Cal. FIN § 7504 — California Code / Code fin / Division 2 / Chapter 6 / Article 6 / Section 7504
Section 7504
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an association may adjust the interest rate, payment, balance, or term-to-maturity on any loan secured by real property as authorized by the loan contract, and may receive a portion of the consideration for making a real estate loan in the form of a percentage of the amount by which the current market value of the property during the loan term or at maturity exceeds the original appraised value, subject to the limitations of subdivision (b) and Section 341 of P.L. 97-320 (H.R. 6267, the Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982).

(a) For the purposes of this section:

(1) “Fully amortized loan” means a loan in which, at inception of the loan, the entire principal balance, together with accrued interest, shall be payable with the scheduled term of the loan in substantially equal installments (excepting the last payment, which may be smaller than a regular scheduled payment).

(2) “Home loans” means loans made on the security of one- to four-unit residential dwellings (including condominiums and cooperatives), combinations of these dwellings and business property (where no more than 20 percent of the total appraised value of the real estate is attributable to the business use), farm residences and combinations of farm residences and commercial farm real property.

(3) “Nonamortized loan” means a loan in which none of the principal balance shall be payable prior to the maturity of the loan.

(4) “Open end line of credit” means a loan plan in which the association reasonably contemplates repeated transactions; the association may impose interest from time to time on the unpaid principal of the loan plan, and the amount of credit that may be extended to the borrower during the term of the loan plan (up to any limit set by the association) is generally made available to the extent that any outstanding principal balance is repaid.

(5) “Partially amortized loan” means a loan in which some but not all of the principal balance, together with accrued interest, shall be payable prior to the maturity of the loan.

(6) “Reverse annuity mortgage” means an instrument which provides for periodic payments to be made to a homeowner based on accumulated equity. The payments are made monthly directly by the association, or are made through the purchase of an annuity from an insurance company. The loan becomes due on a specified date after disbursement of the entire principal amount of the loan or when a specified event occurs, such as sale of the property or death of the borrower. The interest rate on this instrument may be fixed, or may be adjusted periodically as provided by this section.

(b) Adjustments to the interest rate, payment, balance, or term-to-maturity on home loans shall be subject to the limitations of this subdivision.

(1) The loan term shall not exceed 40 years, with interest payable at least semiannually, except as expressly authorized by this section.

(2) The loan balance for other than nonamortized and open end line of credit loans shall be repayable in at least semiannual installments; provided, that loans on the security of farm residences and combinations of farm residences and commercial farm real property may be repayable in annual installments.

(3) The loan may be fully amortized, partially amortized, nonamortized, a reverse annuity mortgage, or an open end line of credit loan. The loan contract may provide for the deferral of principal and capitalization of a portion of interest, or of all interest, in the case of loans to natural persons secured by borrower-occupied real property and on which periodic advances are being made.

(4) (A) At origination, the loan-to-value ratio may not exceed the maximum permitted by Section 7509, as determined by the association’s board of directors (but not more than 100 percent). During the term of the loan, the loan-to-value ratio may increase above the maximum percentage otherwise permissible if the increase results from an adjustment described in paragraph (3) or (5). The commissioner shall assume continued compliance with applicable loan-to-value limitations where the original loan-to-value ratio met the requirements of this paragraph, but in no event may the loan balance exceed 125 percent of the original appraised value of the security property during the term of the loan unless pursuant to clause (i) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) or unless the loan contract provides that the payment shall be adjusted at least once every five years, beginning no later than the 10th year of the loan, to a level sufficient to amortize the loan at the then existing interest rate and loan balance over the remaining term of the loan. However, this 125 percent limitation shall not apply to the portion of a loan balance that is interest received in the form of a percentage of the appreciation in value of the security property.

(B) If, at maturity of a loan secured by a home that provides for adjustments pursuant to paragraph (3) or (5), the ratio of the loan balance to the current market value of the security property exceeds the maximum permissible amount under Section 7509, the association may offer to refinance the loan if (i) the refinanced loan complies with subdivision (b) of Section 7509 and (ii) the loan contract for the refinanced loan requires that, in addition to full or partial amortization of the loan, the pro rata portion, based on the number of installments due annually, of estimated annual taxes and assessments on the security property be paid in advance to the association with each installment payment.

(5) For any home loan secured by borrower-occupied property or property to be occupied by the borrower, adjustments to the interest rate, payment, balance, or term-to-maturity shall comply with the limitations of this paragraph.

(A) Adjustments to the interest rate shall correspond directly to the movement of an interest rate index or of a national or regional index that measures the rate of inflation or the rate of change in consumer disposable income, which index is readily available to, and verifiable by, the borrower and is beyond the direct control of the association. An association also may increase the interest rate pursuant to a formula or schedule that specifies the amount of the increase and the time at which it may be made and which is set forth in the loan contract. An association, in its sole discretion, may decrease the interest rate at any time.

(B) Adjustments to the payment and the loan balance that do not reflect an interest rate adjustment may be made if: (i) the adjustments reflect a change in a national or regional index that measures the rate of inflation or the rate of change in consumer disposable income, is readily available to and verifiable by the borrower, and is beyond the direct control of the association; (ii) in the case of a payment adjustment, the adjustment reflects a change in the loan balance or is made pursuant to a formula, or to a schedule specifying the percentage or dollar change in the payment as set forth in the loan contract; or (iii) in the case of an open end line of credit loan, the adjustment reflects an advance taken by the borrower under the line of credit, or a payment made by the borrower, that is permitted by the loan contract.

(C) Any combination of indices or a moving average of index values may be used as an index, and an association (i) may use more than one index during the term of a loan, if set forth in the loan contract and (ii) may provide for the selection of a substitute index by the association in the event the index being used is no longer available to or verifiable by the borrower or as otherwise provided in the loan contract.

(D) The loan term may be adjusted only to reflect a change in the interest rate, the payment or the loan balance. A loan contract may provide an association with the right to call the loan due and payable either after a specified period of time has elapsed following the date of the loan contract or as specified in a reverse annuity mortgage.

(6) For any home loan secured by borrower-occupied property and on which the interest rate may be adjusted pursuant to paragraph (5), an association may not impose a prepayment charge on any prepayment made within 90 days of a required notice of an interest-rate increase with respect to the loan.

(c) Disclosure and notices for loans made pursuant to this section shall comply with the regulations codified in Section 563.99 of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations.