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
A house having stucco or brick siding mixed with some wood. The house usually is two or more stories. ...
A style of architecture originating in Europe in the 1920s. The international architecture design was very functional and emphasized buildings constructed of steel, reinforced concrete, and ...
The reason a property appraisal is being made. The purpose of the appraisal is the first step in the appraisal process. The purpose of the appraisal should answer several questions: ...
Premiums in insurance and real estate define as a bonus or surplus money. A dividend means a periodic fee you have to pay for your insurance protection. While in real estate, a premium ...
Property of a defaulted borrower is sold under court order, and the judge must approve the amount received. For example, Fidelity Bank has a first mortgage balance of $100,000 on Mr. X's ...
Regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) establishing the criteria to avoid a private offering. For example, John wants to sell shares in an apartment house to several ...
Association of the owners of all condominium units in a building that is concerned with managing day-to-day matters in the building complex, including the surrounding and enforcing ...
Interest rate on a mortgage that moves up or down based on some variable such as an index of lender's cost of funds, inflation rate, or prime rate. ...
Also called earnest money. Money deposited with an individual for security for the performance of some contract. This is intended to show his/her willingness to follow through with the ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.