Tell me a little about construction loans

Digg!

A construction loan is a loan that a consumer gets to fund the construction of a new home.  It may be just for the period of time of construction, it may also have “permanent” financing as a part of it.  “Permanent” financing would be what we all think of as a mortgage.  A regular 15, 30 year mortgage.

During construction a borrower will pay interest (at an adjustable rate usually) just on the money they have outstanding monthly most of the time.  A borrower may also get a loan which has level payments during construction and afterwards.  There will be a period of time for the construction, 3-12 months usually before the construction loan must be converted to permanent financing.  Most loans require that the borrower hire a general contractor to supervise construction, yet not all do, expect to pay a higher rate for loans that allow the borrower to be the “GC”.

Construction loans are not simple, they are not standard like a traditional 30 year fixed loan is.  Every source of money will have slightly different rules, rates and requirements.  If you are looking to get a construction loan, ask a lot of questions, and then ask some more questions again, and most importantly work with someone with proven expertise in construction and renovation loans.  They are tricky, a little different than a normal 30 year vanilla loan, but very rewarding.   After all  you are building your dream house.  Enjoy!


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