Archive for February, 2009
08.02.09

Best Buy to Let Mortgages

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Are you looking for the best buy to let mortgages with the lowest rates payable? Need to calculate repayments on-line? Not sure how much you can borrow? These are all questions that you may well be asking yourself if you are looking for the best buy to let mortgages.

Finding the right buy to let mortgage is crucial to your success as a property investor. Unlike other forms of investment, a lot of the money you put into a buy-to-let property is likely to be borrowed. Over the last few years, the buy to let mortgage market has boomed, and borrowing money to invest in this way has become easier than ever. There are a number of different buy to let mortgage products available from fixed rates, discounted variable rates, discounted rates and so on. Different products may be suitable for different investment properties. Finding the cheapest buy to let mortgage may not always be the best option so there are a number of things to consider when deciding which buy to let mortgage is best. For example:

- A lender may offer a very cheap buy to let mortgage product which may carry a very attractive rate for a short while, but look at the small print. If you are then tied in for an extended amount of time at a much higher rate, then you need to calculate whether or not this is the best buy to let mortgage for you in terms of your cashflow as a landlord.

- A fixed rate with no extended tie would enable you to know exactly what your monthly repayments are so that you can calculate your profit/loss for that set fixed term.

- A discounted variable rate can be very attractive when the base rate is in the favour of the landlord and buy to let investors. Monthly repayments will fluctuate according to the decrease/increase in the base rate or LIBOR rate.

- Some of the best buy to let mortgage products may be discounted variable rate products that also offer the option of a droplock facility. A droplock facility on a buy to let mortgage means that for a fee, you can decide to switch to a fixed rate with that same lender.

How Do I Know How Much I can Borrow

This will depend on the lender and the buy to let mortgage products available as this can vary. Some lenders may set minimum salary levels whereas others may need verification that you are an experienced property investor. Others may not be concerned with the level of income providing that the rental income is sufficient. In general, most lenders will calculate the maximum borrowings based on either 125% or 130% cover. This 5% can make the difference as to whether you can borrow the full 85% or less.

The rent that a landlord receives generally has to be either 1.25% or 1.3% more than the interest payment of the mortgage. For example if you were looking to purchase a buy to let property at £100,000 the maximum loan you could achieve is 85%. Assuming an interest rate of 5% this would make the interest only monthly repayment of £355. Therefore the rental income that can be achieved must be £443. This figure being 1.25% times the rental amount.

To get an idea of how much the monthly repayments would be on a buy to let property you are considering then its worth trying an online buy to let mortgage calculator to work out the repayments immediately.

However it is very important that you get the correct guidance with your finance. Questions that are worth considering when finding the best buy to let mortgage:

1. Do they have access to lots of different products in the market place?

2. Do they have the ability to create a long term property development strategy for you?

3. Are they able to secure Exclusive Products?

4. Are they able to arrange mortgages within 10 working days?

Most lenders will offer a maximum loan of 85% against a buy to let property requiring you to fund at least a 15% deposit. But this does depend on the rental income that can be achieved from the investment property. The buy to let mortgage industry is very competitive with new products being launched on a very regular basis so it is worth keeping an eye on the best deals around.

Some brokers may charge a brokerage fee up to 2% to arrange the finance for you but don’t let this put you off because if they do have the ability to secure exclusive products for you, it could be very beneficial to your cashflow as a landlord. Plus, if they are able to reach formal mortgage offer stage in a very short space of time, this could result in you being able to secure property at very competitive prices if you have the ability to tell the vendor that you can have the deal completed within a matter of a few weeks.

Buy to Let Mortgage Types

Variable rate buy to let mortgages

This is the lender’s own mortgage rate and one that is subject to change whenever the lender chooses which is at the same time of base rate changes. This means that if you are on a lenders standard variable rate buy to let mortgage product then your monthly repayments will increase or decrease accordingly although they very rarely pass on the full percentage reduction to the client. This type of product does also allow the lender to change the rate even if there is no change in the Bank of England base rate. So if you are looking for something a bit more palatable why not look at your other options.

Discount buy to let mortgages

For a set period, the lender offers a reduction on its SVR (standard variable rate). Let’s say, it might offer a discount of 1.5 per cent over three years. However much the SVR (standard variable rate) increases or decreases during the discount period, you always pay a rate 1.5 per cent lower.

Stepped Discount buy to let mortgages

Its also worth considering stepped discount buy to let mortgages, where the level of the discount reduces after a set period. For example, you may be offered a 1.5 per cent discount for a year, followed by a 0.75% per cent discount for the second year.

Fixed-rate buy to let mortgages

Regardless of the (SVR) standard variable or changes in the base rate, this kind of buy to let mortgage offers a fixed interest rate for a set period. The monthly mortgage repayments will remain the same giving the property investor the knowledge of what their monthly outgoings will be for a set term.

Capped-rate buy to let mortgages

The capped-rate buy to let mortgage offers a limit as to how high the interest rate can go. The rate you pay can move up and down below that level but never go beyond it. Your payments would reduce if there were any base rate decreases.

