"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."
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.
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.
Many home buyers prefer conventional loans because they do not carry many of the fees charged with government-backed loans. In a conventional loan, the lender risks losing their funds if the buyer is unable to pay off the loan. That's why it can sometimes be more difficult to qualify for a conventional loan.
Conventional Loans. FHA loans allow lower credit scores than conventional mortgages do, and are easier to qualify for. Conventional loans allow slightly lower down payments.
"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."
Reasons Sellers Don't Like FHA Loans
Both reasons have to do with the strict guidelines imposed because FHA loans are government-insured loans. For one, if the home is appraised for less than the agreed-upon price, the seller must reduce the selling price to match the appraised price, or the deal will fall through.
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.
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.
Yes. To convert an FHA loan to a conventional loan you'll need to meet the conventional loan lending criteria and complete a mortgage refinance. You'll also need to provide documentation so the lender can verify your finances.
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.
A conventional loan is a great option if you have a solid credit score and little debt. You can avoid PMI by paying 20% of the loan upfront, which will lower your mortgage payments. If you're unable to make a large payment upfront, conventional loans are available with a down payment as low as 3%.
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.
Borrowers who take out FHA loans will likely face higher costs upfront and with every payment, and it could signal that they aren't ready for a mortgage. You'll also have to pay mortgage insurance, and FHA loans are less flexible than conventional loans.
Conventional mortgage down payment
Conventional loans require as little as 3% down (this is even lower than FHA loans). For down payments lower than 20% though, private mortgage insurance (PMI) is required. (PMI can be removed after 20% equity is earned in the home.)
The Conventional Appraisal
Conventional appraisers base their valuation of a home's worth on three essential factors: location, condition and area comparables for similar houses. They'll also look for safety or health concerns in the home that would diminish the desirability of the home and thus reduce its value.
The mortgage approval process can take anywhere from 30 days to several months, depending on the status of the market and your personal circumstances.
An FHA-approved appraiser ensures that the home meets the government's safety and livability standards. The rules aren't onerous, but are a bit more strict than those that apply to some other loan types. FHA appraisal requirements can seem a little intimidating since they're key to getting your FHA mortgage.
Having an FHA home appraisal come in below the purchase price is a fairly common scenario. (Of course, that probably doesn't make you feel any better.) You basically have three options. The seller can reduce the sale price to match the appraised value.
There's no law that can compel a seller to accept FHA financing, though sellers artificially limit their buyer pool by doing so. Buyers, though, can help their cause by agreeing to an "as is" appraisal, for one. They might also consider asking for less in seller contributions to help with closing costs.
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.
Is it worth refinancing to remove mortgage insurance? It's worth refinancing to remove PMI mortgage insurance if your savings will outweigh your refinance closing costs. The current climate of low interest rates offers a chance to get out of a loan with higher interest rates while also eliminating mortgage insurance.