Is a payment abatement considered an IPC?

Payment Abatements

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

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

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

For additional information, see B3-4.1-03, Types of Interested Party Contributions (IPCs).