Why Get a Balloon Mortgage? People who expect to stay in their home for only a short period of time may opt for a balloon mortgage. It comes with low monthly payments and a much lower overall cost, since it is paid off in a few years rather than in 20 or 30 years like a conventional mortgage.
A balloon mortgage may be a good idea if: You know — with a high degree of certainty — that you aren't going to still be in the property when the balloon payment comes due. You expect, again with a great deal of confidence, that you're going to receive a lump sum at least equal to the balloon payment that will come due ...
Balloon mortgages are home loans with a large, one-time payment due at the end of the mortgage term. The final payment repays the loan in full and is often significantly larger than the initial payments.
What Happens When the Balloon Payment Is Due? When your balloon payment is due, you have two choices to pay it off: You can take out another mortgage for the amount of the balloon payment or you can sell your home and use the proceeds to pay it off.
Paying the balloon payment will mean you won't have anything to repay, and you can put that money towards something else each month, or simply start saving. Even if you take out a loan to cover the cost of the balloon payment, you'll have a definitive end date in sight.
The balloon payment is equal to unpaid principal and interest due when a balloon mortgage becomes due and payable. If the balloon payment isn't paid when due, the mortgage lender notifies the borrower of the default and may start foreclosure.
One of the benefits of a balloon mortgage is that the amortization structure can offer you reasonably low monthly payments since the approach is similar to that of a 30-year lending product. This structure can also be a disadvantage unless you're willing to pay down some of the principal on your balance each month.
Can you refinance a balloon mortgage? Thankfully, you can. And unless you're simply rolling in dough, you may be forced to refinance. A balloon mortgage is a home loan with a short term, often 5 - 7 years, after which the rest of the loan is due in one large payment, called a balloon payment.
If you want to reduce or eliminate your balloon amount, make larger payments consistently. Although a higher payment eliminates the benefit of a balloon mortgage, you will pay off the loan early. The amount you will need to increase your payment is based on the principal, interest and term.
Drawbacks of a Balloon Mortgage
There is a big risk associated with a balloon mortgage, though. Most homeowners who don't plan to sell their homes before the balloon payment is due expect to refinance their balloon loan to a standard fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage before facing that big payment.
The biggest advantage of a balloon mortgage is it generally comes with lower interest rates, so you make smaller monthly mortgage payments. You also may qualify for a larger loan amount with a balloon mortgage than you would if you got an adjustable-rate or fixed-rate mortgage.
Generally, a balloon payment is more than two times the loan's average monthly payment, and often it can be tens of thousands of dollars. Most balloon loans require one large payment that pays off your remaining balance at the end of the loan term.
These days, most mortgages are 15- or 30-year loans with fixed interest rates. But balloon mortgages still exist.
We suggest talking to your servicer first and asking about a loan modification. Other, not-so-popular options include a short sale or bankruptcy. Now, depending on current interest rates, a refinance could be the easiest way out of a balloon mortgage.
The balloon payment option offers the benefit of reduced monthly repayments, with a lump sum repayment (referred to as the balloon payment) at the end of the agreement period. The maximum balloon facility is 35% and is subject to the year, make and model of the vehicle and the finance period.
Pay off the loan.
For a loan with a balloon payment at maturity (this happens when the amortization period extends beyond the maturity of the loan, so the loan doesn't fully amortize over its term), the final payment may be much larger than what you've been paying each month.
You must refinance well in advance of the payment due date in order to ensure that you have the time to qualify and close the refinance. If you successfully acquire the refinance, you can kill two birds with one stone by paying the balloon mortgage off and getting a new loan with terms more suitable to you.
Balloon mortgages aren't right in all cases. They're considered much riskier mortgage products for borrowers—and many lenders don't even offer them because they leave borrowers owing large lump sums that they may not be able to afford without taking out a new loan.
Balloon payment options
Choose to pay in monthly instalments. You'll enter into a completely new finance agreement, just for the balloon payment.
A balloon payment provision in a loan is not illegal per se. Federal and state legislatures have enacted various laws designed to protect consumers from being victimized by such a loan.
Balloon payment schedule
A 30/5 structure means the lender calculates your monthly payments as if you'll be repaying the loan for 30 years, but you actually only make those payments for five years. At the end of the five-year (60-month) term, you'll repay the remaining principal, or $260,534.53, as a lump sum.
A balloon payment mortgage is a mortgage which does not fully amortize over the term of the note, thus leaving a balance due at maturity. The final payment is called a balloon payment because of its large size. Balloon payment mortgages are more common in commercial real estate than in residential real estate.
A balloon mortgage is usually rather short, with a term of 5 years to 7 years, but the payment is based on a term of 30 years. They often have a lower interest rate, and it can be easier to qualify for than a traditional 30-year-fixed mortgage.
The ARM deal is done and the lender can't get out of it if the borrower turns out to be an unsteady payer. On a balloon, in contrast, the balance is due at the end of year 7, and while the lender commits to refinance the loan at the market rate, that rate can reflect deterioration in the borrower's credit.