Archive for the ‘home lend’ Category
Mortgages. Higher Lending Charges Are Outrageous.
After you scraped together a modest deposit for your new home you may think you’re home and dry. Think again. On top of there’s the surveyors and solicitors to pay. Then the government want a slice. You’ve got to pay stamp duty at 1% of the property’s price (if the house costs more than £250,000 the rate of stamp duty increases – see the information at the foot of this article). Phew! You’re lucky you’ll just make it – you’ll be a homeowner at last!
Then out of the blue the mortgage lender sends you a new bill – another £1,500 please Sir. They’ve called it a Higher lending Charge (HLC) and it’s charged if you borrow more than 90% of the value of the house. About 75% of all mortgage lenders charge it and £1,500 is about the average they ask for.
And guess what – they money you pay won’t benefit you in any way whatsoever! Not one jot. You’re being charged for a form of protection insurance that protects the mortgage lender, not you. The HLC pays the lender if you default on your mortgage, your property has to be repossessed and the sale proceeds are less than the outstanding balance on your mortgage. In theory the HLC then pays out the shortfall to the lender but in practice many lenders carry the risk themselves so the HLC is just an extra fee to offset a higher lending risk.
But an HLC doesn’t let you off the hook! If your home is repossessed and there’s a shortfall, you still have to pay the shortfall back to your lender – they’re sure to chase you for the money.
Whilst most of the lenders who charge HLC’s will readily agree to add the charge to your mortgage, that’s little consolation. In any case this means that you’ll end up paying interest on top of the charge. Then, over a 25-year term, your HLC will have cost you closer to £2,700!
In our opinion HLC’s should have died out with the dinosaurs. If a lender is worried you’ll default, they shouldn’t have lent the money in the first place. And with all today’s hi-tec credit checks and the risk based assessments used to process your application, you’d think the lenders were doing enough to protect themselves. In any case you may also end up paying a small interest premium for a 90% plus mortgage – so in practice you’re being charged twice for the same risk!
The Nationwide Building Society, who incidentally do not charge HLC’s, recently reported that during the last five years £1 billion has been charged in HLC’s by some 800,000 borrowers. It also found that just over 500,000 were first time buyers – largely youngsters struggling to buy a home. We believe that HLC’s are just another money making ploy for the mortgage lenders. By the way, the Higher Lending Charge used to be called a Mortgage Indemnity Guarantee, but they are all the same – only the name is different!
We think it’s time for the Office of Fair Trading to open up the box and take a look inside in the same way as they did with credit cards. The OFT recently ordered many credit cards to reduce their charges by up to 40%. A bit of that magic would do wonders for Higher Lending Charges!
Current Stamp Duty rates on house purchases in the UK
Houses under £125,000 No Stamp Duty
Houses £125,000 to £249,995* 1%
Houses £250,000 to £499,995* 3%
Houses over £500,000 4%
*HM Inland Revenue rounds up house prices to the nearest £5. Therefore, a house sold for between £249,996 and £249,999 will be rounded up to £250,000 and they’ll charge you 3% Stamp Duty on the lot!
Information correct as from the April Budget 2006.
Related items
Financing a New Home
Are you a woman who has the dream of owning your own home? If you do, you are definitely not alone. While a large number of women already own their own homes, there are even more who are looking to do so. Unfortunately, many women mistakenly believe that they cannot afford the cost of a new home. Yes, there are really some who may be unable to afford the cost of a new home, but, for others, it is actually a lot easier than it appears.
The first step in buying a new home involves examining where you would like to reside. This is important as it gives you an idea as to what the average asking price for homes is. This average asking price can give you an idea as to the amount of money that you would need to have. Since different areas of the United States have different real estate market conditions, this should be one of your very first steps. Once you decide where you would like to live, you can go about finding a home to buy, as well as get financing for that home.
Speaking of financing, there are many individuals who mistakenly believe that they need to have money, upfront, to buy a home. That is not the truth. In fact, in the United States, most women and men, use financing, provided by financial lenders, to afford the cost of a home. If you have yet to consider getting a mortgage for your new home purchase, this is the time to do so.
If you need to obtain financing to purchase a new home, your first thought may be to head on down to your local bank or a local home lending office. While this is more than possible to do, you may want to first request a copy of your credit report. Financial lenders will use your credit report to determine if you are a good candidate for receiving a loan from them. The cleaner your credit report is, the more likely it is that you will be awarded financing for the purchase of your new home. If your credit report is less than perfect, you may want to try paying off some of your old debts before approaching a financial lender.
