After the recent mortgage crash, the maximum loan to value with mortgages has swung massively. From the peak of the ludicrous 120% mortgages, we plummeted down past 100%, to as low as 85% for most lenders. Things have been…
The Woolwich Family Springboard Mortgage
After the recent mortgage crash, the maximum loan to value with mortgages has swung massively. From the peak of the ludicrous 120% mortgages, we plummeted down past 100%, to as low as 85% for most lenders. Things have been improving…
Beware of Bridging
In a slow housing market, many people are presented with a problem when moving home. They have found their dream property, but are struggling to sell their own. The words which are often brought up at this point are ‘bridging…
The Ever Present Requirement for Life Cove
When you are buying a house with your partner or wife, one of the first things you think of doing is making sure you get the correct life cover, and other protection policies in place to protect each other…
The value of patience
When I was younger, as soon as I saw the first Christmas decorations go up, all my thoughts turned to Santa Claus coming to visit. I would look at the Argos catalogue every day to pick out presents, beg my…
Presents for All
Probably the most innovative product of the year has been launched just as Christmas is upon us. But unlike other recent launches that favour only borrowers this initiative could bring festive joy to both borrowers and investors. Firstly, for…
The Mortgage Market Review
It has been predicted by Knight Frank the estate agents that UK house prices are unlikely to hit 2007 levels again in real terms until 2031. Although housing transactions levels have halved since 2007 they do see a slow recovery…
The End of the World As We Know It
The soothsayers believe that the Mayan calendar marks December 21st 2012 as the day the world will end. Collectively they can’t make their minds up how the world will end, but theories range from a collision with the fabled planet…
Are buy-to-lets suitable for the retired?
With the massive gains through the early noughties, buy-to-let property investment has been the best thing a lot of people have ever done financially. Many of those who did invest at this time were of the age when they had…
Home Improvements
The government has announced plans to make it easier and cheaper to carry out home extensions for the next three years. They plan to wave any requirement to seek planning permission when extending eight metres from detached properties or six…