There are several types of mortgages offered by lenders in the market. The most common of these types is fixed rate mortgages. Fixed rate mortgage loans are characterized by fixed rates and monthly payments that are generally for a 15-year and 30-year periods.

Fixed rate mortgages are popular in the consumer market because of its stability. Most consumers are hesitant to get house loans where the rates fluctuate with the changing interest rates of the market. Fixed rate mortgages are generally very affordable, especially when rates are low.

Consumers of fixed rate mortgages are faced with having to choose between a 15-year fixed rate mortgage or a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. Some prefer 15-year fixed rate mortgages because of the shorter duration. Other consumers choose 30-year fixed rate mortgages because the payments are considerably lower than the former.

Each type of fixed rate mortgages certainly has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of them.

30-year Fixed Rate Mortgage Advantages and Disadvantages

A 30-year fixed rate mortgage gives consumers the opportunity to borrow money on a long-term basis. They do this without having to worry about the change that might occur in fixed rate mortgage interest rates or payments of such.

Because the interest of a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is amortized over a longer period, the monthly payments for this are lower than those on 15-year loans. Lower monthly payments on 30-year fixed rate mortgages give consumers an extra resource which they can pour into other worthy investments.

On the other hand, this could also cause a slight disadvantage for 30-year fixed rate mortgage borrowers. The overall interest bill of a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is much higher because of the long amortization period. And because payments for 30-day fixed rate mortgages are usually used to pay up the interest rather than the principal at first, borrowers will be building up their equity at a slower pace.

The high interest rates of 30-day fixed rate mortgage loans do not necessarily stop consumers from taking this type of loan. They reason that higher interest bill for 30-day fixed rate mortgages increases the amount they can deduct at tax time. This could potentially reduce or perhaps, even eliminate their federal income tax liability.

15-year Fixed Rate Mortgage Advantages and Disadvantages

One of the advantages that attract borrowers into taking a 15-year fixed rate mortgage is the fact that amortization periods for this type of loan are usually shorter. This allows 15-year fixed rate mortgage borrowers to build equity much quicker. And with a 15-year fixed rate mortgage, the overall interest bills are low at least, considerably lower than those of longer-term loans. Interest rates of a 15-year fixed rate mortgage are also lower than 30-year loans.

The disadvantages however include significantly higher monthly payments, especially when compared with 30-year fixed rate mortgages. This setback of having a 15-year fixed rate mortgage may restrict home buyers to smaller houses than they might be able to afford with longer-term loans.

There are also other factors to consider when choosing which type of fixed rate mortgage you want to take. Keep in mind that you can actually do a prepayment for your fixed rate mortgage, that way, the principal amount may be significantly reduced each month. In this way, fixed rate mortgages may even be paid off sooner than the projected term

The other term for a balloon payment mortgage is a partially amortized loan. Balloon payment mortgage is when your liability or obligation is only partially amortized, leaving the rest to be paid upon the completion of the term. Because the initial interest rates and monthly payments are lower, a balloon payment mortgage is paid off with one large payment at the end of the loan term.

Balloon payment mortgages are called such because borrowers who are on this type of loan are usually set up for a balloon payment at the end of their loan term. In most other loans, monthly payments do not only pay off the interest but also chip away at the principal amount the original amount owed. Thus at the end of each loan term where balloon payment mortgage is applied, no money is owed.

With balloon payment mortgages however, the monthly payment only comprises of interest or a combination of interest plus a small amount for the principal. No matter the case, when the balloon payment mortgage term expires, the balance is due in full.

Most second mortgages are commonly balloon payment mortgages. For instance, your balloon payment mortgage is 20,000 with a monthly interest-only payment set up for ten years. When your balloon payment mortgage term ends, you still have to pay for the 20,000 principal amount.

There are a couple of accepted institutional loan products that have balloon payment mortgages. One of these balloon payment mortgage products is the 30-year loan that has to be paid off in five or seven years.

Usually, the interest rate of the 30-year balloon payment mortgage is lower than a normal 30-year fixed rate mortgage with due date of 30 years. Monthly payments of balloon payment mortgage are still amortized based on the 30-year term. But at the end of five or seven years, a large amount of the balloon payment mortgage is due.

To explain further on this, lets say you have a balloon payment mortgage with an interest rate of 7.5%. After seven years, an approximate 92% of the original balloon payment mortgage amount is due. For example, the amount of the balloon payment mortgage is 200,000. The interest rate for this balloon payment mortgage is 7.5%. After seven years, the total amount of money you owe to the balloon payment mortgage lender is 184,000, provided that you havent sold the property yet or refinanced.

A tip for home borrowers is that when you do take on a balloon payment mortgage makes sure that the due date is not too soon. With balloon payment mortgages, if you cant pay the lender the amount on the due date, you might have to foreclose and lose the property.

Some lenders offer extensions for their 30-years-due-in-7 balloon payment mortgages. Lenders of this type of loan may extend your balloon payment mortgage for another 23 years but with a new interest rate. These balloon payment lenders base their new interest rates on a conversion formula. In this case, you might have to re-qualify for the balloon payment mortgage should the new interest rate on the mortgage being converted is significantly higher than the old rate.