What if you can't afford the balloon payment?

Answer 1

Lenders do not want you to default on your mortgage. As with any other mortgage, in the case of the balloon payment, your lender will try to work with you to refinance your mortgage into payments you can handle. If you can't refinance, you may be forced to sell the property (unless the bank does it for you) to cover the balloon payment. Most people will be able to refinance, the question is just how high their rate will be. You do not have to use the same lender that your first ballon mortgage was with. Many lenders have programs for people with less than perfect credit. The only problem is your rate will be high, so you want to refinance as soon as you have a decent credit score to get a lower rate. If your balloon payment is coming due and you can not qualify for a loan because you owe more than the home is worth then talk to your lender about a shortsale or deed-in-lieu. If neither of these are available and a workout just isn't possible, it may make more financial sense for you to just walk away from the property.