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Guide to Personal Loans
Here is a useful guide to Personal loans. What is a personal loan? A personal loan is money lent to an individual by a financial institution for a specific personal purpose. A personal loan is an amount of money offered, normally by lending...

Guide to Personal Secured Loans
Here is a useful guide to personal secured loans. A personal secured loan is the generic term for a loan. A personal secured loan is secured against your home to act as security to the lender for the money you have borrowed. A personal secured...

Home Mortgage Loans - Fixed Rate, Adjustable or Balloon, Which One Is Right For You?
When you're shopping for a new home—especially for the first time—all the terms and expressions may be confusing and difficult to understand. Adjustable rate, fixed rate, balloon payment - how do you decide which is the right type of home mortgage...

Logbook Loans to Cash-Out the Worth of Automobiles
Logbook loans cannot compete with other loans in terms of the time span for which they have been in use, given their recent entry in the financial market. Nevertheless, logbook loans have left the other loans far behind in terms of popularity....

Student Loans: The Life Preserver Of Our Education System
A loan is the reason many students are able to go to college and not have to worry about money until after they've graduated. There is a lot of paperwork involved in the application process of a loan, but once you've completed it and been accepted,...

 
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Balloon Or Reset Mortgage Loans - Understanding The Basics

A balloon mortgage, also called a reset mortgage, offers lower interest rates with the option in 5 or 7 years to pay off the balance or resent the loan. Considered more risky than an ARM since interest rates can jump significantly, it is a valid option for those expecting to move or interest rates to drop.

Balloon Mortgage Features

Balloon mortgages are based on a 30 year amortization schedule, but you only pay those payments for 5 or 7 years depending on your loan's terms. At the end of that period, you are required to make a balloon payment for the rest of the principal or resent the mortgage at current interest rates. Some financing companies also offer the option of refinancing the home loan.

With its unique interest rate structure, you can qualify to borrow more than a with a fixed rate mortgage. Balloon mortgages also have interest rates lower than a traditional home loan.

Balloon Mortgage Numbers

Balloon mortgages, like ARMs, use numbers to describe terms. The first number is the number of years until you reset the loan or make the balloon payment. The second number equals the rest of the loan term. Together both numbers equal the loan's amortization


schedule.

So a 7/23 mortgage means that you have 7 years until the balloon payment is due, 23 year's worth of principal. Adding the two numbers together, your loan is amortized for 30 years.

Reset Requirements

In order to reset your loan, you have to qualify by still occupying the home, having no liens against the property, and having made on time monthly payments for the last year. If you don't qualify to reset the mortgage, you may be able to still refinance the loan.

Balloon Mortgage Considerations

Balloon mortgages don't have the fluctuating interest rates of an ARM, but they don't have the caps to safeguard against extremely high future rates. You may also find that due to a reverse in your financial situation you many not qualify to reset or refinance your home, and have to sell it to meet the balloon payment. In the end you are trading security of a fixed rate for lower interest payments.

About the author:

See my recommended Home Mortgage Lenders online. Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, which offers help finding the best home mortgage loans.