Do You Have To Have A Mortgage To Buy A Home?

Word Count:
340

Summary:
Buying a house is almost certainly the most expensive purchase you will ever have to make. Finding or saving the funds to buy your first home and get your foot on to the property ladder used to be almost impossible without taking out a mortgage to lend you the required funds.

Although most people still don’t have access to the amount of cash you would need to buy a home, alternate options to the mortgage are starting to be explored. With the increased use of the internet t…

Keywords:

Article Body:
Buying a house is almost certainly the most expensive purchase you will ever have to make. Finding or saving the funds to buy your first home and get your foot on to the property ladder used to be almost impossible without taking out a mortgage to lend you the required funds.

Although most people still don’t have access to the amount of cash you would need to buy a home, alternate options to the mortgage are starting to be explored. With the increased use of the internet to search for your new home, and the increased involvement of the buyer and seller of the house, direct communication between the two parties has never been better.

Buyers and sellers are now communicating together to see if they can reach a compromise for the exchange for the house which doesn’t always include financial payment. These deals are becoming increasingly creative and can accommodate a whole host of requirements for either or both parties.

The most widely used alternative to the traditional mortgage is that of the seller mortgage. Most buyers, particularly first time buyers, require a substantial down payment towards the purchase of their new home. This is usually a percentage of the overall price and is 10% as standard. The cost of houses in the UK has risen hugely over the past decade and so this can be as much as £18,000 in some areas of the country for a small two bedroomed terraced house. Given that many buyers have to rent their current home, savings are not always easy to come by. Should they wish to buy a house from someone who has no outstanding mortgage to pay a seller mortgage agreement is a possibility.

The seller mortgage involves the original owner remortgaging the property and then setting up an amortized loan for the new buyer. This is a complicated loan but has been made much easier lately as it can be set up online and does not necessarily need an experienced and expensive accountant to work out the details.

Mortgage Repayment Protection Insurance

Word Count:
307

Summary:
Mortgage Repayment Protection Insurance is usually taken out at the time you apply for a mortgage but can be arranged with some insurance companies after the mortgage has been completed.

You should seek suitable advice about arranging such cover from a suitably authorised person.

Mortgage Repayment Protection Insurance provides cover in the event of you being unable to work as a result of an accident or illness or being made involuntary unemployed.

The maximum amount…

Keywords:
mortgage repayment protection insurance

Article Body:
Mortgage Repayment Protection Insurance is usually taken out at the time you apply for a mortgage but can be arranged with some insurance companies after the mortgage has been completed.

You should seek suitable advice about arranging such cover from a suitably authorised person.

Mortgage Repayment Protection Insurance provides cover in the event of you being unable to work as a result of an accident or illness or being made involuntary unemployed.

The maximum amount of cover that you can arrange is based on the amount of the monthly mortgage repayment plus you can also cover such things as the monthly buildings and contents insurance premium and mortgage related life insurance monthly premiums such as an endowment policy or a decreasing term assurance policy.

Mortgage Repayment Protection Insurance usually pays out for up to 12 months.

You do not usually have to have a medical to arrange mortgage repayment protection insurance.

In the UK cover can usually be taken out as long as you work for at least 16 hours per week and are aged between 18 and 64.

The cover ceases once the mortgage is repaid or you reach age 65 or you retire or should you stop maintaining the monthly premiums or indeed should you just decide to cancel the policy.

Mortgage Repayment Protection Insurance can be taken out either just to cover one applicant or both applicants. If both applicants are covered and say they are both on the same income then the policy will pay out half of the amount of the monthly cover in respect of the applicant who is ill.

In the UK the cost of Mortgage Repayment Protection Insurance is based on the amount of the monthly cover you have arranged and will vary between the various companies who offer such cover.

There are some exclusions with this type of policy which you should establish.

Interest Only Mortgages ? FSA Makes Move To Protect Homeowners

Word Count:
684

Summary:
Abbey recently stated that over 25% of homeowners decide to take out an interest-only mortgage. It’s not hard to see why ? the monthly payments are significantly less, just look at this example based on a 25 year £125,000 mortgage at 5%. The interest only mortgage will cost £525 per month – but the repayment mortgage is £735 per month ? an additional £210 a month ? that’s a lot of money!

At the root of the issue are the first time buyers ? they simply can’t afford the rep…

Keywords:
fsa,interest,mortgages

Article Body:
Abbey recently stated that over 25% of homeowners decide to take out an interest-only mortgage. It’s not hard to see why ? the monthly payments are significantly less, just look at this example based on a 25 year £125,000 mortgage at 5%. The interest only mortgage will cost £525 per month – but the repayment mortgage is £735 per month ? an additional £210 a month ? that’s a lot of money!

