Your residence, one decision away.
Best for first-time buyers (3.5% down) Top offer
Why you’ll like this: FHA-approved lenders compete for your business - lower credit bar, fairer rates than conventional.
Best for tapping your home equity
USARateHub score 4.5
Why you’ll like this: a variable-rate line of credit you draw on as needed - not a lump-sum loan with full interest from day one.
For August 2026, FHA Rate Guide is the strongest starting point for first-time buyers - FHA-approved lenders from 3.5% down and a 580 credit floor - while Quicken’s HELOC is the pick for tapping equity you already have. Both quotes are free and neither needs a hard credit pull to compare.
| Lender | Best for | Min down | Credit min | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FHA Rate Guide | First-time buyers | 3.5% | 580 | Free |
| Quicken Home Equity | Home equity (HELOC) | n/a | 680 | Free |
We compared published APR ranges, origination and application fees, minimum down payment and credit requirements, product range, and closing timelines across the six lenders, as published on 16 August 2026. Ranking is editorial: compensation from partners affects which lenders appear and can affect order, but two of the six earn no compensation and rank on merit alone. Rates shown are ranges, not offers - your figure depends on your credit profile, the property and the loan you choose. Full detail in our editorial policy.
Conventional lenders typically want 620 or better. FHA loans go lower - the FHA programme accepts scores from 580 with 3.5% down. Below 580, work on the score before the application: every tier you climb is worth more than any lender choice.
Less than most people assume. FHA loans start at 3.5% down and conventional loans at 3%. Under 20% down you will usually pay mortgage insurance, which is a cost worth comparing as carefully as the rate.
Rate shopping is protected: every mortgage inquiry made within a 45-day window counts as a single inquiry for scoring purposes. Checking rates on this page uses no inquiry at all - a hard pull happens only when you complete a full application with a lender.
Not automatically. APR ranges here overlap heavily, and your quoted rate depends on your profile more than the lender’s floor. Fees, product fit - VA eligibility, down payment assistance - and closing speed routinely matter more than a headline difference of a tenth of a percent.
