VA Loans The best mortgage for Veterans. If you’re a Veteran, then you may qualify for a VA home loan. VA loans offer a wealth of benefits to those who are eligible, including zero down payment. On top of getting 100% financing, VA loans don’t require mortgage insurance.
No PMI means huge savings; the average homeowner saves about $2,000 per year on mortgage insurance. USDA Loans The best mortgage for people: In a USDA approved area and at least a 620 credit score. The U.S. Department of Agriculture guarantees mortgages in rural areas of the country for low-income homebuyers.
USDA loans offer a no down payment mortgage and have low mortgage insurance fees. When you think of the word, rural, farms, and ranches are probably among the first things that come to mind. However, the USDA eligibility map shows that over 95% of the U.S. is eligible. FHA 203k Loans The best mortgage for homebuyers buying a house in need of repair. Have a 620 credit score and .5% down.
FHA 203k loans are a type of home renovation loan that funds a home’s purchase and pays for repairs or renovations on the property. FHA loans require the property to be in livable condition, not in need of repairs. With a 203k loan, you can buy a “fixer-upper” home in need of repairs and get the cash to make those repairs. Conforming Home Loans Conforming loans meet the standards to be sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on the secondary mortgage market.
VA Loans The best mortgage for Veterans
They are insured by private mortgage insurance companies, not the government. HomeReady and Home Possible Loans Best for low-income first-time homebuyers with a 620 credit score and a 3% down payment. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the two largest buyers of conventional mortgage loans in the US. Conventional loans are the most common type of home loan used today, but they have fairly high down payment requirements making them unattainable for many first-time buyers. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac created the HomeReady and Home Possible Loan Programs to compete with FHA loans.
While they require a higher credit score of 620, you will only need a 3% down payment. Conventional Loans Conventional loans are best suited for people with good credit and a 20% down payment and real estate investors. Conventional loan requirements are more stringent than government loans. They require a minimum credit score of 620 and a down payment between 5% – 20%. One of the benefits of conventional loans is that mortgage insurance is not required if 20% is put down.
PMI cancels once the LTV reaches 78%. Conventional 97 Loans The best mortgage for people with excellent credit and a low down payment The conventional 97 loan is basically just like a traditional conventional loan. However, instead of needing a large down payment of 5%-20%, conventional 97 loans require just 3% down. That lower than even FHA loans require. You will need a 640 credit score or higher. PMI is still required with down payments of less than 20%. However, PMI is dropped after the LTV reaches 78%. Non-Conforming Home Loans A non-conforming loan is a loan that exceeds the conforming loan limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The conforming loan limit is $510,400 in most areas of the U.S. and goes up to $765,600 in certain high-cost areas of the country. Jumbo Loans Best for borrowers who need a loan that exceeds the conforming loan limits. If you need a loan that exceeds the conventional loan limit in your area, you will need to get a jumbo loan. Jumbo loans are more challenging to qualify for than traditional loans because of the higher loan amount. Most lenders will want you to have at least a 680-700 credit score. Jumbo loans also require a higher down payment, usually between 15%-20%. Super Jumbo Loans For borrowers who need a loan amount above 1 million. Jumbo loans offer loan amounts up to around 1 million dollars.
If you’re buying a home and need a loan for over 1 million, a super jumbo loan can provide up to 3 million dollars to purchase your home. These mortgages are even more difficult to qualify for a require excellent credit. Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM) Most every type of home loan program will offer the option of an adjustable-rate mortgage or fixed-rate. A fixed-rate mortgage will have the same interest rate for the life of the loan.
30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage The best term for people: Wanting the lowest mortgage payment possible If you’re low on savings and your income fluctuates, then the lower monthly payment of a 30-year mortgage is the best option. Even if you want to pay off your loan early, you can.
Just make occasional payments toward the principal balance. 15-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage The best term for people: With high consistent income and a large amount of cash reserves. With a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, you will get a rate that is .50%- 1% lower than a 30-year mortgage. A 15-year term is best for people who have a high income that is fairly consistent and with a good amount of savings
