If it’s possible to get into a loan without putting any money down, why would you want to? Well, there are several reasons you should consider a down payment:

It gives you a start to build equity in the loan. Hopefully you won’t have any unforeseen circumstances, but if you had to sell your home suddenly, you’ll pay about 10% of the selling price in fees. If you don’t have a down payment, selling the home means you could potentially lose money. A down payment provides a little cushion of security against emergency situations.

It gives you greater mortgage options. When you have a down payment you have more mortgage programs to choose from. You can find a more competitive interest rate when you have some money to put down on the house.

It gives you better bargaining power for the purchase of the home. When it comes to extend an offer for a home, your down payment affects your offer. The buyer may see how much you plan to put down and use the information to help them choose an offer.

It can be a significant factor in qualifying for a loan. Many mortgage programs look carefully at your debt ratio, along with your savings and down payment. Having a down payment can make the mortgage qualification process easier.

Saving for your down payment can be challenging, and it’s simply not possible to always have a down payment. Even when you can’t save for a down payment, there are other sources you can use – for instance, some 401k programs allow you to borrow money for a down payment, or you can receive a gift of a down payment from a relative.

If it is at all possible for you to put money down on your new home, even if it’s just a small percentage, you’ll find that you have more options and more doors open to you.

Are you the type of person that is comfortable with risk? If you need to know exactly how much your payment will be from month to month or even year to year, you probably want a fixed -rate loan. If you feel comfortable with risk, you may want to look at an adjustable rate loan – the interest rate may be lower initially, but there’s a chance that the rates could increase over time.

How much do you expect to make? You income potential is important. If you anticipate (reasonably) that your income with increase substantially, you may want to consider a graduated payment mortgage which allows the payments to increase over time.

Do you have cash upfront? If you have a substantial savings, you could put a large down payment, and opt for a shorter period of time on the loan – perhaps a 15-year fixed rate loan. Within a relatively short amount of time, you’ll have the loan paid off and you’ll save thousands of dollars over the life of the loan in interest.

Each person has a unique set of circumstances that make one type of loan more ideal than another. When you talk with a qualified loan officer, you’ll get lots of options. Carefully weigh your options against your circumstances, and you’ll find the best mortgage for you in your new home.