There are also some risks associated with balloon mortgages, including defaulting on the loan if you're unable to make the balloon payment at the end of the loan term. In such cases, your lender will likely take steps to foreclose on your home.
Let's dive into these in detail. Pay in Full: Settle the Balloon Payment. ... Refinancing Options: Managing Balloon Payments. ... Trade-In Route: Alternatives for Balloon Payments. ... Make Extra Payments: Gradually Reduce the Balloon Amount. ... Negotiate with the Lender: Seek Flexible Repayment Terms.
You will end up in foreclosure for inability to pay that last balloon payment. Sometimes, you can refinance your home before the balloon hits, to pay it off, and stay current on your loan. But you may have no idea if, when that time comes, you will have the credit or the equity in the property to do that.
One of the most common ways to handle a balloon payment is to simply refinance the loan. The new loan pays the balloon payment, and you're either left with a fully amortizing loan ? with no balloon involved ? or at least a completely new timeline.
Example of a Balloon Loan Let's say a person takes out a $200,000 mortgage with a seven-year term and a 4.5% interest rate. Their monthly payment for seven years is $1,013. At the end of the seven-year term, they owe a $175,066 balloon payment.
A balloon payment is a larger-than-usual one-time payment at the end of the loan term. If you have a mortgage with a balloon payment, your payments may be lower in the years before the balloon payment comes due, but you could owe a big amount at the end of the loan.
This means making the full balloon payment when the loan matures. Extend the loan. A lender may be able to give you a short-term extension, delaying the date that the loan matures. The extension might be 60 to 180 days.
Borrowers unable to make the balloon payment by the due date can sell the property to avoid defaulting on the loan and potentially facing foreclosure.