Loan Programs
Mortgages come in many different shapes and sizes depending on what type of property you are buying, what repayment terms you desire, what your credit looks like, etc.Which loan makes the most sense for you depends on how long you anticipate remaining in the home, how much money you have for a down payment, and the monthly payment you can afford.
Conventional Conforming Loan
This is a traditional mortgage of up to $417,000 requiring a 5% down payment. It is usually for a term of 15, 20, or 30 years. Traditional guidelines for approving this loan allow you to have a total debt ratio (house payment & total monthly debt payments) equal to 36%* of your gross monthly income. This loan also requires MI until your loan to value ratio is 80% or less (until you have 20% equity in your home). This loan is good for people who have at least 5% to put down and who want to be able to cancel their MI down the road.
FHA Loan
This is a HUD or government insured loan that allows you to buy a home for only 3% down. It does, however, requires both an up-front MI payment of 1.5% of the loan amount and monthly MI payments of .5% of the loan amount (paid as part of your monthly mortgage payment). HUD allows the total debt ratio to be as high as 41%. HUD has maximum loan limits for each county which are significantly lower than conventional limits (Utah county’s limit is $232,300). HUD requires 5 years of mortgage insurance after which it can be dropped when the loan-to-value of the home reaches 78%. An FHA loan is excellent for someone who has less money to put down, and someone who has more debt or whose credit is not quite as good.
No Cost FHA/VA Refinance
Through this program, you are allowed to refinance to a lower interest rate without having to re-qualify for the mortgage. This means there are no income verifications, no questions about your debt, no appraisals, and no costs to you! We’re only required to verify that you’ve made your monthly mortgage payment on time for the last 6 to 12 months. Call First Colony Mortgage today for more details.
VA Loans
This is a Veterans Administration insured loan available to Veterans of the Armed Forces. It allows for 103% financing so a veteran can buy a home for no money down and finance the closing costs. The VA charges a funding fee that varies based on whether or not this is you first time getting a VA mortgage. First Colony Mortgage has Direct Underwriting authority allowing us to underwrite and approve VA loans in-house, reducing the time it takes to get you into your new home.
Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs)
Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) usually start out at a lower interest rate than the going market rates for a 30 year fixed rate loan. The initial rate remains fixed for a set period of time (1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 years) afterwhich the rate can adjust up or down annually, based on the index the rate is tied to. The amount the interest can increase or decrease is usually "capped" at a maximum of 1% or 2% per year and 5% or 6% over the life of the loan, depending on the loan program. When qualifying for a 1 yr. or 3 yr. ARM, you must qualify at the maximum rate you could have the second year of the mortgage. With 5, 7, or 10 yr. ARMs, you qualify based on the initial rate. You may consider getting an ARM when the 30 yr. fixed rates are high but you expect them to go down within a few years (when you could then refinance to a lower fixed rate loan), or when you only anticipate being in the home a few years and selling before the rate begins to adjust annually.
Less Than Perfect Credit
At First Colony Mortgage, If you can have "less than perfect" credit, we can help! We offer programs for purchase or refinancing of all types of credit (A - D). Slow payments, collections, charge-offs, tax liens, judgements, foreclosures, and even bankruptcy can often be handled successfully but will usually carry a higher interest rate and require a larger down payment. If you have experienced credit difficulties in the past, we can help.