A home equity loan—also known as an equity loan, home equity installment loan, or second mortgage—is a type of consumer debt. Home equity loans allow homeowners to borrow against the equity in their home. The loan amount is based on the difference between the home’s current market value and the homeowner’s mortgage balance due. Home equity loans tend to be fixed-rate, while the typical alternative, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), generally have variable rates.

A private mortgage is a loan created between private individuals for the purchase of real estate. The lender, who could be a friend, family member, colleague, or investment firm, will loan the money to the borrower just as a bank would, securing themselves with a mortgage note or comparable contract. The loan is then paid back over time through monthly principal and interest (P&I) payments, earning the lender interest on the original principal balance.

Aportfolio loan is a kind of mortgage that a lender originates and retains instead of offloading on the secondary mortgage market. Because a portfolio loan is kept in the lender’s portfolio, or “on the books,” the lender sets the standards — and sometimes favorably for borrowers.