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How Mortgages Differ Around the World

by Real Estate
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The Characteristics of Mortgages Across the Globe
The most important requirement that is usually considered by most people when purchasing a house, is a mortgage. However, the functioning of mortgages known today differs greatly from country to country. Starting from such fundamental factors as the interest rate and the amount of the required down payment up to such secondary factors as the mortgage terms and the legislation of foreclosure in a certain country, the discrepancies and their influence with regard to people and homes can be significant.

Knowing the distinctions of mortgages internationally will assist home consumers to make appropriate decisions regarding its finances. If you are planning to purchase property in the United States, Europe, Asia, or any part of the world, understanding fundamental tips on the mortgage markets in these countries will assist you in obtaining the best deals on your loan. Reading this article, you will get some insights regarding how mortgages differ across the countries and the possible implications for homeowners and home buying.

This paper aims to discuss how mortgages vary from one country to another.


A mortgage is a credit that people make in order to buy property and other pieces of real estate. The given topic covers the basics of mortgages and with reference to it, the differences in mortgage arrangements all over the world can also be distinguished. The differences can significantly affect individuals’ behaviors in both purchasing and financing of their homes.

This kind of loan in the United States has long terms of usually thirty years or even more in some instances. This enables the borrowers to make their payments in instalments for a longer duration thus enabling many Americans to own homes. Third, it is also for the fact that the US mortgages mainly include the provision of fixed interest rate that implies the rate of interest that does not change for the entire term of the loan. And this is where stability and predictability of the monthly payments benefit the borrowers.

Mortgages in other countries like the United Kingdom have shorter durations; usually around 25 years. This in effect means that borrowers make slightly higher monthly remittances towards their loans but are able to do so in a shorter time. Across the globe, there are different types of mortgages, but in UK, people more frequently get adjustable rate mortgages through which the interest varies with the period of the loan. Consequently, this is likely to cause variability of the monthly payments based on the alterations in the market interest rates.

The second major aspect of the divergence in mortgages internationally is the down payment that has to be made. According to US requirements for credit, the borrower is required to make a cash down payment of at least 20% on the house price. This may be a huge hinderance especially to families seeking to own homes of their own. It should be noted, though, that in countries such as Canada or Australia the down payment of no more than 5% of the price of the purchased home is allowed. This is because it has the potential of bringing down the cost of acquiring a home through less down payment.

Mortgages in certain countries like Japan are relatively different in the structure. Japan has short mortgage durations and term ranges between 5-10 years, which are characterized by large, final payments. This can be a very dangerous move for the borrowers because to get out of the loan they are required to pay a lump sum amount of money or reinstate their loan again. However, this sort of mortgage may be beneficial to the investor, chiefly where the balance can be repaid early.

This can sometimes turn out to be very risky for many borrowers because at the end of the loan term, they are required to make big payments of the money or to borrow the money again that they borrowed initially. At the same time, the indicated kind of mortgage may be interesting for investors, who repaid the credit within a short time, and received a profit from the rise in property prices.

Like in other countries and particularly in Germany, mortgage debts are largely availed in interest only where the corporations only pay the interest amount in specific periods but the full principal amount at the end of the period stated in the agreement. This can be very dangerous for borrowers; this is because the amount being borrowed is not put in the construction of the house with the intention of appreciating over the period of time. However simultaneously, it becomes a very effective plan of investment for those individuals who expect to receive a certain potentially large sum of money in future.

In conclusion, one can safely observe that the discrepancies of the mortgage system in different countries provide a mass impact in the distorted manner of getting people’s homes. Whether you need to arrange an extended term fixed rate mortgage as in the US mortgage or a short term variable rate mortgage as offered in UK mortgage you need to be in a position to distinguish between the two.

Hence, there are qualitative differences between the types and conditions of the mortgage deals which vary from one country to another depending on the rules and other factors such as interest rates and practices among the credit organizations. For anyone planning to buy a house either in the United States, Europe, Asia, or any part of the world, it will be advisable to undertake some research on the characteristics of that country’s mortgage market. Therefore, knowing the wide variety of the mortgages, which can be granted all over the world, it is easier to manage with such a difficulty and select an appropriate type of credit. However, it is advised that you consult and get the best mortgage information from mortgage experts so that you can get the best mortgage.

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