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
Information that is factual, such as representations made by a real estate broker to a prospective buyer. ...
Hallow masonry wall consisting of an inner and outer wall with dead air space between them. The air space provides increased thermal insulation. Cavity walls are not used in northern ...
Person or business that provides an option to someone else. ...
Geographic location that is gradually being developed as an urban area. ...
Organizational governing group. Either an appointed or elected body overseeing the management of an organization and rendering advice on current issues. Members are legally responsible for ...
The add-on interest is a type of interest that is figured into the total cost of a loan over its entire life. The interest is added to the principal and divided by the number of monthly ...
Literature, samples, equipment, tools, and other useful information that real estate brokers or agents can use for demonstration purposes to prospective buyers. ...
Style of architecture popular during the American Colonial Period. The 2-story house is square or rectangular. The steep gable roof extends down to the first floor in the rear. ...
As you’d expect, the rod has various meanings in everyday discourse. However, lesser-known is that surveyors use a rod as a land survey measurement for real estate. In a nutshell, a ...

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