This mortgage gives you the financial power to build your own home -- you can borrow money to build a home from the ground up or to finish building a home that's currently under construction. This loan provides financing from the construction through the purchase phases of your new home.

Advantages:

-- You enjoy peace of mind by locking in fixed interest rates on both the construction and permanent mortgage financing phases of your home purchase in one convenient loan.
-- You can borrow a minimum of 95 percent of the construction cost or the as-completed value of the property (which means your down payment can be as low as 5 percent).
-- You can use this mortgage to purchase land upon which you build your home.
-- You save money because there is one set of closing costs, compared to those associated with separate loans for construction and occupancy.
-- You pay interest only on the funds disbursed during construction.
-- This mortgage can be used for construction that's already under way.

Details:

-- A minimum down payment of 5 percent for a one-unit home and 10 percent for two-unit homes.
-- Construction phases of six, nine, or 12 months, with extensions available up to six months, are allowed.
-- This loan is available for one- and two-unit owner-occupied homes, one-unit second homes, and one-unit investor homes.
-- You can choose a 15- or 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. You can also include the construction phase in these terms, or not, depending on your preference.
-- You can also finance with fixed-period ARMs.