LendBridge lines up mortgage and refinance options from licensed lenders so you can compare rate, monthly payment and estimated closing costs in one place — without a credit check and without a sales pitch.
LendBridge is not a lender or a brokerage. Rates and payments shown anywhere on this page are illustrative examples, not offers.
Nobody is surprised by the down payment. People are surprised by the origination, title, recording and escrow lines that show up three days before closing — on a mid-size loan those can illustratively add up to several thousand dollars, though the real figure is market-dependent and varies by state, lender and loan size. Our guide walks every line of a Loan Estimate in order, in normal words — and Rate-Watch tells you when the market moves so you don’t have to watch it.
There is no best mortgage, only the one that fits your down payment, your timeline and how long you plan to keep the house. Here is the honest version of each.
The predictable one. Principal and interest stay level for the entire term, so a payment you can afford in year one is the same payment in year eighteen.
Example: a $360,000 loan at 6.25% runs about $2,217/mo in principal and interest; at 6.50% it is about $2,276. That quarter point is roughly $59 a month — about $21,000 across 30 years. Illustrative only.
A bigger monthly payment in exchange for far less total interest and a mortgage that is gone in half the time. Often paired with a refinance rather than a first purchase.
Worth pricing when there is room in the monthly budget and retiring the balance sooner matters more than the lowest possible payment. Illustrative guidance only, not a recommendation.
Insured by the Federal Housing Administration, with down payments as low as 3.5% and more flexible credit guidelines than most conventional programs.
Mortgage insurance premiums apply and can last the life of the loan. Eligibility rules are set by the FHA and your lender — not by LendBridge.
For eligible service members, veterans and surviving spouses: no down payment required for many borrowers and no monthly mortgage insurance.
A one-time VA funding fee usually applies and varies by service history and down payment. Entitlement is determined by the VA.
Rate-and-term or cash-out. Worth a look when rates move, when an adjustable loan is about to reset, or when enough equity has built up to drop mortgage insurance.
Closing costs apply again, so the break-even month matters more than the headline rate. Your numbers will differ from anyone else's.
Draw against equity for a kitchen remodel, a roof, or to consolidate higher-rate balances — without touching a first mortgage you like.
Rates on a line of credit are usually variable, and your home is the collateral. Read the draw and repayment periods carefully.
Follow the street. Nothing on this page commits you to anything, and nothing here touches your credit file.
Buying, refinancing, or tapping equity? Add a ballpark price range and your state. Nothing here touches your credit file.
Example rate, estimated monthly payment and estimated closing costs from licensed lenders in the network — lined up in one view instead of six browser tabs.
A licensed loan officer walks through what you might qualify for and which documents they would need. Ask the awkward questions. There is no obligation.
Your chosen lender handles the application, underwriting, appraisal and closing table. LendBridge stays out of the paperwork — we only made the introduction.
Comparing and talking to a loan officer are free. Approval, rate and timeline are decided by the lender and your own file — LendBridge cannot promise any of them.
Closing costs commonly land somewhere around 2% to 5% of the purchase price, but that range hides enormous variation by state. Here is what sits inside it.
The lender's own fee for building the loan. On a $350,000 loan that is roughly $1,750 to $3,500. This is the line most worth comparing between lenders.
Ordered by the lender, paid by you, and required on most purchase loans. Rural or unusual properties often cost more and take longer.
Varies enormously by state. In some states the rate is filed and identical everywhere; in others you can shop the title company yourself.
Set by your county and state, not by the lender. A transfer tax in Philadelphia and one in Phoenix are not remotely the same number.
Not a fee — it is your own money moved forward. Lenders typically collect a few months of property taxes and a year of homeowners insurance up front.
Cash today for a lower rate later. Whether it pays off depends entirely on how long you keep the loan, so run the break-even before you buy points.
Every figure above is an illustrative range and is market-dependent. Your own numbers depend on your state, county, lender, loan size and closing date.
Assistance exists in nearly every state, and a surprising share of it goes unclaimed simply because nobody at the table brought it up. These are open to any qualified buyer who meets the published program terms.
Most states run assistance through a housing finance agency — grants, forgivable seconds, or deferred loans. Income caps, purchase-price limits and funding windows are set by the agency and change often, so check current terms before you count on one.
FHA financing starts at 3.5% down for qualified borrowers, and several conventional programs go as low as 3% for first-time buyers. Lower down payment usually means mortgage insurance, which is a real monthly cost worth pricing in.
Many programs allow a gift from a relative toward the down payment. Lenders will want a signed gift letter and a clean paper trail showing where the money came from and when it landed.
Assistance programs frequently require a short buyer-education course — usually a few hours online. Finish it early; a missing certificate is a genuinely common closing delay.
I had been with the same servicer for nine years and never once shopped it. Seeing four offers next to each other took about twenty minutes and completely changed the number I was comparing against.
The closing-cost guide was the part I actually needed. I walked into my lender meeting knowing what an origination fee was and which lines I could push back on. That alone was worth the email.
Rate-Watch emailed me when rates moved. I was not ready to refinance in March, but I was in July — and I did not have to remember to go check every week.
Testimonials and ratings on this page are illustrative examples created for a fictional demo brand. Individual experiences and outcomes vary.
Whether you close in six weeks or next spring, knowing what the paperwork means is free and permanent. Drop your email and both land in your inbox — or skip straight to a quote or a phone call.