Taylor Getler is a home and mortgages writer for NerdWallet. Her work has been featured in outlets such as MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, MSN and Nasdaq. Taylor is enthusiastic about financial literacy and helping consumers make smart, informed choices with their money.
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Business expert Michael Soon Lee, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized speaker and consultant whose clients include Coca-Cola, Chevron, Boeing, State Farm Insurance and General Motors. He is the author of nine books, including "Black Belt Negotiating” and "Cross-Cultural Selling for Dummies.” Michael has been an award-winning real estate broker since 1980, was licensed to practice taxation before the Internal Revenue Service and is a former certified financial planner who taught taxation for the College for Financial Planning. His articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines such as The Wall Street Journal, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times and Consumer Reports. He was dean of the School of Management at John F. Kennedy University and served as an adjunct faculty member for Golden Gate University for over 20 years.
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Assigning Editor Johanna Arnone
Assigning Editor | Mortgage lenders, homebuying, home equity
Johanna Arnone helps lead coverage of homeownership and mortgages at NerdWallet. She has more than 15 years' experience in editorial roles, including six years at the helm of Muse, an award-winning science and tech magazine for young readers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Canada's McGill University and a Master of Fine Arts in writing for children and young adults. Practice making complicated stories easier to understand comes in handy every day as she works to simplify the dizzying steps of buying or selling a home and managing a mortgage. Johanna has also completed coursework in Boston University’s Financial Planning Certificate program. She is based in New Hampshire.
Fact Checked Co-written by Abby Badach Doyle Lead Writer Abby Badach Doyle
Lead Writer | Homebuying, mortgages
Abby Badach Doyle is a home and mortgages writer for NerdWallet. She is passionate about helping consumers understand the homebuying process and feel confident about their finances. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post and others. Abby resides in Pittsburgh, a city known for its neighborly spirit and vibrant communities.
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Table of Contents
MORE LIKE THIS First-Time Home Buyers Deciding to Buy a Home MortgagesTable of Contents
MORE LIKE THIS First-Time Home Buyers Deciding to Buy a Home MortgagesFrom setting a budget to picking a neighborhood, first-time home buyers have a lot of decisions to make.
Here’s another one: What type of mortgage should I get?
There’s not just one choice for a “first-time home buyer loan.” More likely, you’ll compare a few mortgage types. Each one has different requirements, such as how much down payment you’ll need. Then, you’ll choose which one is the right fit for your financial situation.
From there, you can look at combining your mortgage with first-time home buyer benefits such as down payment or closing cost assistance. Read the fine print to make sure you qualify as some programs might have income or purchase price limits. When buying your first home, it pays to do your research to get every dollar you can qualify for.
Did you know.Often, you’re considered a first-time buyer if you haven’t owned your principal residence in the past three years.
Here’s how to compare first-time home buyer financing options and find what’s best for you.
Here are six first-time home buyer loans and programs that are worth exploring.
FHA loans are government-insured mortgages that require as little as 3.5% down. VA loans are zero-down-payment loans for qualified military borrowers. USDA loans offer financing on rural and some suburban properties with 0% down.Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac back conventional loans with just 3% down. (Fannie and Freddie don’t lend money directly; you get the loan through a mortgage lender.)
State first-time home buyer programs include loans and assistance programs (such as grants or tax credits) tailored to the borrower’s location.
Fixer-upper mortgages , known as renovation loans, allow you to buy a home and roll remodeling costs into your mortgage with one convenient monthly payment.
Loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration require just 3.5% down, making them a popular choice among first-time home buyers. (If your credit score is under 580, you would be required to put 10% down.) In general, FHA loans offer more flexible qualifications than conventional loans.
While you can technically qualify for an FHA loan with a credit score in the 500s, approved borrowers tend to have much higher scores. In February 2024, the average FICO score for FHA borrowers buying a home was 687, according to ICE Mortgage Technology.
FHA loans also require FHA mortgage insurance . This protects the lender’s stake in the loan if you default. Borrowers can pay an upfront premium as part of their closing costs and an ongoing premium as part of each monthly mortgage payment.
The Department of Veterans Affairs helps eligible service members, veterans and surviving spouses buy homes. VA loans are especially generous, often requiring no down payment or mortgage insurance. (Borrowers do have to pay a one-time funding fee.) They also allow borrowers to have higher debt-to-income ratios — and qualify for larger mortgages — than some other loan programs.
While the VA itself doesn’t set credit or income requirements, individual VA lenders will have their own criteria. According to data from ICE Mortgage Technology, the average FICO score of VA borrowers was 721 in February 2024.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers loans directly to homebuyers and backs (or “guarantees”) loans through private mortgage lenders. And, no, you don’t have to live on a farm to get a USDA loan . The program targets rural and some suburban areas and allows 100% financing, or zero down payment.
USDA loans have income limitations, which vary by region and the type of loan you apply for.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the engines behind the home loan machine, working with mortgage lenders to offer a range of conventional loan products, some requiring low down payments.
Fannie Mae’s HomeReady loan, for example, is designed for low-income borrowers with credit scores of 620 or higher and requires only 3% down. One advantage of this kind of loan is that borrowers could qualify to end their mortgage insurance once they’ve built up 20% equity in their home — unlike with FHA loans, where borrowers can cancel their mortgage insurance after 11 years only if they originally put 10% down.
Freddie Mac’s Home Possible loan is another product geared toward low-income borrowers with a minimum down payment of just 3%. Borrowers can apply sweat equity or funds from gifts, grants or loans toward the down payment.
In addition to these national programs, many state and local governments offer assistance to home buyers. Browse NerdWallet's list of state first-time home buyer programs to learn more.
Before you can qualify for a grant, loan or other assistance, you might be required to take a first-time home buyer class. These classes teach you how to navigate the homebuying process. Many are available online to work at your own pace. Even if it’s not mandatory, you might find it useful to take one anyway.
If you’re planning to tackle some renovations, here are a few mortgage options that can help with the cost.
An energy-efficient mortgage , or EEM, helps borrowers finance energy-efficient homes or energy-saving upgrades. The benefit is that you can enjoy lower energy bills and a more comfortable home sooner instead of picking away at energy-saving projects over time.
FHA 203(k) loans are designed for buyers who want to tackle a fixer-upper. This special FHA-backed loan considers what the value of the property will be after improvements and allows you to borrow the funds to complete the project as part of your main mortgage.
The CHOICERenovation loan is a conventional loan program through Freddie Mac that allows you to finance the purchase of a home and the cost of improvements, too, with low down payments.
HomeStyle from Fannie Mae is another conventional loan option for purchase-and-remodel projects. A 3% down payment is available to first-time home buyers who qualify for the HomeReady program.
VA renovation loans are available to qualified military borrowers, but lenders that offer them can be harder to find.
» MORE: Use our mortgage calculator to find out your monthly mortgage payment.
We’ve listed six resources available to you as a first-time home buyer. Now, you can reflect on your own needs as a borrower when considering your options. Some loans and programs are a better fit for home buyers with low credit scores, for example, while others are tailored specifically for buyers in your area.
If you qualify for one of these programs or products, they can help you get a home without draining your savings for a down payment, can assist you in navigating additional costs like mortgage insurance and can keep your payments low.
It's also important to have a real estate agent who understands your specific needs. Choose an agent who has experience with the loan product you've picked; they can craft your offer and show the seller you're a well-qualified buyer.
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Taylor Getler is a home and mortgages writer for NerdWallet. Her work has been featured in outlets such as MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, MSN and Nasdaq. Taylor is enthusiastic about financial literacy and helping consumers make smart, informed choices with their money. Email: [email protected]. See full bio.
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