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 loan to value ratio is an indicator determined by dividing a loan amount by the value of the assets or property for the purchase of which the loan is taken. In simple terms, a loan to value ratio (LTV) shows what share in the cost of the property to be purchased on credit represents the loan. LTV exceeding 80% is considered to be one that is associated with higher risks, so lenders usually force the borrower to insure such a loan.

A payday loan is a small short-term unsecured loan, usually issued by microfinance institutions. The issuance of such loans depends on the consumer's previous wages and employment history. Legislation on payday loans varies widely from state to state. To prevent usury (unreasonable and excessive interest rates), some jurisdictions limit the annual interest rate a lender can charge. Additionally, payday loans assume a higher rate of default on the loan.

Most companies try to maintain a positive reputation in the market and conduct a transparent lending policy. However, there are some that are interested only in increasing profits. Often under the guise of favorable programs they use hidden fees, additional commissions and unreasonable fines, which lead customers to a debt pit. There are many parameters that may underline such companies. Among the main ones are the following: solvency and sufficient liquidity reserve, size and structure of equity capital, quality of the loan portfolio, information on the management, reputation and information transparency. You should also check for information on the company at Better Business Bureau and similar resources.

A loan origination fee is a one-time payment, usually ranging from 0.5% to 1% of the total loan amount, charged by the lender to compensate the costs for processing the loan application. In general, loan origination fees are not required by all loan originating agencies. In fact, they can be even negotiated before you sign a contract. In most cases, however, the absence of a loan origination fee as a separate payment simply increases the interest rate correspondingly.

A micro lender is a type of lending institution that specializes in providing small ammounts of money. Since micro-lending is not accompanied by collaterals, the risks for the lender increase exponentially. Because of this, the interest rate on microloans is usually very high. In addition, the activity of micro lenders is strictly controlled by state authorities, especially in terms of collecting outstanding loans.

The question is too general. The loan amount you can count on depends on a mass of various factors. To list just the most obvious ones, they include the purpose of the loan, the type of the loan, your credit history, maximum interest rate and repayment period you are ready to, and whether the loan is secured or unsecured.

Although the term has a rather wide range of meanings, in general, discount points are additional fees charged by the lender when issuing a loan. Through this fee in favor of the lender, the borrower is entitled to expect an appropriate reduction in the interest rate on the loan. In each case, the borrower should carefully evaluate whether it is advantageous to pay more as an upfront fee but receive a lower interest rate for the entire term of the loan, or to choose a higher interest rate with a lower down payment.

A jumbo loan is a mortgage for the ammount that exceeds the Federal Housing Finance Agency's approved loan limits for a particular state. Real estate prices vary greatly in different regions of the United States, so the limit above which a loan acquires jumbo status ranges from about $400,000 to $800,000.

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.

A loan assumption is the transfer of a borrower's rights and obligations under a loan agreement to another person or legal entity. In the case of a mortgage contract, the buyer of the real estate can replace the original borrower to the lender and act in his or her place under the loan agreement.