Cheapest Uk Mortgage

Todays mortgage environment is much different from that of the past. One of the biggest differences is low down payment mortgages that only require 3-5% down on your total mortgage. Why exactly have mortgage down payments dropped so much recently? A substantial part of the reason why down payments are smaller is because of the sharing of risk amongst parties involved in your financial transactions. Mortgage lenders are objective institutions seeking to maximize profit and they used to require about 20% down payment on loans before they were able to spread risk to Fannie Mae. Now, with the commonplace ability to sell loans to Fannie Mae, they are willing to lower the down payment because their risk is lower.

A low down payment in the single digits may be good for you the borrower, up front, in the initial phases, however, lenders have ways by which they secure their ability to get paid in the event of default lowering their risk. One way that lenders compensate for a low down payment loan, below twenty percent of total loan value, is by requiring a borrower to pay private mortgage insurance(PMI). While private mortgage insurance is not a huge expense it is still an expense, often being .5% of your total mortgage. If you take out a 300,000 loan, then you can expect to pay about 1,500 per year in PMI insurance. These payments will be required until you reach a twenty percent pay off on your loan. However, a lender may be able to make you continue to pay even as twenty percent is breached.

Another method for obtaining a loan with very little out of pocket expense is to take out two loans at the same time. One is a primary loan to cover the main mortgage, and another is a secondary loan to cover the down payment. This is often referred to as piggy backing loans and has gained some popularity. People sometimes refer to this method of financing as taking out a second mortgage. You will essentially have two loans to pay each month, so your debt load is going to be higher. If you don’t have the cash to pay a down payment, then you should carefully consider if you can service two loans every month of the year in addition to other major expenses.

By meeting certain qualifications, a person may be able to acquire an FHA loan, which only requires a 3 percent down payment. However, loan insurance is required with these mortgages to alleviate some risk, and the total loan amounts are relatively small. If you live in an area with a high cost of living these loans may not be available. Veterans administration loans can be utilized by military families looking for mortgages with lower down payments.

Many people make a major mistake when applying for a mortgage. They are so relieved to get the loan that they fail to pay attention to prepayment penalties in the loan documents.

Prepayment Penalties

With the refinance craze of the last few years, many borrowers have been surprised to find they are locked into their loan with prepayment penalties. Boiled down, these penalties require borrowers to pay fees if they pay off the loan prior to a certain point in time. By including such language in the loan documents, some lenders are trying to ensure they will recover a certain amount in interest on a loan as well as reach a certain maturity date on the loan. Lucky you.

Prepayment penalties come in a variety of forms. First and foremost, state law controls the amount and types of penalties that can be charged by a lender. Of course, this means each state has different laws and you should make sure you understand what can be done in yours.

As to the payments themselves, they typically come in two forms. The first is a percentage of the overall loan For instance, assume you have a $400,000 mortgage and the prepayment penalty is 3 percent. Your prepayment penalty will be $12,000. This is typically true even if you are selling your home because of financial difficulties.

In some states, prepayment penalties can come in the amount of interest to be charged over a period. Assume you are paying $2,000 a month in interest on your loan. The prepayment penalty may be something equal to 10 months of interest from the date of prepayment. Put another way, you are looking at a $20,000 prepayment penalty. Obviously, such a payment is going to be a dent in any profit you would pull from the home.

Lenders are not required to identify prepayment penalty language in loan documents. You absolutely must read your loan documents to make sure penalties arent included.

Prepayment penalties are not mandatory in loan documents. If a lender refuses to waive the penalties, make sure to shop around for a better deal. Dont get pounded on the back end of the loan.

Canadian mortgages have some quite subtle differences from the UK system so I have no doubt they will be fairly new to most nationalities. Whichever type of home you buy, the chances are you will need a mortgage. There are many different methods of financing a home buying purchase that are unique to Canada:

Assuming a mortgage – This involves taking over the sellers mortgage and negates the need to arrange your own financing. The rate you take on may well be fixed lower than the rates on offer and you should not be required to pay appraisal and other setup costs. In some cases you will not have to qualify for the mortgage either, though this depends on the original terms imposed by the lender. Normally, you will have to buy out the part of the mortgage already paid off by the current lender.

