What is a guaranteed mortgage?
Well as you might have guessed, it’s a guarantee that your loan will be paid in case of default (fine print sometimes this is actually insurance), by a third party. In most cases the third party is the government.
Guaranteed mortgages are used when a borrower does not have the traditional required 20% of the purchase price to put down. In these cases the programs guarantee (or insure) the loan. In fact first-time home buyers often do not have the full 20% to put down, so these programs are very helpful in getting funding.
FHA, VA and USDA are the most common guarantors. FHA loans allow first time home buyers to put as little as 3.5% down (with a credit score of at least 580). VA loans allow veterans, active duty and surviving spouses to get funding for a new home loans or refinance with zero down and more flexible credit requirements. There is an upfront fee (but that can be waived in certain situations as well). USDA loans are designed for low and moderate income rural home buyers (although rural might not be as rural as it once was).
Check with us for more details and to see what program you can qualify for and what best fits your needs!