Best Mortgage Lenders

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or real estate investor, purchasing a new home is always challenging. Getting a mortgage can be stressful and complicated, what with all the rates, fees, and paperwork to worry about. Fortunately, this website contains guides and reviews to the best mortgage lenders in the business. We’ve found everything there is to know about the mortgage lending industry to save you the trouble.

Types of Mortgages

Conventional Home Loans

The most common form of mortgage is a conventional mortgage. These types of home loans involve two parties: the borrower (you) and a lender. Most lenders require borrowers to make at least a 20% down payment to get a conventional mortgage, with some exceptions. For example, if you purchase a home for $300,000, your lender will require you to pay down at least $60,000 and loan you the remaining $240,000.

FHA Loans

This is a government-backed loan administered by the Federal Housing Administration for buyers with poor credit or lack of funds for a 20% down payment. FHA loans come in two forms: 3.5% down payment for borrowers with credit of 580-619, or 10% down payment for borrowers with as low as 500-579 credit score. The one major catch of taking out an FHA loan is that you must purchase monthly private mortgage insurance (which you can stop paying once you reach 20% equity).

VA Loans

The VA loan is a government-backed loan administered by the Department of Veteran Affairs. Some lenders offer VA loans without any down payment. Like the FHA loan, monthly PMI is a condition of taking out a VA loan. The following people may apply for a VA loan: veterans who have served at least 90 consecutive days of active service in wartime or 181 days of active service in peacetime; members of the National Guard and Reserve who have served at least 6 years; and spouses of veterans who died in the line of duty or as a consequence of a service-related injury.

Other Loans

Other types of loans include:

Jumbo loans: These are conventional home loans that exceed the FHA’s limit. The limits actually vary based on geographic region, typically around $300,000 to $424,000.
USDA loans: Government-backed loans administered by the US Department of Agriculture. These are designed for people buying in rural areas. Like FHA and VA loans, they offer the option of buying with a down payment of less than 20%.
Home Equity Loans: Often referred to as a second mortgage, these are loans that let you borrow money against your home equity. The most common type is the home equity loan, or HEL. Another type is the home equity line of credit, or HELOC, which is like a HEL except the borrower can withdraw money up to a pre-set credit limit.
USDA loans: Government-backed loans administered by the US Department of Agriculture. These are designed for people buying in rural areas. Like FHA and VA loans, they offer the option of buying with a down payment of less than 20%.
Home Equity Loans: Often referred to as a second mortgage, these are loans that let you borrow money against your home equity. The most common type is the home equity loan, or HEL. Another type is the home equity line of credit, or HELOC, which is like a HEL except the borrower can withdraw money up to a pre-set credit limit.
Cash-out Refinance: This is a type of mortgage refinancing option that lets the borrower turn some of their home equity into cash. Because this option lets borrowers “cash out”, so to speak, cash-out refinance is often a viable option to a home equity loan.

Types of Rates

Fixed-Rate Mortgages

This is the more popular of the two options, especially among first-time home buyers. Fixed-rate mortgages are mortgages with fixed rates for the entire duration of the loan. When you take a fixed-rate mortgage, you pay more in year one than you would if you took an adjustable-rate mortgage. However, your rate never increases (nor decreases), meaning you can plan exactly how much you’ll pay in monthly instalments across the life of the loan. Once you’re locked into a fixed rate, you’re protected when the Fed and the banks start raising rate.

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage

Adjustable-rate mortgages, also known as ARMs or variable-rate mortgages, carry higher risk and higher reward than fixed rates. ARMs are always cheaper than fixed-rate mortgage in year one, but they carry the risk of higher interest rates in future years. ARMs have two components: the number of years your introductory rate applies; and the intervals at which rates get updated. Most lenders offer ARMs of 3/1, 5/1, 7/1, or 10/1. A 3/1 ARM refers to an ARM with a fixed rate for the first three years and a rate update every year after that. The shorter your fixed period, the better your introductory rate (and the riskier the loan). Because of their unpredictable nature, ARMs are best used by borrowers with high risk appetite or with the intention of paying off their mortgage quickly.

Top Mortgage Lenders

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Pros

Guaranteeing Competitive Rates
Free rate-lock feature
Best-rate guarantee

Cons

Only in 36 states
No live chat

Better.com is a direct lender with a simple online application that can be completed any time, any day of the week. Better.com aims to revolutionize the way Americans get a mortgage – after completing an application, you can access personalized rates, talk to a dedicated non-commissioned Mortgage Expert, generate custom loan estimates, and search for mortgage discounts in your area Better has automated much of the mortgage process. This drastically reduces the cost to originate and allows Better to pass as much of those savings as possible onto the customer and invest in customer satisfaction. Better.com was recently named Best Mortgage Lender for Customer Service by Nerdwallet. Last but not least, rates at Better.com are backed by the Better Price Guarantee, which promises that Better won’t just match a competing price, but beat it by $1,000.

