35 articles
VA, FHA, and USDA loans are often assumable, letting a buyer inherit the seller's low rate. Here's how assumption works, who qualifies, and how to cover the equity gap.
A bridge loan lets you tap your current home's equity to buy your next home before selling, in exchange for higher rates, extra fees, and the risk of carrying two payments. Here is how it works, what it costs, and the alternatives.
HELOC, bridge loan, or a cash-offer program? Compare the true cost of carry and the risk of holding two mortgages, and learn which option fits your equity, timeline, and risk tolerance.
Waiting periods to get a mortgage after bankruptcy, foreclosure, or a short sale, compared across FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional loans — plus when the clock actually starts and how to shorten the wait.
A co-borrower, non-occupant co-borrower, and co-signer each affect your mortgage and home title differently. Here's how FHA and conventional rules treat them, and why the loan and the deed are separate decisions.
Student loans don't disqualify you from a mortgage. Here's how lenders count your payment in your DTI, why a $0 income-driven payment may not count as $0, and how FHA and conventional rules differ.
What mortgage reserves are, how many months lenders like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac tend to expect, and which of your accounts count toward them.
Getting a mortgage on a condo means the lender reviews the entire project and its HOA, not only your finances. Learn what "warrantable" means, how FHA and VA approval works, and how to check a building before you make an offer.
Construction-to-permanent loans combine building costs and your long-term mortgage into one loan with a single closing. Learn how the draw schedule, interest-only construction phase, conversion, and VA options work.
Debt-to-income ratio is the main number lenders use to decide how much you can borrow. Learn how front-end and back-end DTI are calculated, the limits for conventional, FHA, and VA loans, and how to improve your ratio.
An FHA 203(k) loan finances a home purchase and its renovation together in one FHA-insured mortgage. Here's how the Limited and Standard versions work, who qualifies, and the costs to weigh.
FHA 203(k) is usually the more accessible renovation loan; Fannie Mae HomeStyle is usually the more flexible one. Here's how to tell which fits your credit, property, and project.
