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Junior Mortgages

Junior mortgages are used for many different purposes, from consolidation of debt to home improvements. There is some confusion as to what a junior mortgage loan is. This loan type, a home equity loan, or a home equity line of credit (HELOC), are the same thing but structured differently. Any loan secured by your home that is not the primary mortgage loan is a junior mortgage loan. The primary difference between this type of loan and a HELOC is that most lenders reference this product as a one-time advance, repayable over a specific time, whereas a HELOC is a line of credit that may be paid down and re-advanced without additional paperwork or bank intervention. For HELOC information, go to Mortgage Loans-HELOC.

For our purposes here, we will be discussing a one-time advance repayable over a specific time period with specific repayment terms.

General terms

  • Flexible terms available
  • Tax statement or market analysis used for real estate evaluation (in some cases an appraisal may be required)
  • Repayment is usually calculated on a specific term and is normally structured as a balloon loan*
  • Loan is secured by your home
  • 80% loan-to-value as determined by either a real estate evaluation or appraisal
  • Automatic payment available
  • All loans subject to credit approval

Costs

Some costs are variable depending on the property location, as costs vary from state to state. In addition lender fees vary greatly, an individual is wise to shop and compare. Other factors that may affect the closing costs are:

  • Lien search
  • Amount of loan
  • Recording fees
  • Lender you are using

Additional Information

*Balloon loan
The interest rate is fixed for a specified term of the loan, then needs to be reset at a new rate.
Example: a 15-year loan with a 3-year balloon has set payments for 35 months; the 36th payment is the entire balance. At that renewal, the rate may change based on current market rates. Normally the rate is lower for a 3-year balloon than a 5-year balloon, regardless of the total repayment term.

Always check with a tax advisor regarding the tax deductibility of interest.