Average 30-year Fixed-Rate Mortgage 6.95% Week of Sep 17, 2026 Market survey · not an HMCo offered rate
Freddie Mac PMMS
HMCO learning center

Understand the mortgage before it becomes your mortgage.

Straightforward guides for comparing programs, preparing documents and making informed home-financing decisions.

A homeowner reviewing financial documents and planning the next mortgage decision
Education first Clear information helps borrowers ask better questions.

Learn the language, costs and tradeoffs before making a long-term decision.

Featured mortgage guides

Start with the decision in front of you.

Each guide explains the purpose, tradeoffs and questions worth bringing to a licensed Loan Officer.

A couple reviewing household finances and calculating a homebuying budget
Buying a home

How Much Cash Should You Prepare Before Buying a Home?

Learn how down payment, closing costs, prepaid expenses, reserves and moving costs can shape the cash needed to buy a home.

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Compare providers

Mortgage Broker vs. Bank or Credit Union

Compare how a mortgage broker, bank and credit union may differ in lender access, product selection, guidance, relationship benefits and servicing.

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A homebuying couple receiving the keys to their new home
Compare programs

FHA vs. Conventional Mortgages

Compare FHA and conventional mortgages by eligibility, down payment, mortgage insurance, property use and long-term cost considerations.

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A self-employed professional reviewing financial records on a laptop
Self-employed borrowers

How Bank Statement Mortgages Document Income

Learn how eligible bank statement mortgage programs may review deposits, business expenses and alternative income documentation for self-employed borrowers.

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House keys, a calculator and funds representing investment-property financing
Real estate investing

How DSCR Investment Loans Work

Learn how eligible DSCR mortgage programs may evaluate rental-property cash flow, reserves, property value and business-purpose loan terms.

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Homeowners reviewing their current mortgage costs and refinance options
Refinancing

How to Calculate a Mortgage Refinance Break-Even Period

Learn how to compare refinance costs with estimated monthly savings and why payment alone does not capture every refinance goal.

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How HMCO explains mortgages

Clear enough to use. Careful enough to trust.

Mortgage education should help a borrower compare—not pressure them toward a product. HMCO content separates general information from individual qualification and directs readers back to official disclosures.

01Purpose first

Understand why a product exists and which scenarios it may serve.

02Tradeoffs included

See costs, limitations and risks alongside potential benefits.

03No universal promises

Guidelines and outcomes depend on the complete borrower and property profile.

04Disclosures matter

Use the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure for the transaction-specific comparison.

Need a specific answer?

Bring the question to an HMCO Loan Officer.

Educational content is general. A Loan Officer can discuss how current lender guidelines may apply to a specific scenario.