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Loans & assistance
Who stands behind the loan, what down payment and credit it takes, and what insurance you pay. Each fits a different buyer — none is "best."
Conventional loans follow Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac rules: strongest pricing for strong credit, private mortgage insurance (PMI) that you can eventually remove. FHA loans are government-insured with more forgiving published credit rules and a 3.5% minimum down payment, but carry FHA mortgage insurance with its own duration rules. VA loans (for eligible service members, veterans, and some survivors) can reach 0% down with no monthly mortgage insurance — usually the strongest option for those who qualify. USDA serves designated rural areas at 0% down with income limits.
The practical differences show up in three places: cash needed up front, what your credit gets you, and what insurance you pay monthly and for how long. The "best" loan is the one whose trade-offs fit your facts.
Each of our loan-type pages shows which local lenders actually wrote that loan type last year — volume from public filings, so you're calling someone who genuinely does them.
Source: HUD/FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1
Who confirms it for you: A lender can price your facts across two or three of these in one conversation — ask for exactly that.
Educational, not advice — and never an eligibility determination. Program rules and loan requirements change; the cited source and the named confirmer are the authorities for your case.