The Tiny house Blog

Benefits of Government-Backed Mortgage

By
Jason Francis
Designed and built over 100 custom tiny homes, lived on a sailboat for 9 months, and loves to live life to the fullest with his wife and their 4 kids.
Updated on:
September 23, 2024
Benefits of Government-Backed Mortgage

Image Source: Canva

The process of buying a home starts with figuring out the financial aspect. For many people, the solution is a mortgage loan. Getting the money needed to buy your home from a lender and paying it back with interest over a certain period works for both sides. You can get the home of your dreams, and the lender will profit from it.

There are a few government-backed mortgages offering different conditions, often more attractive than conventional ones. There are many benefits to choosing these options, so let’s take a look at the main ones.

Easier on the Credit Score

With the conventional loan, you’ll need to pay attention to your credit score to get approved. You’ll need a good score to get one, which some people don’t.

With government-backed loans, you’re looking at an option to take out a mortgage loan even if your score is lower. Depending on the lender, you may be able to get it even if the credit score is hovering around 500. It’s not guaranteed, but the idea is that a credit score that will get you rejected for a conventional loan may get you approved for a government-backed one.

A Sense of Stability

One of the many advantages of going for a government-backed mortgage is its sense of stability. You’re not getting a mortgage where you can skip payments or something similar, but with the requirements and conditions, you’ll know what to expect. It’s the thing that most people need to ensure they can plan ahead.

This is especially true with mortgages that have a fixed interest rate. It gives you everything you need to know about how much you’ll need to pay monthly, and you’ll be sure the number won’t change for as long as the mortgage is active. This allows you to plan your budget, which is what gives people a sense of stability.

Support for First-Time Buyers

People looking to get their first home are often quite scared, and with good reason. When you look at the market, interest rates, and prices, it’s natural to see people get overwhelmed by the idea of paying for a home for 30 years. While a government-backed mortgage won’t reduce the number of times you’ll pay, it can offer support in terms of better conditions for first-time buyers.

The idea of a government-backed mortgage is to allow as many people to buy a home as possible. They achieve this by offering the stability we mentioned, combined with more attractive conditions. The combination puts first-time homebuyers at ease and “convinces” them that buying a home is the right approach and that the mortgage is the smart way to achieve that.

Image Source: Canva

Lower Down Payment

Another advantage you’ll get with government-backed loans is the ability to go for a lower down payment. The percentage isn’t all that massive with the conventional one, but you’re risking another problem – not getting the mortgage. This is why experts often recommend going for 20% on the down payment to increase your chances of approval.

The government-backed loans work to help the struggling class get their home, which is why the down payment requirements are lower. On average, you’re looking at around 3%, but you may get a VA or USDA loan with a 0% down payment.

One important thing to remember here is that even though you’re increasing the chances of getting that approval, you’ll still need to consider the monthly payments. Going for a lower monthly payment means you’ll need to borrow more money, meaning higher payment. If you can handle that, then you won’t have an issue. On the other hand, if you’re not sure, try to save a bit more for a higher down payment. This will also help you get a mortgage with better conditions.

Lower Interest Rates

Since we’re talking about mortgages backed by the government, another advantage is the lower interest rates. Conventional loans have a rate of over 6%, which is relatively high compared to a few years ago, making it unattractive for some people.

The government-backed ones have a lower value, resulting in affordability. It allows people to have a lower monthly payment and still get approved for a mortgage loan. By covering this and the credit score, these mortgages are helping struggling families get their homes.

One thing to keep in mind is that even though the government doesn’t set a minimum, individual lenders can set their own rules. While most are relatively flexible, there are some stricter ones.

No Need for Insurance

Mortgage insurance to have a protected lender. If you fail to make payments or decide to stop doing so, the lender has a way of getting its money, one way or another. To be fair, even conventional mortgage loans have an option to go around the insurance, but the problem is that you’ll need to go for over 20% down payment.

This is eliminated with government-backed mortgages, as insurance isn’t required. You’ll still need to make regular payments, but you’re not paying for the insurance.

Restoring Eligibility

This is a feature you’ll find with VA loans, and it offers some headroom when buying your new home. The VA loan one-time restoration feature allows you to re-use the benefits of this type of loan to purchase another home.

There are two situations where you’d want to consider this. The first one is getting the restoration of entitlement and applying for another VA mortgage to buy a new home. Often, people do this to get a larger home while planning to sell the current one.

The second approach is to keep your current home and buy another one. The restoration of entitlement can help you keep the title of the current home and get another mortgage for a second one. One thing you should keep in mind is that this is a one-time option, so you won’t be able to utilize it multiple times.

Living in an era where getting a mortgage can be difficult, a government-backed option can be a relief for some people. As long as you qualify for one of these, you’ll be able to utilize the help they’ll provide.

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