If home ownership is your dream, home financing can make it a reality. A house is likely the biggest purchase you’ll ever make, and odds are that you will need a mortgage. The best mortgage lender is different for everyone, but you should trust and feel comfortable with the lender you choose.

If you need a mortgage, the coronavirus pandemic is a good news, bad news situation. Mortgage rates are near all-time lows, yet homebuyers can expect stricter credit, income and down payment requirements as lenders guard against risks posed by the pandemic.

When you’re ready to shop for a mortgage, this guide provides an overview of the best overall U.S. mortgage lenders and helps you choose the best mortgage for your needs. What you’ll learn:

Locking in a low mortgage rate today can save you thousands over the life of your loan. Compare your mortgage rate offers with national average trends.*

A mortgage is a type of loan borrowers can obtain from banks, credit unions or other financial institutions and use for home financing.

The property secures the loan as it is repaid in monthly installments, including interest, usually over 15 to 30 years. The lender holds the title to the house until the loan is paid in full, and then it releases the lien on the property and transfers the title to the homeowner.

If you don’t make monthly payments to the lender and then you default on the loan, the bank can seize your home and sell it to recoup its money.

Although the coronavirus has slowed economic activity, homebuying continues. “If you are fortunate enough to be in a position to buy, it is a great time to do so,” says Rob Sickler, loan originator with Mortgage Network Solutions.

But he warns that you’ll need stable income and solid credit. Mortgage lenders, looking to limit their risk because of the coronavirus downturn, have made approval harder.

“The biggest challenge right now is the minimum credit score requirement,” says Brandon Snyder, real estate agent with Selling With The Snyders in Katy, Texas.

The minimum FICO score to buy a home in 2020 will depend on the type and the size of your mortgage. Credit score requirements also vary by lender and loan program. That said, you will need a FICO credit score of at least 620 for conventional loans and at least 580 for government-backed Federal Housing Administration loans.

If your credit is good but your job is in limbo, you may still have mortgage options. First, Sickler says, “By all means, continue to pay your bills as you normally would.”

Focus on your payment history – the most important factor in your credit score – because not much can happen with a home loan while you’re furloughed. Most lenders won’t offer a preapproval letter until you’ve been back from a furlough for at least 30 days.

Documentation, such as a furlough letter, could help you get approved, Snyder says. “Lenders need to make sure (you) are going back to work,” he says.

Snyder says he obtained a mortgage for a furloughed client by sending the lender his client’s furlough letter, which contained details such as the return date from the pause in work. This assured the lender that his client would soon be back to work and able to afford the mortgage payment.

If the coronavirus has made mortgage payments difficult, you may have options. Whatever you do, do not stop making a payment without first speaking with your lender.

How do you choose a mortgage lender? U.S. News asked consumers about their top priorities when selecting the best mortgage lender.

Many consumers said they look at loan costs, including interest rates and fees, and get rate quotes or preapprovals to compare mortgage rates and deals.

The survey says some consumers don’t know what to do after being turned down for a mortgage or how to get back on track after missing a mortgage payment.

A major concern for consumers choosing mortgage lenders is loan costs.

Consumers are split on how much time to spend researching home loans.

Most consumers take advantage of rate quotes or preapprovals.

A majority of consumers compare annual percentage rates and closing costs before choosing home loans.

About 70% of homebuyers have a good idea of how much their monthly mortgage payments will be before closing.

Saving for a down payment before applying for a mortgage is a top priority for homebuyers.

Relationships matter when choosing mortgage lenders.

Applying with a different lender is a top course of action for consumers turned down for a mortgage.

Many consumers are uncertain what to do if they can’t make a mortgage payment.

The mortgage loan process can seem daunting. You can reduce some of the stress by knowing the basic steps of the mortgage process.

Your mortgage interest rate is what you pay to finance your home. Mortgage rates can be fixed or adjustable.

Knowing the differences between the two types can help you choose the right one.

Whether a fixed-rate mortgage or an adjustable-rate mortgage is best can depend on your market conditions, your finances and how long you plan to keep your mortgage.

Fixed rate: A fixed-rate mortgage keeps the same interest rate throughout the entire loan term, and your monthly mortgage payment will stay the same. You don’t have to worry about costs going up, but you can’t benefit if market rates fall unless you refinance.

The monthly payments on a fixed-rate mortgage are typically higher than the initial monthly payments on an adjustable-rate mortgage because the lender can’t increase your interest rate later.

Adjustable rate: The interest rate on adjustable-rate mortgages can change over time, which means your monthly payments can rise or fall based on market rates. Adjustable-rate mortgage interest rates depend on a benchmark rate, such as the prime rate.

