Conventional Loans

What is a Conventional Loan?

A conventional loan is a type of mortgage loan that is not insured or guaranteed by any government entity such as FHA, VA, and USDA. Conventional loans are also known as conforming loans because they “conform” to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac standards. Conventional loans are much more common than government-backed financing and are used for about 3/4 of all new home sales, making them the most popular home loan option.

Conventional loans can be used to finance or refinance a primary residence, second home, vacation property or investment property. This is in contrast to government-backed loan programs which can only be used to finance a primary residence. Single-family homes, duplexes, 2-4 unit properties, condominiums, and townhouses are all eligible for a conventional loan.

If your shopping for a conventional loan, we’d love to help; we offer conventional home loans in Virginia including Blacksburg, Marion, Abingdon, Roanoke, Wytheville, Bristol, and the surrounding areas.

Down payment requirements
for a Conventional Loan

The minimum down payment on a conventional loan is 3% of the sales price. Although, the interest rate is lower by putting down 5% or more compared to the 3% down payment option. Conventional loans require private mortgage insurance, PMI, unless you put down at least 20%. PMI is insurance on the loan, the insurance will compensate the lender a portion of the loss in the case of a default by the borrower. Home possible and Home Ready are two loan options that have lower PMI rates, even when you only put down 3%, however, there are additional income restrictions on the Home possible and Home Ready loan programs.

One way to avoid PMI without paying 20% down is to get a lender-paid PMI loan, LPMI is a conventional loan that doesn’t require PMI, however the interest rate is a little higher than the PMI loan, LPMI can result in an overall lower payment which is a cost saving in the first several years but in the long run can cost the borrower more. This is a great option if the borrower is going to live in the house for only a few years. We can discuss the break-even point on a PMI vs lender-paid PMI loan to help determine the best possible loan for your scenario.

Conventional Loan Benefits

3-5% minimum down payment options

No private mortgage insurance (PMI) with 20% or more down.

Seller assistance with up to 3% of closing costs

Fixed Rates from 10 to 30 years

Higher loan limits than FHA

Lower PMI rates compared to FHA

Available for primary residence, second homes, and investment properties

Conventional Loan Limits in Virginia

Conforming loan amounts can go up to $484,350 and a maximum of $726,525 in high-cost areas. If you need a home loan above the conforming loan amounts, talk to us about our jumbo loans or our conventional high balance loans.

Conventional Loan Example

Example of a Conventional Home Loan Payment. Based on a $200,000 Loan with 5% down, 30 Year Fixed Rate of 4.5%

Principle and Interest $1013

Home Owners Insurance $50

Real Estate Taxes $175

Mortgage Insurance $67

Total Monthly Payment $1305

Are You Eligible for a Conventional Loan?

Criteria we review to qualify you for a conventional loan:

620 or higher middle credit score. Your credit score also affects your interest rate.

Debt-to-income ratio.

2 years of employment history.

Down payment availability ranging from 3-20%.

With offices in Blacksburg, Marion, and Abingdon we provide home loans to all of Southwest Virginia including Christiansburg, Roanoke, Wytheville, Bristol, and the surrounding areas.

Apply Now for a Conventional Loan

Apply Now

Have questions about a
conventional loan?

