B2-1.5-04, Escrow Accounts (04/01/2020)

First mortgages generally must provide for the deposit of escrow funds to pay as they come due, including taxes, ground rents, premiums for property insurance, and premiums for flood insurance. However, escrow deposits for the payment of premiums for borrower-purchased mortgage insurance (if applicable) are mandatory. For the calculation of the monthly real estate tax payment lenders must comply with all federal and state regulations in calculating the amount to be collected for any established escrow account.

Fannie Mae does not require an escrow deposit for property or flood insurance premiums for an individual unit in a condo, co-op, or PUD when the project in which the unit is located is covered by a blanket insurance policy purchased by the homeowners’ association or co-op corporation.

If a special assessment levied against the property was not paid at loan closing, the borrower’s payment must include appropriate accruals to ensure that any estimated annual payment toward the assessment will be accumulated by the time it comes due.

For certain refinance transactions where the borrower is financing real estate taxes in the loan amount, an escrow account is required, subject to applicable laws or regulations. See B2-1.3-03, Cash-Out Refinance TransactionsB2-1.3-03, Cash-Out Refinance Transactions for more information.

Fannie Mae advocates the establishment of an escrow account for the payment of taxes and insurance, particularly for borrowers with blemished credit histories or first-time homeowners.

Unless required by law, lenders may waive escrow account requirements for an individual first mortgage, provided the standard escrow provision remains in the mortgage loan legal documents. Lenders cannot waive an escrow account for certain refinance transactions (see above) or for the payment of premiums for borrower-purchased mortgage insurance (if applicable). When the requirement for an escrow account is waived, the lender must retain Fannie Mae’s right to enforce the requirement in appropriate circumstances.

Lenders must have a written policy governing the circumstances under which escrow accounts may be waived. When a lender permits escrow waivers, subject to the mortgage documents and applicable law, the lender’s written policies must provide that the waiver not be based solely on the LTV ratio of a loan, but also on whether the borrower has the financial ability to handle the lump sum payments of taxes, insurance, and other items described above.