1954, except pursuant to a commitment to insure issued on or before such date.

(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) involve a principal obligation (including such initial service charges, appraisal, inspection, and other fees as the Secretary shall approve) in an amount not to exceed $5,700, and not to exceed 95 per centum of the appraised value, as of the date the mortgage is accepted for insurance, of a property upon which there is located a dwelling designed principally for a single-family resident, and which is approved for mortgage insurance prior to the beginning of construction: Provided, That the mortgagor shall be the owner and occupant 1 of the property at the time of insurance and shall have paid on account of the property at least 5 per centum of the Secretary's estimate of the cost of acquisition in cash or its equivalent, or shall be the builder constructing the dwelling, in which case the principal obligation shall not exceed 85 per centum of the appraised value of the property or $5,100: Provided further, That the Secretary finds that the project with respect to which the mortgage is executed is an acceptable risk, giving consideration to the need for providing adequate housing for families of low and moderate income particularly in suburban and outlying areas: And provided further, That, where the mortgagor is the owner and occupant of the property and establishes (to the satisfaction of the Secretary) that his home, which he occupied as an owner or as a tenant, was destroyed or damaged to such an extent that reconstruction is required as a result of a flood, fire, hurricane, earthquake, storm or other catastrophe, which the President, pursuant to sections 102(2) and 301 of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 has determined to be a major disaster, such maximum dollar limitation may be increased by the Secretary from $5,700 to $7,000, and the percentage limitation may be increased by the Secretary from 95 per centum to 100 per centum of the appraised value;2

(3) have a maturity satisfactory to the Secretary but not to exceed thirty years from the date of insurance of the mortgage; (4) contain complete amortization provisions satisfactory to the Secretary requiring periodic payments by the mortgagor not in excess of his reasonable ability to pay as determined by the Secretary;

(5) bear interest (exclusive of premium charges for insurance and service charges, if any) as not to exceed 5 per centum per annum on the amount of the principal obligation outstanding at any time;

(6) provide, in a manner satisfactory to the Secretary, for the application of the mortgagor's periodic payments (exclusive of the amount allocated to interest and to the premium charge

1 See section 216 of the National Housing Act.

* See section 203(h) of the National Housing Act.

which is required for mortgage insurance as hereinafter provided and to the service charge, if any) to amortization of the principal of the mortgage; and

(7) Contain such terms and provisions with respect to insurance, repairs, alterations, payment of taxes, service charges, default reserves, delinquency charges, foreclosure proceedings, anticipation of maturity, and other matters as the Secretary may in his discretion prescribe.

(c) The Secretary is authorized to fix a premium charge for the insurance of mortgages under this section, but in the case of any mortgage, such charge shall not be less than an amount equivalent to one-half of 1 per centum per annum nor more than an amount equivalent to 1 per centum per annum of the amount of the principal obligation of the mortgage outstanding at any time, without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. Such premium charges shall be payable by the mortgagee, either in cash or in debentures issued by the Secretary under this section at par plus accrued interest, in such manner as may be prescribed by the Secretary: Provided, That the Secretary may require the payment of one or more such premium charges at the time the mortgage is insured, at such discount rate as he may prescribe not in excess of the interest rate specified in the mortgage. If the Secretary finds, upon the presentation of a mortgage for insurance and the tender of the initial premium charge or charges so require, that the mortgage complies with the provisions of this section, such mortgage may be accepted for insurance by endorsement or otherwise as the Secretary may prescribe. In the event that the principal obligation of any mortgage accepted for insurance under this section is paid in full prior to the maturity date, the Secretary is further authorized, in his discretion, to require the payment by the mortgagee of an adjusted premium charge in such amount as the Secretary determines to be equitable, but not in excess of the aggregate amount of the premium charges that the mortgagee would otherwise have been required to pay if the mortgage had continued to be insured until such maturity date; and in the event that the principal obligation is paid in full as herein set forth, the Secretary is authorized to refund to the mortgagee for the account of the mortgagor all, or such portion as he shall determine to be equitable, of the current unearned premium charges theretofore paid.

