Mortgages Features

Need a hitman? Take out a loan!

The only criterion for filling in a loan application form in is: be honest. Telling porkies on the application form is not a good idea for a number of reasons, not least because it's fraud. You may think being economical with the truth marks you out as a quixotic chancer, but the lenders will merely consider you a criminal. For one thing, any "discrepancies" between your declared existing debts and what a reference agency discovers them to be will be dimly viewed and could go on your credit record, making it even harder for you to get credit.

How first time buyers can still get a mortgage

First-time buyers have been stopped in their tracks, as most of the mortgage deals they have traditionally depended on to buy a home have been withdrawn as a result of the credit crunch. Last month saw the last hurrah for loans of 100% of the property's value. Many lenders have also withdrawn 95% deals - last week, for instance, Woolwich became the latest lender to withdraw its remaining 95% loans, so borrowers now need a deposit of at least 10%.

Home mover in a hurry? Here's how to sell and buy at the right prices

If you have to move home, now isn't exactly the best time but, unfortunately, some of us have no choice in the matter because of our job, change in marital status or to be near a child's new school. Despite the difficult environment, having a carefully planned strategy for moving will go a long way and help you get the best price for your existing home. You'll also need to work out a budget for the cost of moving and apply for a new mortgage if you need to borrow more.

The return to loyalty

Traditionally mortgage lenders have been accused of favouring new customers and taking the loyalty of their existing customer base for granted. Over the past few years we have seen plenty of the best deals being advertised as 'for brand new customers only' and this line being used as a gag in Nationwide adverts.

Will the base interest rate cut mean cheap mortgages?

Will you see any benefit from the lower base rate in your monthly mortgage bill? There's a strong chance you won't. There are some 11.8 million mortgages outstanding, worth a collective £2.5 trillion. But it's been estimated that upwards of half of all these mortgages are fixed rate deals of varying durations.