- Term
- 180 monthly payments (15 years). Fully amortizing; the balance is $0 after the last payment.
- Rate type
- Fixed for the full term. The principal-and-interest payment never changes; escrow for taxes and insurance can.
- Rate versus the 30-year
- Usually priced below the 30-year for the same borrower. The gap changes daily and is shown on the two loan estimates, never assumed.
- Required payment
- Higher than a 30-year on the same balance, because the same principal is repaid in half the time. You qualify on the full 15-year payment.
- Versions
- Conventional (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), FHA, VA, and jumbo. USDA is 30-year only.
- Minimum down payment
- Conventional 3 to 5 percent; FHA 3.5 percent; VA $0; jumbo 10 percent for strong credit.
- Mortgage insurance
- Conventional PMI under 20 percent down, reached sooner than on a 30-year because principal falls faster; cancellable at 80 percent by request, automatic at 78 percent. FHA 15-year loans carry a lower annual MIP than 30-year FHA loans.
- 2026 loan limits
- Conventional $832,750 (one unit) in every Missouri and Kansas county; FHA $541,287; VA no limit with full entitlement; jumbo above $832,750.
- Occupancy
- Primary residence on every version. Second homes and investment property on conventional and jumbo at higher pricing.
- Prepayment penalty
- None on conventional, FHA, or VA 15-year loans. Extra principal is allowed any month, though most 15-year borrowers are already paying fast.
- Rate lock
- A quote is not a lock. The rate is fixed when the lock is confirmed in writing, typically for 30 to 60 days.
- Best for
- Refinances of balances already paid down, retirement-timeline payoffs, households with strong stable income and reserves, and buyers who want the equity built by principal rather than by appreciation.