Mortgages & me

Bringing both explanation and humour (yes, it is possible) to an often perceived realm of boredom

Mortgages. Let’s not kid ourselves here. If you had the choice of having one or not then there would be no choice. However, the vast majority of us, Russian billionaires excluded, need them to fuel that much loved British tradition – homeownership. So, if we all accept that we need them, you may as well do something positive and get the best one for you. It is staggering how many people make sure they get value for money from every day items but do not manage their home loan properly - the savings far outweigh the difference between the best baked beans and the value ones.

So, this blog will attempt to look at the world of mortgages and the housing market and try to bring both explanation and humour (yes, it is possible), and spark some comment, to an oft perceived realm of boredom. Here goes…


17/05/2013 by Simon

The Building Societies Association (BSA) has revealed that mutual lenders increased their mortgage lending by 19% year-on-year, in the first three months of 2013, from £6.5billion to £7.7billion. ...

Categories: Mortgages, Buy to let, Mortgage Lenders, Interest rates, Remortgaging, Moving Home, Commercial, Home Mover

Be the first to comment


15/05/2013 by Simon

The latest Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) report on Interest Only mortgages has just been published amidst predictable levels of hype and scare-mongering. Headlines of borrowers facing “financial armageddon” when they have to...

Categories: Mortgages

Be the first to comment


25/04/2013 by Drew

On the 24th April Ray answered questions from listeners on the first time buyer market on BBC Radio Money Box Live.  Click here to listen to the programme.

Be the first to comment


27/03/2013 by Simon Collins

So the British Bankers Association’s (BBA) February figures show a drop in mortgage approvals for purchases of 6% compared to the same month in 2012. Many industry analysts claim the drop is a timely reminder that despite last...

Categories: Mortgages, Interest rates, House Prices, Mortgage Lenders, First time buyers, Government

Be the first to comment


11/03/2013 by Simon

Over the past few months we've seen fixed rates become more popular than ever, with 75% of borrowers opting for security since the start of the year. ...

Be the first to comment


08/03/2013 by Simon

Since the start of 2013, we’ve seen lenders jumping onto the “Let’s be seen to help first time buyers” bandwagon, and the rates for higher LTV’s (80%+)have come tumbling down.  However, figures released this week have shown a...

Be the first to comment


18/02/2013 by Drew

John Charcol's senior technical manager Ray Boulger was part of the team of experts on BBC Money Box Live on mortgages recently.  You can listen to what he had to say about low interest rates, charges, first time buyers and a host...

Categories: Interest rates, Buy to let, Commercial, Moving Home, Remortgaging

Be the first to comment


12/02/2013 by Drew

Marsden Building Society has just launched a 3.99% fixed rate to 31/7/15 for LTVs up to 90%, which is available for both purchases and remortgages. Not only is this the first time for nearly 10 years that the 4% barrier has been...

Categories: Home Mover, Interest rates, Buy to let, First time buyers

Be the first to comment


01/02/2013 by Simon

The Bank Of England’s Funding For Lending scheme (FLS) has been hailed by many as the saviour of the mortgage market, however there are an increasing number of critics claiming that once again it’s the banks that are the biggest...

Categories: Moving Home, Home Mover

Be the first to comment


10/01/2013 by Simon

The launch of Barclay’s new “Family Springboard” mortgage has once again brought  that stalwart financial institution the “Bank of Mum & Dad” into the spotlight. Typically when aiding their offspring in buying their own home,...

Categories: Mortgages, Interest rates, First time buyers

Be the first to comment


Terms & conditions

Your initial mortgage consultation is obligation free. There will be a minimum fee for our mortgage service of £450, of which £150 is payable when you apply, and we will retain the commission from the mortgage lender. Alternatively, you can choose the fee only option which is typically 0.65% of the amount borrowed. The precise amount will depend on your circumstances and mortgage loan amount, and will be discussed and agreed before you make a mortgage application.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR ANY DEBT SECURED ON IT

Legals

John Charcol is a trading style of Towergate Financial (West) Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; our registration number is 147692. John Charcol Associates LLP is an appointed representative of Towergate Financial (West) Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.  Registered office: Towergate House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN. Registered in England No: 02292688.  This mortgage site is only directed at persons within the UK.   The FCA does not regulate some investment mortgage contracts.  Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring. Max call charge from a BT landline is 3.9p per minute. Calls from other networks may vary.