The Mortgage Store

The amount of cash paid towards the purchase transaction by the buyer of a home. This is also known as the purchaser's initial "equity" in the property, but is used by a lender to judge the personal commitment to the property. For example, a lender considers that, if a buyer saved the down payment, or received it as a gift from a loved one, they will be far more committed to maintaining the property value and making the mortgage payments than if they acquired it for "no money down".