Conventional Mortgage
A mortgage requiring a substantial down payment. It is usually only available to those having good credit, and has fixed monthly payments for the life of the loan. It usually has a 30 year period of fixed interest rates discharged on an amortized basis with equal monthly payments. The term conventional refers to a mortgage that is not FHA-insured or VA-guaranteed. Since there is no third person or entity to insure or guarantee the mortgage, the lender assumes full risk of default by the borrower. A lenders decision to make a conventional mortgage is usually dependent upon: (1) the value of the property being used to secure the debt and (2) the credit and income position of the borrower. As more and more conventional mortgages have been made, the loan to value ratio (relationship between the amount borrowed and the appraised value of the property) has continued to increase, even though most lenders still limit the amount they will lend to no more than 80% of value unless private mortgage insurance is carried. This down payment required is higher than with either VA or FHA loans. As the market price of residential real estate has continued to increase, a larger cash down payment has been required of the borrower, and thus many people have been eliminated from financing with a conventional mortgage. With both guaranteed and insured mortgages, people have been able to purchase real estate with a smaller cash down payment.
Popular Real Estate Terms
The down payment on the price of a real estate. For example, it is customary to make a down payment of 10% of the value of a real estate parcel upon signing the purchase agreement. ...
Selling price for a property less assumed mortgages by the buyer. For tax purposes, the computation of the contract price is critical. ...
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The right to demand that title be conveyed upon payment of the purchase price. ...
Charge levied against property owners to finance an improvement made by the local government which benefits the homeowners and commercial businesses. Examples are sidewalks and sewers. ...
Factor employed by real estate agents or appraisers to determine the change needed in operating income to obtain a desired rate of return. It is used to evaluate income-producing property. ...
Basis for the valuation of property acquired from a decedent for tax purposes. The unified transfer tax in 1976 provides for the valuation of property to be the adjusted basis immediately ...
Also called a will. Describes the disposition of property. ...
Stature regulating the use of credit information. Allows consumers such as prospective homeowners access to their credit files. It requires a lender to explain how loan interest is ...

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