|  Posted by Member shniggies on 12/5/12 06:04 PM 
               #1 Posts: 909 
                getting some conflicting information from different ppl, and wanted to get some info from a 3rd source CA= california, not canada, eh! :) | 
any loan officers out there? preferably in CA
|  Posted by Member Khan on 12/5/12 06:06 PM 
               #2 Posts: 1195 
                I'm a banker but in BSA/AML. I may be able to give you some advice based on my knowledge of the process/products.               | 
|  Posted by Member shniggies on 12/5/12 06:21 PM 
               #3 Posts: 909 
                i'm trying to get a home loan and 1 source says FHA is the way to go, and another says conventional is actually better... it largely depends on the circumstances I guess, but any general guidelines on how to pick?               | 
|  Posted by Member Khan on 12/5/12 07:31 PM 
               #4 Posts: 1195 
                Definitely depends on the circumstances. FHA - Less down payment - Less qualifications - Less mortgage amount. Here's a link to the limits in CA - Less interest (usually) - Due to less down payment, must have mortgage insurance until you have paid 25%-30% of loan (forgot the exact number) - Can be much easier to obtain Conventional - More down payment - More qualifications - Can get larger mortgage amounts | 
|  Posted by Member shniggies on 12/5/12 07:44 PM 
               #5 Posts: 909 
                thanks @khan.. the part that i'm particularly interested in is the down payment... supposedly only FHA allows less than 20% down 3.5%, but others are saying that is available in conventional as well...               | 
|  Posted by Member Khan on 12/5/12 09:11 PM 
               #6 Posts: 1195 
 Its possible. You need to shop around. However, I haven't seen any in this economic environment. | 
|  Posted by Member phamalot on 12/6/12 12:41 AM 
               #7 Posts: 105 
                IF you qualify, the FHA does allow under 20% but as @Khan mentioned, it's pretty tough in this economic environment. They're pretty stingy right now and also totally backed up on foreclosures still. I'll pm you in game!               |