Key Terms
- Nurse mortgage loans in Rhode Island offer tailored financial terms to help nurses overcome the state’s high housing prices.
- These specialized loans provide benefits like low down payments, no PMI, and favorable qualification criteria for nurses.
- Refinancing and purchasing higher-value homes become more accessible for nurses through flexible credit and financing options.
With its colonial-era architecture and charming seaside villages, Rhode Island perfectly captures the picturesque New England lifestyle. Residents relish exploring historic sites like Newport’s Gilded Age mansions, all while enjoying the Ocean State’s convenient proximity to New York City.
With some of the best training and working hospitals in the region, it’s unsurprising that many nurses call Rhode Island home. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 11,350 nurses reside in the Ocean State and enjoy working at its numerous hospitals and medical centers.
Though small, Rhode Island has some pretty substantial housing prices. Data from the FED places the median listing price of a single-family home in the Ocean State at about $549,950 — a cost that may leave many of the nurses in the state out in the cold when it comes to purchasing a home.
Rhode Island does offer some support to nurses, however — in the form of nurse mortgage loans. These programs are designed just for nurses and are meant to encourage nurses to live, work, and plant roots in the Ocean State.
How do Rhode Island nurse mortgages work?
If you’ve ever applied for a loan or mortgage, you will be somewhat familiar with the process of taking out a nurse home loan. For one thing, a nurse mortgage requires that you meet certain eligibility requirements. Fortunately, these qualifying for these criteria is often easy, since the programs are designed to incentivize home-buying in the nursing community. A nurse mortgage may also feature beneficial financing options, including help with closing costs, no private mortgage insurance (PMI), and lower down payments.
The best place to start is by researching the nursing mortgage programs in your area and assessing their pros and cons. The list below that provides you with some of the best options in the state. As you review these, take into account your personal financial situation to ensure you select the loan program that is the best option for your needs.
Is a Rhode Island nurse mortgage right for you?
Figuring out whether a nurse mortgage is likely to work for you involves assessing certain aspects of your life:
- Your work history. Many nurses work multiple jobs or have unusual payment schedules. Some nurses also work as traveling nurses, which may look “unstable” on an application for a conventional mortgage. If you believe your work history will disqualify you for a conventional loan, a nurse mortgage may be a great option.
- Whether you have a high debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Many nursing students take out student loans to get through nursing school or college. This can mean that they end up having a very high DTI from student loan debt once the time comes to apply for a loan. Nursing mortgages take a kinder look at factors like this, making it easier to qualify.
- Your overall financial situation. What kind of home can you afford and what type of down payment can you make? Since nurse loans in Rhode Island can include help with closing costs, down payments, and more, you will need to consider these issues when selecting a loan.
Benefits of a using a nurse loan for a home purchase
There are several benefits of using nurse loan mortgage options, no matter whether you’re purchasing your primary residence or an investment property.
- Qualifying for a higher loan amount. RNs and nurse practitioners can take advantage of the relaxed underwriting in the application process to qualify for a higher loan amount.
- Up to 100% financing. Many nurse loans are available with a low down payment or even no upfront down payment at all.
- Flexible credit score requirements. Even healthcare professionals with high credit scores may qualify.
Refinancing a mortgage with a nurse loan
Nurse loans are not just for new homeowners nor even exclusively for homebuyers: borrowers can also use nurse loans to refinance an existing mortgage. This is a great for helping medical professionals reduce the interest rate on their mortgage payments (such as by switching from an adjustable-rate to a fixed-rate mortgage) or for gaining more favorable loan repayment terms.
Healthcare professionals who take out nurse mortgages in Rhode Island: a case study
As a nurse specializing in obstetrics, Elena had long hoped to secure a job at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence. She had grown up in the town, too, and loved the “small town” appeal of this “little big city.” After studying hard and maintaining two nursing gigs for several years, including one as a traveling nurse, Elena was now about to start a full-time schedule at the hospital.
With her career in line, Elena now wanted to fulfill another goal — buying a home. With prices high, however, she wasn’t sure she would be able to make a down payment on a home in Providence. Her work history as a traveling nurse also caused complications, as many traditional lenders didn’t understand that her work was stable and reliable.
Luckily, Elena heard about a regional program offering mortgages to registered nurses like her. She reached out to the mortgage lender and was pleased to hear how favorable the program’s financial terms were. Her down payment would be minimal; plus, the program introduced her to a network of nursing professionals, further supplementing her career. A new home was now possible to complement her new job.
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