What is a Bridge Loan? Are you looking for a quick and simple way to use your existing home to finance the purchase of a new property? If so, you may be interested in learning about what a Bridge Loan can do for you. If you have never heard of this type of loan before, what you need to know is that this is a short-term loan, usually lasting from six to twelve months, that you take out against your existing home to get the money you need to buy a new one. You should be aware that the interest rate is normally about 2 percent above other loans and that closing costs can be equally high. The Best Time to Take Out a Bridge Loan A bridge loan will normally be taken out when you are looking to make the move to a new home but have not yet managed to sell your existing property. In simple terms, this type of loan is designed to bridge the gap between these two events. It’s a loan that will give you the money you need to make sure that you can raise the amount of money needed to buy your new home. How This Type of Loan Works There are two ways in which this type of loan can be structured. You can arrange for a loan that completely pays off all your liens on your current property. You can also get a second type that you can use as a loan on top of your existing liens. If you choose the first type of loan, the money you receive will pay off all your existing liens, thus enabling you to use whatever is left over as a down payment on your new home. If you choose the second type, it would basically fulfill the same function as a second or third mortgage. In this case, it would be used as a down payment for your new property.