Ask the experts
About our experts...
At John Charcol, we are constantly asked for advice by borrowers on what they should do when it comes to mortgages. As such, we created this section so that you can submit your questions to our experts. The answers are provided by a number of people who have years of experience in the mortgage market. The team is led by Peter Woodward who works in our technical department. Peter spent his formative years as an underwriter with one of the major UK lenders so what he doesn't know, quite frankly, isn't worth knowing...
So please do submit your question and we will do all we can to answer it as quickly as possible
Please be aware that these answers can only be generic and no personal recommendations can be made.
Posted on 29 March 2008
My wife and I are about to return to the UK after 5 years working in Australia and would like to purchase our first property as soon as possible as we are about to start our family. We both have jobs starting in May, mine being...
Posted on 28 March 2008
I have a 2 bedroom flat I which bought for £166,500 and now conservatively valued at about £195,000. I have taken up a job (I am a Physician in training) in the USA and I am likely to be here for another 10 years. I have a 100%...
Posted on 28 March 2008
We currently owe £40,000 on our existing property which is valued at £275,000. We could either sell and buy a larger property for £420,000 or retain the property on a buy to let basis and use the cash raised as a deposit on a...
Posted on 28 March 2008
Hello Katie, I own a property worth about £80,000 with £14,000 owing. I want to buy a new one at £179,995 with 5% deposit paid by the builder. Would it be sensible to turn my current mortgage into a buy to let, taking £16,000...
Category: New build
Posted on 27 March 2008
I have a deposit of £25,000 with another £25,000 in shares and investment funds. I am single, aged 39 and have no debt. Would it be possible for me to get a mortgage for £180,000. I earn £22,000 per annum.
Category: First-time buyer
Posted on 26 March 2008
I currently have a mortgage of £109,000. I've been paying it off for nearly a year. The mortgage is over 15 years (it has 14 left to run!). I've recently come of age at work. I'm the director of a limited company. My salary is...
Posted on 26 March 2008
I currently own a property valued at £300,000 (with o/s mortgage of £170,000). I would like to move but want to rent out my current property in lieu of selling it. Based on a monthly rental value of £900 on my existing property...
Posted on 26 March 2008
My parents have a flat which has £90,000 left to pay. It is worth around £300,000 however it has a short lease of around 50 years. For the last few years, the interest has been paid by the council as my parents are retired and my...
Posted on 24 March 2008
Hi Katie, my mother (66 years old) is the owner of a property worth £135,000 (circa). My sister and I are thinking of purchasing it from her for £45,000 (a third of the value). She will continue to live there. Any possible legal...
Posted on 23 March 2008
Hi Katie, my partner and I are both self employed, earning over £15,000 each, pa. Because we are unable to prove our income, this situation makes it very difficult to get a mortgage. We don't earn enough to really warrant getting...
Posted on 19 March 2008
I currently have a mortgage with nationwide coming to the end of its fixed term. I need to borrow an extra £12,000 for home improvements and there is a fee of £499 for this. This is the same as for new lenders. Is there any way...
Posted on 18 March 2008
I wish to take a buy-to-let mortgage for £225,000 on a property projected to be worth £300,000 following renovation. The tenants could well be a family member. Do I have to prove to the bank/lender that the rent/mortgage can be...
Posted on 17 March 2008
Hi Katie, my wife and I are looking to buy around September time. The house price is around £150,000-£155,000. If we consolidate our debts we could achieve a £15,000 deposit. Our joint income is £47,000 and the loan repayments...
Category: Consolidation of debts
Posted on 17 March 2008
I have just bought my first property. I took a mortgage with RBS. Our monthly payments are very high - we have a fixed rate of 6.35% for 5 yrs. We are struggling with repayments, can we exit this mortgage without having to pay...
Category: First-time buyer, Lower mortgage payments
Posted on 15 March 2008
At present, I own a property worth approx £130,000 with a fixed rate interest only mortgage of 4.79% (fixed for the next 3 years) of £45,000 with the Nationwide. I also have 2 endowments with Legal & General & Norwich Union to...
Answers provided in response to Ask the experts are based on the information provided and do not constitute advice under the Financial Services & Markets Act. They reflect the personal views of the authors and do not neccessarily represent the views, positions, strategies or opinions of John Charcol Limited. All comments are made in good faith, and John Charcol Limited will not accept liability for them.
We recommend you seek professional advice with regard to any of these topics where appropriate.
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