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Does buying land count as mortgage?

By David Craig

Financing the purchase of a tract of land is different than taking out a loan for an existing home or commercial property. In fact, you won’t go through a traditional mortgage lender. You will need a land loan, which may have worse terms than a home loan.

Can you take out a mortgage on a piece of land?

If you’re eyeing a piece of land to build a house on or to use for business purposes, you probably won’t be able to get a regular mortgage to finance the purchase; you’ll likely have to apply for a land loan instead. Land loans aren’t as common as mortgage loans, so there are fewer options.

Can I sell my garden as a building plot?

You could sell your land for use as garden land or as a building plot. If sold with the benefit of planning permission the land could be worth more, of course. A surveyor or architect could advise and if appropriate draw up plans and apply for planning permission.

A land loan is used to finance the purchase of a plot of land. If you’re interested in obtaining a land loan, the type you take out will depend on where you’re buying land and how you intend to use the land. The three most common types of land loans are raw land loans, unimproved land loans, and improved land loans.

Was the purchase subject to an existing mortgage?

Buying subject-to means buying a home subject-to the existing mortgage. It means the seller is not paying off the existing mortgage. Instead, the buyer is taking over the payments. The unpaid balance of the existing mortgage is then calculated as part of the buyer’s purchase price.

How is a land loan different from a mortgage?

Land loans are obtained in the same way a buyer would obtain a mortgage loan, but unlike receiving a dollar amount assigned to the property, it can be harder to determine what the land is worth because there is no property collateral.

What was the National Mortgage Settlement ( NMS ) called?

The settlement, known as the National Mortgage Settlement (NMS), required the servicers to provide about $26 billion in relief to distressed homeowners and in direct payments to the states and federal government.

What was the default rate on National Australia Bank Mortgage?

At another point during the servicing of the mortgage, National Australia Bank incorrectly charged a “default” interest rate of 20%, when it should have charged less than 6%, as the loan was not in default.

What do you need to know about unimproved land loans?

Sometimes unimproved land has some utilities and amenities, but typically lacks an electric meter, phone box and natural gas meter. While an unimproved land loan isn’t as risky as a raw land loan, it can still be difficult to obtain, so make sure you have a detailed plan, large down payment, and strong credit score.