I would go with the bank, it's a good way to establish a good credit history, mortgage rates are really cheap now, and nothing against family and don't take it the wrong way but those things have a way of ended up hanging over a guys head when it comes to family business, and to give some prospective on interest rates, this house when we brought it in 1990 we were paying 12.5% for 30 years which at the time was good, and we refinanced a couple years later and went to 9% for 15 years and that was really good at the time, I also had a friend who bought back in the high interest rates of the President Carter years and was paying 17% at the time, so rates right now are nothing comparitively speaking and you get alot more house for the payment dollar, so good luck and happy hunting.