Mortgage Definition

hat Is A Mortgage? Loan Basics For Beginners MIRANDA CRACE16-MINUTE READ JULY 17, 2023 Share: For many, owning a home is part of the American dream. For most homeowners in America, getting a mortgage is just one of the steps to getting there. If you’re contemplating homeownership and wondering how to get started, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll cover all the mortgage basics, including loan types, mortgage lingo, the home buying process and more. Mortgage Definition Before we dive in, let’s talk about some mortgage basics. First, what does the word “mortgage” even mean? A mortgage, also referred to as a mortgage loan, is an agreement between you (the borrower) and a mortgage lender to buy or refinance a home with money provided by the lender. This agreement gives lenders the legal rights to repossess a property if you fail to meet the terms of your mortgage, most commonly by not repaying the money you’ve borrowed plus interest. Who Gets A Mortgage? Most people who buy a home use a mortgage. A mortgage is a necessity if you can’t pay the full cost of a home out of pocket. There are some cases where it makes sense to have a mortgage on your home even though you have the money to pay it off. For example, investors sometimes mortgage properties to free up funds for other investments and to take advantage of tax deductions. What’s The Difference Between A Loan And A Mortgage? The term “loan” can be used to describe any financial transaction where one party receives a lump sum and agrees to pay the money back. A mortgage is a type of loan that’s used to finance property. Mortgages are “secured” loans. With a secured loan, the borrower promises collateral to the lender in the event that they stop making payments. In the case of a mortgage, the collateral is the home. If you stop making payments on your mortgage, your lender can take possession of your home, in a process known as foreclosure. How Does A Mortgage Loan Work? When you get a mortgage, your lender gives you a set amount of money to buy the home. You agree to pay back your loan – with interest – over a period of several years. The lender's rights to the home continue until the mortgage is fully paid off. Fully amortized loans have a set payment schedule so that the loan is paid off at the end of your term. The difference between a mortgage and other loans is that if you fail to repay the loan, your lender can sell your home to recoup its losses. Contrast that to what happens if you fail to make credit card payments: You don’t have to return the things you bought with the credit card, though you may have to pay late fees to bring your account current in addition to dealing with negative impacts on your credit score.