Compare mortgage quotes: prepare your request — USA Mortgage Guide

Quick Answer & Key Takeaways

Choose a mortgage by comparing eligibility, upfront cash and total monthly costs, not the advertised rate alone. Conventional, FHA, VA and USDA serve different borrowers. Confirm county limits, taxes, insurance and lender requirements before comparing personalized Loan Estimates for your household.

For Compare mortgage quotes: prepare your request: focus on mortgage planning and compare a written, property-specific estimate.

2026 one-unit baseline limits: $832,750 FHFA conforming and $541,287 FHA floor. Historical 2025: $806,500 and $524,225 respectively.
Typical comparisons: 580+ FHA with 3.5% down; 620+ conventional historically common with 3%-5% down, but lender rules vary; eligible VA/USDA may allow 0% down.
Budget full PITI plus PMI or program insurance, not principal and interest alone.

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Updated October 2026

Gather the loan amount, property details and preferred term before requesting quotes.

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Loan Program Comparison: 2026 Benchmarks

Compare mortgage quotes: prepare your request — Choose a mortgage by comparing eligibility, upfront cash and total monthly costs, not the advertised rate alone. Conventional, FHA, VA and USDA serve different borrowers. Confirm county limits, taxes, insurance and lender requirements before comparing personalized Loan Estimates for your household.

Historical 2025 one-unit comparison: conforming $806,500; FHA floor $524,225. County and unit-count limits can differ.

Loan program	Down payment / equity	2026 one-unit baseline	Costs and page-specific comparison
Conventional	3%–5% subject to eligibility	$832,750	PMI generally below 20% down
FHA	3.5% at 580+; 10% at 500–579	$541,287 floor	1.75% upfront MIP; 0.55% annual for >95% LTV, base loan ≤$726,200, term >15 years
VA	0% for eligible borrowers	No VA limit with full entitlement	No monthly PMI; funding fee unless exempt
USDA	0% for eligible borrowers	Income, address and repayment eligibility	Guarantee and annual fees; confirm current schedule
Jumbo	Lender-specific cash and reserves	Above applicable conforming limit	Lender-specific pricing and insurance
Home Equity / Refinance	Equity and underwriting dependent	Property and lender dependent	Compare closing costs, term and break-even

Sources: FHFA limits; HUD FHA limits.

How we calculate payments

Monthly principal and interest use P × r / (1 − (1 + r)⁻ⁿ), where P is the loan amount, r is the monthly note rate and n is the number of payments. At zero interest, use P / n. Add property taxes, homeowners insurance and applicable mortgage insurance to estimate the full payment. Use parcel-specific taxes and an insurance quote when comparing homes.

APR includes applicable finance charges; use the note rate, not APR, for amortization. Compare Loan Estimates with the CFPB guide.