Conventional Loans are what many homeowners call “traditional mortgages”. They are offered by private lenders without a guarantee from a government agency like the VA or FHA. Conventional loans often have higher credit score, income, and financial requirements compared to government-back mortgages. They sometimes have higher interest rates too.

A Bridge Loan is a short-term home loan that helps you bridge the gap between when you buy your new home and when the finances from selling your original house come in. You can usually borrow up to 80% of your original home's value, and the term is six months to one year.

A Jumbo Loan or Jumbo Mortgage is a loan for properties that are more expensive than a conventional mortgage loan. Those looking for a jumbo loan may need to meet stricter standards of creditworthiness.

A Hard Money is a unique type of loan in which funds are secured by real property instead of the borrower’s creditworthiness. Hard money loans are primarily used in real estate transactions when the lender is an individual or company, as banks do not offer them. These loans typically last 1 – 3 years and are commonly used as a way to quickly collect money.

Refinancing allows you to pay off an existing loan by taking out another loan with better terms. Refinancing can make sense if your credit score or debt-to-income ratio have improved, or if interest rates have dropped since accepting your original loan terms.

An SBA loan is a government loan from a commercial lender that can finance real estate, equipment purchases, startup costs and more. These loans don’t come directly from the SBA — instead, they’re made by SBA-approved lenders. The federal government guarantees the loans, paying the lender up to 85% of the remaining loan balance if the borrower defaults.