Credit and past events

What facts matter when exploring FHA after bankruptcy?

An FHA loan after bankruptcy does not have one universal answer. Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 cases can raise different questions, and a discharge is not the same as a dismissal or an active repayment plan. Filing, discharge, dismissal, foreclosure, and later credit-event dates should be kept separate.

Facts that can change the review

• The bankruptcy chapter and whether the case is active, discharged, or dismissed.
• The relevant dates and whether a repayment plan or court permission may be involved.
• The circumstances behind the event and what has changed in housing, employment, and payment history.
• The participating lender’s current FHA review and any additional lender requirements.

How to prepare the question

Record the chapter, status, approximate dates, broad cause, and recent housing and payment history. Do not send court records, credit reports, account numbers, or other sensitive documents through this site. A general waiting-period statement cannot determine eligibility or approval for a specific borrower.

Review the current FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 and verify case-specific requirements with an FHA-approved lender or HUD-approved housing counselor.

Related: FHA credit concerns and the FHA question checklist.

General education only. This is not an eligibility decision, approval, rate quote, loan offer, or commitment to lend.