Bella Mertz You can use this USDA eligibility map to find USDA-eligible homes in your area. Look up the address you’re interested in purchasing to verify it falls within a rural area, as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Buying a home is an exciting milestone, but it can also be a complicated process full of … Read more
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is an additional cost required by most lenders when your down payment is less than 20% of the home’s purchase price. With an FHA loan, this insurance is called mortgage insurance premium (MIP) and it is required regardless of your down payment amount. So can you remove MIP on an FHA … Read more
Short term bridge loans can be an effective financing tool for real estate investors and developers. As their name suggests these loans “bridge the gap” between the purchase of a property and securing permanent financing. While bridge loans come with higher interest rates than conventional mortgages, they provide fast access to capital that may not … Read more
When it comes to affordable housing loans, two popular options are FHA loans and USDA loans Both are government-backed mortgage programs aimed at helping lower income borrowers achieve homeownership But there are some key differences between FHA and USDA loans that buyers should understand before choosing one. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare FHA and … Read more
More than 44 million Americans carry student debt. While this is often viewed as an investment in the future, the plain truth is that it takes quite a chunk out of the present budget. And if you’re paying off student debt while also trying to afford a home, that extra debt can seem very overwhelming. … Read more
Some or all of the mortgage lenders featured on our site are advertising partners of NerdWallet, but this does not influence our evaluations, lender star ratings or the order in which lenders are listed on the page. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners. You might be surprised or even … Read more
As active duty military or a veteran, you deserve access to financing when you need it. But qualifying for a personal loan with bad credit can be difficult and time consuming. The good news is that there are lenders who offer instant approval on military loans specially designed for service members. In this article, we’ll … Read more
This calculator will help you to compare the costs between a loan that is paid off on a bi-weekly payment basis and a loan that is paid off on a monthly basis. You can use this for any type of loan including home loans. We also offer a separate biweekly mortgage calculator. The Ins and … Read more
Self-employed borrowers might be able to submit tax returns, bank statements, or other documentation as proof of income for a personal loan. Editorial disclosure: Please note that this article contains affiliate links. If you click through and purchase a product from one of our advertising or lending partners, we may earn a commission. The amount … Read more
If you’d like to become a loan officer in Texas, there is a clear path to follow to get your Texas MLO license and begin your career in the mortgage industry. The term mortgage loan originator (MLO), licensed mortgage loan officer are frequently used interchangeably and both reflect the important job of helping home buyers … Read more