Archive for July, 2009

Flexible Mortgages

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

What kind of mortgage is best for you? Here we will look at Flexible Mortgages:

Closely related to the ‘interest-only’ mortgage, the flexible mortgage means your monthly payments cover the interest only, however they have the added benefit of allowing you to make extra payments as and when you can.

For those that have large bonuses or regularly put in overtime finding a repayment mortgage that is comfortable fit may prove difficult, however hope is not lost.

Unfortunately you cannot accurately predict your bonuses or just how much overtime you’ll be able to fit in this month, it is for this reason that lenders don’t factor in such if’s and maybe’s when assessing your income capabilities. Consequently you are likely to be offered a mortgage that is much smaller than you believe you can afford. For those that fall into this category, a flexible mortgage could offer the best fit for you and your family.

Should You Go For A Fixed Rate Mortgage?

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

So do you cover your monthly spend on the mortgage or take the risk that interest rates will drop and on a variable you’ll be quids in?

It seems that some lenders are happy to offer deals that appear too good to be true and they usually are. A fixed rate mortgage maintains a set interest rate during the period of the loan. For many people with regular incomes, this is a definite benefit as there are no hidden charges.

You are also able to make extra payments throughout the year to make the principal shrink quicker. By making just a few of these payments each year we discovered that a number of years could be taken off the mortgage term.

In the long term, this is a strategy well worth pursuing if you are able.

Fixed Rate Mortgages

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

A Fixed Rate Mortgage, as the name suggests, is a mortgage where interest rates cannot be altered.

If you like to stick to a budget then this is the mortgage for you. People who are sure of their method of repayment and people who prefer certainty usually take the fixed rate mortgage. Fixed rate mortgages usually have a high rate of interest though the borrower is sure of the overall payment at the end of the mortgage period.

Fixed rate mortgages allow the borrower to plan their payment installments and are stress free since the borrower is always aware of the installment obligation. Fixed mortgage rate is also advisable for people with good liquidity since it takes a shorter period to complete the mortgage plan. The borrower is allowed to pay the principal amount early and this is to their advantage since they reduce the level of interest payment. This characteristic tends to alter the title of the mortgage but the ‘fixed’ title is due to the fixed repayment period.

The interest rates of fixed rate mortgage increase with the increase in the repayment period. Fixed rate mortgage for a short period will have lower interest than that of a longer period

The Discount Mortgage Loan

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Discounted Mortgage Loans work by having for a period of time the “discount period” which is a set percentage discounted from the standard variable rate or the bank base rate normally off their standard variable rate or bank base rate.

For the discount period early repayment charges usually apply these may apply for the duration of the discount period or they might apply for a period beyond this date. Some discount deals may have steps in them so perhaps for the first year the discount rate will be very attractive then reduce the level of discount each year until the end of the total discount period. Known as a stepped discount.

Many lenders for remortgaging offer free legal costs and valuation though there is generally a lender’s fee which could be charge up front or added to the home loan on completion.

Discount deals potentially may help you to reduce monthly mortgage payments. Discounted mortgage deals aim to reduce the monthly mortgage payments for a determined period (i.e. the discount period) thus helping clients with their monthly budget. Caution should be taken as rates with this product are not protected from going up.

Though caution should be taken if the borrow is stretched and could not afford a rate rise for example a first time buyer if they decided to move they may find the early repayment charges high and they may be tied into a deal with an uncompetitive interest rate for some time. There can also be a high jump in monthly payments when the discount period ends and reverts back to the lender’s higher standard variable rate.

Comparing Rates on Discount Mortgage Refinance

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

You may be considering the purchase of a new home.

Many people are and they will be making one of the most important financial decisions of their lives when they do it. Most people will not have the money to be able to afford to house straight out and will have to take out a mortgage loan. It is extremely important to compare low rates and consider a discount mortgage refinance solution in order to achieve the lowest mortgage rate

A discount mortgage refinance will help you replace your current mortgage with a completely new loan. This will give you the ability to compare low rates to help you get the lowest mortgage rates possible since you will be able to replace your current high rates with more attractive offers that are available to you. Have your finances changed since you applied for a mortgage? If so then a discount mortgage refinance will be able to allow you to take advantage of that. These services will be able to allow you to get the lowest mortgage rates while giving you a second chance to get the best loan available.