Although a mortgage or a home loan can help you afford the cost of a new home, there are many financial lenders who first require a down payment. This down payment varies from lender to lender. It is common for mortgage or home loan down payments to be anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000. For many individuals, this is where the problem comes in. If you are wondering how you can go about coming up with the money needed for a down payment, you will want to continue reading on.
One of the easiest ways for you to save money for a new home down payment is by reducing or completely eliminating all of your unnecessary purchases. These unnecessary purchases may include a coffee, soda, or other snacks at work, dining out, a full cable television package, and so forth. Unfortunately, many individuals do not realize the importance of eliminating their unnecessary purchases, when looking to save money to buy a new home. Yes, you may only be able to save $20 or $50 a week, but it is important to remember that money can add up overtime.
Another way that many women work to come up with the down payment often needed to buy a home is by getting a second job or by requesting additional hours at work. While doing so may result in you having less free time with your family, it is a sacrifice that many women are willing to make. With an increased workload at work or a second job, even just a part-time one where you only work ten hours a week, you may be able to quickly come up with the down payment needed to acquire a home loan or a mortgage.
For many women, home ownership is an issue that they deal with in their life. The above mentioned approaches are just a few of the many ways that you can go about getting the home of your dreams.
Related items
SE Florida Home Buying Guide
Finding a lender is one of the hardest or possibly confusing part of the entire process of buying a home, no matter what part of the nation you may be in. The various lending establishments include banks, savings and loan companies, credit unions, state government lenders, and private mortgage companies. No matter what type of loan you are seeking, you should shop around and find the best deal and this goes for your home lending company as well. Each type of lending company will offer different mortgage loans, loan fees, and interest rates.
In order to find a lender that will fit your needs you can talk with your own bank, talk with friends and relatives, search through the telephone book, and talk with your realtor. Realtors have a list of lending companies their clients have used in the past and this may be one of the best and easiest ways to find a lender.
If you are wondering what other costs you will be liable for once, you have purchased a new home that you may not have had to pay while renting; you had better be prepared to pay all kinds of other bills. In some cases, when you rent you may not be responsible for all the utilities that will now be your responsibility. You will have to of course, pay your mortgage payment, along with electric, gas, water, sewage, telephone, and cable. You will also have a yard to care for and will need to keep your lawn up or hire a company to mow your yard.
If you choose a home in a community, in some cases, the homeowners association requires a monthly or yearly fee so certain things they maintain such as the upkeep of the pool, community areas, storage facilities, and lawn care. Not all homeowner association fees are the same so you will need to read your bylaws to understand what your fees are being used for and what you will still be responsible for when it comes to your property.
Other things you will need to pay are property taxes and insurance on the home. Some lending companies include these in your mortgage payment. The majority of times you mortgage payment will cover the amount you borrowed to buy the home, the interest which is the money the lending company is charging you on the money they loaned you to buy the home, insurance for the home and property, and taxes that are paid to the city or county.
When you apply for a mortgage loan with a lending company you will need to provide such things as the social security numbers of yourself and your spouse, information for the last 6 months from your savings or checking accounts, information on all other assets including bonds or stocks, paycheck stubs for proof of income, credit card information, outstanding loan information, two years income tax statements, and references for employment.
Related items
First Time Home Buyers Loans
From mortgages, interest rates and rising foreclosure numbers, a first time home buyer has a lot more to think about than simply choosing a house he or she loves. Two of the biggest challenges where to buy and how to get help for your mortgage are covered in this article. Getting tips and strategies to jump over these initial hurdles can help to ensure that the first-time home buyer not only gets what he or she wants, but also ensures that they can hold onto it for years to come.
The first hurdle to tackle will be the mortgage. Before looking for a new home, the savvy first time home buyer knows to get preapproved for a mortgage and fully assess their financial situation. After all, you can fall in love with the most wonderful house on the block, but if you cant afford it, you will either be financially vulnerable or facing a foreclosure in the near future a fate no first-time home buyer wants to consider.
For the first time in quite a few years, government assistance is becoming popular with first time home buyers. Many first time home buyers snubbed or ignored government assistance during the real estate boom, preferring to look at a subprime mortgage for their financial needs. A and piggyback mortgages were also considered from private mortgage lenders who didnt require a great deal of money for a down payment, nor did these lenders pay much attention to a credit score.
Just as the saying goes, however, if the deal seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. In the case of these subprime mortgage, when the real estate boom deflated, first-time home buyers who had been so appreciative of the subprime rates and loose regulations were now facing serious financial troubles. All the easy money dried up and in many cases, the homes went along with it.
