Side by side

Compare the real decisions.

Not a feature list. The four comparisons below are the ones people actually lose sleep over — each with the short answer up front, a full side-by-side, and where I think the cheaper-looking option costs more.

Just ask me which one → Use the program finder

FHA vs. Conventional →

Mortgage insurance that ends vs. lasts the life of the loan — worth more over ten years than the rate gap.

The short answerFHA wins under a 680 score. Conventional wins at 700+, because PMI cancels at 20% equity and FHA MIP does not.

HELOC vs. Cash-Out Refinance →

One leaves your first mortgage alone. The other re-prices your entire balance.

The short answerIf you are sitting on a low first mortgage rate, a line of credit protects it. A refinance moves everything to today’s rate.

Second Home vs. Investment Property →

Same house, two different loans — and rental income only counts on one of them.

The short answerSecond home: from 10% down, near-primary pricing, rent cannot help you qualify. Investment: more down, higher rate, rent counts.

Bank Statement vs. Conventional →

For self-employed borrowers whose tax returns understate what they actually earn.

The short answerConventional reads net profit after write-offs. A bank statement loan reads your deposits instead.

More comparisons get added as the questions come up. If the decision you are weighing is not here, ask me directly — I would rather answer it than have you guess.

The cheaper-looking option is not always cheaper.

Straight talk from Brian

Every one of these comparisons has a version where the obvious answer is wrong. FHA looks cheaper until you price mortgage insurance that never comes off. A cash-out refinance looks simpler until it re-prices the low rate you are already carrying. A second home looks better than an investment loan until you realize the rent cannot help you qualify.

That is the whole reason these pages exist. I would rather you read the tradeoff here, for free, than find it in underwriting.

— Brian Marchand, Sr. Loan Consultant · NMLS #481563 · call or text me