(a) The department shall establish a premium charge for the insurance of loans under this chapter, and this charge shall be deposited in the fund. A one-time nonrefundable premium charge shall be paid at the time the loan is insured. The premium rate may vary based upon the assessed level of relative financial risk determined pursuant to Section 129051, but shall in no event be greater than 3 percent. The amount of premium shall be computed on the basis of the application of the rate to the total amount of principal and interest payable over the term of the loan.

(b) The department may annually charge a portion of the premium in advance commencing at the time of issuing or extending the commitment until the date the loan is insured or the commitment expires. The amount of the advance premium shall not exceed six dollars ($6) per year for each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of principal of the proposed loan. The total dollar amount of the premium advanced shall be nonrefundable and shall be credited against the amount of the premium charged pursuant to this section, or if the commitment expires and the loan is not insured, the advance shall be retained by the department to offset costs and expenses of the department related to preliminary work, underwriting the loan commitment, and monitoring construction.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 230. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)