Contact Us

Joe S
Joe S
17:17 06 Jun 25
I cannot say enough positive things about Josh Rowland and his wife Jessica. My family and I went through one of the most stressful and chaotic events all in the middle of trying to purchase a home 700 miles away. They not only were professional at every step, but compassionate at every step as well. They fought for us with their diligence and resolve. I am forever grateful for their work, help, and friendship. 100% RECCOMEND. God bless their future endeavors!
Christi Schroader
Christi Schroader
19:37 12 Jul 23
Absolutely wonderful experience. Ryan Hall (and team) have gone above and beyond at every point. He's responded quickly, explained clearly, and even managed to get us pre-approved when a competing lender couldn't. Ryan is easy to talk to and a joy to work with. Definitely will recommend this office any chance I get.
Mo Rzv
Mo Rzv
15:19 03 Mar 22
You don't even feel the mortgage process up&down if you work with Ryan and his team, the best experience. Thanks so much Ryan for your support and help cause that made the home buying so smooth. Highly highly recommend them.5 out 5 for sure.
Katherine Poseno
Katherine Poseno
17:08 01 Mar 22
We worked with Brian Hall to get our mortgage and it was beyond my expectations! We originally had gotten a preapproval amount and interest rate quote from another lender; our realtor Brian Mchone had recommended First Residential Mortgage to us, but I didn't think we would get a lower interest offer. Ryan reached out to me with an interest offer a whole percent lower than we were quoted from the other company! That difference was enough that when we found our dream home, we were able to get our offer in and keep our monthly payment within our budget!A LOT of paperwork was required to be submitted, but it was well worth it! Ryan was available every step of the way if I had questions or clarifications. He and my realtor communicated flawlessly and the whole experience felt well handled.We were able to submit all of this online and it was very easy to use the online submissions. My husband is a veteran and we used the VA Home Loan, Ryan was well versed in working with the VA Home Loan service.All and all, I can not say enough good things about First Residential Mortgage and Ryan Hall made the stressful experience of buying a home a much easier one!
Chase Brenchley
Chase Brenchley
18:57 01 Sep 21
Ryan did a great job getting us the best rate he could. He made sure we understood everything every step of the way and was very quick to answer any questions we had, be that via email or calling.
Mark Jay
Mark Jay
14:55 01 Sep 21
Excellent customer service from start to finish. Ryan did a great job of explaining the whole process and keeping us up to date at every step of the way. Would not hesitate to recommend him to family and friends.
Tori Zimbardi
Tori Zimbardi
11:59 16 Aug 21
My husband and I worked with Ryan on securing a mortgage as we bought our first home. Ryan was helpful and would answer our questions promptly and used videos and screen sharing to make sure everything was clear. We had shopped around at a few different mortgage and First Residential Mortgage offered the best rate to us. I would definitely recommend using First Residential Mortgage.
Brandon Taylor
Brandon Taylor
22:57 05 Aug 21
Ryan and the folks at First Residential Mortgage made the process of refinancing our home seamless and quick. Took less than 30 days from the time someone recommended me to Ryan’s team to closing. The application process was easy, Ryan looked out for us all along the way and got us a great interest rate, and we were able to pay off a $30k car while maintaining almost the exact same monthly mortgage payment we had been making previously. Can’t say enough good things about them!
Cirillo- Decatur
Cirillo- Decatur
15:03 05 Aug 21
Great to work with, wonderful staff and a very rate.
Maaz Gardezi
Maaz Gardezi
11:49 04 Aug 21
Ryan Hall and his team are absolutely fantastic to work with. We were first time home buyers. Thanks guys!
Mike Bowers
Mike Bowers
20:45 25 Jul 21
Great experience. Easy to work with. Answered all my questions.
Tommy Barnett
Tommy Barnett
13:42 01 Jul 21
Ryan was great to work with. We ran in to several issues along the way with the sellers and our income but he did everything in his power to make the process as smooth as possible and to make sure we were able to get the loan we wanted.
John Bellows
John Bellows
13:22 11 Jun 21
Ryan was very professional, yet very responsive to our questions as we moved forward through the process of signing documents. Ryan makes these video where he explains what is happening and what to expect that made it easy the home loan understand.Ryan's insight on how to approach the sellers with our offer and make it more attractive were invaluable.I highly recommend Ryan for all Veterans and others seeking a loan professional's help. You won't be disappointed. Thanks again Ryan.
Barrett Iroler
Barrett Iroler
