{"id":39527,"date":"2024-04-26T21:03:16","date_gmt":"2024-04-27T04:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=39527"},"modified":"2025-10-30T07:31:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T14:31:32","slug":"buyer-how-to-assume-a-mortgage-from-a-family-member","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-assume-a-mortgage-from-a-family-member\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Assume a Mortgage from a Family Member"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In today\u2019s high-interest mortgage landscape, the idea of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-assumable-mortgage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">assuming a mortgage <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">from a family member can be an appealing path to home ownership. But what does this process actually entail?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This guide breaks down what it means to step into a family member\u2019s mortgage shoes and purchase their home. But navigating this course can be tricky, especially when family relationships and emotions are involved.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We&#8217;ll explore <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-are-all-mortgages-assumable\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what loans are assumable<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the pros and cons, and the financial, legal, and tax considerations to help you make an informed decision. Whether it&#8217;s keeping a beloved home within the family or securing a home with a lower interest rate, here\u2019s how to assume a mortgage from a family member.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"geo-cta widget-cta widget-cta--content     widget-cta--dark widget-cta--dark-blue-gradient\">\n    <div class=\"widget-element--content\">\n        <div class=\"widget-element--content-header\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"homelight logo\" class=\"widget-element--logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\" width=\"106\" height=\"25\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"cta-headline widget--bold\">Partner With a Top Agent Familiar With Assumable Mortgages<\/h3>\n                        <p class=\"p1\">An experienced agent can help minimize challenges and coordinate a home sale between family members. HomeLight can connect you to a top agent with experience in family real estate transactions.<\/p>\n        \n                <div class=\"widget-element--buttons\">\n            <a data-type=\"In Content CTA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/find-agent\/quiz\/buyer?#\/qaas=0\/\" class=\"cta-click-track widget-element--button\">Get Started<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>What does it mean to assume a mortgage?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assuming a mortgage may sound complex, but for the context of this post, it&#8217;s essentially <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-take-over-mortgage-payments\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">taking over your family member&#8217;s existing mortgage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 the remaining loan payments, terms, conditions, and interest rate. This means you bypass starting a new loan, often avoiding the higher interest rates that can come with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf you can assume a mortgage, this might be the most beneficial for you because you can try to obtain the lower interest rate and get lower costs,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/agents\/eric-broesamle-mi-6501362747\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eric Broesamle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a top Michigan real estate agent who has been helping families buy homes for more than 22 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many, this option is like a financial shortcut in the journey of homebuying. It&#8217;s particularly attractive if your family member has locked in a lower interest rate compared to current market rates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This transfer of responsibility from one family member to another can be a practical solution, especially when trying to keep a home within the family or seeking affordability in a challenging market.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Can I assume a mortgage from a family member?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When considering assuming a mortgage from a family member, it&#8217;s important to understand that not all mortgages are assumable. The ability to assume a mortgage depends largely on the type of loan and the lender&#8217;s policies. Here&#8217;s a breakdown of the common types of loans and their assumability:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-are-fha-loans-assumable\/\"><b>FHA loans<\/b><\/a><b>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These loans, backed by the Federal Housing Administration (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hud.gov\/buying\/loans\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FHA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), are typically assumable. They&#8217;re a popular choice for assumable mortgages due to their relatively lower down payment requirements and flexible eligibility criteria.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>VA loans:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Assumable by qualified borrowers, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.benefits.va.gov\/homeloans\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VA loans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. If you&#8217;re assuming a VA loan, you don\u2019t need to be a veteran, but the lender&#8217;s approval is crucial, and specific criteria must be met.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>USDA loans<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Similar to FHA and VA loans, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rd.usda.gov\/programs-services\/single-family-housing-programs\/single-family-housing-guaranteed-loan-program\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USDA loans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 aimed at rural homebuyers \u2014 are generally assumable. However, approval from the USDA is required, and you must meet their eligibility criteria.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Conventional loans:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These are less likely to be assumable. Most conventional loans have a &#8220;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/due-on-sale_clause\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">due on sale<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8221; clause that requires the loan to be paid in full if the property is transferred. However, there are exceptions, so it&#8217;s worth checking with the lender.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The assumability of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/adjustable_rate_mortgage_(arm)\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ARMs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> varies. Some may allow for assumption, but it&#8217;s dependent on the lender and the specific terms of the loan. In cases where an ARM loan has been deferred or modified to help the borrower avoid default, the loan is likely not eligible to be assumed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re looking to assume a family member&#8217;s mortgage, your first step should be to check with the lender to confirm if the loan is assumable. Additionally, assuming a mortgage also requires you to qualify for the loan just like any other homebuyer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat&#8217;s what&#8217;s important about speaking with the lender,\u201d Broesamle advises his clients who are looking to assume a mortgage. \u201cOnce you talk to the lender, and we verify where your credit score is and what your approval rate is, then we can dive in to see if the loan is assumable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with any real estate loan, the lender will assess your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-credit-score-for-home-loan\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">creditworthiness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, income, and other financial factors to ensure you can handle the mortgage payments. Remember, assuming a mortgage is not just about taking over the payments; it&#8217;s about stepping into a binding financial agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the key steps and considerations for assuming a mortgage from a family member. See what loan types qualify and get expert tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":39529,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,629,632],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-home-financing","category-mortgage-loans"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Assume a Mortgage from a Family Member<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the key steps and considerations for assuming a mortgage from a family member. 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Previously, he served as an editor and content producer for World Company, Gannett, and Western News &amp; Info, where he also served as news director and director of internet operations.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.homelight.com","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/richard-w-haddad"],"url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/author\/richardhaddad\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}