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Selling Inherited Property
[Real-Estate:FSBO] Many people find themselves in a situation in which they have inherited property from a friend or relative who has passed away. Inheriting property can provide a significant financial gain to the recipient, however, if the property is unwanted it will need to be sold before any profit is realised.

Tips For Stopping Repossession
[Real-Estate:Foreclosures] If you are trying to stop repossession of your property, there are several things you can do to help the process. First and foremost, you should take good care of the property. One of the worst things you can do if you are trying to stop repossession is to destroy the interior of the house.

Stop Home Repossession
[Real-Estate:Foreclosures] If you are facing the prospect of having your home repossessed, you may think there is no way to stop the process. However, there are options to consider that can help to stop repossession of you home.

Repossessions Offer Buy-to-Let Opportunities
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The buy-to-let sector is receiving a boost from the increasing number of properties being repossessed in the wake of steady interest rate rises. A growing number of people are offloading properties at bargain prices to stop repossession, and savvy investors are cashing in.

Sell and Rent Back
[Real-Estate:Selling] Under a sell and rent back arrangement, an individual or a company will buy a property from an owner occupier and allow the occupier to remain in the property as a rent paying tenant. A sell and rent back arrangement is one method home owners use to stop the repossession of their home if they are in financial difficulty and have received a possession order from the Courts. Through sell and rent back arrangements the property owner will sell their house and rent it back as a normal rent paying tenant.

Improve Your House Before Selling Privately
[Real-Estate:FSBO] If you have decided to sell your house privately and avoid the hassle and expense of employing an estate agent you may need to give your home a makeover first. Selling your home by yourself can be a great idea however it may require a through clean and some modernisation first.

Buying Your First Home Without Stress
[Real-Estate:Buying] This article addresses many common questions first-time home buyers often ask. It is a must read article, with loads of valuable information that will save you both time and money.

First Impressions Count When Selling Your Home Privately
[Real-Estate:FSBO] Selling your house privately is a big commitment to make and will require the investment of a lot of time and effort if you are to be successful. If you forgo the services of an estate agent and decide sell your house by yourself then you must be aware that you will have sole responsibility for convincing potential buyers to purchase your home instead of the competing properties on the market.

How to Save on Costly Estate Agent Fees
[Real-Estate:FSBO] Selling your home privately can be an excellent way of saving on costs. Selling a property can attract a number of costs that can be difficult to cope with when combined together meaning that sellers may opt for a private sale in order to save money.

Valuing Your Property
[Real-Estate:Selling] If you are hoping to sell your house quickly then you should consider a private sale. Avoiding the use of estate agents can be an excellent way of selling your house in a short space of time.

Fast Action Required For Mortgage Arrears
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you have a mortgage and you have fallen behind on your monthly repayments, it is essential to take immediate action to avoid having your home repossessed. By acting quickly and making arrangements with your lender, mortgage arrears can be cleared and your family may not be evicted from your home.

Choosing Whether to Sell Your Home Privately
[Real-Estate:Selling] When faced with the daunting task of selling your home you will need to make a decision on whether to sell it on the open market through an estate agent or sell it privately. Selling your home privately usually entails offering buyers a generous discount from the price that an estate agent could achieve on the open market. Because of this it may appear as though selling your home privately does not make financial sense.

Marketing Your Property For Sale
[Real-Estate:FSBO] One of the most time consuming activities you will be faced with if you are trying to sell your house privately is marketing it. If you choose to sell your house through an estate agent they will do all of the marketing for you. However, if you sell your house privately, you will be solely responsible for making the public aware that your property is for sale.

Cashing in on Repossession Property
[Real-Estate:Foreclosures] With the number of repossession properties on the rise there are a large number of companies and individuals who have begun invest in properties owned by people in financial distress. In fact, the sheer volume of home owners looking to stop repossession of their properties due to financial problems has spawned a national trend. Home owners who are heavily in debt and have not been able to keep up with the monthly repayments due on their loans have increasingly been offering their properties up for sale at heavily discounted prices.

When Will the Housing Market Turn Around?
[Real-Estate] The UK housing market is in a recession, the global economy is declining, and the financial world is full of struggles. With so much bad press, it would be nice to have some sort of silver lining to look forward to. Unfortunately, in order for the UK housing market to turn around, several big events will have to happen, and it may take some time for those actions to become evident.

An Overview of Mortgages and Remortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Living in the United Kingdom can be very expensive. Specifically, London is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live. This cost of living helps drive the loan and mortgage markets in the UK. The UK is a small country, but it has one of the largest loan books in the world, because of the astronomical property prices. There is limited space, limited housing, which helps drive up the prices.

The New World of Mortgage Lending
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Buying a home in the UK in 2009 is a completely different world from buying a home in 2006. In 2006, individuals were putting accelerator clauses into their mortgage offers, allowing their agent to increase their "final price" by a certain percentage if they were outbid on a property.

The Property Market and the Global Recession
[Real-Estate:Homes] Australia is one of the few countries, along with Canada, who has felt the credit crunch less than the rest of the world. There may be many reason for this, such as stricter property lending rules or because there is such a large amount of space and supply of land to be able to be used for homes that the vast increases the majority of the world saw from 2004 - 2006 did not happen.

How the Base Rate is Effecting the UK Mortgage Market
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The Bank of England has slashed the Base Rate in previous months to an all time low. The reasoning behind this was to alleviate some pressure on current home owners and to help rejuvenate the financial economy hoping the banks would begin to lend money again. It is still too early to tell if the drastic measures of the Bank of England were necessary, but the short term effect show okay results.

Escape the Rent Trap
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] So, amid all the economic doom and gloom, is there any ray of sunlight? How about any cause for optimism at all? Of course there is, the financial markets seem have recently experienced one of the biggest run-ups in stock market history, the marketplace is being purged of bloated, inept companies and the economy as a whole is showing signs of life.

Realise Your Dreams Through Buy to Let
[Real-Estate:Leasing-Renting] You have a recurring dream about being independently wealthy. The term "mailbox money" makes you start to salivate. A property mogul in the making, you envision having an empire of tenants sending you money each month for the privilege of living in your properties, while you traipse around the world savoring the good life. Sound like a fantasy? Well, okay, maybe so, but if you remember the three things we will discuss in this article you will be able to enter the buy to let game like a pro.

The Secret of Making Your Next Home Purchase Carefree
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Remember the good old days when you were young and carefree? When the only things you had to worry about was what time your favorite cartoon came on (mine was a crazy short lived science fiction cartoon called G-Force) and whether or not your mom was cooking lasagna tonight? Well, those sublime days may be over, but that doesn't mean that your next home purchase can't hearken back to those enjoyable times.

What Makes a Good Mortgage Broker?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] A mortgage broker is essentially an individual or business entity that matches home loans and investment loans with the requirements of their clients. Brokers recommend products based on the particular requirements of their clients and then assist with the application process. On the surface it can seem like a simple task, but in order to become successful mortgage brokers must offer their clients much more.