When benchmark rates go up or down, so does your interest rate – and your monthly mortgage payment. Adjustable-rate mortgages can make sense when you plan to sell or refinance your home before the rate increases, or if you expect market rates to decrease.

Your mortgage rate is determined by your risk as a borrower. When lenders set your mortgage interest rate, they consider a wide range of factors, including your:

As you’re comparing mortgage offers, you should consider both the interest rate and the annual percentage rate, or APR.

The interest rate is the cost of borrowing money each year, expressed as a percentage. The APR, on the other hand, is the annual cost to the borrower that reflects everything you may have to pay for your loan, such as closing costs, discount points and origination fees.

Mortgage points, also called discount points, are fees you can pay the lender at closing to lower the interest rate on your mortgage. Each point costs 1% of your total loan amount and typically lowers your interest rate by 0.25% for every point you purchase.

You can buy points for fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages. The points on an adjustable-rate mortgage provide a discount only on the initial rate, but the points on a fixed-rate mortgage lower the rate for the duration of the loan.

The longer you plan to stay in a property, the more it makes sense to pay points. You’ll benefit from the lower interest rate for a longer period of time.

Mortgages aren’t one-size-fits-all. Most mortgage companies offer a wide range of loan products so you can choose the mortgage that works best for you.

Your mortgage will most likely fall into one of two camps: either government-backed or conventional loan. The difference is that government-backed mortgage programs reduce risk for lenders and can make qualifying for mortgages easier for borrowers, including first-time homebuyers.

Government-backed programs include:

On the other hand, common types of conventional mortgages are:

Refinancing or jumbo loans can be either government backed or conventional.

Government-Backed Mortgages

FHA loans: The Federal Housing Administration insures FHA mortgages, which allows you to qualify with a lower credit score and a smaller down payment than on a conventional loan. You could put as little as 3.5% down.

VA loans: The VA offers a loan guarantee to help active-duty service members, veterans and their surviving spouses qualify for mortgages. Buyers can access zero down payment VA loans, and lenders may charge a lower interest rate for these compared with conventional loans.

USDA loans: The USDA’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program encourages people to purchase homes in rural areas. Borrowers in these areas can more easily qualify for these loans and at lower interest rates compared with conventional loans because the USDA guarantees the loans.

Conventional Mortgages
Conventional mortgages aren’t federally guaranteed and are available from private lenders. These loans can be harder to qualify for because they don’t have a guarantee if you default, but they also don’t have rules limiting who can apply.

A conventional loan is either conforming or nonconforming. Conforming loans:

Conventional mortgage lenders, such as banks or credit unions, typically require you to make a down payment of 5% to 20% of a home’s purchase price. Some offer loans, particularly first-time homebuyer programs, with down payments as low as 3%.

The best mortgage term depends on how much house you want to buy and how quickly you want to pay it off. Most homebuyers choose a loan term – the length of your mortgage, or how long you are scheduled to make payments – of either 15 or 30 years.

Your loan term significantly influences how much you pay each month. With a longer mortgage term, your monthly payments are smaller because you have more time to repay the loan. But longer-term mortgage interest rates are usually higher than shorter-term rates, plus the longer term will cost more in overall interest.

Say you’re trying to decide between a 15-year or 30-year term for a $200,000 loan at a 3.5% interest rate. The 15-year fixed loan means a monthly payment of about $1,400, and the 30-year fixed loan shaves about $500 off that total. But you’ll pay about $57,000 in total interest with the 15-year loan and more than twice that amount if you choose the 30-year mortgage.

As this example shows, doing a little math can tell which term works best for your budget. Owning your home “free and clear” doesn’t help if you don’t have the cash to make ends meet, called house-rich and cash-poor.

Mortgage lenders want to know how risky it is to lend you money. Lenders will look at not only your credit but also your income, down payment and other key factors when they review your application.

Credit score: Your credit score is a major factor, but the minimum credit score can vary by lender and loan program. A conventional loan typically requires a minimum FICO score of 620, but some programs allow you to qualify with a lower credit score. You may be able to qualify with a lower score if the lender uses manual underwriting for your application.

Home price and loan amount: The larger your mortgage, the greater the risk for the lender. Lenders limit risk by following government loan limits.

If you want to buy a property that costs more than these limits, you can apply for a jumbo loan, also known as a nonconforming loan. But expect tougher approval standards and higher APRs with jumbo loans because lenders take on more risk.

Down payment: Your down payment is the amount you pay upfront for the property, while the mortgage covers the rest. A larger down payment leads to a lower interest rate on your mortgage. You’ll be borrowing less money, so lenders are taking on less risk.

Loan term: The longer the length of your loan, the higher the interest rate may be. Rates are higher on a 30-year mortgage compared with a 15-year mortgage.