17:33 28 May 21
Ryan Hall is great to work with. He is very knowledgeable and was always available for any questions that we had throughout our refinance. I highly recommend his services.
Sloop Sr.
Sloop Sr.
17:40 27 Apr 21
Robin Lo
Robin Lo
15:55 22 Apr 21
I had a great experience with Ryan and team at First Residential. The communication through the entire process was excellent. I will definitely be working with Ryan again in the future.
Andrew Dunlap
Andrew Dunlap
14:45 22 Apr 21
The folks at First Residential are exactly what you're looking for. They are professional, patient, fast, and thorough on every front. It felt like I had good friends walking me through the process, who always had time to answer any questions I had, fight for good rates for me, and to be excited for my family.I HIGHLY recommend you use them. I know I will be for every mortgage need I ever have again.
Payne Bowen
Payne Bowen
14:55 15 Apr 21
I purchased a duplex investment property with the help of First Residential Mortgage. The process was quick and easy and if I had any questions the team in Blacksburg was quick to help. When I was searching for the best interest rate Ryan was by far the lowest even in a very competitive/busy market.I will be using First Residential Mortgage again on future investment properties as well as personal residence. I highly recommend giving them a call!
Stephan Corbin
Stephan Corbin
17:48 08 Apr 21
We used this business to assist us in finding a mortgage. Ryan made sure to keep us informed in all aspects of this process. He was very professional and knowledgeable.
Kaylee Rose
Kaylee Rose
14:17 25 Mar 21
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
20:44 18 Mar 21
Ryan is a great wonderful person that seamlessly works with you to achieve your mortgage goals. He and his team are professional, through, and really make the experience very easy. They do a great job at First Residental Mortgage
Kaitlyn Morgan
Kaitlyn Morgan
16:02 08 Mar 21
Great experience. We are now first time home owners! They answered all of our questions and explained the whole process very thoroughly. Really cannot recommend Ryan and his team enough, it was really an enjoyable process working with them
El Amigo
El Amigo
19:20 04 Mar 21
Great people, they helped me every step of the process and kept me up to date on any changes. Would definitely recommend!
Dietrich Linde
Dietrich Linde
18:56 04 Mar 21
It was awesome working with Ryan and his team, super knowledgeable, walked me through the whole process, weighed the pros and cons of different options, easy all-digital process, answered questions insightfully, and gave me the best rate I could find. Thanks Ryan!
Elora Patrick
Elora Patrick
21:00 28 Feb 21
Do yourself a favor and refinance with First Residential Mortgage, and with Ryan’s help! My fiancé and I had so many questions, concerns, and last minute changes and Ryan was adaptive and helpful with quite literally every single thing. This whole process seemed grueling at first and I was worried to even start, but everything went so smoothly and we are saving a substantial amount of money! We are so thankful we did this.
Don Wriston
Don Wriston
19:17 25 Feb 21
First Residential Mortgage, specifically, Ryan Hall has been absolutely great to work with. I worked with him to purchase using my VA benefits and again to refinance while rates were low and both times it was seamless. Great communication and follow up from this team. I not only recommend them but I will continue to go through them for any future property purchase.
John Spicer
John Spicer
17:33 25 Feb 21
Ryan and his team were great t work with. Very responsive, professional and friendly.
Maryam Shakiba
Maryam Shakiba
17:15 25 Feb 21
Isaac Rasnick
Isaac Rasnick
16:47 25 Feb 21
A Strickler
A Strickler
21:36 20 Feb 21
My husband and I initially worked with Ryan Hall when trying to purchase our first home a couple years ago. Honestly, we were a bit clueless to the process and had a ton (honestly a ton) of questions throughout the process. Ryan routinely ran numbers for us to give us an estimate on how much our payment would be for different houses. Ryan was ALWAYS kind and quickly responsive. We ended up searching for a home much more distant from our initial area of interest, but Ryan was still able to work with us, which was great. As we went through the buying process, he kept us and our realtor with updates on where we were in the process. He did so well with it that even our well-experienced realtor was impressed by his great communication. Our buying process was really easy (after finding the right house), and we attribute most of that to Ryan and his team. In the process, Ryan sends videos that explain your documentation to make sure you understand everything. Again, super helpful for a first time buyer that didn’t know much. He even reached out to us recently to discuss the option of refinancing due to a huge decrease in mortgage rates. It always felt like Ryan had our best interest in the process and was so patient with us. We would highly recommend Ryan!
