Second Mortgages - How To Count The Cost

Second mortgages are common these days. Using the value of your home to turn it into cash is a great way to cover expenses you normally wouldn't be able to afford. Second mortgages are junior (subordinate) to the first mortgage and, in case of a foreclosure sale, are paid out only after the full satisfaction of the first mortgage. Both mortgages run concurrently and, typically, the second mortgage has shorter maturity period than the first one.

If you are a homeowner and in need of some extra cash, one possibility you could consider is taking out a second mortgage. If the present value of your house exceeds the amount you paid for it (your mortgage total), then you have equity that can be used to borrow more money. This is basically a loan that is secured on your house - and is sometimes termed a further advance.

1. The Lender
You can approach your existing lender for a second mortgage, or shop around for a lower interest rate. It's likely your second mortgage will be for a lesser amount of capital, but will nevertheless be subject to higher interest rates and possible charges. This is because it represents more of a risk to the lender - the lender takes a ‘second charge' over your property, which means that if the debt was recalled and your house repossessed, they would be second in line after your main lender to receive their debt.

2. Purpose
Secured loans and second mortgages are popular with people who want to raise extra funds - for example if you want to carry out home improvements or set up in business and need capital to get going. Although it can be a good way to find a cash lump sum fast, be aware that you are eating into the investment that your property should be. You should make sure that you have planned for the extra cost of repayments beyond what you initially were bound to. If the mortgage term will last into your retirement, will you be in a position to keep up the repayments?

3. Understanding The Small Print
While there are any number of lenders offering second mortgages, before you commit yourself to one you should be totally clear about the terms offered. Although there may be a special offer or discounted period of low interest, often these will revert to a higher rate after the set period - once again, you need to take the long term view rather than the short term. Also, your equity can provide a security cushion so that if market prices fall, you will avoid the negative equity ‘gap' - taking out a second mortgage means you will lose that safety feature.

One of the major disadvantages of a second mortgage is that the interest rate will usually be higher than your first mortgage. Lenders insist on higher interest rates because they understand they won't be the first in line in the event that you default on the loan and they need to protect their assets, so they do this with higher interest rates. Of course, the rates are typically lower than what you could obtain with any other type of loan and much lower than credit cards.

You should also be aware that you'll typically be responsible for some fairly significant closing costs on second mortgages. If you can't pay those fees, you may not be able to work out a second mortgage on your property.

Due to the amount of risk involved you need to be absolutely sure you have no other option before taking out such a loan. After all, you are risking the loss of your home, so you should be sure you're willing to take the risk as well as be relatively sure you can cover the additional loan payments.