Which Mortgage Loan Is Right For My Investment?

There are a lot of different loan types out there so make sure you are armed with the information you need to make the best decision for you and your investment. BiggerPockets has broken down the different loan types for you, if you still have questions be sure to post them into our forums to get advice from other investors.

• Conventional Loans

  A conventional mortgage or conventional loan is any type of homebuyer's loan that is not offered or secured by a government entity, like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the USDA Rural Housing Service, but rather available through or guaranteed a private lender (banks, credit unions, mortgage companies) or the two government-sponsored enterprises, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac).

• Veteran Affairs Loan (VA)

  A VA loan is a mortgage loan available through a program established by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. These loans are meant to serve service members, veterans, and eligible surviving spouses. These loans offer up to 100% financing on the value of a home along with other benefits that make the purchase of a property a low-expense.

• Federal Housing Authority Loans (FHA)

  An FHA loan is a mortgage issued by federally qualified lenders and insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). FHA loans can be used for low-to-moderate income borrowers who are unable or do not want to make a large down payment. These loans allow the borrower to borrow up to 96.5% of the value of the home (with a credit score of at least 580; otherwise, a 10% down payment is required). The 3.5% down payment requirement can come from a gift or a grant, which makes FHA loans popular with first-time homebuyers.

• HomeReady Loan

  A type of conventional loan, HomeReady mortgages are offered by Fannie Mae. Similar to an FHA they are meant to help low- and moderate-income borrowers buy or refinance. These loans offer reduce the typical down payment to as low as 3% and reduce mortgage insurance requirements, but they're also more flexible about allowing contributions from other people. This makes HomeReady an ideal choice if you're relying on others to help fund your home purchase. Additionally, these loans allow for private mortgage insurance (PMI) to be cancelled or removed depending on the life-time value of the loan.

• Personal Loans

  A personal loan can be a simple way to secure cash. Typically money is borrowed from a bank, credit union, online lender or a personal lender. The loan is paid back on a short timeline with monthly installments, including interest, or structured based on negotiations in the case of a personal lender.

• Hard Money Loan (HML)

  A hard money loan is a short-term and high-interest loan. Unlike traditional loans a HML is backed by the value of the real estate and not by the credit worthiness of the borrower. They are funded by private investors or companies as opposed to conventional lenders such as banks or credit unions.

• Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM)

  A type of conventional loan, a adjustable-rate mortgage is a type of mortgage in which the interest rate applied on the outstanding balance varies throughout the life of the loan. Normally, the initial interest rate is fixed for a period of time, after which it resets periodically, often every year or even monthly.