A mortgage is a debt instrument, secured by the collateral of specified real estate property, that the borrower is obliged to pay back with a predetermined set of payments.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

- Mortgages are also known as "liens against property" or "claims on property."

- With a fixed-rate mortgage, the borrower pays the same interest rate for the life of the loan.

- A burgeoning share of the lender market includes non-banks.

Individuals and businesses use mortgages to make large real estate purchases without paying the entire purchase price up front. Over many years, the borrower repays the loan, plus interest, until she or he owns the property free and clear. Mortgages are also known as "liens against property" or "claims on property." If the borrower stops paying the mortgage, the lender can foreclose. They are a form of incorporeal right.

In a residential mortgage, a homebuyer pledges their house to the bank or other type of lender, which has a claim on the house should the homebuyer default on paying the mortgage. In the case of a foreclosure, the lender may evict the home's tenants and sell the house, using the income from the sale to clear the mortgage debt.

Our calculator will talk you through what level of interest you will pay and how large your repayments will be based on the term of your mortgage, value of your property, and the size of the deposit you put down.