Mortgages
Credit crunch or confidence crunch?
New research from HSBC has found that 98% of potential housebuyers have no problem arranging a mortgage, but the home buying market is slowing sharply because people expect house prices to fall further and are not confident in their ability to fund a new property as the cost of living, including mortgages rises.
You'd have to be crackers not to take a tracker
"To say the mortgage market has been an enigma of late would be an understatement of epic proportions. With news, most of it negative, emanating on a daily basis, borrowers could be forgiven for not knowing whether to fix, track, cap or offset.
Standard Variable Rate important factor for borrowers
Mortgage borrowers whose deals are coming to an end will spend more time shopping around and will be more interested in rates and fees than they were a year ago, according to research by Nationwide Building Society.
Zurich enhances mortgage and family protection proposition
Zurich is enhancing its protection proposition by introducing several new features designed to provide customers with greater choice and flexibility.
Fixed rate mortgages breaking the 6% barrier
Key Woolwich fixed rate mortgages are falling by more than 0.30%, to below 6%, in a sign of improving conditions in the mortgage market.
Coventry offset mortgages just got better
Coventry will be adding new offsets to its existing range of mortgages. The new competitive products include 3 and 5 year fixed rates at 6.19%, available at 50% loan to value, with free valuation and free remortgage transfer service. Fee-free options are available at 6.49%.
Leeds launches 3-year fee free fixed rate mortgage
Leeds Building Society has launched a highly competitive 3-year fee free fixed rate mortgage available up to 90% loan to value and starting from only 6.99%.
Mortgage market remains subdued in June
The average homebuyer put down a 22% deposit in June, up from 20% in May, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
The world of mortgages one year on
Michelle Slade, analyst at Moneyfacts.co.uk, comments: "One year ago the financial world changed completely as the credit crunch took hold. Today the world of mortgages is a completely different place.
More mortgage rate cuts from Abbey
From tomorrow, (Tuesday 12 August) Abbey is reducing the rates on its 5-year fixed products by 0.30 per cent. In addition, all 3-year tracker products at 75 per cent LTV are reducing by 0.1 per cent with rates now starting from 5.89 per cent.
Long and winding road down for buy to let landlords
Mortgage products available for buy to let borrowers have dwindled from 4,384 to 307 in the past year. On top of the scarcity of products, buy to letters face steeper interest rates on those still available, according to figures from price comparison site moneysupermarket.com.
Citizens Advice: Mortgage repossession figures
Citizens Advice Head of Consumer Policy Sue Edwards said: "We are concerned about the increase in mortgage arrears and repossessions revealed in the latest data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders released today.
Mortgage arrears and possessions rise
The latest data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show no surprises in terms of the number of mortgage arrears and possessions cases in the first half of 2008.
MPC can't cut yet
Ray Boulger of John Charcol, the UK's leading independent mortgage adviser commented "As today's no change decision by the MPC was expected, the content of the Bank of England's Quarterly Inflation Report due to be published next Wednesday will perhaps be even more interesting than today's decision.
Nationwide cuts the price of fixed rate mortgage deals
Nationwide Building Society has announced that it is cutting the price of its two, three and five year fixed rate deals by up to 0.25%, these new rates are available for those looking to remortgage, switch product or take a further advance. The new rates will be available from 8 August 2008.