Loan to Value Ratio


Loan to Value Ratio

1. In mortgages, the ratio of the amount of a potential mortgage to the value of the property it is intended to finance, expressed as a percentage. It is used as a way to assess the risk of making a particular mortgage loan. A lower loan-to-value ratio is seen as a lower risk to the lender. Most mortgage lenders require a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 75%. That is, a borrower is usually expected to pay for 25% of the value of a property out-of-pocket.

2. More broadly, a ratio of the amount of a potential loan to the asset it is intended to finance. In addition to gauging the risk involved in making the loan, it tells the borrower whether or not the loan can be repaid if he/she sells the asset. This can be important if the borrower becomes unable make payments.