A conventional loan is often better if you have good or excellent credit because your mortgage rate and PMI costs will go down. But an FHA loan can be perfect if your credit score is in the high-500s or low-600s. For lower-credit borrowers, FHA is often the cheaper option.
"Conventional loans have higher minimum requirements than FHA and require a larger down payment," Yates said. "Sellers prefer a buyer with conventional financing over FHA financing because they feel the buyer is in a better financial position."
Cons: Why a conventional mortgage may not be right for you
The eligibility requirements for conventional loans are more stringent than government-backed loans. Conforming loans are sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac soon after being created to help keep mortgages affordable for homebuyers.
To put it simply, FHA loans are generally easier to qualify for, and they allow for lower credit scores. Conventional loans, meanwhile, may not require mortgage insurance with a large enough down payment. Choosing the best loan option for you depends on your personal financial situation.
Generally speaking, FHA loans might be a good fit if you have less money set aside to fund your down payment and/or you have a below-average credit score.
To convert an FHA loan to a conventional home loan, you will need to refinance your current mortgage. The FHA must approve the refinance, even though you are moving to a non-FHA-insured lender.
FHA loans tend to have higher closing costs than conventional loans, but because FHA loans allow the seller to pay for more of your closing costs than conventional loans, they may actually be cheaper.
Conventional Loans
A conventional loan is a mortgage that's not insured by a government agency. Most conventional loans are backed by mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae says that conventional loans typically require a minimum credit score of 620. But lenders can raise their own requirements.
While the federal loans are good for certain buyers, some mortgage brokers are pushing them to make more money. the city's real estate market.
The most significant benefit to buyers with a conventional mortgage is the fact that they have more equity in the home right away because of the larger down payment. This equity gives homeowners greater access to useful financing tools, such as HELOCs.
Conventional loan down payment requirements
The minimum down payment required for a conventional mortgage is 3%, but borrowers with lower credit scores or higher debt-to-income ratios may be required to put down more.
Typical Closing Times: By Loan Type
It takes approximately 47 days to close on a conventional mortgage loan in accordance with Fannie Mae's qualified lending standards. Conventional refinances are faster and take around 35 days to close on average.
Unfortunately, some home sellers see the FHA loan as a riskier loan than a conventional loan because of its requirements. The loan's more lenient financial requirements may create a negative perception of the borrower. And, on the other hand, the stringent appraisal requirements of the loan may make the seller nervous.
When you apply for this type of mortgage, the underwriter will make sure that your application meets both the lender's standards as well as the standards set forth by the FHA. FHA loans take an average of 55 days to close. For home purchases, the average is 54 days. For refinances, it's 59 days.
Even though a conventional loan is the most common mortgage, it is surprisingly difficult to get. Borrowers need to have a minimum credit score of about 640 in order to qualify—the highest minimum score of all mortgage products—and have a debt-to-income ratio of 43% or less.
While you don't need a perfect 850 credit score to get the best mortgage rates, there are general credit score requirements you will need to meet in order to take out a mortgage. Prospective home buyers should aim to have credit scores of 760 or greater to qualify for the best interest rates on mortgages.
700 is a good score — and with a little effort, you should be able to find a mortgage lender who will give you a competitive rate and get you into the home you want.
An FHA loan has less-restrictive qualifications compared to a conventional loan, which is not backed by a government agency. You need to have a higher credit score, lower debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and higher down payment to qualify for a conventional loan.
Seller contributions are the most effective way to lower your out of pocket closing costs. The FHA guidelines permit sellers to contribute up to 6% of the purchase price towards closing costs. Seller closing cost contributions are typically agreed upon during the price negotiations between the buyer and seller.
"The FHA mortgage insurance is far more expensive than its conventional counterpart." For this reason, you may choose a conventional loan or refinance an FHA loan into a conventional loan once your credit score is high enough.
Getting rid of PMI is fairly straightforward: Once you accrue 20 percent equity in your home, either by making payments to reach that level or by increasing your home's value, you can request to have PMI removed.
FHA mortgage loans don't require PMI, but they do require an Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium and a mortgage insurance premium (MIP) to be paid instead. Depending on the terms and conditions of your home loan, most FHA loans today will require MIP for either 11 years or the lifetime of the mortgage.
If you have a mortgage backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), your mortgage insurance premium (MIP) will not automatically fall off. MIP typically lasts for the life of the loan (or 11 years, if you made a 10% or bigger down payment).