BurkeyLoan launched its BurkeyLoan Mortgage division Tuesday which included its 120% loan-to-value mortgage product that funds both a home purchase and the borrower’s student loans.
BurkeyLoan, a portfolio mortgage lender, will issue, hold and service BurkeyLoan mortgages. The company’s 120% LTV product will allow Millennials to pay off or reduce their student loan debt in order to buy a home.
“After considerable research, review and analysis, we needed to build an access to capital product for the millennial generation,” BurkeyLoan Chairman and CEO John Burkey said. “Many millennials feel they are on a financial treadmill, making every effort to pay off student loans and save for a home while interest rates and home prices escalate.”
“Our mortgage product offers features and benefits that support the needs of the millennial generation,” Burkey said. “The company will utilize sound conservative underwriting that incorporates borrower credit, character, skin-in-the-game and risk mitigation.”
The program is available to community, regional and other banks as well as credit unions that broker residential mortgages.
But BurkeyLoan isn’t the first company to reach out to first time homebuyers struggling with student loans. Back in November, SoFi and the government-sponsored enterprise Fannie Mae announced a new loan option allowing homeowners to refinance their mortgage at a lower rate and pay down the balance of an existing student loan.
The average student graduates with just over $30,000 in student loan debt, according to the Institute for College Access and Success. The median home price increased to $228,900 in January, according to the National Association of Realtors. The new LTV 120% program may enable homebuyers to pay off the average student loan amount, while offering a change to invest in their housing.