character described in paragraph (2) of this subsection located thereon, and

(B)not to exceed a sum computed on the individual dwellings comprising the total project as follows: $5,950 or 85 per centum of the valuation, whichever is the lower amount, with respect to each single-family dwelling: Provided, That if the Secretary finds that it is not feasible, within the dollar amount limitation in this clause on the principal obligation of the mortgage, to construct dwellings containing three or four bedrooms without sacrifice of sound standards of construction, design, and livability, he may increase such dollar amount limitation by not exceeding $850 for each additional bedroom (as defined by the Secretary) in excess of two contained in each such dwelling if he finds that such dwelling meets sound standards of design and livability as a three-bedroom unit or a four-bedroom unit, as the case may be, but the amount computed under this clause for each such dwelling shall not exceed, in any event, $7,650.

(4)provide for complete amortization by periodic payments within such term as the Secretary shall prescribe and shall bear interest (exclusive of premium charges for insurance) as not to exceed 4 per centum per annum on the amount of the principal obligation outstanding at any time: Provided, That the Secretary with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, may prescribe by regulation a higher maximum rate of interest, not exceeding 4½ per centum per annum on the amount of the principal obligation outstanding at any time, if he finds that the mortgage market demands it. The Secretary may consent to the release of a part or parts of the mortgaged property from the lien of the mortgage upon such terms and conditions as he may prescribe and the mortgage may provide for such release, and the mortgage may provide that, upon the completion of the construction of the project, such mortgage may be replaced by individual mortgages covering each individual dwelling in the project. Each such individual mortgage may be insured under this section with the mortgagor being either the builder who constructed the dwellings or the owner and occupant of the dwelling at the time, and where the mortgagor is the owner and occupant, may involve a principal obligation in such amount and have such maturity and interest rate as a mortgage eligible for insurance under section 1709(b)(2)(D) of this title.

(c)Preference or priority of opportunity in the occupancy of the mortgaged property for veterans of World War II and their immediate families and for hardship cases as defined by the Secretary shall be provided under such regulations and procedures as may be prescribed by the Secretary.

(d)The provisions of subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) of section 1743 of this title shall be applicable to mortgages insured under this section covering a project described in subsection (b) of this section, and the provisions of subsections (a) to (f), and (h) of section 1739 of this title shall be applicable to the individual mortgages insured pursuant to subsection (b)(4) of this section covering individual dwellings in the project.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 1709(b)(2)(D) of this title, referred to in subsec. (b)(4), is a reference to subsec. (b)(2)(D) of section 1709 prior to amendment by section 104 of act Aug. 2, 1954, ch. 649, 68 Stat. 590.

Amendments

1967—Pub. L. 90–19 substituted “Secretary” for “Commissioner” wherever appearing in subsecs. (a), (b), and (c). 1950—Act Apr. 20, 1950, § 122, substituted “Commissioner” for “Administrator” wherever appearing. Subsec. (b)(3). Act Apr. 20, 1950, § 121(1), (2), substituted “85” for “80” in cl. (A), and inserted entirely new material in cl. (B). Subsec. (b)(4). Act Apr. 20, 1950, § 121(2), inserted “, and the mortgage may provide that, upon the completion of the

Construction

of the project, such mortgage may be replaced by individual mortgages covering each individual dwelling in the project. Each such individual mortgage may be insured under this section with the mortgagor being either the builder who constructed the dwellings or the owner and occupant of the dwelling at the time, and where the mortgagor is the owner and occupant, may involve a principal obligation in such amount and have such maturity and interest rate as a mortgage eligible for insurance under section 1709(b)(2)(D) of this title”. Subsec. (d). Act Apr. 20, 1950, § 121(3), inserted “covering a project described in subsection (b) of this section, and the provisions of subsections (a) to (f), and (h) of section 1739 of this title shall be applicable to the individual mortgages insured pursuant to subsection (b)(4) of this section covering individual dwellings in the project”.

§1746 Insurance on Mortgages on Large-scale Housing Projects