50-Year Mortgage Calculator
Compare 30-Year vs. 50-Year Loan Terms
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30-Year Fixed Mortgage
Monthly Payment: $0.00
Total Interest Paid: $0.00
Total Paid: $0.00
50-Year Fixed Mortgage
Monthly Payment: $0.00
Total Interest Paid: $0.00
Total Paid: $0.00
Summary of the 50-Year Mortgage Proposal
Based on public reports from November 2025, the Trump administration is actively developing a plan to introduce a 50-year mortgage term. This initiative is being framed as a key part of a strategy to address the national housing affordability crisis.
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte confirmed the administration is "working on" the 50-year mortgage, calling it a "complete game changer." The proposal has been highlighted by President Trump, who posted a graphic on social media contrasting the 30-year mortgage (associated with Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal) with his administration's 50-year mortgage proposal.
The stated goal is to make homeownership more attainable by significantly lowering the required monthly payments compared to the traditional 30-year loan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does a 50-year mortgage make housing more "affordable"?
The primary "affordability" claim is based on the monthly payment. By stretching the loan repayment over 600 months (50 years) instead of 360 months (30 years), the amount of principal paid each month is lower. This results in a smaller total monthly payment, making it easier for buyers to qualify for a loan in a high-priced market.
What is the main drawback?
The main drawback is the total interest paid. As you can see from the calculator, while the monthly payment is lower, you pay that payment for an additional 20 years. This results in paying significantly more in interest over the life of the loan—often more than double the total interest of a 30-year loan. Lenders may also charge a slightly higher interest rate for the longer, riskier term.
How quickly would a borrower build equity?
Equity would build extremely slowly. In the first one or two decades of a 50-year loan, the vast majority of each monthly payment goes toward paying the interest, with very little reducing the principal loan balance. This means the homeowner would have very little equity in their home for a long time, which can be risky if property values fall.
Are 50-year mortgages available now?
They are very rare. A few private lenders or credit unions may offer them as specialty products, but they are not common and are not "Qualified Mortgages" (a category of loans with standard consumer protections). The administration's proposal would likely involve government backing—through Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—to make these loans widely available.
Compiled Analysis (In Sequence)
1. The Problem (Context): Reporting throughout 2025 has highlighted a severe housing affordability crisis. This is driven by a combination of high interest rates and a "lock-in" effect, where existing homeowners with ultra-low mortgage rates from previous years are financially discouraged from selling their homes, leading to record-low inventory and high prices.
2. The Proposal (Policy): In early November 2025, the administration announced it is actively working on the 50-year mortgage as a direct response to this crisis. This fulfills a campaign promise to "tackle affordability" and is being presented as a major new federal housing initiative.
3. The Mechanism (How it would work): For the 50-year loan to become widespread, it would almost certainly require backing from the FHFA-regulated GSEs (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). This government backing would create a secondary market for these loans, encouraging lenders to offer them to the public.
4. The Debate (Pros vs. Cons):
- Proponents argue it directly addresses the monthly payment barrier, allowing young families and first-time buyers to enter the market and begin building generational wealth, even if at a slower pace.
- Critics and financial analysts warn that it could have unintended consequences. They argue it may burden homeowners with debt well into their retirement years, offers a false sense of "affordability" by masking a much higher total cost, and could potentially inflate housing prices further by increasing buyer demand.