source:
  type: guide
  id: hud-4000-1-i-b-single-family-lending-area
  authority: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part I — b. Single Family Lending Area (03/19/2024)
  description: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part I — b. Single Family Lending Area (03/19/2024).
  coverage_tier: operative
obligations:
- id: hud-4000-1-i-b-single-family-lending-area-full
  canonical_id: hud-4000-1-i-b-single-family-lending-area-full
  section: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part I — b. Single Family Lending Area (03/19/2024)
  type: do
  tags:
  - regulator-direct
  - fha
  - hud-handbook
  - corpus-expansion
  - tier-operative
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part I — b. Single Family Lending Area (03/19/2024)
    source_class: hud-handbook
    source_url: https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/single-family-handbook-4000-1
    snapshot_id: 8c03836f77f317e1
    fetched_at: '2026-05-23T00:28:40Z'
    content_hash: sha256:411430f29b13f9b54a2ebb0e6f6e7087ecd2b90d0da22eb0c8c792eaa2d7d0df
    paragraph_quote: 'b. Single Family Lending Area (03/19/2024) i. Definition An “Area Approved for Business” (AAFB) is the geographic area in which a Mortgagee’s home or branch office is permitted to originate or underwrite FHA Mortgages. The AAFB is subdivided into HUD Field Office jurisdictions. HUD Field Office jurisdictions can be verified on www.hud.gov/lenders under the Mortgage Origination tab. ii. Standard A Mortgagee’s home office and all its registered branch offices will initially be granted a nationwide AAFB. The home office and each branch office may only exercise its authority to originate or underwrite FHA Mortgages in those states where the Mortgagee fully complies with state origination and/or underwriting licensing and approval requirements. A Mortgagee may conduct FHA business from branch offices that are not registered with HUD that fully comply with state origination and/or underwriting licensing and approval requirements. I. DOING BUSINESS WITH FHA A. FHA Lenders
      and Mortgagees (09/20/2021) 5. Supplemental Mortgagee Authorities Handbook 4000.1 27 Last Revised: 11/26/2025'
  judgment: false
