The Bottom Line Chattel mortgages are a little-known but potentially good option if you're looking to finance a manufactured home or heavy equipment. These loans are smaller than conventional loans and tend to have higher rates, but they have shorter terms and quicker payoffs.
A form of security interest, typically a legal mortgage, taken over tangible movable property (known as chattels).
Chattel is any tangible personal property that is movable. Examples of chattel are furniture, livestock, bedding, picture frames, and jewelry.
However, the larger balloon payment at the end represents a substantial financial obligation that needs to be carefully planned and managed. Accounting Treatment: The balloon payment is usually recorded as a liability in the financial statements until it becomes due.
Balloon mortgages are short-term loans that begin with a series of fixed payments and end with a final, lump-sum payment. That one-time payment is called a balloon payment because it's often at least twice as much as the previous ones, leaving many borrowers with a final bill for tens of thousands of dollars (or more).
The term of a balloon mortgage is usually short (e.g., 5 years), but the payment amount is amortized over a longer term (e.g., 30 years). An advantage of these loans is that they often have a lower interest rate, but the final balloon payment is substantial.