(d) The Secretary may, at any time under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, consent to the release of the mortgagor from his liability under the mortgage or the credit instrument secured thereby, or consent to the release of parts of the mortgaged property from the lien of the mortgage.

(e) Any contract of insurance executed by the Secretary under this section shall be conclusive evidence of the eligibility of the mortgage for insurance, and the validity of any contract of insurance so executed shall be incontestable in the hands of an approved mortgagee from the date of the execution of such contract, except for fraud or misrepresentation on the part of such approved mortgagee.

(f) In any case in which the mortgagee under a mortgage insured under this section shall have foreclosed and taken possession of the mortgaged property in accordance with the regulations of, and

within a period to be determined by, the Secretary, or shall, with the consent of the Secretary, have otherwise acquired such property from the mortgagor after default, the mortgagee shall be entitled to receive the benefits of the insurance as provided in section 204(a) of this Act with respect to mortgages insured under section 203(b)(2)(D) of this Act.

(g) Subsections (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (j), and (k) of section 204 of this Act shall be applicable to mortgages insured under this section. except that all references therein to the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund or the Fund shall be construed to refer to the General Insurance Fund, and all references therein to section 203 shall be construed to refer to this section: Provided, That debentures issued in connection with mortgages insured under this section 8 shall have the same tax exemption as debentures issued in connection with mortgages insured under section 203 of this Act.

SEC. 9. The provisions of sections 2 and 8 shall be applicable in the several States and Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, then Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.

TITLE II-MORTGAGE INSURANCE

DEFINITIONS

SEC. 201. As used in section 203 of this title

(a) The term "mortgage" means a first mortgage on real estate, in fee simple, or on a leasehold (1) under a lease for not less than ninety-nine years which is renewable or (2) under a lease having a period of not less than ten years to run beyond the maturity date of the mortgage; and the term "first mortgage" means such classes of first liens as are commonly given to secure advances on, or the unpaid purchase price of, real estate, under the laws of the State in which the real estate is located, together with the credit instrument, if any, secured thereby.

(b) The term "mortgagee" includes the original lender under a mortgage, and his successors and assigns approved by the Secretary; and the term "mortgagor" includes the original borrower under a mortgage and his successors and assigns.

(c) The term "maturity date" means the date on which the mortgage indebtedness would be extinguished if paid in accordance with periodic payments provided for in the mortgage.

(d) The term "State" includes the several States and Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.

MUTUAL MORTGAGE INSURANCE FUND

SEC. 202. There is hereby created a Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (hereinafter referred to as the "Fund"), which shall be used by the Secretary as a revolving fund for carrying out the provisions of this title with respect to mortgages insured under section 203 as hereinafter provided, and there shall be allocated immediately to

1 No section heading in original.

such Fund the sum of $10,000,000 out of funds made available to the Secretary for the purposes of this title.

INSURANCE OF MORTGAGES

SEC. 203. (a) The Secretary is authorized, upon application by the mortgagee, to insure as hereinafter provided any mortgage offered to him which is eligible for insurance as hereinafter provided, and, upon such terms as the Secretary may prescribe, to make commitments for the insuring of such mortgages prior to the date of their execution or disbursement thereon.