Drop-lock buy to let mortgages

This is a feature that is included in some buy to let discounted mortgages. Initially you decide to opt for a discounted product but for a small fee you have the option to drop into one of that lender’s fixed rate products. At which time you would then be bound by the terms of the new fixed rate product.

Tracker buy to let mortgages

Tracker products can be a good option for buy to let investors. Tracker products offer a margin over the base rate for certain periods of time. Some will offer a buy to let tracker product which tracks the base rate plus a margin for a few years whereas recently there are more products coming on the market where they will track the base rate for the life of the loan. Providing it is a low enough margin over the base rate and the base rate remains at a comfortable level, this can be particularly cost effective to a buy to let landlord as it can avoid the necessity for regular refinancing and the costs involved in the exercise.

Why Not Learn more about buy to let and find out how you can start your buy to let property portfolio.

Jennifer Tweed is the founder of buytolet4sale.com, one of the UK’s first property portals dedicated to all types of investment property for sale and everything you should need for your sale and purchase. Learn more about buy to let

06.02.09

Advice to save Pennies during Your Skiing Trips

Universe Of Leisure, Way Out

The world financial system initially began to tank many weeks ago and it doesnt appear likely to recuperate in the foreseeable future. The economic slowdown, along with the unbelievable low of the pound compared to the euro, and your yearly ski holiday to your normal ski chalets begins to appear like more of a treat than last year.

Skiers have returned home from the ski breaks in the Alps with tales about the supreme snow conditions as well as the high expenses in resorts with prices increased by 31 percent compared to the same time last year. The better tidings is that there’s a lot of cheaper breaks available, which in a lot of cases are setting off the increase in costs in the skiing resorts. None the less the time has come to be budget conscious. Fortuitously we have come up with a list to saving on this winter’s ski vacation.

1. Drive yourself to resort saving a small fortune on both plane tickets and airport transfers
2. Eat in town instead of on the mountain if you must have a sit down meal at lunch
3. Discounted chalet holidays with breakfast dinner and wine included on all but one day
4. Smaller ski resorts will have both cheaper accommodation and lift passes
5. Go self catering

04.02.09

Mortgages - 10 Steps to reducing monthly mortgages

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Owning a home means money management and good sense. The first step is to sit down and take a hard look at your finances. Then decide to purchase a home where the down payment and mortgage will be what you can afford. Stay well within your means. If possible consult a finance professional and consider putting down a greater down payment.

Cost factors will include: total cost of home; maximum monthly housing cost (approximately 32% of your gross monthly income); and monthly debt load (not more than 40% of your gross monthly income). Try and keep the debt ratio as low as possible.

A reduced monthly mortgage payment is a dream come true for just about everyone. There are many ways in which one can do this:

• Since interest rates keep changing you would need to keep a track of changes and opt for refinance at a lower rate when the time is right. This would reduce your outlay considerably. Do the calculations to determine your savings after paying closing costs and other fees.

• Consider changing from a short term mortgage to a long term mortgage. This will tide you over the financial crunch and enable you to pay lower monthly payments. If your situation strengthens you could always foreclose the loan.

• Request for cancellation of the insurance you are paying to secure your mortgage. Once 20% of your loan is settled and you have established a good credit history ask the lender to wave payment towards the insurance. This will help reduce your monthly outlay.

• Find out where lower homeowner insurance rates are being offered. You will succeed in reducing your PITI payment, principal, interest, tax, and insurance payment.

• Check your calculations regularly make sure all adjustments are being made correctly.

• Choose a mortgage that offers a degree of flexibility. In this interest is paid only on the balance outstanding every day. This means you can pay off the mortgage in accordance to your earnings.

• Consider an accelerated equity plan or biweekly payments. This will reduce your burden quicker and yield big benefits.

• Study the details of your mortgage; find out what constitutes the principal and what the interest. Every month try and pay a little more than the amount due to be adjusted towards the principal. By reducing the principal you will save considerable outlay of funds as interest.

• Try variable interest or short term loans. Find out about ‘teaser rates”, loans which attract a lower interest for asset period.

• Consolidate your loans into a single loan with lower payments. Study all the loans, home, car, education, and so on. Make a table and analyze the outlay. Consult a mortgage specialist and find out what consolidation will mean and how much it will reduce your monthly payments by.

A home loan or mortgage is a debt that can be long term and a burden. Advisable is to pay off the mortgage as early as possible. Handle your finances wisely by keeping an eye on interest rates, insurance, and loan disbursements.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for www.1888Discuss.com/home-improvement/ , the premier REVENUE SHARING discussion forum for Home Improvements Forum including topics on buying, selling and insuring, automobile, electronics, electronics and more. He also freelances for the premier Mortgage site www.1888Mortgages.com

03.02.09

Exercise Fact Or Fiction

World Of Shopping

Did you know that the average life span of men and women is around 80 years? Unfortunately a lot of us feel that age before we get to 50. Some of us, men especially, will go out and buy a fancy car and take extreme care of it. Then when were done detailing the car, we will go and eat a burger and fries and maybe drink a beer to wash it down. The other thing I find amusing is when I go to the gym and find myself fighting to park as close to the building as possible. