Types of Home Loans

A secured loan is obtained by purchasing a property by offering it as collateral. The property offered as a security can be your home or any functioning building under your name. The loan required is of high value, so the funding comes economically with high-interest rates and long tenors. The most common home loan is the loan for purchasing a new home or repairing a pre-owned home. Home loans are provided by many banks at fluctuating interest rates which are either fixed or floating. The loan can be repaid over a while through EMIs. After completion of repayment, the property title is returned to the borrower.

Today, a variety of loans are provided by the government and private bank loaners. Not everyone is eligible for every type of loan available on the platform. A borrower needs to attain certain qualifications in order to get the loan approved in his/her name. The interest rates and down payments vary as per different policies. For successful and legal loan approval, a proper background check needs to be done by the lender for the borrower and vice versa to negate any abnormalities.

Government-insured Loan

The U.S. government does not directly lend money to the borrowers, instead, they provide a helping hand to other lenders to give loans at lower rates of interest. These loans can be easily obtained by borrowers with minimal documentation work. These loans are affordable and ideal for first-time buyers. Government-insured loans include FHA loans (Federal Housing Administration), USDA loans (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Dev.), and VA loans (Veteran Affairs).

When you do not have the suitable qualifications to get a conventional loan due to a low credit score or limited savings for a down payment then FHA-backed and USDA-backed loans are a great choice to pass for a loan. VA-backed loans are also a better option than conventional loans for military service members, veterans, and eligible spouses.

Conventional Loan

Loans that are not backed up by the government of a country in any way is termed conventional loan. To qualify for getting a conventional loan you will need a high income and a high credit score. The interest rates for such loans are also typically lower compared to other types of loans. Over your lifetime the interest that you will need to pay will be much lower.

It is challenging to be able to qualify to get a conventional loan. But if you qualify then it has its own merits. For a lower interest rate, you will get a larger down payment which means that your mortgage payments will be lower every month. Conventional mortgages are very helpful for most kinds of properties and it also helps to sustain a decent budget for your expenses.

Jumbo Loan

A Jumbo loan is the best route to obtain a huge amount of loan in a short period. To obtain a jumbo loan, you will need to provide more in-depth documentation to qualify. Jumbo loans are more common in higher-cost effective areas of the country. Interest rates are competitive when compared to conventional loans. The down payment tends to be at least 10%-20% minimum. One important requirement to qualify for a jumbo loan is that you must show the ownership of significant assets in cash or savings accounts.

Fixed-rate Mortgage

A fixed-rate mortgage is beneficial when you have decided that you will be residing in the same place for more than a decade or so. The rate of interest per month is fixed from the initial payment to the final payment for the housing property i.e., the monthly principal and interest stay the same throughout the life span of the loan. The demerit of a fixed-rate mortgage is that you will need to pay more interest with a longer-term loan.

Reverse Mortgage

Even lenders suggest that reverse mortgage is not a type of loan for everyone. There are certain criteria to be fulfilled to get a reverse mortgage. Firstly, a member of the household should be of age over 62. Secondly, the property has to be the primary residence of the owner where no payment is required unless the last surviving member of the household dies or decides to move or sell the property. However, the borrower will continue to maintain the title of the homeowner and will have to ensure the maintenance of property taxes and the homeowner’s insurance payments.

Interest-only Mortgage

In this type of loan, the borrower pays only the interest for a part or all of the term with the principal balance unchanged during the interest-only period. This is a good option for people who will not have to worry about their cash flow. One important thing to consider is that the amount that you owe on the loan does not go down with each payment. There are numerous options to consider once the interest-only period ends.

An interest-only mortgage is where the borrower pays only the interest on the loan for a significant period of time. Those who know how to sell or refinance, or those who expect to afford a higher monthly payment, later on, are best suited to get the interest-only loan.