Podcast Summary: Mortgage Monday | 50 Year Mortgage

Podcast: The David Greene Show
Episode: Mortgage Monday | 50 Year Mortgage | Episode 102
Date: December 1, 2025
Host: David Greene
Guest: Christian Bashelder

Episode Overview

In this episode of Mortgage Monday, David Greene and his co-host Christian Bashelder take on the hotly debated topic of the potential 50-year mortgage. Their goal is to demystify what the 50-year mortgage is (and isn’t), break down how amortization works, and offer actionable advice for investors and homeowners facing evolving mortgage products. The episode focuses on facts rather than hype, giving listeners a solid foundation to understand the implications of extending mortgage terms, and strategies—regardless of what the future holds in lending.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Is a 50-Year Mortgage Available Today?

• Status Quo: The 50-year mortgage is currently just a discussion point among policymakers and financial institutions; not an actual loan product available to consumers as of now.
  • Quote:

    “This is a conversation about a conversation. ... This is not something I can quote you today. This is not something we know the rates on. ... This is a conversation about a potentially to come conversation.” – Christian Bashelder [01:09]

2. Current Mortgage Term Options

• Beyond the 30-Year: While most people know about 15- and 30-year loans, there are also 10-, 20-, 25-, and even 40-year options (the latter mostly in the non-conventional loan market).
  • Insight: Longer terms generally come with higher interest rates, but lower required monthly payments, giving borrowers more flexibility.
  • Quote:

    “Right now there are pretty much anywhere from 10 to 40 year options that are... available throughout the industry.” – Christian Bashelder [02:37]

3. Pros and Cons of Shorter vs. Longer Loans

• Shorter Mortgages: Pros include usually lower interest rates and faster equity/build-up. Cons are much higher monthly payments, which can strain cash flow.
• Longer Mortgages: Offer lower payments and more flexibility but higher long-term costs and much slower equity accrual.
  • Quote:

    “The longer terms have more flexibility because they have a lower required monthly payment, even though they come with a higher interest rate.” – Christian Bashelder [03:05]

4. Amortization Explained

• How Payments Work: Early loan payments mostly go toward interest, with only a small portion reducing principal. Over time, this ratio flips.
  • Breakdown Example: On a $500,000 loan at 6% for 30 years, the first payment is ~$3,000: $2,500 interest, $500 principal [06:14].
  • By year 18, the split becomes roughly 50/50 between principal and interest [09:02].
  • Quote:

    “Every single month what you find is … a slightly larger percentage of that payment is going against your principal balance so that you owe less and the bank is keeping a smaller percentage of it.” – David Greene [07:37]

5. The Math Behind a 50-Year Amortization

• Lower Payments, Slow Equity: A 50-year term lowers monthly payments (from ~$3,000 on a 30-year to ~$2,600 on a 50-year at 6%) but dramatically slows principal paydown (only ~$9K paid off in the first 5 years) [10:48].
  • Core Critique: If interest rates on 50-year loans are higher (as is typical for longer terms), much of the payment advantage vanishes.
  • Quote:

    “If the interest rate is higher, there’s going to be no benefit of a 50 year mortgage. You’re going to pay the same monthly payment for 20 more years and not get the benefit of interest rate, not get the benefit of lower monthly payment...” – Christian Bashelder [12:00]

6. Will the Government Subsidize 50-Year Mortgages?

• The only way a 50-year mortgage could remain attractive is if rates are subsidized or kept artificially low (e.g., via government action).
  • Both hosts are skeptical about the practicality or likelihood of this, especially amid political discussions on reducing government involvement in Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac [13:00-14:22].
  • Quote:

    “If they want this to work to where the payment doesn’t go up, they have to keep the rate the same. Which means ... they would be forced to subsidize this note.” – David Greene [13:00]

7. The Big Picture: Flexibility and Strategy

• The real value of longer mortgages (like 30- and 50-year terms) is flexibility. You can always pay extra to accelerate payoff.
  • Best Practice: If you want lower monthly commitment, take the longer term but pay as if you had a shorter one when possible.
  • Demonstration: Making a “30-year” payment on a 50-year loan will dramatically shorten its actual payoff period, offering the best of both worlds [17:30-20:22].
  • Quote:

    “The biggest benefit is the flexibility ... if there’s one month where you can’t cover that extra ... you don’t have to do it.” – Christian Bashelder [19:50]

8. Perspective: Most People Don’t Hold Mortgages Long-Term

• Average Hold Times: The average homeowner keeps a mortgage only about 7 years and the home for 12 years. Full-term payoffs are rare; extra monthly payments are needed for faster paydown [21:58-23:39].
  • Quote:

    “The average homeowner keeps their mortgage for seven years and they keep the home for 12 years on average.” – Christian Bashelder [21:58]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Amortization Mindset:

  “If you can’t find the next deal... at least figure out a way to get a win paying down your mortgage and don’t get caught up in getting angry about this 50 year mortgage and how it’s going to be forced on you when we don’t even know it is.”
  – David Greene [20:22]

• On Government Subsidies:

  “A subsidy … is basically just the government giving money... The government may have to incentivize these loan products to have them make sense because otherwise people won’t use them.”
  – Christian Bashelder [15:18]

• On Market Realities:

  “Very, very, very few Americans actually get to the end of their 30 year term.”
  – Christian Bashelder [23:24]

Important Timestamps

• [01:09] — The 50-year mortgage isn’t actually available yet.
• [02:37] — Mortgage term options beyond 30 years.
• [03:33] — The pros and cons of shorter mortgage terms.
• [06:14] — Detailed breakdown of a 30-year amortization schedule.
• [09:02] — ‘Break-even’ point where payments shift toward principal.
• [10:46] — Impact of switching to a 50-year amortization.
• [12:00] — How interest rates could erase payment advantages.
• [17:30] — Strategic use of extra payments to mimic faster payoff.
• [21:58] — Most Americans never see a mortgage through to term.

Tone and Approach

David and Christian’s style is conversational, analytic, and grounded—focused on turning down the drama and turning up the facts. They urge listeners not to get caught up in hype or outrage, but instead to look at the numbers and strategize accordingly, regardless of where lending trends head next.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Don’t Panic: The 50-year mortgage isn’t here yet, and even if it arrives, you have options.
• Strategy Over Hype: Use the term that suits your cash flow, and make extra payments to accelerate equity if you want.
• Most Loans Aren’t Held to Term: Focus on flexibility and your bigger financial plan, not just loan term length.
• Education Drives Empowerment: Understanding amortization and mortgage options gives you the upper hand—no matter where the market turns.

Further Resources

• For a deeper dive, David and Christian reference an extended YouTube episode on his channel: The David Greene Show.
• Contact Christian Bashelder at theonebrokerage.com or on Instagram @the_1_broker.
• Reach David Greene at davidgreene24.com or Instagram @DavidGreene24.

Next Episode: Tune in next Mortgage Monday for more real estate insights that bring clarity, not clickbait.