first mortgage

American  

noun

1. a mortgage having priority over other mortgages on property.

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first mortgage British  

noun

1. a mortgage that has priority over other mortgages on the same property, except for taxation and other statutory liabilities

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• first-mortgage
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of first mortgage

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

We were lucky enough to close on our first mortgage with a 2.75% interest rate.

From Salon • Nov. 28, 2024

They’re treated as second mortgages, but require no payments of any kind until the home is refinanced, resold or its first mortgage paid off, at which point the state loan must be repaid in full.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2024

It's carried out when a fraudster uses fake identification documents to place a second mortgage on a house they don't own, usually when the first mortgage has been nearly or fully paid off.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2023

Others believed their second loans were rolled in with their first mortgage payments or forgiven.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 15, 2022

Land values declined accordingly, for the Klamath weed was considered to hold the first mortgage.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson