An FHA loan lookup usually means one of two things: finding the FHA case number assigned to your mortgage, or identifying the company currently servicing it. HUD offers free tools for both, plus separate lookups for property eligibility, approved condo projects, authorized lenders, and rostered appraisers. Most searches take a property address or case number and return results immediately.
Finding Your FHA Case Number
Every FHA-insured mortgage carries a unique case number, and almost every other FHA lookup depends on having it. The number typically appears as three groups of digits separated by dashes: a state code, a case sequence, and a suffix.
The most reliable place to find it is your Closing Disclosure, the standardized settlement document your lender provided at closing. The case number usually sits near the top of the first page. If that document isn’t handy, check your monthly mortgage statements or annual escrow analysis letters. Both routinely print the FHA case number alongside your loan account number.
If nothing in your paperwork shows it, call the FHA Resource Center at 1-800-225-5342 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday) or email answers@hud.gov. A representative can look up your case number using your property address, Social Security Number, or other identifying details.1U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Resource Center
Checking Loan Status Online
Once you have the case number, HUD’s Single Family Case Detail page shows current information for all FHA cases, both endorsed (actively insured) and non-endorsed. It displays the insurance status of the loan, the endorsement date, and the servicer of record.2U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Single Family Case Detail
The page returns loan-level data, not payment history or personal financial information. It’s the fastest way to confirm your loan is still FHA-insured and see which company is currently collecting on it. For payment history or loss mitigation questions, contact the servicer directly.
Finding Your Current FHA Loan Servicer
FHA loans get transferred between servicers frequently, and borrowers often lose track of who currently collects their payments. Three routes work.
HUD’s National Servicing Center
The National Servicing Center maintains records for all FHA-insured loans and can identify your current servicer using your property address, Social Security Number, or case number. Reach the NSC at (877) 622-8525 or by mail at 301 NW 6th Street, Suite 200, Oklahoma City, OK 73102.3U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). SFH: National Servicing Center
Knowing your servicer matters beyond where to send payments. You have to go through the servicer to request loan modifications, enter forbearance, or use any other option under FHA’s loss mitigation program.4U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA’s Loss Mitigation Program
MERS ServicerID
If your loan is registered with the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, you can search MERS ServicerID at mers-servicerid.org. The search accepts a property address, borrower name, the 18-digit MERS Mortgage Identification Number, or an FHA certificate number.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Can I Tell Who Owns My Mortgage Not every FHA loan is registered in MERS, but many are, and the search takes seconds. It also identifies the investor who owns the loan, which is a separate entity from the servicer.
Your Mortgage Statement
The simplest option, if you’re receiving statements, is the statement itself. The servicer’s name, address, and payment contact information appear on every monthly bill.
Checking Whether a Property Qualifies for FHA Financing
A home doesn’t automatically qualify for FHA financing. It must meet HUD’s Minimum Property Standards, which cover structural soundness, safety, and freedom from hazards that could affect occupant health or the durability of the home.6eCFR. Subpart S – Minimum Property Standards An FHA-approved appraiser evaluates the property, and the appraisal determines eligibility. There is no self-service tool that pre-clears a property; the appraisal is the check.
You can sometimes tell that a property was previously financed with an FHA loan by pulling public land records. The Deed of Trust or Mortgage filed with the county recorder often includes the FHA case number. Prior FHA financing doesn’t guarantee current eligibility, since conditions change and HUD updates its requirements, but it’s a useful signal.
How Long an FHA Appraisal Stays Valid
An FHA appraisal is valid for 180 days from the effective date of the report. If the transaction hasn’t closed by then, the appraisal can be updated (rather than redone entirely) to extend its life to one year from the original effective date.7U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Implements Revised Appraisal Validity Period Guidance After one year, a completely new appraisal is required.
Looking Up FHA-Approved Condominiums
Buying a condo with an FHA loan adds a layer of eligibility: the condominium project itself must be approved by HUD, not just the individual unit. HUD’s searchable database of approved condo projects lives at entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/condlook.cfm. You can filter by state, county, city, ZIP code, or project name, and the results show whether the project’s status is approved, expired, rejected, or withdrawn.8U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Condominiums
Condo project approvals expire every two years. A project approved when you first started looking can lapse before you close. The HOA or management company handles recertification, and a buyer can’t speed it along, so check the status early.
