Tag: mortgage

Flexibility Is Crucial In Housing Market

Posted on by colin_williams

With so many financial challenges at this point in time, it makes sense that many people are looking for greater flexibility in the housing market. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that lifetime mortgages are rising in popularity, and that there are genuine benefits from this solution.

The greater flexibility and the ability for homeowners to stay in their house for longer is a great comfort, and something worth considering.

At Williams of Petersfield, we are on hand to assist you with all manner of property market situations, and this issue is one which might be ideal for a growing number of people. Of course, if you are looking to sell your home, we can assist you with that too.

There are many prospective buyers in and around Petersfield, and we can assist you connect with them.

Lifetime mortgages have value to some homeowners.

In a recent report, Quilter highlighted that over 5 thousand lifetime mortgages were sold in March this year – an increase of 29% against the same month last year. The data collection was done by Freedom Of Information requests to UK financial advisers and wealth managers who sell or offer products across all loan-to values bands (from small loans up towards large ones).

The data shows that the average number of lifetime mortgages are 31% higher than 2020 and 21 percent more popular with an LTV band at 10-20%.

Karen Noye, mortgage expert at Quilter, said: “These figures show that equity release is soaring in popularity. While there is a place in the market for these types of products it’s essential that people use them for the right reasons. The cost-of-living crisis is biting, and it is worrying to think that people are ripping equity out of their homes just to pay their monthly bills. One of the benefits of equity release is that if you don’t want to leave your home then this product can allow you to release capital but still live in your property.”

Karen concluded by saying; “However, lifetime mortgages do carry a significant risk that you may end up owing far more than you borrowed when the home comes to being sold. This is because this type of mortgage charges compound interest and if you don’t keep up with regular payments then the entire sum will compound. Therefore, you should be cautious when working out whether this product is right and make sure you seek professional advice to decide if it’s the right choice.”

If you are looking for guidance on this style of mortgage, or any potential move in the housing market, we are more than happy to assist you.

Contact Williams of Petersfield for all your 2022 housing market needs

At Williams of Petersfield, we aim to support the Petersfield community as much as we can, and we know this is an extremely trying time. A lot of people are looking for support and guidance, and if you have any property or housing related questions, we are more than happy to assist you, so contact us today.

First Time Buyers Rebel Against Rising Costs

Posted on by colin_williams

Buying a home is expensive, and it is easy to see why a first time buyer struggle to step on to the property ladder. However, while buying a home is costly, many first-time buyers believe they spent too much money on purchasing a house.

A study undertaken by Comparethemarket, speaking with more than 2,000 property owners, states that around 50% of first-time buyers made expensive mistakes when buying their house. Respondents believed that they spent too much money on conveyancing, removal firms and mortgage brokers.

Broker services come under fire in study on first time buyer market

The study says 31% of respondents are looking to lower the costs of the mortgage broker service when they next buy a home. 25% of respondents said they would try to reduce removal costs when they next move house and 20% of respondents are keen to lower conveyancing costs.

property buyer

13% of people questioned are eager to lower survey costs, and 5% are looking to find better value for money estate agents. However, there is a caveat that as first time buyers don’t have a property to sell, their dealings with agents may be limited.

In follow-up questions in the survey, 15% said they wish they had haggled on the property price and 10% believe they made an error in using their entire savings to pay for the deposit. Using your savings in this manner makes it impossible to leave money aside for emergencies or carry out improvements around the home. 8% of respondents said they wish they had found a better mortgage broker and 6% wish they had a more detailed survey carried out of their home.

Many buyers automatically turned to their bank

One intriguing element comes with the fact around a quarter of first time buyers turned to their bank for a mortgage rather than comparing the market. Of course, this is likely to be a key element the company behind the survey was looking to find, so this may be skewed, but buyers are advised to shop around and find the best deal. 19% of respondents stated an opinion that mortgage brokers provide no value when buying a property.

Mark Goldson of Comparethemarket, said; “People with no prior experience in purchasing a property may not be aware which services and products offered to them on the home buying journey are mandatory and which are discretionary and, importantly, whether they are good value or uncompetitive. The whole buying procedure can be intimidating, particularly for those going through the process for the first time.  Fears around hidden fees and dealing with estate agents, lawyers, surveyors and mortgage companies are legitimate and strong enough to put off people from trying to make a purchase.”

There is no denying that buying a house is expensive, but many first-time buyers are unsure of how to best spend their money. There is a great deal to be said for slowing down when you buy your first home and taking in as much guidance as possible.

Whatever move you are keen to make in the property market, it is best to call on the experts for help. As a first time buyer, if you need guidance or assistance, contact Williams of Petersfield, and we will be more than happy to assist you.