A construction loan is a short-term loan that covers only the costs of custom home building. This is different from a mortgage, and it’s considered specialty financing. Once the home is built, the prospective occupant must apply for a mortgage to pay for the completed home.

However, there are several other loans available when it comes to home building, from ground-up building to a complete remodel of the entire house. There’s likely a loan out there that’s right for you, whether you’re starting from scratch with a land loan or completely renovating a home.

Construction-Only Loan

This type of loan is short-term and is usually issued for a year. It’s meant to cover only the actual construction period. Like many lenders, Rocket MortgageⓇ doesn’t offer this type of loan. Why? With so many variables like the builder’s cooperation, getting approvals from local municipalities and more, these are considered higher-risk loans.

This means they’re harder to qualify for, and the interest rate will likely be higher than a traditional loan. In addition, if you decide to go this route, you’ll have to pay a second set of loan fees when you apply for a traditional mortgage.

Construction-To-Permanent Loan

Construction-to-permanent loans are a financing option that prospective custom home builders can apply for. Like construction-only, construction-to-permanent financing are one-time loans that fund construction and then convert into a permanent mortgage. During the construction phase, borrowers make interest-only payments.

These types of loans can be much more expensive than traditional mortgages, so if you decide to go in this direction, shop around, compare rates and find the best deal before you pull the trigger. If you’re an active-duty service member or veteran, you may even qualify for a VA construction loan.

Renovation Loan

Renovation loans, also known as FHA 203(k) loans, can be used for home renovation and are insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). This allows borrowers to both purchase and renovate their new home while still making one monthly payment to cover both costs. Conventional loan borrowers may qualify for these loans through Fannie Mae (HomeStyle Renovation) and Freddie Mac (CHOICE Renovation).

Rocket Mortgage doesn’t offer this type of loan. However, Rocket Mortgage does offer a cash-out refinance, which can be a different path to getting home renovations done. With a cash-out refinance, you take a portion of your equity and add what you’ve taken out onto your new mortgage principal.

Other options include a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit (HELOC). No matter what you want to change about your home, there are plenty of options to get the financing you need to start swinging that sledgehammer.

Owner-Builder Loan

Usually when you build a home, there’s a general contractor who essentially acts as head of the whole operation. They make sure the framing people, the tile people, the wood floor people, the painters and so on all work in coordination to get your home completed (ideally on time and on budget).

However, some prospective home builders wish to act as their own general contractor, and some banks offer owner-builder loans just for this purpose. These types of loans generally require the borrower to demonstrate through experience, education and licensing that they have the needed expertise to oversee the home’s construction.

End Loan

An end loan is a traditional mortgage loan that a home buyer or home builder (if you’re building your own home) can apply for after the new home is constructed. Unlike some of the other construction loans previously discussed, these are offered by Rocket Mortgage.

You can get an end loan if construction is complete on the home. One good aspect of an end loan is that the mortgage application for a newly constructed home is the same as it is for any other home. Less complicated is always appreciated when it comes to financing applications.