A 30 year fixed conventional mortgage is a loan that has the same monthly mortgage payments for 360 months. That is to say that the the principal and interest payments are the same for the entire period of the loan.
Conventional mortgage loans have stricter guidelines to qualify for compared to qualifying for an FHA loan and require a slightly higher down payment. However, in some cases rates can be lower and have lower closing costs. Also, monthly mortgage insurance is usually less or can be completely eliminated with 20% down payment.
This type of mortgage is the same as the 30 year fixed rate mortgage except the life of the mortgage is 240 months as opposed to 360 months. Since the mortgage is being paid slightly faster than the 30 year fixed rate mortgage, monthly payments for this type mortgage are higher than the 30 year fixed rate mortgage. Some Lenders allow for a lessor rate.
This type of mortgage is the same as the 30 year fixed rate mortgage except the life of the mortgage is 120 months as opposed to 360 months. Since the loan is being paid faster than either the 30 year fixed rate mortgage or the 20 year fixed rate mortgage, monthly payments for this type mortgage are higher than the other two mortgage durations. Generally, the longer a lender agrees to keep the interest rate “fixed,” the greater the risk to the lender, therefore, in most instances, interest rates on 10 year fixed rate loans are slightly lower than on a 20 or 30 year fixed rate mortgage.