A performing note is current, meaning the borrower has made all of their monthly payments on time. These types of notes are arguably the easiest to deal with; the note owner can simply enjoy the monthly mortgage payments made by the borrower.

The note owner will continue to receive monthly payments for the full term of the loan or until the borrower decides to pay off the loan either through a refinance or a sale of the home. When this happens, the note owner receives the remaining unpaid principal balance as a lump sum. Performing notes can also be re-sold to another investor at any time.

Next time, we’ll discuss an example of how to make a profit investing in performing notes.

To read up on previous posts in our Note Investing 101 series, click the links below.

Note Investing 101

1. What is a mortgage note?
2. Real Estate vs. Mortgage Notes
3. Who are the sellers?
4. Why invest in mortgage notes?
5. Different Classifications of Mortgage Notes

Mortgage notes are classified by their recent pay history. There are several different classifications of mortgage notes on BigBidder.com.

Performing: A performing note is a loan that is current, meaning the borrower has made all of their monthly mortgage payments on time.

Re-performing: A re-performing note indicates that the borrower has had repayment issues in the past, but has gotten back on track and made his monthly payments as agreed for at least the last six months.

Sub-performing: A sub-performing note means that the borrower is up to 60 days delinquent or has been delinquent three or more times in the last 12 months.

Non-performing: These are loans that are more than 90 days delinquent. The borrower has defaulted on the terms of the loan, often times resulting in foreclosure of the property.

Next week, we’ll go over how to make money from performing notes.

To read up on previous posts in our Note Investing 101 series, click the links below.

Note Investing 101

1. What is a mortgage note?
2. Real Estate vs. Mortgage Notes
3. Who are the sellers?
4. Why invest in mortgage notes?

Auction #230-1-9

Classification: Non-performing
Loan Type: ARM
Total Loan Amount: $477,570
Lien Position: First
Interest Rate: 7.4%
Minimum Bid: 73.29%
Bid Deadline: January 21, 2010

Auction #230-1-6

Classification: Non-performing
Loan Type: Fixed
Total Loan Amount: $328,903
Lien Position: First
Interest Rate: 5.4%
Minimum Bid: 54.73%
Bid Deadline: January 21, 2010

Auction #230-1-8

Classification: Non-performing
Loan Type: Fixed
Total Loan Amount: $159,491
Lien Position: First
Interest Rate: 5.5%
Minimum Bid: 31.35%
Bid Deadline: January 21, 2010

So why should you invest in mortgage notes?

1. Unprecedented Deals: For years, all types of financial institutions have bought and sold mortgage notes on the secondary market. In the wake of the 2008 economic crisis, these sellers, many of whom had no intention of holding onto their notes for long, are eager to find buyers. The result? Unprecedented deals on all kinds of mortgage notes. This is your opportunity to take advantage of a down economy and emerge with a robust portfolio.

2. Higher ROI: You can realize much higher returns from mortgage notes than from traditional institutional investments like bonds, CD’s, or savings accounts (we’ll go over some examples of successful mortgage note investing in a future post).

3. Secured Investment: Unlike stocks, bonds or other traditional investment vehicles, your note investment is secured by real property.

4. No Ownership Hassles: Mortgage notes offer the unique opportunity to invest in real estate without dealing with the hassles of property ownership. No more chasing tenants for rent, dealing with a property manager, or worrying about minor repairs that end up costing thousands of dollars. The borrower, not the note holder, is responsible for property upkeep, maintenance and taxes.

5. Diversification: Mortgage notes are a great way to diversify your investment portfolio.

6. Flexibility & Versatility: Mortgage notes are an incredibly versatile investment. There truly is something for every type of investment strategy.

Next up in our Note Investing 101 series, we’ll go over some of the various classifications of mortgage notes on BigBidder.com.

To read up on previous posts in this series, click the links below.

Note Investing 101

1. What is a mortgage note?
2. Real Estate vs. Mortgage Notes
3. Who are the sellers?

Historically, the secondary market is where all types of investors and financial institutions have bought and sold mortgage notes. When a mortgage originator (such as a bank or a mortgage company like Countrywide Financial) makes a home loan, they can either keep the loan on their books, or, more often than not, they can try to sell the note as a financial instrument on the secondary market. In addition to mortgage originators, there are also companies such as investment banks, hedge funds and equity funds who are looking to sell loans that they themselves had bought on the secondary market.