Loan type: Government-backed loans typically charge lower rates than conventional loans, but FHA loans can be more expensive once you factor in other fees, such as mortgage insurance or PMI.

Before you apply, make sure you can qualify for the best overall mortgage possible. Check and improve your credit, compare mortgage rates and best mortgage lenders, get prequalified and then preapproved for a mortgage, and plan for your down payment and closing costs.

1. Check and improve your credit. Review your credit history and fix problems with your credit report before you apply for a mortgage. Contact each of the three credit bureaus separately to dispute errors.

You can improve your credit score by focusing on good habits: making on-time payments and paying down balances. These efforts before you apply for a mortgage can help you get approved and secure better terms, Sickler says.

Still, don’t count yourself out if you have a less-than-perfect credit score, he adds. You can make up ground by finding the right lender and putting together a solid mortgage application.

And no matter your credit history, you will want to avoid piling on more debt if you plan to apply for a mortgage anytime soon. Every loan or credit card application can shave a few points off your credit score and could prevent you from qualifying for the best mortgage rates.

2. Prequalify and compare rates. Do this with several lenders, which will evaluate your creditworthiness and how much home you can afford. Typically, prequalification uses a soft credit inquiry and does not harm your credit score.

If you want support with this step, an independent mortgage broker can help you shop around for home loan options.

3. Get preapproved. Once you’ve identified one or more lenders you’re interested in working with, then you should go through the preapproval process. Preapproval offers a more comprehensive review of your credit and solidifies the terms a lender can offer you, including how much you could likely borrow.

A preapproval letter can also make you a more attractive buyer because it shows you are serious and that your offer is less likely to be withdrawn because of a lack of funding.

4. Plan for your down payment and closing costs. Closing costs often range between 2% and 5% of the purchase price, depending on where you live and if you’re paying points to your lender at closing.

Typically, you will pay or wire your down payment a couple of days before closing. The closing agent, either a title company or real estate attorney, will oversee the transaction.

When there are so many mortgage loans to choose from, how can you best compare them? After you’ve prequalified with a handful of mortgage lenders, you will narrow down your choices by seeing how they stack up.

You can evaluate mortgage companies based on four key factors:

Interest rates. Interest can vary by lender and by product, so when you shop around and compare mortgage rates, you could find a better deal. Choosing a lender that can save you even a few tenths of a percentage point could translate to hundreds or potentially thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.

Closing costs. When you factor in closing costs, including application, appraisal and loan origination fees, the lender with the lowest rate may not offer the best overall mortgage costs. Compare costs between lenders, using the APR to find out how much you would owe per year for a loan when you factor in all costs.

Product offerings. Your lender may offer many types of loans, such as 30-year fixed loans, FHA, USDA or VA loans, jumbo loans, and first-time homebuyer programs. Look for a lender with options that work for you.

Make sure the lender offers products in your state. National mortgage companies may provide mortgage loans in all 50 states, but regional mortgage lenders can be more limited.

Customer service reviews. Use customer service feedback to research lender performance. Lenders should not only offer great loan rates but also treat customers well.

“Customer service is the most important factor when you’re looking to apply for a loan,” Sickler says. “A mortgage is a pretty standard product. What sets the best lenders apart is that when problems come up, they’re going to give you the personal attention you need.”

You might not be shopping for a first mortgage – the primary loan on a property – but need a second mortgage, or a loan that uses the equity in your home as collateral.

If you’ve built up equity in your home, a home equity loan or home equity line of credit allows you to tap that value to cover large expenses. You can get cash out of your home to cover big-ticket items, such as college costs and home repairs or improvements.

A home equity loan gives you a lump sum that you repay in a series of equal monthly installments over, say, 10, 15 or 20 years. If you have sufficient equity in your home and you need to finance improvements that increase the value of your home, this type of loan could be a good idea.

Also, a home equity loan could help you consolidate high-interest debts, as long as you can keep up with your new monthly loan payment. Home equity loans usually have lower interest rates than personal loans, the risk is higher: If you default, you could lose your home.

If you’re in a tough financial position and can’t make your mortgage payments, you need to move quickly to protect your home. The good news is that if you’re struggling because of the coronavirus, help is available so you can avoid foreclosure.

No matter the reason for your struggles, reach out to your lender right away to discuss your options if you can’t keep up with your mortgage payments. You may be able to skip mortgage payments under a forbearance or deferment agreement, or modify your loan to make monthly payments for manageable.

Whatever you do, don’t wait until you’ve missed payments before seeking help.

“Servicers understand (that) things happen, and they’re willing to work with you,” Sickler says. “The more proactive borrowers are at the beginning of a problem, the better the results will be.”