At the root of the issue are the first time buyers ? they simply can’t afford the repayment mortgage, so take the interest only option as an easier way out. However, the interest only mortgage must be accompanied by a suitable savings vehicle to cover the outstanding capital at the end of the mortgage term, and it is this that many are failing to do ? as many as 37% in fact.

Now the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has stepped in, concerned that many homeowners will face a shortfall at the end of their mortgage term. It is now necessary for lenders to see firm evidence from new borrowers that they have set up a savings vehicle to cover the capital. Previously, borrowers just had to state their intention, for example, they would sell the property to raise the capital. However, that will no longer be good enough. The lender will need to see a proper plan set up ? they are not allowed to set you up on an interest only mortgage without that proof. If they did, they would be going against regulations and would be penalised by the FSA.

The lender will now need to see proof of a personal equity plan (PEP), an Individual Savings Account (ISA), or evidence that 25% tax-free cash from a personal pension plan (PPP) will ultimately cover the outstanding capital. It will no longer be good enough to say that you will set it up ? you must show that you have already sorted it out!

In the short time that the new regulations have been in force, individual lenders are already making their own interpretations of the rules. The Nationwide Building Society is not allowing borrowers to use a future inheritance, or future pay rises as a basis on which to set up an interest only mortgage. Similarly, expected bonuses will not be good enough either, not unless you can prove that you will definitely be receiving them. Bonuses based on performance can’t be guaranteed, so would not count.

People that already have their own home will not be subjected to the same rigorous checks however. As long as you are borrowing less than two thirds of the new property’s value, and you have £150,000 of net equity in your current home, then Nationwide will accept you as a customer.

On the whole, mortgage advisers will not recommend interest only mortgages, agreeing that they represent too much risk. Repayment mortgages guarantee that all monies owed are paid at the end of the term, but a separate savings vehicle could fail to live up to expectations, and you could end up with a shortfall. Most mortgage advisers will recommend a repayment mortgage to bypass that risk.

On the other hand, the interest only mortgage is a useful short term solution, and if you can assure your mortgage adviser that you intend to switch over to a repayment mortgage as soon as you can afford to, they may well support your decision. Even in this case however, you will still need to provide the same details as if you were intending to stick with it for the full term. You simply won’t be able to get an interest only mortgage without providing the right paperwork.

The best all round solution is to get an interest only mortgage that allows you to overpay. So if you find that you have some extra capital, you can put it onto your mortgage, and reduce the capital. These types of mortgage are widely available, and many allow you to repay 10% or more in a single year. Of course, if you can’t afford it, then you don’t have to ? at least you have the choice. Just make sure, before signing up, that you can overpay without penalty.

An Introduction to Mortgage Protection Insurance

Word Count:
790

Summary:
Purchasing a home is a major expense that requires a significant and long term financial commitment. When you initially apply for a mortgage, you are approved for loan funding based on your financial status at the time of application. Most people do not expect that their financial situations will get worse over time, but in some cases that is exactly what happens.

Keywords:
Real Estate, Mortgage Quote, Mortgage Rate, Mortgage Interest Rate, Mortgage Lender, Mortgage Loan, Mortgage Backed Securities, Mortgage Protection Insurance, Home Loan

Article Body:
Purchasing a home is a major expense that requires a significant and long term financial commitment. When you initially apply for a mortgage, you are approved for loan funding based on your financial status at the time of application. Most people do not expect that their financial situations will get worse over time, but in some cases that is exactly what happens. Whether through the loss of employment or the death of a family member, it is an unfortunate fact that many people find themselves in situations that keep them from being able to keep up with their home loan payments.

Importance of Mortgage Protection Insurance

For many families, making mortgage payments would become difficult or even impossible in the event of the death of one or more members of the household. Before investing in a home, it is important to stop and think about how the house payments could be made if a major source of household income were to become permanently unavailable as the result of an unanticipated death.

While no one wants to think that their family will ever face a worst case scenario, it’s necessary to make contingency plans for every possible situation. Mortgages are such a large expense that it is important to consider how one’s family would be able to avoid the threat of foreclosure, in addition to losing a loved one, if such a situation were to arise. Fortunately, it is possible to protect your family from having to face the possibility of such a situation by investing in mortgage protection insurance.