So why are these institutions selling their notes? After the subprime mortgage meltdown, most of the traditional secondary market buyers, such as pension funds, hedge funds and investment banks, abruptly left the table. Suddenly, supply far exceeded demand on the secondary market. As a result, sellers have been left with hundreds, and in many cases thousands, of mortgage notes that they would quickly like to clean off their balance sheets. This means unprecedented deals for every BigBidder.com investor.

Next up on the Note Investing 101 agenda, we’ll answer that all-important question: why should you invest in mortgage notes?

To read up on previous posts in this series, click the links below.

Note Investing 101

1. What is a mortgage note?
2. Real Estate vs. Mortgage Notes

Investing in property is what most people (including many BigBidder.com investors) are familiar with. When you purchase property, you make money as the property value increases, or you can earn rental income. As the owner, it is your responsibility to maintain the property, manage any tenants, and pay property taxes and insurance.

When you invest in a mortgage note, you’re buying the contractual obligation that the borrower has entered into. Essentially, you take the place of the lender. The borrower remains responsible for property maintenance and taxes, and makes his monthly mortgage payments to you, the note holder. While you are not buying the property itself, the note is still secured by the property. This means that if the borrower defaults on the loan, you could end up owning the property.

A mortgage note is the rare type of investment that is backed by something tangible: property. This last point is very important to understand, as it is part of what makes mortgage notes such an attractive alternative investment.

Next up on the Note Investing 101 agenda, we’ll go over the nature of the secondary market: who are the sellers, and why are they selling in the first place?

To read up on previous posts in this series, click the links below.

Note Investing 101

1. What is a mortgage note?
2. Real Estate vs. Mortgage Notes

As with any new investment, people want to understand what they’re getting into before they jump in. To help people learn more about note investing, we’ve developed a series of blog posts titled Note Investing 101, and over the next few weeks, we’ll be going over the basics of mortgage note investing, covering a new topic each blog post. Today, we answer the question, what is a mortgage note?

A mortgage note is a promissory note stating the principal amount due, the rate of interest, and the terms for repayment of the loan. The borrower signing the note, and any cosigners, are personally liable for the repayment of the debt. The collateral used to secure the note is real property.

Generally speaking, these are home loans made to buy or refinance property. A borrower gets a mortgage from the bank and makes their monthly mortgage payment to whomever owns the note — whether it be the bank, a hedge fund, or an individual such as yourself.

Next time, we’ll go over the differences between investing in real estate and investing in mortgage notes.

Over at BigBidder.com, we’re watching the exciting conclusion to our third Last Call auction of the month! Multiple bidders have stepped up to compete for this non-performing mortgage note made to purchase a home in Naples, Florida. With a minimum bid of just 10 percent of the total loan amount, we had a feeling this note would generation some substantial interest.

The recent bidding activity across a wide range of notes proves that people are starting to realize the potential and versatility of note investing. We received a record number of bids on a few performing notes back in the beginning of the month, a sign that some investors seek the relative security afforded by a performing loan investment. Meanwhile, the recent Last Call action for this non-performing note in Florida demonstrates that there are still many buyers out there looking to take advantage of heavily discounted distressed assets.

Mortgage note investing on BigBidder.com does require a bit more mental legwork (i.e. background research, planning, an understanding of the basics of note investing) than simply buying stock on E*Trade. However, in return, investors on BigBidder.com gain access to a lucrative alternative investment that was previously only available to Wall Street insiders and those whose rolodex was filled to the brim with financial institution executives. There truly has never been a better time to invest in notes. The deals are unprecedented and the opportunities are limitless. Head over to BigBidder.com today to get started!

NOTE: Remember, at BigBidder.com, bids are made in terms of a percentage of the total loan amount.

Auction #136-1-3

Auction #136-1-4

Auction #136-1-7

Both notes were performing loans made to purchase beautifully built K Hovnanian homes. The combined balance on the two loans was over $1 million. These were not troubled loans, and they were not going to sell at the steep discounts of 60% or more that often characterize distressed asset auctions. But in a market saturated with such assets, there are still many buyers who seek the relative safety that a performing note investment offers.

At BigBidder.com, you can find auctions for mortgage notes of all classes located across the country. Whether you’re looking for the upside potential of a heavily discounted sub-performing note, or the relative security afforded by a consistently performing loan, there is truly something for everyone on BigBidder.com.