The Role of Australian Mortgage Brokers
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The mortgage broking profession has boomed in Australia during the last fifteen years. From humble beginnings the industry has grown at a rate of knots over the past decade or more to a point at which there is currently over ten thousand brokers practicing throughout the country.

Mortgage Aggregators in Australia
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Mortgage lenders in Australia rarely deal with brokers that cannot submit a high volume of successful home loan applications to them each month. For example, a particular bank or non-bank lending institution might refuse to deal with an entity that cannot close at least one million dollars worth of mortgages with them on a monthly basis.

How the Government Injection Should Help the Struggling Mortgage Industry
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Since the summer of 2008, there has been practically nothing but uncertainty and fear concerning the UK mortgage market. While financial analysts and politicians alike realize the determent that this fear is causing, they are having issues trying to turn those doubtful feelings and uncertainties into something positive that the financial community and consumers can hold onto.

How to Qualify As a Mortgage Broker in Australia
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Becoming a mortgage broker and helping people with their home loans is one of the most intrinsically rewarding finance careers in Australia. In addition to the buzz of helping people buy their homes, successful brokers also enjoy a high income and the lifestyle it affords.

How the Media is Hurting the UK Mortgage Market
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] As the majority of people are aware, the entire world began to feel a financial crisis in the summer of 2008. While some people claim to have predicted it to happen, and those of us working within the mortgage industry knew eventually the bottom would fall out, I do not think the world was ready for the rapid decline that happened.

All About the Bank Bail Out - Part 4
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] This is exactly the opposite situation to that which is required in a macro economic situation such as a recession. During tough economic times people need to be mobile. As redundancies and layoffs increase it is beneficial for people to be willing to relocate geographically in order to find work. If the property market crashes to a point at which people will lose too much money if they sell up, they will be unwilling to do so and therefore cannot relocate to find more work.

All About the Bank Bail Out - Part 3
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Banks and other financial institution were not the only entities to suffer from the credit crunch. As borrowed funds became more difficult for other large and small businesses to obtain, the suffering spread. Almost every business in the world relies on at least one form of credit to survive - whether it be credit to purchase inventory or a working capital account - but the level of credit available to businesses shrunk drastically over a short span of time.

The Future For Mortgage Brokers - Part 6
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] A return to the days in which almost anyone could pass a few exams and become a successful mortgage broker might help the profession return to the situation in which fraudulent activity becomes widespread once again. The Future for Mortgage Brokers The credit crunch and it's subsequent affect on the property market and mortgage industry has, at the very least, removed inefficiencies from these industries and exposed problems that were hidden by constantly rising property prices. While the mortgage broker industry has not faced total ruin it has take a fairly big hit.

The Future For Mortgage Brokers - Part 5
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The mortgage broker industry in the UK has been negatively affected by the credit crunch more than any other country in the world, apart from the USA. The boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s officially ended in late 2007 when the credit crunch became a reality. The following few months saw the closure of hundreds of estate agents and mortgage brokers up and down Britain as the property market came to a standstill.

All About the Bank Bail Out - Part 2
[News-and-Society:Economics] In the UK the credit crunch firmly wrote itself into the history books when one of the largest mortgage lenders in the country - Northern Rock - was nationalised. The nationalisation of the bank was undertaken by the government to prevent the bank from completely collapsing, which effectively rescued thousands of jobs and a large chunk of the UK economy.

All About the Bank Bail Out - Part 1
[News-and-Society:Economics] The phrase "credit crunch" has been firmly etched into the history books thanks to the countless media stories circulating around the globe over the past few years. The phrase has been coined to summarise into a few words the massive problems with the banking system throughout the developed world. While the term has been used to label many events and circumstances engulfing the world, in essence it involves banks being unwilling to lend money. The credit market has crunched and it is proving difficult to fix.

The Future For Mortgage Brokers - Part 4
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The independent mortgage broker industry in Australia is still young and should prosper again after the credit crunch. The industry is yet to fall under a national regulatory body in order to give it credibility, however this is planned. When the industry becomes regulated in a similar fashion to the FSA in the UK and the turmoil in the global financial markets is sorted out, mortgage brokers in Australia should once again experience a boom.

Is Buy-to-Let Still a Good Investment? - Part 2
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Future millionaires were abandoned by the thousand by both mortgage lenders and the property courses that had previously filled their heads full of dreams. While buy-to-let mortgage products were disappearing from the lenders' best buy tables the various courses and companies operated by the so-called property gurus were disappearing from the property investment game. Anyone who had stumped up several thousand pounds for an "education" and had exchanged contracts on off-plan investment property was left wondering how they were supposed to finance the completion of their nest egg investments.

The Future For Mortgage Brokers - Part 3
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Unemployment is certainly a statistic that prudent mortgage brokers should keep an eye on during the coming year and beyond. Recent dramatic decreases in the Bank of England Base Rate will hopefully provide some sort of relief for businesses that are heavily financed and could have a knock-on affect of reducing the need for them to lose staff in order to survive.

Is Buy-to-Let Still a Good Investment? - Part 1
[Real-Estate:Investing] Rewind a couple of years and the media was awash with stories of property investment successes and buy-to-let miracles. Mum and Dad investors throughout the country, and indeed the world, were becoming millionaires with the help of unprecedented capital gains on their often small property portfolios.

The State of Self-Certification Mortgages - Part 1
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Self-certification mortgages have endured a rollercoaster ride over the last few years. It seems only yesterday they were hailed as an innovative product and a Godsend to millions of self-employed workers who failed to reach the requirements of standard home loan products.

The Future For Mortgage Brokers - Part 2
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Estate agents, magazines, newspapers, websites, and even mortgage brokers were enticing people to buy almost any property they could get their hands on citing extraordinary historical capital growth rates as a basis for expecting the same growth in future years. Had properties around the world continued to grow at such alarming rates it is likely that the next generation would find it impossible to buy a home anywhere in the civilised world. It was clear that a bubble was forming, however nobody wanted to face reality and admit it. Times were go good that properties being secured by way of deposits even before a single brick had been laid while developers were planning and constructing a record number of properties on almost any piece of vacant land they could secure.

An Unlikely New Mortgage Market
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Much has been written about the sub prime mortgage crisis in the US and even more has been said. Most analysts placed the blame for the implosion in the credit market on the adverse credit mortgage. This is a type of home loan that is issued to a borrower with a less than impressive credit history and financial resume. However there is another factor which may have been overlooked. This same factor may be about to spur a mortgage bonanza in the least likely of places - Africa.

The Future For Mortgage Brokers - Part 1
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] It would be hard to find anyone in the Western world who has not head of the credit crunch by now. So much has been written and spoken about one of the biggest financial disasters in history that it seems almost as though society has become engulfed in it.

Buy-to-Let Benefits From Market Slowdown
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The flagging property market has claimed many scalps over the past year or two. Most notable of these are specialist lenders who opened their doors to borrowers of questionable worth and home owners who have since been issued with repossession orders in record numbers. Amid all the chaos at least one section of the property community has benefited. Buy-to-let landlords have experienced a period of prosperity recently as they pick up the scraps from the ailing property market and let their properties out to battle weary first time buyers.

Adverse Credit Mortgage Investors Seek Help
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Major financial institutions which hold billions of pounds in mortgage backed securities have been watching mortgagors default on their home loans in record numbers in recent times. Surprisingly these investors have not shored up their defenses against the rogue borrowers enough and as a result have been losing money hand over fist.

Time Heals All Wounds
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The current mortgage and loan market has undergone a period of turmoil recently that has been felt all around the world. The full damage from the fallout from the turmoil has yet to be assessed and this is partly because the pattern of behaviour in the lending market is somewhat different to what it should be.

Hedge Your Remortgage
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] What a great life it would be if we could predict future interest rates. Imagine being able to wait it out on your remortgage until such a time as interest rates dropped by several percentage points, just as you knew it would. While this scenario is better placed in a science fiction movie there is a way to bet on the future price of home finance and always come up a winner.

Repackaging Adverse Credit Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] What do you do with a massive package of adverse credit mortgages that no one wants to buy? This is the dilemma facing many financial institutions in the current economic climate. Several years ago it was easy to approve thousands of mortgages then bundle them together and sell them to a financial institution such as a pension fund which has billions of investors' funds to spend.

Mortgage Lending Hits a New Low
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Approvals for home loans in the UK have hit the lowest level ever recorded for a single month. The blame has been set squarely on the credit crunch as lenders are not only finding it difficult to obtain the funds to lend to home owners but they seem unwilling to lend the funds they do have available.

Lenders Pull Self-Certification Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] One of the world's biggest finance companies has pulled its self certification mortgage range from the market with immediate effect. The huge lender has their fingers in many different financial pies all around the world which means their UK self-cert loan book is tiny in the grand scheme of things.

Remortgaging Buy-to-Lets After Bridging
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Getting into the buy-to-let property club can be difficult for novices particularly if they don't have much money to fund the enormous costs traditionally required to gain entry. These costs include substantial deposits, stamp duty, legal fees, mortgage fees, and potentially furniture and fixture costs depending on how the property is going to be set up for renting out to tenants.

Mortgage Brokers Favoured For Remortgaging
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Recent figures released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders reveal that home owners in the UK are more likely to seek advice from intermediaries when they remortgage their homes. The alternative is for borrowers to apply to refinance their homes directly with lenders however it seems the majority of property owners favour impartial advice from mortgage brokers instead.

First Signs of Turnaround in the Remortgage Market
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] It has been all doom and gloom in the remortgage market for nearly two years now. The sub prime lending crisis in the US signaled the beginning of the end of a long period of prosperity in the worldwide property market in which mortgage lenders flourished. It seemed like everyone owned at least one property whether it is their own residence or a buy-to-let intended to line their pockets in years to come.

Releasing Equity With Buy-to-Let Remortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Equity has long been the golden egg of the property investing world. Build up enough equity in your property portfolio and you will never need to work again. Countless celebrity investors and seminar givers have championed the call for us all to buy property and build up equity so we can live the dream of telling our boss where to go and quitting our jobs once and for all.

Brokers Tell It Like It Is For Self-Certification Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Self-certification mortgages have not enjoyed a good reputation in the property market in recent years. Several years ago evidence emerged that some applicants were exaggerating their incomes in order to achieve bigger loans. It was alleged that a minority of applicants may have also been lying about their incomes altogether and may have actually been unemployed.

The Irony Of Remortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Recent news has emerged regarding the staff of a well known lender finding themselves in a position in which they cannot refinance their own homes. Such a circumstance is quite ironic in addition to being ridiculous and shameful. The staff may not be the only home owners finding it difficult to locate appropriate remortgages in the current financial climate but their situation is certainly the most bizarre.

Should The Government Rescue Adverse Credit Mortgages?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The Federal Government's apparent willingness to support the market for adverse credit mortgages in the United States raises the question as to whether the UK Government should consider doing the same. The House recently passed a allowing the Federal Housing Administration of providing insurance to lenders on mortgages that are in danger of becoming delinquent. While final legislation is still not a sure bet it begs the question of whether a similar scheme would work in the UK.

The Expanding Market For Self-Certification Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The market for self-certification mortgages is expanding rapidly along with the rest of the non-conforming lending market. This is mainly due to a rise in the number of self-employed people in the workforce. It is estimated that around one quarter of the workforce is now self-employed and the number is growing.

What To Expect With A Problem Remortgage
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you are an existing home owner with an adverse credit history and you wish to remortgage your property, you may be required to apply for one of many specialist remortgage products. Because of your credit impairments you may be excluded from applying for standard high street home loans and will therefore need to shop around.

All About Bad Credit Remortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] In recent years, bad credit remortgages have become a popular choice for people looking to remortgage their property who have a bad credit history. While regular high-street banks may shy away from this type of home loan product, there are products available from various sub-prime lenders that may be suitable.

Bad Credit Mortgages With A Catch
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] People searching for bad credit mortgages should be wary of products which advertise low headline interest rates. Quite often, the mortgages that seem the best value on the surface turn out to be the most expensive in the long run. Borrowers should assess each bad credit mortgage based on its overall cost and not just the rate of interest that they will pay in the first few years. This rate is often lowered so that the lender can advertise their product more favorably.

Pushing The Boundaries Of Buy-to-Let Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Traditionally, buy-to-let properties were purchased by financially astute individuals or professional landlords with more than just a few properties in their portfolios by using a combination of cash and funds from buy-to-let mortgages. However, as the popularity of buy-to-let property investing has increased, more and more people are using it as an investment vehicle to supplement their income and provide for their retirement. Many individuals who have joined the craze are not financially sound and have little knowledge of business or investing.

Warning For Adverse Credit Mortgage Fraud
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The Financial Services Authority has been slowly ramping up its operations to target mortgage fraud in the UK by gathering enough evidence to successfully prosecute perpetrators. High on the list is fraud involving adverse credit mortgage products. This type of home loan is geared towards borrowers who are most at risk of default and are a prime target for fraudsters.

Adverse Credit Mortgage for Discharged Bankrupt
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] People who are discharged bankrupts are usually required to apply for an adverse credit mortgage when searching for a home loan to fund the purchase of their property. It is highly unlikely that an applicant with such a poor credit record will ever be able to apply for a standard product again.

Overview of Bad Credit Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] It is estimated that a quarter of the UK population experience problems when applying for mortgages because of bad credit. Back in the time when only a small number of lenders offered mortgages to the general public, a bad credit file proved an insurmountable problem. Credit impaired applicants were turned down immediately by high street lenders and the affected potential home owners had nowhere else to turn.

Growing Demand for Buy-to-Let Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The constantly evolving buy-to-let mortgage market has been contributing to the increase in demand for investment properties ever since buy-to-let investing became a mainstream form of investing. Ever since buy-to-let mortgages were first introduced to the UK in the mid-1990s, demand for private rental properties has increased considerably.

Adverse Credit Mortgage Fees
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you suffer from credit impairments and need to apply for a bad credit mortgage product it does not mean that you will automatically need to use the services of a broker who will charge a hefty fee when helping you apply for a home loan. There are other options available such as finding a mortgage product by yourself or employing the services of a broker who charges reasonable fees.

Buy-to-Let Mortgages Withdrawn
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The number of products available on the UK mortgage market has declined rapidly in recent months as lenders tighten their belts in order to lessen the effects of the credit crunch. Lenders in the UK have recently been withdrawing various types of products from the market including buy-to-let mortgages.

Pathways to Adverse Credit Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] There are many different ways you can negatively affect your credit history. If you cause enough damage to your credit file you may be forced to apply for adverse credit mortgages when looking to buy or remortgage your home. You should therefore be careful to keep your file clean of impairment as adverse credit mortgages often contain higher fees and interest rates than standard products.

Bad Credit Mortgages Contribute to Rising Repossessions
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Repossession numbers in the UK are on the rise and are expected to increase further during the current year. Some analysts are putting the blame squarely on bad credit mortgages and the loose lending criteria of the past five to ten years.

When is a Self-Certification Mortgage Appropriate?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] A self-certification mortgage is a home loan product designed for borrowers who may not be able to prove their income through traditional means such as tax records and pay slips. They were first made available to self employed individuals who could not produce the documentation required for a standard mortgage product from a high street lender.

Getting a Mortgage After Bankruptcy
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you have been made bankrupt you may think there is no chance you will ever be able to secure a mortgage again. It is true that while you are legally bankrupt you will not be able to successfully apply for finance, but once you have been discharged the situation can change.

Self-Certification Mortgages in the Clear
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Following a report from the BBC's Money Programme, the FSA (Financial Services Authority) conducted its own investigation into self-certification mortgages and the practices undertaken by mortgage intermediaries when helping individuals apply for such loans. The original BBC investigation was triggered by information from the public that some brokers were falsifying information on self-cert mortgage applications and therefore committing mortgage fraud.

Remortgage Before Interest Rates Rise
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Home owners throughout the UK may be about to learn a harsh lesson - that low interest, fixed rate mortgages may not be as good as they first appear. With hundreds of thousands of property owners about to remortgage their homes after their fixed rate mortgage term has expired, a reality check on a mass scale may be on the cards.

Buy-to-Let Mortgages Explained
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] According to figures, 10% of all homes bought in 2006 were via the buy-to-let mortgage option. Accounting for over £17.5 billion, it's a number that looks set to grow, if 2007's trends are anything to go by. Looking at what a buy-to-let mortgage offers, it perhaps shouldn't be such a surprise that they're growing in popularity.

Buy-to-Let Mortgages Overview
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Buy-to-Let mortgages are specialized products designed for situations in which residential property is purchased with the intention of letting it out. While many people may think they buy-to-let mortgages are a type of residential mortgage, they are in fact viewed by the Financial Services Authority as commercial mortgages. In this way they are similar to finance products secured on commercial properties.

Mixed Messages From the Buy-to-Let Market
[Real-Estate:Leasing-Renting] With the greater property and mortgage market in the midst of the biggest upheaval since the Great Depression many are wondering what happened to buy-to-let. Several years ago buying property to rent out was more of an obsession than a pastime. Now it seems that all has gone on the buy-to-let front, but many are questioning whether it is in as much turmoil as the rest of the property market.

Where to Find Remortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The mortgage market is vastly different to what it was a few years ago. For the best part of this decade lenders have been heavily marketing and frantically approving millions of discount rate home loans that are designed to switch to a higher variable rate several years later. Lending criteria was loose and high property valuations common meaning that remortgages were easy to acquire.

CCJs and Bad Credit Mortgage Applications
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] A County Court Judgment is an order by a county court for one party to pay a sum of money to another party. This usually occurs because a dispute over an alleged debt has not been settled by the parties outside of the court system. County Court Judgments are also called CCJs and having one against your name can affect future mortgage applications.

The Changing Face of Self-Certification Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Several years ago self-certification mortgages were investigated by the Financial Services Authority. The FSA looked into the practices of mortgage brokers in the financial services industry as it was alleged that unscrupulous brokers were encouraging people to exaggerate their incomes on self-cert applications.

The Evolution of Green Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Several UK lenders have begun to bring green mortgages to the market following Gordon Brown's latest budget announcements. The term "green mortgages" refers to loans for properties that are considered to be environmentally ethical or that meet certain carbon output criteria. Different lenders have different criteria regarding what constitutes a green mortgage and what benefits they will offer the environment.

Homebuyers Information Packs
[Real-Estate:Buying] As well as the cost of getting a mortgage and buying a home, sometimes there are hidden costs that don't become apparent until after the purchase of your new home has been agreed, or the price set with the seller. These hidden costs are usually in the way of what a legal search on the property uncovers, or the valuation of the house may be significantly different from the agreed price.

Key Worker Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With the price of the average home in the UK now standing at around a staggering £230,000, according to the Land Registry of England & Wales, getting onto the property ladder is becoming increasingly difficult. With most mortgages only allowing you to borrow up to 3½ times your annual salary, and it's almost impossibility for first time buyers to get a foothold. However, it is a little bit easier if you're classed as a key worker, thanks to a government incentive.

Commercial Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Although most people would relate a mortgage to buying a home, they can also be used to buy a property that will be used by a company as a workplace. This can be for either business or commercial use, so it doesn't matter if it's for a shop, salon or office. These types of mortgage are known as commercial mortgages, and they have a few differences that set them apart from a regular homebuyer mortgage.

Buy To Let Mortgages Face Negative Equity
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Tens of thousands of property owners may be at risk of negative equity this year if the prediction of falling house prices comes true. Leading organisations are estimating that property prices will fall by about five percent during the year which leaves almost no margin for error for the thousands of would-be property investors who bought properties with 95% buy-to-let mortgages during the past few years.

The Basics of Adverse Credit Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Adverse credit mortgages are arranged for home owners and first-time-buyers with impaired credit files. People with adverse credit are usually excluded from applying for mainstream mortgage products and are therefore forced to seek alternatives.

Self-Certs And Money Laundering
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The Treasury has recently warned financial services firms to tighten their belts with regards to gaps in their services which could lead to money laundering activities by their clients. In particular the Government is targeting self-certification mortgages and the ability for applicants to defraud lenders by providing false information on mortgage applications.

Should You Get A Second Mortgage?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you're a homeowner and you run into financial difficulties, there are a few options available to you to raise some quick cash. You can apply for a loan; maybe sell some items on eBay; or you can take out a second mortgage. This last option allows you the chance to have much more extra cash than a loan or eBay would. However, there are some pitfalls that you need to be made aware of.

Different Types Of Interest On A Mortgage
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] One of the most confusing parts of getting a mortgage and buying your own home can be the interest rates. From the myriad of choices available to how the interest is actually worked our, it can quickly become confusing if you're not sure what it all means. However, understanding what each type of interest means can help you make the right decision when it comes to choosing the mortgage you want to go with.

Buy-To-Let Up To The Challenge
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] There is no doubt that the buy-to-let market is about to face some challenging years. If you were to believe everything you read in the press about investment property you might think the entire property market was about to collapse under the weight of buy-to-let repossessions. Thousands of would be property millionaires have collectively lost millions of pounds due to poor investment decisions in recent years but many more investors have become substantially wealthy.

The Rising Cost of Remortgaging
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] As hundreds of thousands of UK home owners reach the end of the discount period on their fixed interest home loans most will look to remortgage to a new product some time this year. Only a few months go it seemed likely that most borrowers in this situation would opt for another short term fixed rate deal, however the credit crunch has changed the situation.

The Big Pile of Debt
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Consumers are borrowing more money than ever before. UK residents have built up a huge pile of debt in recent years and it is still growing. The total debt of over one trillion pounds comprises of both secured borrowing, such as mortgages and secured loans, and unsecured debts, including credit cards and personal loans.

The Shifting Market of No Deposit Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Saving for a deposit to buy a home can be difficult during times of high property prices. This is particularly the case when the average price of a property rises above four times the average salary. This can make the task of saving for a deposit take several years, especially if property prices are continuing to rise.

Foreign Currency Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] In recent years a new type of mortgage product has entered the UK market - foreign currency mortgages. These mortgages are designed to help home owners save money on their home loan by saving on interest payments and reducing the balance through changes in the foreign currency markets.

Assessing Remortgage Applications
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If your home loan is costing you more money than it should or if you are nearing the end of a fixed interest rate or discounted rate period you may be preparing to remortgage. Switching mortgages is quite common in the UK with most home owners remortgaging on average about every seven years.

The Retracting Self-Certification Mortgage Market
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Once upon a time self-employed workers found it nearly impossible to get a mortgage unless they had an enormous deposit and a large income from their business activities that spanned many years. Those times may be about to return as lenders are pulling their self-certification mortgage products from the market as if they are tainted beef.

What Mortgage Advice Should You Look For?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] When you're looking to buy your first house, or possibly re-finance your existing mortgage, there are a whole host of mortgage advice options open to you. Some are better than others, however, so you need to know what type of advice you need for your individual requirements. As a guide, the basic information you should be looking for include:

The Benefits of Using a Mortgage Broker
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Buying a house can be complicated enough, but trying to sort out which mortgage is best, what the different rates are, etc, can be like trying to pick your way through a minefield. That's why using a mortgage broker is such a good idea, and one that more and more home buyers are starting to do.

Offset Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] One of the key reasons for anyone buying a house is because it can turn out to be one of the best investments you'll ever make. Everyone's heard of the saying "invest in property", and that's exactly what you're doing when you buy your own home. You're no longer paying "dead money" to rent; everything you pay now is helping towards a secure future for you.

Non Standard Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Although you may think that there is just the one kind of traditional mortgage, whether it be a 100%, no deposit or interest only mortgage, there is also another kind, known as a non standard mortgage. This is for when the property you're buying isn't made of the normal brick and mortar construction; it could be steel frame, self-build or any other type of material.

Interest Only Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you're in the process of buying a house, you may have come across the phrase "interest only mortgage". As the name suggests, this is where you simply pay the interest and nothing else for the duration of the mortgage. There are pluses and benefits to these types of mortgage, and as long as you're aware of them, and can afford to take it out, then an interest only mortgage may offer you a workable solution to affording your first home.

First Time Buyer Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] One of the hardest parts of buying a home can be when you're a first time buyer. Not only can it be difficult to be able to afford your very first home; it can also be confusing working your way through all the different options and terminology around the first time buyer market. Therefore, knowing what the actual term means and what options are available to you will help you understand this area of the home-buying process.

100% Mortgages - Are They For You
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you're looking to buy a house, but don't quite have enough capital to put down a minimum 5% deposit, it may be that you can apply for a 100% mortgage, also known as a no deposit mortgage. This is where you're actually borrowing against the full cost of the property, as opposed to whatever's left after you've put down a deposit. However, there are pros and cons to this approach, so you need to make sure you're aware of what's involved before you take one on.

Tips for Smooth Remortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With over a million UK householders reaching the end of their fixed rate mortgage deals this year the market for remortgages should be heating up. Instead, the market has cooled as the effects of the global credit crunch slowly erode the confidence and profits of UK mortgage lenders.

Tough Times Ahead For the Self-Employed
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Mortgage products are currently being pulled from the shelves at a record rate. While borrowers were spoiled for choice only a few months ago the number of products on offer has nearly halved - from a peak of thirteen thousand to approximately seven thousand. Mortgages for the self-employed have not escaped the mass recall meaning that borrowers without a salary or wage may find it tough to secure a mortgage in the near future.

The Hidden Sub-Prime Buy-to-Let Mortgage Crisis
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] For several years Britain has been denying that it is facing the credit crunch that has gripped the financial markets of the United States. While financial institutions collapsed and entire neighbourhoods were abandoned to become ghost towns throughout the USA, Britain appeared to dodge the silver bullet and emerge unscathed from the loose lending criteria of the early 2000s.

Credit Crunch Hits UK Housing
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The credit crunch is in full swing in the USA and laying in its wake are failed financial institutions, record losses by those left standing, ghost towns awash with abandoned homes, and drastic measure implemented by the Federal Reserve to decrease the costs of borrowing and ease the crisis. While there is no doubt that the United States is feeling the effects of the credit crunch, Britain has been living in denial that it will eventually fall victim to the oversupply of loans and mortgages to people with bad credit histories and unreliable incomes.

Self-Certification Mortgages Explained
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With the uncertainty of the job market in the UK today, more and more people are turning to working for themselves. While this can be a positive step in that it means you don't answer to anyone but yourself, it can also open up another set of problems. The biggest problem faced can be getting a mortgage - with no fixed income or payslip, it's more difficult to be accepted. This can be overcome, however, with a self-certification mortgage.

When Should You Remortgage Your Home?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you're a homeowner, you'll know only too well the cost of owning a house. With ongoing maintenance costs, council tax and more, often being a homeowner is at the expense of things like holidays and new cars. However, this needn't be the case, with remortgages proving extremely popular over the last few years when it comes to needing extra money.

Why Bad Credit Doesn't Mean No Mortgage
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With more than half of the UK population having more than what's classed as "manageable debt", it's perhaps not surprising that bad credit mortgages are becoming more widespread. Getting onto the property market can be hard enough, but with a low credit rating it can be almost impossible, so the lenders and companies that offer bad credit mortgages are helping millions of new home buyers everywhere.

What is a Mortgage Advisor?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Much like a broker can help you find the best companies and finance, etc, a mortgage advisor can also help you find the best option for you. He or she can also help you in the application process, and offers an excellent service for anyone buying a house. The main difference between a mortgage advisor and broker is the training and expertise needed to do each job.

UK Mortgages For the First Time Buyer
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With the cost of houses and property continuing to rise, UK mortgages are also becoming more expensive. For first-time buyers, this is more of a problem than for those already on the property ladder. With the average cost of a new home now almost £200,000, it's almost becoming an impossibility to get your first mortgage.

All About Flexible Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Flexible mortgages were first introduced into the UK to cater for individuals with intermittent working patterns. Flexible mortgages are a recent addition to the home loan market in the UK, although they have been popular overseas for several years.

Should You Apply for a Fixed Rate Mortgage?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With so much interest rate uncertainty in the market borrowers are facing a dilemma as to whether they should fix their home loan interest rate or not by applying for a fixed rate mortgage. A fixed rate mortgage will provide absolute security against rate rises ensuring that monthly repayments remain constant regardless of what the money market is doing. The interest rate, and therefore the interest payment, on the fixed rate product will remain stable for the fixed rate period.

Vast Array of UK Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The market for UK mortgages has greatly expanded over the past few decades. In the past there were only a few high-street lenders who offered home loans in the UK.

Off-Set Mortgages Overview
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Offset mortgages are a type of flexible home loan product that allow borrowers to reduce the interest charged on their loan balance by offsetting the balance of any savings they have accumulated in a specified deposit account. For example, an offset mortgage that has a balance of 350,000 GBP could be offset against a deposit account that has a positive balance of 80,000 GBP. The interest that will be charged to the borrower will be calculated on the net balance of 270,000 GBP instead of the full balance of 350,000 GBP.

The Next Step for UK Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] After a long period of low interest rates, soft lending criteria, and a strong property market, UK mortgage products have enjoyed a period of prosperity as never before. However, several incidents have occurred recently which have thrown the market into disarray.

First-Time-Buyers and Excessive Mortgage Fees
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Mortgages are not without their pitfalls and the first-time-buyer mortgage market is no different. First-time-buyer mortgage applicants who are not able to put down a deposit on a property are being hit with huge fees and higher interest rates by some leading lenders.

Sub-Prime Problem to Affect UK Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The sub-prime mortgage crises has claimed several scalps in the US but has so far failed to heavily affect the rest of the world. It is safe to say, however, that mortgage industry analysts are waiting with bated breath to see whether the UK financial markets will be adversely affected.

Credit Crunch and Self-Certification Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With the credit crunch forcing lenders to evaluate their loan books and reassess the types of products they offer it would appear sensible to anticipate the demise of the self-certification mortgage. However the market for self-certs remains buoyant as lenders have not tightened the reigns as much as expected.

Mortgages Brokers Taking Care of Business
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The lure of becoming self-employed and no longer having to answer to your boss is strong in the mortgage industry. A high proportion of mortgage brokers eventually leave their positions of employment to practise advising on their own once they gain the skills and experience necessary to do so.

Interest Rate Imbalance
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Borrowers who are unable to move their mortgages, or who are unaware that they can find better deals than those they are currently on, are helping to fund their mortgage lenders' prime mortgages products. Borrowers who have mortgages that are too small in value to qualify for low interest rates are forced to stay with both the mortgage products and the mortgage lenders they currently have. Such borrowers are usually low income earners who may also suffer from adverse credit and therefore cannot qualify for the best mortgage products from the best mortgage lenders. ...

No More Mortgage Lender Loyalty
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] There once was a time when loyalty was rewarded. However times have changed and loyalty to your mortgage lender no longer seems important.

The Equity Release Market
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Equity release is a way for homeowners to release cash from the equity that has built up in their home. Equity can be defined as the difference between the value of a property and the balance of the mortgage, or any other finance, that is secured on it.

Why Use an Independent Mortgage Adviser
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you are looking to buy a property, or remortgage property you already own, you will have the option of searching for a mortgage product by yourself or employing the services of and independent mortgage adviser. There are various factors that you should consider when deciding whether or not to utilise the services of mortgage adviser, not the least of which is the sheer size of the modern day mortgage marketplace. The mortgage market has evolved considerably over the past few decades and there is now a vast array of mortgage products available to ...

Rise Of the Interest Only Mortgage
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] In the wake of increasing interest rates, interest only mortgage products have become an increasingly popular tool for home owners to control their monthly expenses. Interest only mortgage applications generally rise in number when interest rates begin to rise as home owners fear becoming victims of rising borrowing costs. Mortgage costs are typically the highest expense of the average UK household and it is therefore important for many borrowers to control this cost.

The Basics of Shared Ownership Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Shared ownership mortgages are specialist mortgages that are designed to cater for purchasing property through shared ownership schemes. Shared ownership schemes are also known as shared equity schemes and have become a popular method for first-time-buyers to get a foot on the property ladder if they do not have the funds necessary to pay for the deposit required for more traditional mortgage products. At present there are only a few lenders who offer shared ownership mortgages, however, the list is growing.

Information Only Mortgage Brokers
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Independent mortgage brokers are generally regarded as an excellent source of advice when searching for the right mortgage to finance or remortgage a property. Independent mortgage brokers are not tied to advising clients to use particular lenders. Instead, they have access to all mortgage lenders and products available on the market.

All About Repayment Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] When applying for mortgages borrowers have the choice of obtaining interest only or repayment mortgages. Interest only mortgages require the borrower to only pay the interest charged each month on the mortgage. The balance of the mortgage remains the same throughout the entire term of the loan.

Cap and Collar Rate Mortgage
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] A capped rate mortgage has an interest rate that cannot rise above a pre-determined level for a specified period of time. After the capped rate period expires, the interest rate of the mortgage reverts to the lender's Standard Variable Rate (SVR).

Low Take-Up of Current Account Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Flexible mortgage products such as current account mortgages have not been as popular as first expected despite their many benefits to borrowers. While current account mortgages are relatively new to the UK market, experts have suggested that their take-up rate should be higher. Flexible mortgage products are extremely popular overseas because they can help borrowers reduce their mortgage term by several years.

What is a Mortgage Lender
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] In the UK, there are many different types of mortgage lender, each offering something different from the other. This choice has led to a lot of confusion on the part of anyone looking to buy a house, especially since it's so important to get your decision right first time.

Your Guide to Getting a Mortgage
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With buying a house the biggest single financial outlay you're likely to make in your life, making sure you get the right mortgage for you is extremely important. However, with a little bit of forward planning and some research, as well as making use of the experts in the home-buying market, buying your own home can be an easier proposition than you might have thought.

Seeking Out Mortgage Advice
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Whether you are a first-time-buyer purchasing your first home or an existing home owner looking for a remortgage product, it is important to seek out expert mortgage advice to ensure you secure the right home loan for your personal circumstances. The UK is often referred to as having the most sophisticated mortgage market in the world. A wide variety of products are now available from dozens of lenders where only a few lenders existed before.

Interest Only Mortgages Basics
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Interest only mortgages allow borrowers to reduce their monthly mortgage payments by only paying interest on the outstanding loan balance. Capital repayments are not made on a monthly basis with interest only mortgages. Instead, the payment of the capital portion of interest only mortgages is deferred until the end of the term of the mortgage.

The Basics of Tracker Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] There are several different types of methods for interest to be charged on mortgages. Tracker mortgages have a variable interest rate that moves roughly in line with the Bank of England Base Rate (BoEBR).

How to Qualify as a Mortgage Broker
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] There are no entry requirements for undertaking the mortgage broker qualifications. Therefore a finance related degree is not necessary. While some employers may consider industry experience beneficial, people skills and a high level of motivation will be highly regarded.

Types of UK Mortgage Fraud
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] At one point or another most people in the UK have heard the term "mortgage fraud" before. While most people may consider mortgage fraud to be the domain of professional con artists and hardened criminals, this is not necessarily the case.

Buy-To-Let Booms as Property Market Halts
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] While the overall mortgage market has slowed in the wake of recent interest rate rises, buy-to-let mortgage lending has surged. This is a clear indication that buy-to-let property investing has returned to favour following a recent period of uncertainty.

Bad Credit Mortgages and IVAs
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] In times of rising interest rates and spiralling household debts, some people are left with no option other than to reorganise their finances in order to avoid bankruptcy. One of the most popular methods of gaining relief from unmanageable debt is through Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs).

Tips on Avoiding Mortgage Problems
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] When times are good, times are very good. When times are bad, homes are repossessed. It is safe to say that the good times are over for home owners who have a mortgage to pay off and like clockwork the repossession industry is shifting up a gear.

Remortgage to Save Money
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Mortgage payments are the largest expense in a typical UK household. It therefore makes sense to ensure that you are getting the best deal possible on your mortgage which means that you should remortgage your home if necessary.

Should I Use an Independent Financial Adviser
[Finance:Personal-Finance] In recent times, Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs) have been used by many people as an alternative to mortgage brokers. The main reason for this is that there is a crossover between the services that IFAs and mortgage brokers offer.

All About Adverse Credit Remortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] In recent years, adverse credit remortgages have become a popular choice for people seeking to refinance their property who suffer from bad credit.

Inviting Negative Equity Into Your Home
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Negative equity is a term used to describe a situation in which a person owes more money on their property than it is worth. This means that if a home owner were to sell their property they would not be able to pay off their mortgage with the sale proceeds alone.

Peace of Mind with Fixed Rate Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Fixed rate mortgages offer borrowers the ability to help budget for household expenses more accurately because they have an interest rate that remains constant for an agreed portion of the overall term of the mortgage - typically between one and five years. Unlike variable rate mortgages, the interest rate charged on fixed rate mortgages will not be influenced by changes in either the Bank of England Base Rate (BoEBR) or the lender's Standard Variable Rate (SVR).

All About Variable Rate Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Variable rate mortgages have an interest rate that may fluctuate throughout the term of the loan. Interest rates attached to variable rate mortgages usually move in line with either the Bank of England Base Rate (BoEBR) or the lender's Standard Variable Rate (SVR).

The Higher Lending Charge Revolution
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Several high profile mortgage lenders have begun to revolt against higher lending charges and chastise those who impose them on their customers.

Caution with Mortgage Rescue Firms
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Home owners who are struggling to keep up with their mortgage repayments are being hounded by so-called "mortgage rescue firms" who promise to save potential evictees from home repossession.

How Builder Paid Deposits Work
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] A "builder paid deposit" is a specific type of gifted deposit that is usually supported by at least a few gifted deposit mortgage products on the market at any given time.

Help With First-Time-Buyer Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] In this day and age of low housing affordability, it is more difficult than ever for first-time-buyers to secure their first home. A shortage of housing stock has lead to a situation in which demand for housing far outweighs supply and this has, in turn, driven prices up and affordability down.

Advantages and Disadvantages of 100% Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] In this day and age of rising costs and low housing affordability, various schemes have arisen to assist first-time-buyers get onto the property ladder. One is these is 100% mortgages, which provide enough funds to the borrower to purchase a property outright.

Non-Refundable Mortgage Fees
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Mortgage lenders in the UK are beginning to introduce non-refundable application fees as a way to bolster their revenue. By applying a non-refundable fee to a mortgage application, the lender will ensure that they receive some form of revenue regardless of the outcome of the mortgage application.

Stepped Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With interest rates on the rise property owners are searching for ways to save money on their mortgages. Monthly repayments have been steadily growing due to a gradual increase in the Bank of England base rate and those on variable rate mortgages are feeling the pinch.

Where to Go for Mortgage Advice
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Whether you are looking to purchase or remortgage a property it is important to receive expert mortgage advice from a qualified independent mortgage adviser before signing on the dotted line. The mortgage market has evolved beyond several large lenders offering a small selection of mortgage products to choose from. Several years ago, applying for a mortgage was as simple as approaching your bank to see whether you would fit their lending criteria.

Mortgage Brokers Banned From Cold Calling
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Prior to 2004 there was little regulation for mortgage brokers conducting business in the UK. Anybody could call themselves a mortgage broker, regardless of whether or not they held the necessary qualifications, and they could source clients and conduct their businesses in any way they chose to.

Buy-to-Let Mortgage Brokers
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] While mortgage brokers need to be registered with the Financial Services Authority in order to advise clients on residential mortgages, no such rule exists for buy-to-let mortgages.

Adverse Credit Mortgage Broker Fees
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Just because you suffer from adverse credit, it does not mean that you will automatically need to use the services of a mortgage broker who will charge a large fee when helping you apply for an adverse credit mortgage. Although the fees targeted at adverse credit mortgage applicants are normally high when compared to applicants with clean credit, some brokers choose to not take advantage of the situation and do not charge excessive fees to their adverse credit clients.

The Search for a Remortgage Product
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Suffering from bad credit can cause problems when looking to remortgage your property. The number of lenders who will consider a remortgage if you suffer from adverse credit diminishes as the level of damage to your credit file increases.

Self-Certification Mortgage Applications Rise
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The attractiveness of self-certification mortgage products is boosting the overall number of mortgage applications in the UK.

Alternatives to Remortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Unlocking equity that has built up in a property can be achieved through a number of means including remortgages. Remortgages are carried out by home owners who want to release the equity in their home and apply for a new mortgage at the same time. They can either be carried out with the same lender that the borrower has their existing loan with, or with a different lender altogether.

All About Discount Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Discount mortgages are a type of mortgage product that have a variable interest rate which moves roughly in line with the lender's Standard Variable Rate (SVR). The discounted interest rates attached to discount mortgages are genuine and will normally apply for a set period of between one to five years.

All About Debt Consolidation Loans
[Finance:Loans] Debt consolidation loans are loans that are used to pay off existing debts and in the process merge the debts into a single loan. Debt consolidation loans are therefore useful for people whose debts have spiraled out of control and who need to simplify their finances.

Searching for Personal Loans
[Finance:Personal-Loans] Personal loans are also known as "unsecured loans" and are available to people who do not own their own home, such as tenants and students. Personal loans do not require the applicant to offer any security against the loan, such as equity in a property.

All About No Deposit Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Property affordability is at an all-time low. It hardly seems like a month goes by without new statistics being released regarding the declining affordability of home ownership.

What Are Non-Status Mortgages?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Non-status mortgages are designed for people who either cannot prove their income or who suffer from adverse credit. "Non-status mortgages" is a term that is loosely used to describe all mortgages that are not standard high-street mortgages.

UK Mortgage Fees Rise
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] UK mortgage fees have risen considerably in the past few years despite low interest rates and high levels of mortgage market competitiveness. The rising UK mortgage costs include both the fees applied to the mortgage upon application and upon redemption.

All About Secured Loans
[Finance:Loans] Secured loans are available to homeowners who have enough equity in their property to use it as security against the loan.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a Mortgage Broker
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] When searching for a mortgage, you will be faced with the decision of whether or not to use a mortgage broker. There are advantages and disadvantages to using a mortgage broker instead of applying for a mortgage directly with a lender.

Overview of Remortgages
[Finance:Personal-Finance] Remortgages comprise a significant and ever-growing proportion of the overall mortgage market.

All About Self-Employed Mortgages
[Finance:Personal-Finance] There are a growing number of people in our society who choose to work for themselves and are therefore regarded as self-employed. Such individuals may be required to apply for specialist self-employed mortgages when buying a home rather than traditional mortgages.

All About Second Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Second mortgages are an increasingly popular way for homeowners to raise finance by using the equity in their property. Second mortgages are also known as "home equity loans" and "secured loans."

High Demand for Mortgage Brokers
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The mortgage intermediary market is facing a potential recruitment crisis due to a lack of graduate mortgage brokers entering the industry.

Plenty Of Mortgage Lenders To Choose From
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] If you are looking for a mortgage for your home you may find that there are dozens of mortgage lenders to choose from. The days of being forced to apply for a mortgage from one of only a small selection of high-street banks has been firmly relegated to the history books.

Trouble in the Adverse Credit Mortgages Market
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] There are signs in the financial markets that it may soon become more difficult to obtain adverse credit mortgages. For several years now lenders have been issuing adverse credit mortgages to people with low documentation and adverse credit histories almost at will.

Rise of the 100% Mortgage Product
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The latest trend in the mortgage market has been an increase in the number of borrowers taking out a 100% mortgage. This means that the loan-to-value ratio of the mortgage is 100% rather than the 85% or less normally attached to more traditional mortgage products.

Current Account Mortgage Information
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] A current account mortgage is a type of flexible mortgage product that combines several financial products into one single account.

Capped Mortgages Overview
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Capped rate mortgages have variable interest rates that will not rise above a certain upper limit. The interest rate can rise or fall during the term of the mortgage, however it will not rise above the capped upper limit.

Divided Opinions Amongst Mortgage Advisers
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Mortgage advisers are divided in their opinions as to who are the real winners and losers out of the recent interest rate rises.

Buy-to-Let Investing Still Pays
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] As the property market boom continues to become a mere memory, lenders have begun to tighten the criteria on buy-to-let mortgages for new-build properties. This is because the lenders are regarding premium priced new-build property as a riskier asset to lend on when compared to older property.

The Buy-to-Let Mortgage ARLA Panel
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Property investment first came into existence in the UK in the 1990s and has boomed considerably in recent years.

County Court Judgements and Bad Credit Mortgages
[Finance:Personal-Finance] A County Court Judgement is an order by the courts for a creditor to repay an amount owing to a debtor. County Court Judgements, or CCJs, affect people’s credit files and will normally require the applicant to abandon standard mortgages and instead apply for bad credit mortgages.

What is a Self-Certification Mortgage?
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] A self-certification mortgage is a method a declaring income that will be suited to an applicant who may have sources of income that are not easy to prove. It is important to note that a self-certification mortgage is not a type of product, rather it is a method of declaring income.

Overview of Adverse Credit Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] There are a number of reasons why people may be categorised as having adverse credit, including; CCJ's, mortgage arrears, loan defaults, or bankruptcy. People who are in such a situation and who wish to buy property will most likely need to apply for adverse credit mortgages.

Lenders of Problem Remortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] There are a growing number of lenders who will consider applications for problem remortgages. This is an indication of the growth in the problem remortgage market over the past few years, which has been largely consumer driven.

Warning For Bad Credit Mortgage Lending
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Bad credit mortgage applications are subject to strict rules that are enforced by the mortgage industry regulator - the Financial Services Authority.

Interest Only Mortgages Under Attack
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] With home affordability at an all time low, the number of UK mortgages that are borrowed on an interest only basis has risen steadily over the past few years.

Mortgage Advisers and Overseas Property
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The foreign property market has become an obsession with British investors in recent years and mortgage advisers have reaped the benefits.

Lenders vs Mortgage Brokers
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] When looking for a mortgage you may be faced with a decision as to whether you should use the services of a mortgage broker instead of applying for a loan directly with a lender.

History of the Buy-to-Let Mortgage
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Property investing is a relatively new phenomenon in the UK. Prior to 1990 the rented sector was dominated by the Government.

Refinancing Buy-to-Let Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Remortgages now comprise almost half of all mortgage business written in the UK. This is largely due to the mainstream residential mortgage market.

How Mortgage Brokers Qualify
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] Qualified mortgage brokers must undergo a series of exams and receive some on-the-job training and experience.

Buy-to-Let Repossessions
[Real-Estate:Foreclosures] With interest rates and household bills rising rapidly it is inevitable that property investors and owner-occupiers will begin to struggle financially. One key indicator that the affordability of property is in decline is the rate of repossessions.

10 Years of Buy-to-Let Mortgages
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance] The buy-to-let market has come a long way since it's inception in 1996. At that time there were only four lenders who offered mortgage products specifically targeted at the private rented sector.