Seasoning
The minimum time a lender wants you to own a property before you can refinance it based on its new value. Commonly 6 to 12 months. Matters for BRRRR investors.
Every term like this one lights up in the step you're on.
Free to set up. No credit card.Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
Seasoning is how long a lender wants an owner to have held a property before refinancing on its new value, and it is why a BRRRR investor needs months, not weeks. It also affects a buyer who is flipping and selling to an FHA buyer: FHA has its own resale seasoning rule.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
A flipper buys your home and lists it renovated 60 days later. An FHA buyer's lender cannot proceed until the flipper has owned it 90 days.
| The rule | What it does |
|---|---|
| A lender's 6 to 12 months before a cash-out refinance | Sets the BRRRR investor's timeline |
| FHA's 90-day flip rule | Blocks FHA buyers on a quick resale |
| A conventional buyer on the resale | No seasoning rule, but a second appraisal is common |
Seasoning is the calendar the lender imposes on a quick turnaround.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That a flipper can resell the day the paint dries. To some buyers, yes; to an FHA buyer, not for 90 days.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
One piece of your sale. Here is where all the pieces live.
In your room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Keighbor keeps your whole home sale in one place and defines every term like this one right where you meet it, in the step you're on. Free to set up, with or without an agent.