– Yes, but the lender must be informed, and they may require the mortgage to be paid off or refinanced. The new owner might also need to assume the mortgage.
You typically cannot add a co-borrower to a mortgage without refinancing.
Under these circumstances, you will need to tell your lender. They will then generally require you to pay the mortgage out before gifting the property to a family member. The new owner would then need to take out their own mortgage to pay out yours.
Your mortgage rates, term, amortization, conditions and remaining balance will stay the same after the transferral process. When you port a mortgage, you keep your existing loan with the same lender. Because porting doesn't require you to break your mortgage contract, you won't incur prepayment penalties.
Limited Flexibility: Porting a mortgage requires you to sell your current home and purchase a new one simultaneously. This lack of flexibility can be a disadvantage if you cannot find a suitable new property within the specified time frame, usually between 30 and 120 days, depending on the lender.
Most mortgages available now are portable, whether they're on a fixed rate or variable rate. But it's important to check with your lender, or the wording in your mortgage agreement. If you have a more specialist mortgage, like a buy-to-let mortgage or shared ownership mortgage, you may find it more difficult to port.
A family member (or sometimes even non-relatives) can assume an existing mortgage on a home they've inherited. If one person is awarded sole ownership of a property in divorce proceedings, that person can assume the full existing mortgage themselves.
Parents can make an outright gift of a home to an adult child. Any gift that exceeds the 2024 annual exclusion of $18,000 will be subject to gift tax and require that a gift tax return be filed.
Bank of America Wells Fargo Chase U.S. Bank PNC Bank First Republic Bank Capital One Quicken Loans Mortgage Porting is the process of transferring your existing mortgage from one property to another. This allows you to keep your current interest rate, term, and other terms and conditions when you move.
Adding your child's name as a co-owner to your deed will not allow them to avoid their legal obligation to pay the inheritance tax. 3. If you have a mortgage, your mortgage company may not let you make changes to your deed, or will make you repay your entire balance if you try to make changes.
You can take over someone else's mortgage using an assumable mortgage. Assumable mortgages are a great way to get into a home if you're looking to buy or sell, or even just do some property flipping.
When you pass away, your mortgage doesn't suddenly disappear. Your mortgage lender still needs to be repaid and could foreclose on your home if that doesn't happen. In most cases, the responsibility of the mortgage will be passed to the beneficiary of the home if there is a will.
Use the annual gift tax exclusion.
Each year, you can give a certain amount of property to a family member without incurring gift taxes. As of 2024, the annual gift tax exclusion is $18,000 per recipient. This means you can gradually transfer property over several years to minimize tax liabilities.
The process of transferring a mortgage to one person usually involves an interview and consultation with a solicitor, and you might have to have your property revalued. There's likely to be admin and legal fees, and possibly stamp duty if you're making a substantial payment to the other joint owner.
Not all mortgages are assumable, but you can tell if you have one by the language in your note and mortgage. You can also find out by speaking to one of our assumption specialists at 1-800-340-0570. If you have an existing assumable mortgage, you may be able to add or remove borrower(s) through an assumption loan.
A common question, and one where many taxpayers often make mistakes, is whether it is better to receive a home as a gift or as an inheritance. Generally, from a tax perspective, it is more advantageous to inherit a home rather than receive it as a gift before the owner's death.
Bottom Line. You most likely won't owe any gift taxes on a gift your parents make to you. Depending on the amount, your parents may need to file a gift tax return. If they give you or any other individual more than $38,000 in 2025 ($19,000 per parent), they will need to file some paperwork.
If you leave your home that has an outstanding loan to a beneficiary in your will or trust, your beneficiary will inherit not only the property but also the outstanding debt. They may have the right to take over the mortgage and keep the home, or they may choose to sell it and keep the proceeds.
You'll have to pay closing costs on a loan assumption, which are typically 2-5% of the loan amount. But some of those may be capped. And you're unlikely to need a new appraisal. So you may pay less on closing than a 'typical' home purchase — but only a bit less.
If your spouse passes away, but you didn't sign the promissory note or mortgage for the home, federal law clears the way for you to take over the existing mortgage on the inherited property more easily.
key takeaways. A transfer of mortgage is the reassignment of an existing mortgage from the current holder to another person or entity. Not all mortgages can be transferred to another person. If a mortgage can be transferred, the lender has the right to approve the person assuming the loan.
You may be charged an early repayment charge for leaving your existing lender within the terms of your mortgage deal. This is usually between 1% and 5% of your remaining mortgage cost.
Porting a mortgage isn't merely a matter of shifting the loan from one place to another; it involves a formal application process. This process typically includes a thorough credit assessment and an evaluation of your financial capacity to make repayments.