Down payments
SOFIYA YERMAKOVA—ISTOCKPHOTO
Down payment requirements will be higher than they were just a few years ago. Loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration are at the low end of the spectrum and come with minimum down payments of 3.5 percent. Down payments on loans outside of FHA will vary. "Generally, to get the best rate around, you need at least 20 percent for a down payment," says Guy Cecala, the publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance.
