Mar 02
adminCheap Mortgages
Bank managers are probably the most risk-averse individuals you are likely to meet without proof of a regular salary and sound financial track record you may presume a frosty reception when you ask about borrowing. However, there are options available for people who dont conform to the norm.
If you are self-employed or have an erratic income, you can consider a self-certified mortgage. As the overall mortgage market has become more flexible and competitive in the past few years, the amount of lenders offering self-cert mortgages has increased. Whereas they used to be the preserve of specialist lenders, and come with pretty strict terms and conditions, you can now find self-certs from most of the major high street banks and building societies.
The set up
Normally, lenders will look for a larger deposit when you take out a self cert mortgage 25% is usual. As far as proving your earnings, some lenders such as the banks and building societies, will look for certified accounts for the last 3 years. They may also require bank statements and carry out credit checks. However, there are some mortgages available where the lender only asks for you to verify that you can afford the repayments.
Whos it for?
This type of mortgage usually caters for self-employed people, but there are others who can benefit. People who work overseas, or who earn bonuses that do not show as part of their salary may choose to self-certify. Business owners and company directors sometimes award themselves a minimal salary, but have a larger income through dividends, for example. This can be useful when it comes to tax management, but make finding a conventional mortgage harder. If you have an erratic income, you may want a more flexible mortgage that allows you to increase or decrease your monthly payments according to your current situation.
The drawbacks
You may find the terms less generous than with other types of mortgage, and the lender may apply Higher Lending Charges or an indemnity to protect them. The FSA recently highlighted the disturbing trend of some brokers encouraging borrowers to inflate their reported income in order to gain a larger mortgage. Remember it is a criminal offence to lie about your income, and over-estimating what you earn could mean that you find yourself with monthly repayments that you cannot afford. If you are subsequently unable to meet repayments your home could be repossessed.
Dec 15
adminCheap Mortgages
In the first three months of 2002, just 9% of all new mortgages were taken as interest only – but by the last quarter of 2005, the figure had risen to 23%. And amongst first time buyers, the figures rose from 6% to 15%. (Source: Council of Mortgage Lenders.)
The reason is obvious. It’s down to family economics. With an interest only mortgage, the monthly repayments only repay the ongoing interest so your monthly repayment is low. Repayment of the capital borrowed is delayed to the end of the mortgage when it has to be repaid as a lump sum.
So the popularity of interest only mortgages is a reflection of borrowers wanting to minimise their fixed monthly outgoings in order to preserve their lifestyle they still want their nice cars, nights out and holidays abroad. But their reluctance to cut back on their life style spending, combined with steadily rising house prices, could be storing up problems for the future. If they’re not repaying some of the capital now, how are they going to repay it?
Egged on by the concerns voiced by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), many lenders are now becoming much stricter when assessing an application for an interest only mortgage. They’re insisting that there’s a viable repayment vehicle in place before they’ll payout the money. These repayment vehicles could be the tax-free cash forecast from a pension policy, or an ISA or some other regular investment or savings scheme. The danger is that having got the mortgage, the borrower subsequently cancels their savings scheme.
If that were to happen, when retirement finally arrives accompanied by the looming commitment to repay the mortgage capital, they’ll be faced with having to sell their home and down size simply to free up money to repay the mortgage. And that’s a scenario that lenders and the FSA are anxious to avoid.
Twenty years ago interest only mortgages were the accepted norm with endowment policies being used as the most popular investment to repay the capital. But as we now know, returns on endowment policies have not been as high as many had assumed. This has left thousands of homeowners with a capital repayment shortfall. Endowment policies have certainly failed to be the guaranteed repayment solution that many of us had assumed twenty years ago. So, in today’s economic and investment environment, how certain can you be of any scheme to repay the capital?
When the shortcomings of endowment policies slowly became understood, interest only mortgages fell out of favour and repayment mortgages took over as the norm. But once again the pendulum is swinging. Interest only mortgages are back in a big way. It’s the result of high house prices and people straining to get onto and up the housing ladder without wanting to economise on other areas of their spending.
