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…


08/12/2011 by Drew

TODAY'S MPC MEETING A SIDESHOW WITH ALL EYES ON THE ECB MEETING
 
•       Eurozone crisis Summit will Determine the Fate of he Euro
 
Ray Boulger of leading independent mortgage adviser John Charcol comments on the news that the MPC...

Categories: Mortgages, Interest rates, House Prices, First time buyers, Remortgaging, Moving Home

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25/11/2011 by Drew

Following reports in the press that First Time Buyers aren’t aware of the return of High LTV’s (Loan To Value), we thought it worth making a bit of a splash about this. ...

Categories: Long term fixed rates, Tracker mortgages, Fixed rate mortgages, First time buyers, Mortgages, Interest rates

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17/01/2011 by Drew

A survey from specialist buy to let lender Paragon Group reports that strong demand for rental properties and improving finance conditions have led to 71% of landlords being optimistic about the outlook for 2011. ...

Categories: Buy to let, Mortgages, Interest rates

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21/12/2010 by Drew

Read what Ray Boulger has to say on the latest ads from Lloyds Banking Group. Click here to find out more.

Categories: Mortgages, Buy to let, Interest rates, House Prices, Remortgaging

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11/01/2010 by Drew

With Yorkshire Building Society announcing cuts from today across the board in its fixed rates, they become the latest lender to cut rates despite a static bank rate and swap rates at the top end of their recent trading range. ...

Categories: Fixed rate mortgages, Mortgages, Interest rates

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08/09/2009 by Drew

Rates

Bank Of England rate  - 0.5%  - kept on hold (next decision 10th September)
ECB  rate kept on hold at 1%  - (next decision 8th October)

A meeting of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), which consists of the...

Categories: Interest rates, House Prices, Mortgages

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23/02/2009 by Drew

Northern Rock is set to return to the mortgage market with a £14bn lending plan only 12 months after it was nationalised.  The nationalised bank will also offer deals up to 90 per cent loan to value, a level that has been severely...

Categories: Mortgages, Interest rates, Mortgage Lenders, Government

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21/11/2008 by Drew

The historic cut in interest rates of 2% over the last two months has seen many mortgage borrowers’ monthly payments reduce dramatically.  You should, if you can, maintain pre-cut payments and use the low interest rate environment...

Categories: Mortgages, Interest rates, Mortgage Lenders, Tracker mortgages

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27/10/2008 by Drew

The Markets suffer yet again, particularly the Far East  :-

Nikkei (-6.4%)  lowest level for 26 years  
South Korea - Kospi (+0.8) following rate cut of 75bps
Hang Seng (-12.7%)  biggest single day fall since 1991
China - Shanghai...

Categories: Interest rates, House Prices, Mortgages, Mortgage Lenders

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16/10/2008 by Drew

Another bad day for the markets yesterday, with the Dow finishing 733 down, the Nikkei 1,089 and most other indices were in negative territory.  It is also not looking promising today as the FTSE slips below 4,000 in early...

Categories: Mortgages, Interest rates, Mortgage Lenders

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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.