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…
Drew Wotherspoon
21/05/2009 by
Confidence started returning to first time buyers (FTBs) at the beginning of this year according to the John Charcol Index, the new monthly mortgage activity monitor from John Charcol, the UK’s leading independent mortgage...
08/05/2009 by
We have heard from a number of lenders today about putting the rates on their best fixed rate mortgages up. If you are thinking about one then the message is clear, get in quick. To have a look at the current selection of the...
Categories: Mortgages, Long term fixed rates
07/05/2009 by
• Some improvement in availability of higher LTV mortgages
• More signs of confidence returning to the housing market
“Today’s decision by the MPC to leave Bank Rate unchanged for the second month running is likely to be the...
06/05/2009 by
According to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), the UK recession could be the worst since the early 1930s. They said in 2009 the country's GDP could contract by 4.3%, and then grow in 2010 by 0.9%. The...
27/04/2009 by
• John Charcol launches a new 3 part Monthly Index tracking split between:
(1)Fixed/Capped/Trackers (2)Purchases and Remortgages (3)FTBs/Other Purchasers
The first quarter of 2009 has seen one of the biggest ever changes in the...
27/04/2009 by
With effect from Thursday 30th they are launching a new variable rate, the Standard Mortgage Rate (SMR). The SMR will be their new revert rate and will launch with a variable rate of 3.99%. The SMR comes with the full range of...
27/04/2009 by
Word reaches Charcol Towers that Nationwide will be introducing a new Standard Variable rate with a new name which will allow them to get round the fact that they have to keep their current one at 2% above base rate. More to...
27/04/2009 by
Mortgage lending by the UK's major banks fell for the first time in four months in March, tempering the talk of housing market recovery. ...
27/04/2009 by
This is a question that is becoming more and more prevalent in the market, to which we believe the answer is firmly the former - now is indeed the time to fix. At the start of this month there were some fixed rate reductions from...
23/02/2009 by
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
The blog postings on this site solely reflect the personal views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views, positions, strategies or opinions of John Charcol. All comments are made in good faith, and neither John Charcol nor Drew Wotherspoon will accept liability for them.