We’re sure that the pressures within family finances will continue to fuel the demand for interest only mortgages. However, it becomes the duty of mortgage brokers and the lenders to point out the alternatives open to their clients.
In the past, a 25 year mortgage term has been the norm for a young buyer. But now they can stretch the repayment period to 30, even 35 years. This makes the payments on a repayment mortgage far more affordable.
For example, the monthly repayments for a 125,000 repayment mortgage over 25 years at say, 4.9% cost 731.69 per month, but if the repayment period was stretched to 35 years, the repayment drops to 628.16 per month, a cash flow saving of 103.53.
The idea is that as and when family finances permit, borrowers can reduce the capital outstanding by making optional lump sum repayments. In practice, people tend to move house every eight to ten years and at each move a new mortgage has to be organised. These moves then represent an obvious opportunity to reassess long-term family finances.
But other solutions are available. You could arrange a mortgage where part of the loan is on a repayment basis with the balance on interest only. It’s a mid way option. At least these types of mortgage start the repayment process and later when you move home or the family income builds, you can take the opportunity to reassess the most suitable type of mortgage.
But please bear in mind that you shouldn’t speculate when it comes to your home finances. Mortgages are complicated and there is never just one solution. Our advice is take professional advice and use a mortgage broker who can search the entire market.
Aug 11
adminCheap Mortgages
Mortgages are secured loans that are given to first time buyers, homeowners and people who have bad credit. Once you are accepted for the loan, you must repay the debt, which will include interest rates. Some refinancing loans have additional fees attached. The secured loans have collateral attached, means that if you fail to make payments, you are subject to foreclosure or repossession. The bank will come and take your home and sell it for the amount you owe.
This is why it is wise to make sure you know what you are getting into if you plan to refinance to consolidate your debts. Some loans permit buyers to repay the loans in 25 years, while others allow 30 repayments. Few of the lenders available on the Internet that offer refinance loans for consolidation of debts are aware that people go through hard times-or at least they don’t deal with people directly enough to actually feel this hardship through talking to them.
On the loans that offer lower interest rates, combine payments for debt consolidation. If you can manage to pay for the loan in the time stipulated, it is likely that you will take less time to pay back the loan amount borrowed. Once you find a lender to refinance your mortgage and combine your bills for debt consolidation, you will receive a loan based on capital and interest.
The Repayment loans for refinancing and consolidation make it easy, since the lenders will combine the interest and repayments into one monthly installment. Still, few lenders will allow you to repay the interest rates only; however, be aware that these types of loans do not combine your payments for consolidation; rather they put you at risk in some instances.
Still, there are several types of loans available that will help you refinance for debt consolidation, so keep an open mind and mull over your choices carefully before you make a final decision.
One of the most important tasks debtors must carry out to achieve in debt consolidation is keeping away from complications. When debtors have bills that are behind merely because they didn’t have the cash to repay the debts, then their stress will build. Some people may go on binge, spending instead of paying their bills, and procrastinating instead of working to restore their credit.
These people may believe that after three, seven or ten years the problem will end, since the credit reports remove any pending debts after seven years and any bankruptcies after ten years. The fact is, the problem doesn’t go away the problems only get bigger. Yes, it is true: after three years, if you manage to payoff a debt, then the debt is removed from your credit report. In addition, yes, it is true if after seven years you failed to make payments the debt is removed in most instances from your credit report.
Furthermore, it is true that in many cases, after ten years, bankruptcy is removed from your credit report. If you have the patience to wait this long, can tolerate the hassling phone calls and letters, and don’t mind worrying about going to court for this long, then by all means procrastinate.
Bills and debt consolidation is optional, however bill and debt reduction is your best bet. You can do this by start paying as much every month on your bills as possible to reduce your debts.
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