How to Compare Mortgages

Here are some of the things to look for when comparing lenders:

APR: Your APR, or annual percentage rate, is the rate you pay each year based on interest rate plus lender fees. The lower the APR, the less interest you pay each year.
Terms: Loan duration, or term, is just as important as APR. Most lenders offer terms between 10 and 30 years. The shorter the term, the higher your monthly payments but less you’ll pay in interest over the life of the loan. The longer your term, the lower your monthly payments but more you’ll pay your lender in the long run.
Customer service: Customer service is always important, but even more so when we’re talking about six-figure deals. Always search for a lender that is transparent about rates and fees, open about the requirements, and won’t waste your time dragging out the application process. In the digital age, all the top lenders offer the option of applying for a mortgage and uploading documentation online.

9.8

Compare lenders in seconds

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9.2

Works specifically with VA loans

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8.8

Guaranteeing competitive rates

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Fed’s Near-Zero Rate Decision Means Cheaper Mortgages Probably on the Way

Surprisingly, mortgage rates went up immediately after the Federal Reserve slashed the benchmark interest rate to near-zero on March 15. This was probably just a temporary bounce, and in all likelihood mortgage rates will quickly begin moving downward again. In otherwise difficult times, low mortgage rates will bring cheer to people hoping to buy or refinance

Find the Best HARP Loans Lender

If you find yourself unable to refinance your mortgage because your home is falling in value, then there is a federal government program designed to assist you: the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP).

Find the Best VA Home Loans Lenders

VA home loans have helped more than 22 million veterans purchase their own home since the 1940s and continues to be available today through some of the nation’s best mortgage lenders

Answering the What, How and Why of Home Equity Loans

Is it a mortgage? Or is it a personal loan? If you’ve been searching the market for a loan, you’ve probably come across the home equity loan.

Best Lenders for FHA Loans

If you’re a home owner and find yourself in need of a large amount of cash to fund a major expense such as a renovation, medical expenses, or your kids’ college tuition, one type of loan you should consider is a home equity loan

Find the Best Lenders for First Time Home Buyers

If you qualify as a first-time buyer and have begun shopping around for a mortgage and a new home, we have good news to tell you: some of the nation’s best lenders will be willing to offer you a home loan with a down payment of less than the usual 20%. All you need to do in return is pay private mortgage insurance (PMI), which typically costs 0.5% to 1% of the value of the loan annually.

Guide to Mortgage Loans for Manufactured Homes

An estimated 20 million Americans live in mobile homes, and not all of them fit the overplayed stereotype of being poor. According to the most recent U.S. Census, there were 8.5 million mobile homes scattered throughout the country. Around 57% of these homes were occupied by at least one person in full employment, and an additional 23% were occupied by retirees.

10 Factors You Should Consider When Choosing Your Mortgage Loaner

If there is one thing that I have learned over my time, it’s that unless you’re a banker or a mortgage loaner, you probably don’t understand everything there is to know about mortgages. In fact, I’m willing to bet that you’re here because you’re looking for a mortgage loaner and aren’t sure where to start. This is where this guide comes in. When it comes to finding a mortgage loaner, it’s important to think everything through properly, which is difficult when you aren’t sure where to begin – so here are our top 10 things you should consider when choosing a mortgage loaner.

What is The Right Time To Refinance Your Mortgage?

If you’ve been weighing up whether or not to pay off your existing loan and replace it with another one, also known as refinancing your mortgage, then our handy guide is here to help. Sometimes refinancing sounds like a good idea on paper, but in reality it’s not always possible or practical. Lenders are tightening up their rules and regulations, making it more difficult to acquire a loan, so we’ve put together a complete guide to help you decide whether it’s the right time to refinance.

Types of Mortgages Loans

Whether it’s your very first home, or you’re moving for the third time in your life, moving house is always an exciting process. Amongst all of the giddiness though, there is usually a lot of stress involved. We all know that mortgages aren’t cheap, and that if we want to be able to cope with the monthly payments, we have to choose the right one for our needs and lifestyle. In 2017, homebuyers are left with a very difficult decision, as there are numerous types of mortgage loans on the market, all offering something unique but useful. If you’re amongst the thousands who are struggling to make a final decision, hopefully this in depth guide will help you to identify the right mortgage loan for you.

Why Credit Score Matters in Mortgage Applications

In most cases, maintaining a strong credit score is the most important thing you can do to ease your mortgage application process. You credit score and report help your lender determine your ability to pay back your home loan. Therefore, your lender will take into account your score and report when assessing whether to offer you a mortgage loan and when calculating your rate and terms.

Mortgage Industry Review 2017

American home buyers had a fantastic 2017, with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falling from 4.32% to 3.95% (before rising back to around 4.5% by May 2018) and total home sales rising 1% to 5.51 million, the highest figure since 2006. Beyond that, there was plenty of other big news in the mortgage industry last year, which we recap in this article.

First Time Buyer Guide

Buying your first home is an equally exciting and daunting process. After months of renting properties, or even living at your family home, you finally have the money ready to begin the process… But where do you start? There are several legal and financial steps to take before you can buy a home. Read on for our complete first time buyer guide, which will help you get to grips with all of the steps required to purchase your very first house.

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