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What is a Conventional Home Loan?

  • Written by Ethan HunterEthan Hunter No Comments Comments
    Last Updated: August 8th, 2009
    by Ethan Hunter

    When ever someone realizes I know about home loans, I get asked the same questions over and over – ‘What is a conventional home loan?’, ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘What is a conventional home loan good for? Is it better?’. Clearly, the government isn’t doing enough to try to educate its masses on what loans are!

    If you, too, are asking ‘What is a conventional home loan’, then you’ve come to the right place.

    So, What is a Conventional Home Loan?

    You probably already know that home loans can be confusing. However, when it comes to understanding what is a conventional home loan, this article will help decipher the information.

    In summary, a conventional home loan is a loan in which the lender’s agreement is not backed completely by the Federal Housing Administration or FHA, or the Veterans Administration or VA. In other words, this type of home loan is different.

    If you’re still wondering on the specifics on your question – what is a conventional home loan – don’t worry. I’m not done explaining it quite yet!

    For instance, conventional home loans are used as a broad term that covers a lot. Therefore, we wanted to address some of the other types of loans that work with this loan option.

    For instance: Fixed Rate Mortgage (FRM)

    The fixed rate conventional home loan is the most common, which is where the borrower – being you! – will have the same, locked interest rate for the entire duration of the loan.

    This means that the borrower will pay the principle, which is what you borrowed, and the interest, the same each and every month until it’s paid off. Your interest rate never changes.

    Are you still asking what a conventional home loan is or have we just not answered your questions? Well, there is more for you to learn.

    Another conventional home loan type is: The Conforming Home Loan

    In this case, you the borrower and lender would agree to follow rules outlined by an organization operated by the federal government. For instance, the two most common include Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The huge difference here is that these loans do not have to be approved or denied. Instead, they are organizations that have money to loan.

    It benefits the lender most of all to have this, because the lender can then sell your loan – yes, I said sell! – to one or the other, and receive the funds that you would normally pay them faster.

    There’s also the: Jumbo Home Loans

    These home loans are simple and are very large. They may fall out of any purchase limits set by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and will have higher interest rates and may come from a private investor.

    Overall…

    While you might ask, what is a conventional home loan, remember, it is not always an easy thing to understand, we believe the provided information will help clear up some questions.

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