Mortgages FAQs
Conventional – Fixed Rate – 10,15,20 and 30 -year terms
First-Time home buyers – Down payments as little as 3% required
Home Ready – A mortgage loan for low-income borrowers who don’t have a large down payment. As little as 3% down payment required. Income is capped at 80% of the area median income (AMI)
FHA – 15- and 30-year terms -A FHA loan differs from a conventional mortgage loan because it is designed to assist borrowers who may need more flexible guidelines to qualify.
USDA – No down payment required. Income and property must be eligible
VA – Offered to Veterans and active military borrowers
Adjustable-Rate Mortgages – 30-year terms – 5/5 and 15/1 options
Yes, with a completed application
Getting pre-qualified and pre-approved with TRAX FCU before you start looking for a home can streamline the process and set you up for success. You’ll have a clearer understanding of the homes that fit your budget and needs, and being pre-approved can make you a more attractive buyer to sellers.
Pre-qualification: An estimate of how much a borrower may be able to borrow based on unverified information provided by the borrower, such as income, assets, and debts.
Pre-approval: A more detailed review in which the lender evaluates verified financial documentation—such as pay stubs, asset statements, and credit history—to issue a conditional approval for the borrower.
You should consider refinancing your mortgage when the numbers and your goals both make sense. Common situations include:
- Lower interest rates are available – common rule if the present rate can be lowered by .5 to 1% this is a good time to consider refinancing
- Doing home improvements
- Changing the term
- Borrower wants to change the type of loan – ARM to a fixed rate, FHA to conventional
- Borrower wants to use the equity for debt consolidation, buy a vacation home, college, etc.
- The borrower wants to remove private mortgage insurance (PMI)