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.
If you're unable to make a large payment upfront, conventional loans are available with a down payment as low as 3%. In most cases, borrowers save money in the long run with a conventional loan because there's no upfront mortgage insurance fee, and the monthly insurance payments are cheaper.
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.
With the added feature of fixed interest rates, conventional loans are appealing to many. They also offer higher loan limits than government-backed loans. Conventional loans also tend to be more flexible in down payment and term length options.
Sellers often prefer conventional buyers because of their own financial views. Because a conventional loan typically requires higher credit and more money down, sellers often deem these reasons as a lower risk to default and traits of a trustworthy buyer.
Alternatively, PMI can be canceled at your request once the equity in your home reaches 20% of the purchase price or appraised value. “Or, PMI will be terminated once you reach the midpoint of your amortization. So, for a 30-year loan, at the midway point of 15 years PMI should automatically cancel,” Baker says.
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.
For conventional loans, mortgage insurance is temporary. It's only required until your home equity percent reaches 20% of your home's market value. In time, because your monthly mortgage payment includes principal repayment, you're likely to gain that home equity and petition your lender to cancel PMI.
A conventional loan is a traditional loan that is used to purchase property. It has several attractive features that make it a great choice for many people, especially first-time homebuyers who have good credit, some funds saved for a down payment and are at low risk for defaulting.
To qualify for a conventional loan, you'll typically need a credit score of at least 620. Borrowers with credit scores of 740 or higher can make lower down payments and tend to get the most attractive conventional loan rates, however.
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.
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.
Interest rates for FHA loans will be lower than a conventional loan when the borrower has a high credit score and a small down payment. With conventional loans, putting down just 5% will not only result in PMI, but there will be a rate add-on for the high loan to value ratio.
A mortgage in which the interest rate remains the same throughout the entire life of the loan is a conventional fixed rate mortgage. These loans are the most popular ones, representing over 75% of all home loans. They usually come in terms of 30, 15, or 10 years, with the 30-year option being the most popular.
Conventional loan debt-to-income (DTI) ratios
The maximum debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for a conventional loan is 45%. Exceptions can be made for DTIs as high as 49.9% with strong compensating factors like a high credit score and/or lots of cash reserves.
The mortgage approval process can take anywhere from 30 days to several months, depending on the status of the market and your personal circumstances.
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.
With a conventional mortgage — a home loan that isn't federally guaranteed or insured — a lender will require you to pay for private mortgage insurance, or PMI, if you put less than 20% down.
The traditional way to avoid paying PMI on a mortgage is to take out a piggyback loan. In that event, if you can only put up 5 percent down for your mortgage, you take out a second "piggyback" mortgage for 15 percent of the loan balance, and combine them for your 20 percent down payment.
One way to avoid paying PMI is to make a down payment that is equal to at least one-fifth of the purchase price of the home; in mortgage-speak, the mortgage's loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is 80%. If your new home costs $180,000, for example, you would need to put down at least $36,000 to avoid paying PMI.
Today's national 30-year mortgage rate trends
On Wednesday, July 20, 2022, the national average 30-year fixed mortgage APR is 5.820%. The average 30-year refinance APR is 5.750%, according to Bankrate's latest survey of the nation's largest mortgage lenders.
Options for putting down less than 20 percent
Here are some common options: A conventional loan with private mortgage insurance (PMI). “Conventional” just means that the loan is not part of a specific government program. Typically, conventional loans require PMI when you put down less than 20 percent.
A conventional refinance involves replacing your existing home loan with a new conventional mortgage. This type of refinancing is flexible; you can use a conventional refinance to get a lower interest rate, cash-out equity, shorten your loan term, refinance a rental property, and more.