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The Daily Insight

What happens if you sell your house for less than your loan?

Author

John Thompson

Published Mar 19, 2026

If you sell your home, your mortgage’s due-on-sale clause is triggered, giving your lender rights to demand full repayment of your loan. If your home is sold for less than you owed on it, your lender could demand the difference from you.

How much do sellers lose when selling a house?

The real estate commission is usually the biggest fee a seller pays — 5 percent to 6 percent of the sale price. If you sell your house for $250,000, say, you could end up paying $15,000 in commissions. The commission is split between the seller’s real estate agent and the buyer’s agent.

Who owns a mortgaged property?

A mortgage is a temporary transfer of property in order to secure a loan of money. The person who owns the land is the ‘mortgagor’. The person lending the money is the ‘mortgagee’.

What happens if I Sell my House for less than my mortgage?

You’ll also be eligible to buy another home immediately. Selling your home for less than the outstanding balance on your mortgage can be done without the cooperation of your lender only if you pay the difference back to the lender.

When does a mortgagee have to sell the property?

According to section 69 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, upon default in making payment of the mortgaged-money, the mortgagee can sell the mortgaged property without intervention of the court under following conditions:

How can you sell mortgaged property-iPleaders?

According to the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, there are six types of mortgages namely: According to section 58 (b), in a simple mortgage, the mortgagor assures mortgagee that he shall repay the loan amount and in the event of default, he shall bind himself personally to sell the mortgaged property and thereby repay the loan amount.

Do you need a mortgage to purchase an immovable property?

Loans availed to purchase immovable properties typically require the property to be mortgaged to the lending institution. Till such time that the loan dues are cleared by the person availing the loan, the property remains mortgaged.