FHA stands for the Federal Housing Administration. An FHA loan is what allows buyers who can’t come up with a hefty down payment and/or have “lower” credit scores to qualify for a mortgage loan. The basic criteria for an FHA loan is 3.5% minimum down payment and a credit score of 580 points or higher.

Only certain lenders are able to give FHA-insured loans so be sure to check with yours! Having a loan backed by the government (like the FHA loan) is popular for first time buyers as they are oftentimes easier to get than a conventional loan. Why? Easy — the criteria listed above opens the home-buying pool to a lot more people than only those who can put down 10 or 20 percent for a down payment.

There are specific types of FHA loans that your lender can go over with you if you decide an FHA loan is right for you. While deciding what type of FHA loan works for you, it’s also important to note certain limits on FHA loan, namely how high of price they are willing to cover.

And more…so let’s talk about how to get you into a home!