A mortgage is a long-term loan for a large amount, commonly taken for a property or a house. It is a kind of home loan except that it is termed for longer. Mortgages are available through a bank, private lenders, or property sellers.

One advantage of considering a mortgage loan over other kinds of loans is that there can be multiple mortgages for a particular property. Although more than one mortgage can exist, it is essential to pay off the mortgages in the order of priority, i.e., the first mortgage needs to be cleared of first, and then the second and so on. However, mortgages taken on an already mortgaged property carry higher rate of interest and so are to be considered only in times of dire financial status.

Second Mortgages have the same initial costs as the initial first mortgage. Also they carry a higher rate of interest than the first mortgage. Hence, second or third mortgages are expensive and hard on the pocket. Second Mortgages are usually given based on the amount of equity available with the property owner after the first mortgage. Such types of Second Mortgages are the least expensive kind of Second Mortgages because of the equity security.

As with first mortgages, a number of varieties of second and third mortgages are available. The most common is the mortgage given on equity left with the property owner after the first mortgage, as mentioned. Another popular kind is the line-of-credit mortgage, wherein a line of credit is provided to the property owner to be used as and when required, instead of providing the same as a lump sum as in the case of equity secured Second Mortgage.

Multiple mortgages can be taken simultaneously for building on some property or developing and renovating the same to rent or lease it out for some extra income. The calculation would be similar as if the mortgages were taken one after the other, rather than simultaneously. Also, they provide some extra cash when the property owner is strapped with all the EMI due for the mortgages.

Although a Second Mortgage is given as per the total property value after the house is mortgaged for a certain amount, some mortgage lenders also lend some extra amount that might be more than what the property actually costs. However, this is not a usual occurrence, and the lender needs to be sure that the same would be repaid back without any hassles. Also it requires approval from higher-ups due to the risk involved in loaning more than the property