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Second Home Mortgage Rates

Owning a second home means avoiding those creepy short-term home rental disappointments and those nothing-to-do-this-weekend blues. It’s your place, only better. It’s somewhere cool.

Finding the best loan offer for your second home begins with shopping mortgage rates. With the NerdWallet second-home mortgage rate tool, punch in a little data and you’re combing through interest rate offers in no time.

What are the differences between a mortgage on a primary residence and a mortgage on a second home?

Lenders are a little more cautious on second-home financing, so you may find that making a decent-sized down payment helps seal the deal. It doesn’t have to be a huge chunk: 10% should work, in most cases.

Debt-to-income ratio requirements often are a little skinnier, too. Lenders may also look for two months’ payments in cash reserves — or more, depending on your credit profile.

And loan terms may vary a bit, depending on if the second home is a single-family unit, condo or manufactured housing.

How do mortgage rates on second homes compare to other mortgage types?

The interest rate on a second home can be a little higher than the rates you find on primary mortgages — maybe not by much, though. This loan may be held on your lender’s books rather than sold in the mortgage market, so they might have a little leeway and work harder to keep you happy.

As always, it pays to shop rates. That’s why you’re here, right?

What other options are available to finance a second home?

Using the equity built up in your primary residence can be a way to finance your home away. A home equity line of credit or home equity loan might help with the down payment, though you’ll still need to have the financial chops to qualify for the second home mortgage.

Learn more about financing second homes: