Archive for February, 2010

Which Is Better? A Remortgage or Homeowner Loans?

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

When a homeowner decides that he requires additional money for any number of purposes he has a choice of a number of different products.

There are two main types of loans on offer and these two types are unsecured loans and secured loans which sub divide into such loans as secured loans otherwise called homeowner loans and remortgages.

As an unsecured loan is exactly as the name tells us and as such needs no security both those who own their own home and those who do not are both eligible to apply.

Unsecured loans are notoriously difficult to obtain as a person has to have a totally clean credit rating and in general fit with the extremely tight underwriting criteria due to the fact that the lender is taking a bit of a chance.

Even for those who fit the tight underwriting, interest is high , making repayments expensive.

Homeowner loans,unlike unsecured loans need a guarantee and what is required is the equity on the house.

As homeowner loans are secured they come with low rates of interest at currently around the 9% mark.

The great thing about homeowner loans is there adaptability of what they can be used for

Apart from their favourable interest rates what also makes homeowner loans a good form of loan is that they have repayments from five to twenty five years which makes them affordable to many.

Another secured loan is a remortgage which is very similar to a homeowner loan.

Remortgaging is the moving of a mortgage from a current mortgage provider to a different mortgage lender.

Remortgages can be used for all the same purposes as homeowner loans whether it is for car or caravan purchase to pay for a wedding or a holiday or even for debt consolidation.

Remortgages although less expensive than secured homeowner loans staring currently at about 1.84% may not be the better choice when a penalty would require to be paid if settling the current mortgage of early.

If the homeowner is in a tie in period the better alternative may well be to take out a homeowner loan and after the tie in period is finished with his mortgage could then remortgage with little or no penaly as in general a homeowner loan incurs a one month interest penalty for early settlement.

A remortgage and a homeowner loan are excellent secured loan products and which is better is a matter or individual choice.

Both are however great loans.

Learn more about remortgages. Stop by Champion Finance’s site where you can find out all about the best deal on a remortgage for you.

Do You Understand Mortgage Insurance ?

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Most people labor long and hard to pay for a home of their own, and would like to protect it.

If anything befalls you, either death or disability, you probably want to know that your family will not have the home you have worked so hard to get taken away from them. Mortgage insurance is the way a homeowner can manage this. The mortgage and insurance industry offer both life insurance and disability insurance on your home.

If a family loses the salary of one or both of the main breadwinnes, it is almost guaranteed that the mortgage will not be paid and the home will be forfeited.

No one likes to contemplate the idea of their own death, but a rational family man will endeavor to protect his family in case of such a tragic occurrence. If a family head is worried that his or her family will become homeless because of loss of his or her salary, the most sensible solution is mortgage life insurance.

The benefit of a mortgage insurance policy will pay off the home loan in case of the insured’s death. Most mortgage insurance policies are decreasing term, which means the amount of the policy reduces along with the outstanding balance of the home loan.

Mortgage disability insurance, on the other hand, is designed to allow the payments on your mortgage to continue in the case you are disabled due to an accident or illness and cannot work and earn a salary. In this case, the mortgage is paid out of the benefit of the policy. The disability insurance payments you may receive from a state or company disability plan is usually much less than your actual salary, and usually would normally not be enough to fully cover your mortgage payments as well as your other living expenses.

A lot of professionals consider mortgage disability insurance more important than mortgage life insurance since the odds of becoming disabled are much better than the odds of dying during your working life.

Many homeowners today can only afford to buy because there are two incomes supporting the household, and therefore joint policies may be necessary to truly protect the home. Just imagine if both income earners were disabled in an accident; since spouses frequently travel together, this is a distinct possibility.

If you want to know more about assurance hypothecaire or assurance hypotheque

Are Expats Permitted To Own Residential Properties In Singapore?

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Foreigners staying in Singapore for extended periods of time may discover that living in a hotel for the length of their stay can be very costly. The alternative answer to this problem is for the expats to purchase residential properties in the country.

Singapore authorities do not discourage expatriates from buying residential properties in the country.

The Residential Property Act of Singapore essentially supports Singapore nationals in their purchase of their own residential properties by offering reasonable prices. Furthermore, the act enables expatriates who are acknowledged by the government to be capable of of contributing to the financial prosperity of the city-state to acquire residential properties in Singapore.

Expatriates may buy non-restricted residential properties even without prior approval from the Singapore government. Below are specific examples of non-restricted residential properties:

- apartment units within a structure that is not higher than six floors – condo units in approved condo development sites under the Planning Act – a lease contract on a restricted property; the term must not go beyond seven years

Expatriates who want to own all units in an apartment or condominium in an accredited development site must have prior approval from Singapore’s Minister for Law.