Standard mortgage – Most major banks will lend up to 65% of the appraised value to immigrants before they have permanent employment as part of a welcome to Canada package. This will depend on individual circumstances and obviously will not be available to some people. Once you are working in full time employment, normal rules should apply.

Vendor Take Back – Basically, the seller of the property will lend some or all of the cash required to buy at terms negotiated between you. This is very attractive to buyers who will not normally qualify for a mortgage. The debt may be sold to a third party but the original terms should apply.

With such a major part of your new life on the table it is definitely worth using the services of a Professional Mortgage Broker. That way, all the options for financing will be thoroughly explained, sound advice on the best options for your individual circumstances can be given and access to mortgage funds can be arranged for most people under the most favorable terms.

Under international money laundering laws, ALL mortgage providers will now require proof of origin of any funds used to purchase a property. It is essential that any lawyers closing statements for house sales, money transfer receipts, savings statements and bank records are made available when you apply for a mortgage. Basically ensure you have a verified “paper trail” for your money!

Finally, most Canadian employers will pay every 2 weeks and so it makes sense to pay your mortgage “bi-weekly”. This means you will make 13 payments a year instead of 12 and so will pay the mortgage off faster.

With Canadian home buying , if you have to borrow more than 75% of the appraised value of the home it is considered a high ratio mortgage and Mortgage Loan Insurance will be needed.

With the housing market is now showing marked signs of recovery, especially in the South and London, the number of homeowners mortgaging for more than 500,00 is increasing. (Also see Latest Market Facts at the end of this article.)

Previously, prospective borrowers for these mega mortgages have experienced a mixed reception from the lenders sometimes the lenders would provide the facility but viewed them as higher risk. For that reason lenders typically charged a premium rate of interest. But no longer. The tide has turned.

Mega mortgages have well and truly joined the mainstream and lenders are now competing hard for the business. Instead of facing a premium, borrowers are being offered around a quarter of a percent less than comparable deals for more normal sized mortgages. This is because lenders are increasingly basing their lending decisions on the borrowers ability to afford the mortgage with lesser emphasis being placed on the security provided by the property. It also helps that interest rates remain low.

If youre a potential mega mortgage borrower, youll find that the banks will generally be the most welcoming. Compared to building societies and other mortgage lenders, banks tend to set higher lending limits. Some smaller lenders still set a cap at 500,000 whilst others restrict the amount theyll lend against an individual property. But perhaps the best way of finding a really competitive mega mortgage is to go through a specialist mortgage broker. In the current market, any broker worth their salt will be able to source a great deal on six and seven figure mortgages.

For example, the Halifax will lend up to 90% on a 4.49% fixed rate for a two years on mortgages up to 2 million. And the arrangement fee is just 499. If youve got a larger deposit, at least 25%, then there are several other deals around at 3.99% – again for a two year fix usually with a fee of just a quarter of a percent.

Latest House Market Facts

In March, the average achieved sales price was 94% of the asking price.

The average number of viewings to sales was 11.
During March house prices in England and Wales rose by 0.5% driven by buoyant London market. London prices grew by 1.1%.

This is the fourth month in succession of house price growth. Its also the highest monthly rise since the summer 2004.

Over the last 12 months house prices rose by 0.1%.

The performance of the London market results from of a number of factors:

A shortage of new housing coming onto the market
London has underperformed in terms of house price growth over the last few years. This in turn has meant that incomes and house prices in the capital are more closely aligned than in other regions.

In other parts of England and Wales, levels of affordability remain stretched.

At a local level away from London, prices have picked up mainly in cities in the South of England. Berkshire (0.7%) and East Sussex (0.6%) performed well.

Cities in the North saw slower price growth, with Newcastle, Liverpool, and Manchester all reporting growth of just 0.1%.

The under-performing counties were Derbyshire (-0.1%) and the Isle of Wight (-0.1%).

The areas reporting the highest rises in March were all across London: Central London & City (1.9%), East London (1.4%), North London (1.2%), West London (1.2%), South-West London (1.0%) and South-East London (0.8%).

In March the national average house price stood at 162,500.