What is a balloon loan?
Balloon programs are ideal for borrowers who know they will not occupy the home for long periods of time. For example, the borrower may plan to move in 3 to 7 years and sell the home. Since balloon loans usually have shorter terms (usually five to seven years) than a typical fifteen or thirty-year loan, the interest rate is often less than that on a fifteen or thirty-year conventional loan. A balloon mortgage usually offers many of the features of a fixed-rate loan, such as converting the loan to a longer term in the event of unforeseen changes in the future.