Simply put, mortgage protection insurance is a life insurance policy that will pay off your mortgage following the death of one or more covered individuals. The primary purpose of this type of coverage is to reduce the financial burden placed on surviving family members following the death of a loved one. Homeowners who invest in this type of insurance coverage are making an important commitment to their families. This type of converge can ensure that one’s family will never be forced out of its home as the result of income loss following the death of a family member.

Who Needs Mortgage Protection Insurance?

In single income households, or families in which one partner earns the majority of the money, many people think that the only covered life needs to be that of the primary breadwinner. However, it is likely that the death of a non-working spouse, or one who works part time, can also have a serious impact on a family’s ability to continue to afford to make mortgage loan payments.

Many people make the mistake of focusing only on income loss following death. They neglect to think about the expenses that will increase if either adult household member is no longer around. For example, if the non-working spouse is staying home with young children, the family does not have to pay for full-time child care. However, if that parent were no longer there, the working parent would have to pay for child care, which is a significant expense, in order to continue working.

Where to Get Mortgage Protection Insurance

There are a number of different options for making sure that your family remains financially able to stay in its home following the unexpected death of one or more members of the household. Many banks and other lenders offer mortgage protection insurance policies that can be purchased at the time you close on your home loan.

These types of policies are specific to one’s mortgage, and proceeds are disbursed to pay off the remaining loan balance upon the occurrence of a covered event. It is also possible that the company who carries your homeowners’ coverage offers a mortgage protection policy. Payments for these types of polices can generally be included in the escrow payments for homeowners insurance and property taxes that are included in your monthly house payment.

Another mortgage protection insurance option, however, is to take out term life policies on the adult members of the household. These types of policies put more control in the hands of the surviving family members. Policy proceeds can be used to pay off the mortgage in a lump sum, as with a traditional mortgage protection insurance policy, or the individual can choose to continue making monthly payments while investing or otherwise utilizing the remaining funds.

No matter which coverage option you select, the important thing is to make sure that your family is protected even under the worst possible circumstances. When you think about the alternative, the cost of mortgage protection insurance really seems to be quite small. When you purchase mortgage insurance protection, you are investing in peace of mind for yourself and for your family.

How to Find the Right Mortgage

Word Count:
494

Summary:
A mortgage that is properly suited to an individual’s needs when buying a home can save the individual thousands while a mortgage that has not been properly tailored to their needs can place the house and the individual’s financial future in jeopardy.

Keywords:
finance, loan, dept, home, consolidation

Article Body:
A mortgage that is properly suited to an individual’s needs when buying a home can save the individual thousands while a mortgage that has not been properly tailored to their needs can place the house and the individual’s financial future in jeopardy. And because there are so many types of mortgages and mortgage products available, it’s essential to have a basic understanding of mortgages before choosing which one is the right one.

First one needs to understand the different options available to them. For people who have good credit, a fixed rate mortgage is usually the best option. These types of mortgages offer the same interest rate for the entire life of the loan so the monthly payments will always be the same. One may also choose an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) after a one, five, or ten year term. These mortgages have a fixed rate for a certain period and they then move to a variable rate after the one, five, or ten years. This means that the monthly payments could be more or less, depending on what the interest rate currently is. Rates don’t generally have dramatic increases or reductions so there are usually no large surprises. However, over the course of a thirty-year loan, the interest rate could be considerably more or less by the end of the mortgage.

Individuals who have no or bad credit will have a higher interest rate on their mortgage. They may also have to look into the sub-prime lending market where the loans will have much higher interest rates and many different structures. When looking at the different loan options available, it’s important to make sure there is no prepayment penalty, which have a fee associated with paying off more of the mortgage in advance. These loans should be avoided as the goal is to pay off the debt.

A mortgage consists of two major components: the down payment and the interest rate. For people who are very active in investing in different things such as the stock market, and real estate, it’s best to pay as little down payment as possible. If the individual has a good credit rating, it’s best to try to get a 100% mortgage. The interest on these mortgages is generally higher but the cost of borrowing will be less than the returns the individuals will receive on their investment.

For individuals that are not active investors, the mortgage can be a great investment tool. Paying off a mortgage with a 6.5% to 7.5% interest rate makes more sense than savings accounts that offer a 2.5% interest rate.

Everything in the mortgage process is negotiable. The goal is to lower the down payment and the interest rate. The higher the down payment is, the lower the interest rate will be and the sooner one will be able to pay off the mortgage. Using a mortgage broker can help one find the best mortgage for the specific situation.