(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) Involve a principal obligation (including such initial service charges, appraisal, inspection, and other fees as the Secretary shall approve) in an amount not to exceed $67,500 in the case of property upon which there is located a dwelling designed principally for a one-family residence; or $76,000 in the case of a two-family residence (whether or not such one- or two-family residence may be intended to be rented temporarily for school purposes); or $92,000 in the case of a three-family residence, or $107,000 in the case of a four-family residence except that the Secretary may increase the preceding maximum dollar amounts on an area-by-area basis to the extent the Secretary deems necessary, after taking into consideration the extent to which moderate and middle income persons have limited housing opportunities in the area due to high prevailing housing sales prices, but in no case may such limits, as so increased, exceed the lesser of (A) 133 per centum of the dollar amount specified, or (B) in the case of a one-family residence, 95 per centum of the median one-family house prices in the area, as determined by the Secretary; in the case of a twofamily residence, 107 per centum of such median price; in the case of a three-family residence, 130 per centum of such median price; or in the case of a four-family residence, 150 per centum of such median price; 1 and (except as otherwise provided in this paragraph) not to exceed an amount equal to the sum of (i) 97 per centum of $25,000 of the appraised value of the property, as of the date the mortgage is accepted for insurance, and (ii) 95 per centum of such value in excess of $25,000. If the mortgage to be insured under this section covers proper

1 Section 201 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1982, Pub. L. 97-253, approved September 8, 1982, inserted a proviso here that authorized the Secretary to increase the foregoing maximum mortgage amounts by the amount of the mortgage insurance premium paid at the time the mortgage is insured. Subsection (g) of such section further provided that the "amendments made by this section.. . may be implemented only if the Secretary determines that the program of advance payment of insurance premiums, with specific regard to the effect of the provisions authorized by the amendments made by this section, is actuarially sound".

Section 423 of the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983, Pub. L. 98-181, approved November 30, 1983, deleted the proviso. Subsection (c) of such section further provided that the "amendments made by this section shall take effect only if the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development determines that the program of advance payment of insurance premiums, with specific regard to the effect of the provisions authorized by the amendments made by such sections [sic], is actuarially sound".

ty on which there is located a one- to four-family residence to be occupied as the principal residence of the owner, and the appraised value of the property, as of the date the mortgage is accepted for insurance, does not exceed $50,000, the principal obligation may be in an amount not to exceed 97 percent of such appraised value. If the mortgagor is a veteran and the mortgage to be insured under this section covers property upon; which there is located a dwelling designed principally for a one-family residence, the principal obligation may be in an amount equal to the sum of (i) 100 per centum of $25,000 of the appraised value of the property as of the date the mortgage is accepted for insurance, and (ii) 95 per centum of such value in excess of $25,000. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in any case where the dwelling is not approved for mortgage insurance prior to the beginning of construction, such mortgage shall not exceed 90 per centum of the entire appraised value of the property as of the date the mortgage is accepted for insurance, unless (i) the dwelling was completed more than one year prior to the application for mortgage insurance, or (ii) the dwelling was approved for guaranty, insurance, or a direct loan under chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code, prior to the beginning of construction, or (iii) the dwelling is covered by a consumer protection or warranty plan acceptable to the Secretary and satisfies all requirements which would have been applicable if such dwelling had been approved for mortgage insurance prior to the beginning of construction.

As used herein, the term "veteran" means any person who served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States for a period of not less than 90 days (or as certified by the Secretary of Defense as having performed extra-hazardous service), and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, the amount which may be insured under this section may be increased by up to 20 percent if such increase is necessary to account for the increased cost of the residence due to the installation of a solar energy system (as defined in subparagraph (3) of the last paragraph of section 2(a) of this Act) therein.

(3) Have a maturity satisfactory to the Secretary, but not to exceed, in any event, thirty-five years (or thirty years if such mortgage is not approved for insurance prior to construction) from the date of the beginning of amortization of the mortgage.

(4) Contain complete amortization provisions satisfactory to the Secretary requiring periodic payments by the mortgagor

'Section 424(a) of the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983, Pub. L. 98-181, approved November 30, 1983, added this sentence. Section 424(b) of such Act further provided as follows:

"The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect only if the Secretary finds and reports to the Congress that such amendment, taking into account the higher loan-to-value ratio resulting from the advance payment of mortgage insurance premiums, will not adversely affect the actuarial soundness of the Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance program.".

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