The chief characteristics of usufructuary mortgage is the transfer of the possession over the mortgaged property to the mortgagee, who is entitled to receive income accruing these from and to appropriate the same towards the payment of the mortgage money and/or interest thereon. The liability of the mortgagor is thus gradually reduced.

It is worth mentioning in this regard that it is not necessary that a deed of mortgage must always refer to a particular rate of interest. It is certainly open to the parties to agree that the income from the property accruing over a certain period will be sufficient to cover the principal as well as the interest. In the case of a usufructuary mortgage, the mortgagor and the mortgagee agree that the entire amount due by the mortgagor to the mortgagee should be recouped by the mortgagee by the enjoyment of the usufructs from the mortgaged property over a specified number of years.

The document may not refer to any interest payable on the principal, even though an element of interest and its rate and income from the property might have gone into their calculation, when the parties determined the number of years during which the mortgagee was authorized to remain in possession of the mortgaged property for the purpose of reimbursing himself.

Balloon mortgages are short-term loans with fixed interest rates and fixed monthly payments. Balloon mortgage loans usually offer a lower interest rate than the prevailing rate for a fixed term initially. After this term is over, borrowers are required to repay the full amount of the mortgage in one single payment.