Loan Types: Conventional Vs FHA

If you’re a first time homebuyer, you’re probably confused about the different loan types like FHA loans and conventional loans.  We’ll go over the main differences, advantages and disadvantages of the loan types:

FHA Loans

FHA Loans are geared towards first time homebuyers, specifically.  The reason why is because the qualification requirements aren’t as strict.  This includes down payment, income and debt-to-income ratio requirements.  The qualifications aren’t as strict because you will be paying private mortgage insurance each month to ensure you don’t default on the loan.

Advantages

• You can put forth a down payment as low as 3.5%

• Low minimum credit score

• Easy to qualify

Disadvantages

• Private mortgage insurance (PMI) for the lifetime of the loan

• Higher mortgage rates for jumbo loans

Conventional Loans

Conventional loans are typically for those who can afford to make a large down payment, who want flexibility in loan terms, or who want to buy a more expensive home than an FHA loan would allow.

Advantages

• No private mortgage insurance required with 20% down

• Easy loan term changes

Disadvantages

• More stringent qualification requirements

• Higher mortgage rates

Contact our home mortgage broker in San Ramon for home mortgage loan and mortgage refinancing.