Likewise, a foreign national without any prior official sanction from Singapore’s Minister of Law cannot acquire residential properties that are categorized as restricted.

Under the Residential Property Act of Singapore, the following are classified as restricted residential properties:

- a vacant residential land – town houses, detached or semi-linked houses, or terraced houses standing on residential lots – lands not approved for condominium development under the Planning Act

The foreigner who intends to acquire a restricted residential property must fill out a form and then send this, together with the requisite supporting documents, to the Singapore Land Authority. This government agency is responsible for receiving the requests of the expatriate regarding the proposed ownership of a restricted residential property. The agency will appraise and approve or disapprove the application, depending on the virtues of the expatriate’s qualifications.

Find out more about a premier housing loan advisory firm, providing housing loans with free mortgage broking.

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First Time Buyers Fail To Shop Around

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Almost two thirds of first time buyers accept the first mortgage they are offered and fail to shop around, often missing out on better deals.

Many first time buyers feel pressurised by their estate agents into quickly organising a mortgage for fear of losing out on a property or are attracted to a low interest rate without looking at the mortgage deal as a whole.

However, with such a vast range of mortgage lenders to choose from, first time buyers are well advised to step back and do a little research before they commit.

There are a number of places to find good mortgage deals:

Speak to your bank

Your bank or building society may provide special offers to their account holders, but don’t feel that you have to accept their offer through customer loyalty as there are many other places to look.

Consult with a financial advisor

Financial advisors can offer you a range of mortgage deals to choose from that are appropriate to your circumstances. Some financial advisors offer free advice, but can only provide a limited range of mortgages, through which they earn a commission.

Independent financial advisors will offer a wider range of deals, but you may need to pay them to provide this advice. However, this is often a worthwhile investment, as commission earnings do not influence the advisor, so the mortgage is more likely to meet your requirements.

Get on the net

A search on Google will generate a list of hundreds of UK mortgage providers to choose from. Many will have online mortgage calculators, to give you an idea of your repayments.

Alternatively you can use financial comparison sites, such as MoneySupermarket.com to do the work for you. Simply enter your requirements and let the comparison site search hundreds of providers to provide you with the best deals.

Don’t always depend on the rate

Don’t always assume that a low interest rate makes a cheap mortgage. Providers often use low rate deals to attract new customers, however you may end up paying more money in the long-term.

Check the small print of the mortgage and find out if you will be penalised financially for opting out of the deal early or if there are any hidden costs.

Don Suter is Managing Editor of the UK Property Portal (http://www.ukpropertyportal.co.uk), an online directory. Mortgage Loan Interest Rates

Things To Consider When Looking At Mortgage Rates

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Few people have ready cash to pay for a property up front. So if you want to buy a property, you have to find a lender to loan you the money. To get the loan, you will be required to pay interest, and this will add substantially to the cost of your property. It is therefore important to shop around and compare mortgage rates to find the best rate you can.

A fixed rate means that the rate of interest stays the same throughout the period of the mortgage. So if the interest rate is five percent, you will be paying five percent throughout, and so your payments will be the same throughout the term. This offers the advantage of stability, since you know how much you will be paying for your house on a monthly basis, and need not be surprised by sudden increases.

A variable interest rate means that the mortgage rate will fluctuate depending on the rates of the central bank. The fact that this varies means that your payments can go up or down for each payment. You might end up paying less than you would for a fixed rate mortgage if the interest rates are low, but if they rise then you have to pay more. This kind of mortgage should not be taken by those who are on a tight budget and cannot tolerate increases.

An excellent credit history is important to secure the best rate that you can. Lenders will check your financial background, and if it is sound you will have more people willing to lend you the money, and therefore more choice. If your credit is bad, then the few institutions willing to lend you money will charge you more interest since you are seen as a risk and might default on your loan.

Banks have posted interest rates, but those with good credit histories should be able to receive preferred rates. You can try to negotiate as good a rate as you can with the mortgage officer.

Another source of a loan is a mortgage broker. These are people who specialize in getting money from banks, and re-lend the money again to you. Because they are loaned the money in bulk, they receive favorable terms, and can pass on some of those savings your way. When choosing a broker to approach, consider their reputations, and whether are members of a professional organization that oversees their conduct.

When arranging the loan, there are many payment options to choose from. Making more regular payments will allow you to pay less. So making bi-weekly payments to your mortgage is better than making monthly payments, even though the amount you are paying is the same, because you are paying off the interest more quickly. You can also choose from different terms. Five years is the standard, but you can choose to renew it in as little as a year, or for as long as ten years.

Mortgage rates vary a lot between institutions, so you would be wise to shop around before choosing one. Since you are being loaned such a large amount of money, even a fraction of a percentage point could save you thousands of dollars.

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