A loan assumption is a procedure whereby the person who took out a loan to purchase real estate is willing to sell the property to a new buyer, while ceding his or her role in the loan agreement. Thus, the new buyer of real estate actually takes the place of the previous borrower in the eyes of the lender.

Each banking institution has its own procedures, rules and methodologies for examining and analyzing the creditworthiness of a potential borrower applying for a loan. The underwriting procedure results in a positive decision on the loan application or refusal to grant a loan, or a compromise decision: granting a loan, but in the amount and/or under the conditions that are favorable to the bank, even if they differ from the client's expectations. That is, a credit underwriter is a specialist who makes such decisions.

Gradual repayment of the loan through regular payments of principal and accrued interest is the amortization of the debt. Specific repayment terms are determined according to the concluded loan agreement and are fixed in the payment schedule. The payments are broken down for the entire term of the loan agreement and consist of the 'principal' (original amount of the loan) and interest. The amount of the amortization charges in this case shows the total amount of repayment at the moment.

Because FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loans are designed to help low- and moderate-income consumers, they have a lower down payment compared to other types of loans. More specifically, the down payment is as low as 3.5% of the loan amount.

A VA loan represents a mortgage loan guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of the United States. The program is for veterans, various military personnel currently doing military service in the army, reservists and spouses (provided they do not remarry). It can be used to buy single family houses, condominiums and apartment buildings, as well as for building new houses. You can apply for a VA loan multiple times, as long as you meet the above requirements.

A 5/1 arm loan is actually an adjustable-rate long-term mortgage. If talking about the meaning of '5' and '1' figures, it is as follows. '5' means five years during which you have a fixed interest rate, and '1' means one year, which states frequency of changing of your interest rate after the expiration of the first five years. Sometimes these changes might be significant, so you have to start paying way more than before.

Contrary to popular belief, getting a loan to a person with a bad credit history is quite possible. There is even such a term as a 'bad credit loan'. Not a single financial institution directly advertises such a service, but in fact many of them work with problem borrowers. The only significant nuance: because of a bad credit history, creditors have to hedge themselves by increasing the interest rate and tightening the conditions.

A recourse loan or debt entails personal liability of the borrower. A non-recourse loan does not allow the lender to claim anything other than collateral. For example, if someone fails to repay a non-recourse mortgage loan, athe lender may only foreclose on the real estate that was the collateral.

By saying 'bad credit loans' we mean loans for people with bad credit history or no history at all. As a rule, they involve higher interest rates and more restrictions when compared to regular loans. The reason is that bad credit history means more risks creditor. Yeah, that simple. By the way, 'bad credit loan' is an unofficial name for such type of loans, so don't expect to find them among credit companies' services.

Collateral is a guarantee for the lender to get all the funds due under the loan agreement. In case the borrower does not fulfill his/her obligations or does not fulfill them to the full extent, the corresponding debt is to be repaid at the expense of the collateral. Collateral can be represented by residential and non-residential real estate, motor vehicles, precious metals, securities, etc. However, in fact, banks determine the list of property taken as collateral when granting loans. The property pledged as collateral under the loan must be necessarily evaluated.

Loan amortization is the process of gradual repayment of a loan by making regular payments of principal and interest on the use of credit funds. In essence, loan amortization is a repayment of the loan on the terms and conditions agreed in the loan agreement and over a specified period.