How much should you put down on your new home? The answer can vary depending on the person or people involved.

Yes, there are benefits to putting down 20% of a home’s final purchase price, including borrowing less, a lower monthly payment, and no mortgage insurance. However, saving enough to put down, say, $50,000 on a $250,000 home is no easy task. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that the average down payment is just 6% for first-time homebuyers and 14% for repeat buyers.

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On a fixed rate loan, your interest rate will not change. An adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) has an interest rate that is fixed for a set number of years and then afterwards will go up or down based on a market index such as the LIBOR . When deciding which loan option will be best for you, consider factors such as the length of time you plan to stay in your home. However, if you will be in your home for a long period of time, a fixed rate may be better for you. Otherwise, an adjustable rate may be better if you plan to sell your home before the rate becomes variable, since initial ARM rates are typically lower than fixed rate mortgages.

Interest-only loans are not for everyone, and because of the risks, the pros and cons of an interest-only loan should be considered thoroughly. If you prefer lower payments, borrowers on an interest-only loan make only monthly payments of interest for a set number of years before they begin to make principal payments. During this period, you won’t build any additional equity in your home unless the home appreciates in value. When the interest-only period ends, your mortgage payment will increase to include principal to ensure the outstanding balance gets repaid. This increase is often substantial. If you are comfortable with managing the risks, an interest-only loan does provide some flexibility in managing month-to-month cash flow.

The interest-only feature is not offered on all loan products and is only available to those who are well qualified, so contact one of our home loan originators to see if this option is right for you.

An appraisal is a type of valuation developed by an independent, unbiased, qualified, and licensed or certified professional. Appraisals and valuations are opinions of the market value for the property used as collateral for the requested loan. Written reports of appraisals are sometimes referred to simply as "appraisals."

In almost all situations, a home appraisal will be needed. The appraisal helps a lender determine the fair market value of the home you will mortgage with your refinancing. Since the property will be used as collateral against the mortgage, lenders want to make sure the house is worth at least as much as the loan being requested.

Market value is the likely selling price of a home with a willing buyer and a willing seller on the open market.

A comparable sale is a property that has recently sold and is similar to the subject property in most respects, including size, location and amenities. The selection of comparable sales is an important determining factor in providing an opinion of market value. It is the appraiser's responsibility to adequately research the local real-estate market and to determine which comparable sales best represent the value characteristics of the subject property.

On a refinance, funds are normally disbursed on the fourth business day after you sign your loan documents. This is because federal regulations require a three-day rescission period. That means you have three business days to change your mind and cancel your loan outright.

Points, also known as discount points or mortgage points, are a one-time fee that you can choose to pay to get a lower interest rate. One point equals one percent of your loan amount and will usually result in a rate that is one-eighth to one-quarter of a percent lower.

When you make your mortgage payment on the first of the month, you are actually paying for interest charges that accumulated during the previous month (also called "paying in arrears"). For example, a mortgage payment due on August 1 would cover the interest charged from July 1 to July 31.

As the name indicates, "pre-paid" interest is paid in advance. It is the per diem interest charges that begin accumulating on the day your loan is closed until the end of the month in which the closing occurred. In a refinance transaction, pre-paid interest is calculated from the time the new loan is funded because of the three-day rescission period.

So, for example, if your loan funded on June 15, the pre-paid interest would be calculated based on the number of days left in the month of June, or 15 days (June 16 through June 30).

Using this same scenario, your first monthly mortgage payment would be due on August 1. The August 1 payment would cover interest charges that occurred between July 1 and July 31 (covering the days after the pre-paid interest period ended).

Principal & Interest
With most mortgages, your monthly mortgage payment will include amounts that go toward loan principal and interest. For an interest-only mortgage, monthly payments will include only the interest that is due on the outstanding principal balance until the interest-only period ends.

Mortgage Insurance (MI)
If your home loan requires mortgage insurance, such as private mortgage insurance or PMI, your monthly payment will usually include a mortgage insurance premium.

Real Estate Taxes and Insurance
Your monthly payment may include a portion to cover real estate taxes, homeowners insurance and, if applicable, flood insurance. This money will be held in an escrow account, and we’ll pay your real estate tax and insurance bills on your behalf when they are due.

Remember, no matter the type of mortgage you have, you can always make additional payments toward principal without a penalty. That will help you pay off your loan more quickly.

If you’re refinancing a first mortgage, and have less than 20% equity in your home, mortgage insurance, such as private mortgage insurance or PMI, is usually required. The mortgage insurance premium is typically included in your monthly mortgage payment.

Yes. Typically you can lock your interest rate at any time between application and up to ten days before closing. Talk to your home loan originator for details about how and when to lock your rate.

LTV stands for loan-to-value. It’s used to determine how much you are eligible to borrow and whether mortgage insurance, such as PMI, will be required. It’s also one of the factors used in determining your interest rate.

It equals:
The total dollar amount of mortgages on your property
Divided by
The property’s fair market value.

When refinancing, the fair market value will be established by the appraisal.

When you first apply for a loan, give your best guess as to your home's value. A good starting point for determining your home’s value is by looking at your most recent tax assessment. Or you can also talk to a home loan originator about other methods of figuring out the value. However, we will verify the market value of your home as part of the application process.

Interest you pay on a loan that is secured by your primary residence may very well be tax deductible. Consult with a tax advisor to find out whether the mortgage interest will be tax deductible in your situation.

1. Your credit history (including FICO score)
2. Your property and
3. Your debt-to-income ratio (the amount of income and assets you have compared to your outstanding debts)

This is an important question when asking yourself, "Should I refinance my mortgage?" There are many factors that impact what interest rate you will be offered – from daily changes in the market to individual qualifying. There’s no way to say what your exact interest rate will be until your application is completed, but we will give you our best estimate based on preliminary factors. Your final interest rate will be influenced by where the market is when you apply as well as factors such as the loan purpose (purchase or refinance), your credit history (FICO score), your home’s value and the loan amount, to name a few.

If your credit score is high you may receive better rates and have more options available to you. But simply having some credit issues in the past won’t necessarily disqualify you from refinancing. However, your credit history needs to demonstrate both willingness and ability to repay on time.

An escrow account ensures your real estate tax and insurance bills are paid in full and on time, without you having to save large amounts of money and keep track of due dates. An escrow account is a separate account that your lender sets up to hold the money it collects each month for your real estate taxes, homeowners insurance premiums and, if applicable, flood insurance and/or mortgage insurance. The lender takes your estimated annual real estate taxes and insurance premium expenses and divides that amount by 12. This amount is added to your monthly mortgage payment.

Your real estate and insurance bills are sent directly to the lender and they are paid on your behalf with the escrowed funds.

If you had an escrow account on your previous loan, it is very likely that your lender will set up an escrow account for your new loan.

That depends on factors such as the loan program you choose and the amount of down payment you make. When you apply for your loan, we will let you know whether or not an escrow account will be required. If it is, we’ll give you an estimate of the monthly escrow payments you will need to make.

We typically estimate the real estate tax portion of your escrow based on the most recent tax assessment on the property and your homeowner’s insurance based on information provided by your insurance company. We may also use the escrow information from your previous mortgage.

The amount we collect each month may change based on increases and decreases to your real estate taxes and/or insurance premiums. We’ll review your escrow account at least once a year, then we’ll notify you of any changes to your required escrow payment in an Escrow Account Disclosure Statement.

If you have an existing escrow account with us, log in to our mortgage servicing website for helpful answers to FAQs. You will also find information about your existing mortgage loan, including balance and payment details, as well as contact information if you have additional refinancing questions.