Chloe Krafft
Chloe Krafft
16:10 04 Feb 21
Great to work with and he gets things done quick!
Evan Lally
Evan Lally
15:51 04 Feb 21
Ryan was friendly, knowledgeable, and responsive, and we were happy with the deal we got through 1st Residential.
Emily Williams
Emily Williams
18:27 02 Feb 21
Our experience with Ryan Hall was back in March with the purchase of our first home. Ryan made the process easy and painless. Most of our communication was via phone/email, which was conducive to our work schedules. A portion of our experience occurred while Ryan was on vacation. However, this didn't prevent him from staying in touch with us and even making phone calls and sending texts throughout the day. Ryan was overall very accommodating and always willing and able to answer all of our questions. He was continuously supportive and knowledgeable.UPDATE: 2nd time using Ryan. Always helpful and super responsive!
SARAH FRAZIER
SARAH FRAZIER
16:27 21 Jan 21
Ryan is thorough, professional, knowledgeable and attentive. We have used him to purchase a home and do a refinance. He sends very detailed video email correspondence and breakdowns and makes all of the numbers make sense. I highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy or refinance.
Michael Madigan
Michael Madigan
14:16 18 Dec 20
Blair Allen
Blair Allen
22:21 10 Dec 20
After purchasing our house a year ago and working with Ryan and his team at First Residential Mortgage, the time came to refinance with the drop in interest rates. Ryan quickly answered my questions and provided advice on the best route for me to take based on my goals. Ryan and his team made the process simple and kept me well informed for each step. I especially liked the ease of uploading documents and the video emails from Ryan explaining the loan financials step by step. The process from start to finish was extremely fast and I was kept updated each step of the way. I have recommended Ryan and his team to others and would continue to do so for anyone looking to buy or refinance a home right now.
Brad Waltman
Brad Waltman
20:55 03 Dec 20
Rachel Shanklin
Rachel Shanklin
06:28 29 Nov 20
Julia Dillon
Julia Dillon
16:57 19 Oct 20
David Prevette
David Prevette
16:12 09 Oct 20
Ryan and Barrett's communication, promptness and professionalism was strong from start to finish. Thanks for helping us navigate all sides of the refinancing process.
Edson Horta
Edson Horta
03:17 26 Sep 20
Ryan and his team were perfect! Nothing at all to complain about. Thanks Ryan for all your support!
Slynn McMinn
Slynn McMinn
21:21 04 Sep 20
Excellent to work with. Highly recommend. Worked to get us the best rate possible and close as fast as possible. Impressive!
Phil Parker (Phil)
Phil Parker (Phil)
17:39 13 Aug 20
Ryan did a great job getting the rate that we wanted and communicating every step of the way. I highly recommend First Residential Mortgage and my wife and I had a great experience with this place.
Savannah Leeman
Savannah Leeman
11:20 24 Jul 20
First Residential was so great to work with when purchasing our first home! The team there was responsive to all of our questions and very friendly and professional!
Reza mirzaeifar
Reza mirzaeifar
17:18 04 Jun 20
Everything was perfect. A great experience working with them. Everything was on time, and they are very responsive. In the current situation of COVID-19, they manage everything by considering safety as a priority and most of the process was handled online or on the phone. I strongly recommend working with them,
Laura Strawn
Laura Strawn
19:28 27 May 20
Super responsive, loved the explanation videos by Ryan (but all the staff was terrific), reliable and made sure we closed on time! Highly recommend First Residential Mortgage - whether a first timer or seasoned pro they were FABULOUS!
Steve Hale
Steve Hale
13:27 16 May 20
K L
K L
15:03 16 Apr 20
We just completed our home loan with First Residential Mortgage, and the entire process was excellent! Ryan Hall went above and beyond to keep us informed every step of the way, providing detailed and pertinent answers to all our questions, regular status updates, and easily completed electronic documentation. Additionally, Mr. Hall was available via email and phone when we needed him - which was not always during normal business hours. We would highly recommend First Residential to anyone looking for financing to purchase a home, and would not hesitate to use them again in the future.Update - 16 April 2020Once again we went with First Residential Mortgage, this time for a ReFi. The process was painless, and as before Ryan was extremely helpful - making the whole effort a piece of cake! From start to finish roughly 30 days to cut our interest significantly. A hearty Thank You to Ryan and the whole team at First Residential! I highly recommend them!
Calvin Graham
Calvin Graham
20:30 20 Mar 20
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