Nowadays, first-time home buyers with little cash for a down payment or a short or poor credit history have nowhere to turn for mortgage assistance. The traditional routes of home lending have been reestablished to put the market back on solid ground. What are first-time home buyers to do for financial assistance? Look towards government agencies like the FHA or Federal Housing Administration. The FHA is known to help find loans for individuals who have average credit and a down payment that is less than the required 20 percent of the purchase price.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can help first-time buyers with closing costs and with down payment assistance. In addition, the FHAs assisted mortgages are set to potentially become even more affordable for first time home buyers in the future as a response to the chaotic real estate boom.
Combine this help with mortgage next to the latest recommendations from realtors about which houses to avoid and why. Studies have shown that three main factors can make selling your home difficult in the future and for first-time home buyers who will most likely upgrade in the future, these are important tips.
Avoiding environmental elements like landfills, noting the rate of foreclosures in the neighborhood and looking into the crime rate within the location of the new house can all have significant impact on the future of a first-time home buyers investment.
Related items
Free Maid Cleaning In Charlotte-Waxhaw NC For Foreclosure Home Buyers
Real estate investing now offers a home buyer more options than ever before, especially with the recent downturn in the economy.
Real estate agents, realtors, and real estate brokers have began to list homes for sale at an enormous rate, and many of the homes for sale on MLS listings are selling below their market value, due to home buying being at an all time low, home lending being scarce, and home foreclosures are at an all time high.
It is now time to make your realtor, or real estate agent work for you and earn your business as a home buyer, that is willing to invest in a very uncertain economy, in which taxes are due to rise, and home loans have been restructured by the banking industry.
Real estate listings are plentiful in Charlotte, Waxhaw, Davidson, and Raleigh NC, which means that this is now a buyers market, and even realtors nationwide are feeling the pinch, so now is the best time to negotiate some amenities when buying a new home, a HUD home, or a foreclosure home, because you have the upper hand when you choose
to buy one of these homes, and your real estate agent, or broker is aware of this fact.
This is the reason that your realtor should offer you a free home deep cleaning gift certificate as an incentive for your business, and if your realtor does not offer you some type of home buying incentive, you should kindly remind them that you would like to have a professional home cleaning service clean your home after you move in and get settled, because new homeowners rarely feel like cleaning their newly purchased home after moving in and getting all their furnishings organized, and if you are buying a new home, HUD home, or a foreclosure home, you know that it has not be cleaned or dusted for awhile if it has been sitting on the market awaiting a buyer.
There is one excellent company in NC that services the entire state, and their name is QualiCare Maids, they offer realtors, military personnel, seniors, and handicapped persons an ongoing 10-20% discount and they also offer maid cleaning gift certificates to both businesses and consumers.
This company is an independently owned veteran business that is very affordable and very good and cleaning any home or business, and they can be found all over the Internet.
I am sure that you will appreciate a free home deep cleaning gift certificate and find it very useful when redeeming it for a deep cleaning of your newly purchased home, or you may choose to use the gift certificate for the holidays, or days when you are expecting a visit from family or friends and want your home to look its best when they arrive.
Renters should also request that the property management company that they lease a home, apartment, or condo from, either give them a free home deep cleaning gift certificate when they move in or out of their residence, as an incentive for moving in.
Homes are readily available for both sale and rent in Waxhaw, NC, Charlotte, NC, Indian trail, NC Matthews, NC, Statesville, NC, Raleigh, NC, Cary, NC, Morrisville,NC, Lake Norman, NC, Mooresville, NC, Fayetteville, NC Davidson, NC, and Kannapolis, NC and many other North Carolina towns, so there is no reason why your realtor should reject such a minimal request for your business, after all, your realtor will be getting thousands of dollars in commission, or your property manager will have you locked into a lease for at least 12 months, and with the many choices of properties for sale and rent these days, many realtors and property management companies will honor a minimal request such as a free home cleaning.
If you are planning to relocate to NC, or purchase a home in NC and unsure of a good place to start to look for a great home cleaning service, you should visit the QualiCare Maids website at: http://qualicaremaids.webs.com, for more information, and I’m sure they will be able to help you negotiate something with your realtor or property manager.
? 2009 This article is the sole copy written property of L.Wahlert and shall not be printed or reproduced without owners permission.
People who looked at this item also looked at…
Related items
Tags: Buyers, CharlotteWaxhaw, Cleaning, Foreclosure, Free, Home, Maid | No Comments »