If the overall project isn’t approved, FHA’s single-unit approval process may still work. The lender submits Form HUD-9991 with the project’s financial documents, CC&Rs, insurance certificates, and evidence that the project meets FHA’s owner-occupancy and financial-stability requirements.9U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Single-Unit Approval Required Documentation List Not every lender is willing to do it.
Verifying an FHA Lender or Appraiser
Not every mortgage company can originate FHA loans. A lender needs Direct Endorsement authority from HUD to submit loans for FHA insurance. Confirm authorization using the HUD Lender List Search at hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/lender/lenderlist. You can filter by insurance type (Title I property improvement loans or Title II mortgage programs), servicer-originator type, and whether the lender handles reverse mortgages or 203(k) rehabilitation loans.10U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD Lender List A company that claims to offer FHA loans but doesn’t appear on this list is either working through a sponsor or isn’t authorized.
Every appraiser conducting FHA work must be state-certified and listed on the Appraiser Qualifications Board’s National Registry. HUD stopped accepting licensed-level appraisers in 2009 under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. To appear on HUD’s FHA Appraiser Roster, an appraiser must hold either a Certified Residential or Certified General credential.11U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Roster Appraisers Getting Started HUD’s appraiser page provides links to verify credentials, but the detailed roster in the FHA Connection system is designed for industry professionals.12U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Roster Appraisers If you can’t access it, the FHA Resource Center can assist.
Checking for Disciplinary Actions
HUD can issue a Limited Denial of Participation that bars a specific person from FHA programs within a particular geographic area for up to 12 months. These actions are HUD-specific and don’t necessarily appear in broader federal databases.13eCFR. 2 CFR Part 2424 Subpart J – Limited Denial of Participation
For more serious sanctions, the federal exclusion list at SAM.gov shows individuals and companies debarred or suspended from all federal programs, including FHA. Go to the Exclusions section and search by name or entity. If a lender or appraiser appears there, they cannot participate in any FHA transaction.14SAM.gov. Search – Exclusions
Checking for an FHA Mortgage Insurance Refund
If you paid an upfront mortgage insurance premium when you closed on an FHA loan, you may be owed a partial refund when the insurance terminates. Eligibility depends on when the loan closed and when it was endorsed.
- Loans endorsed on or after December 8, 2004: no refund unless you refinance into a new FHA loan, and none available after the third year of insurance.
- Loans closed on or after January 1, 2001, endorsed before December 8, 2004: no refund after the fifth year of insurance.
- Loans closed before January 1, 2001, endorsed before December 8, 2004: no refund after the seventh year of insurance.
To qualify for any refund, you must have acquired the loan after September 1, 1983, paid an upfront premium at closing, and not defaulted on your payments.15U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Homeowners Fact Sheet on Refunds
A separate category called a distributive share applies to loans originated before September 1, 1983, where the borrower paid for more than seven years and had FHA insurance terminated before November 5, 1990. HUD is not liable for distributive shares that remain unclaimed six years after the initial notification was sent.15U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Homeowners Fact Sheet on Refunds
If you’re eligible, HUD either asks the Treasury Department to issue a check directly to you or sends you Form HUD-27050-B, which requires completion, a signature, notarization (unless the refund is $2,000 or less), and proof that you owned the property when the insurance terminated. If you don’t hear back within 120 days of mailing the form, call HUD at (800) 697-6967. You can also submit documentation by email to sf.premiums@hud.gov or fax to (301) 572-8079.15U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Homeowners Fact Sheet on Refunds
Two boundaries worth knowing. When an FHA loan is assumed by a new buyer, the seller doesn’t get a refund; the insurance stays in force, and any future refund goes to whoever owns the property when the insurance terminates. When you refinance from one FHA loan to another, the refund from the old premium can be applied toward the upfront premium on the new loan rather than paid out to you.
Key FHA Phone Numbers
- FHA Resource Center: 1-800-225-5342, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday. Email: answers@hud.gov. Use for general questions, case number lookups, lender verification, and policy questions.1U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Resource Center
- National Servicing Center: (877) 622-8525, 301 NW 6th Street, Suite 200, Oklahoma City, OK 73102. Use for servicer identification, loss mitigation, and foreclosure-avoidance questions.3U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). SFH: National Servicing Center
- Premium Refund Inquiries: (800) 697-6967, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday. Email: sf.premiums@hud.gov.15U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHA Homeowners Fact Sheet on Refunds
People with hearing or speech impairments can reach these offices through the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.