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CONVENTIONAL LOAN

CONVENTIONAL LOAN

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).

Conventional loans are often (erroneously) referred to as conforming mortgages or loans; while there is overlap, the two are distinct categories. A conforming mortgage is one whose underlying terms and conditions meet the funding criteria of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Chief among those is a dollar limit, set annually by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA): currently, in most of the continental U.S., a loan must not exceed $424,100. So, while all conforming loans are conventional, not all conventional loans qualify as conforming. For example, a jumbo mortgage of $800,000 is a conventional mortgage, but not a conforming mortgage – because it surpasses the amount that would allow it to be backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Currently, conventional mortgages represent around two-thirds of the homeowner's loans issued in the U.S. The secondary market for conventional mortgages is extremely large and liquid. Most conventional mortgages are packaged into pass-through mortgage-backed securities, which trade in a well-established forward market known as the mortgage TBA (to be announced) market. Many of these conventional pass-through securities are further securitized into collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs).

CONVENTIONAL LOAN

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CONVENTIONAL MORTGAGE REQUIREMENTS

1. Proof of Income

These documents will include, but may not be limited to:

  • Thirty days of pay stubs that show income as well as year-to-date income
  • Two years of federal tax returns
  • Sixty days or a quarterly statement of all asset accounts including your checking, savings and any investment accounts
  • Two years of W-2 statements

Borrowers also need to be prepared with proof of any additional income such as alimony or bonuses.

2. Assets

You will need to present bank statements and investment account statements to prove that you have funds for the down payment and closing costs on the residence, as well as cash reserves. If you receive money from a friend or relative to assist with the down payment, you will need gift letters which certify that these are not loans and have no required or obligatory repayment. These letters will often need to be notarized.

3. Employment Verification

Lenders today want to make sure they are loaning only to borrowers with a stable work history. Your lender will not only want to see your pay stubs, but may also call your employer to verify that you are still employed and to check your salary. If you have recently changed jobs, a lender may want to contact your previous employer. Self-employed borrowers will need to provide significant additional paperwork concerning their business and income.

4. Other Documentation

Your lender will need to copy your driver's license or state ID card and will need your Social Security number and your signature allowing the lender to pull your credit report.

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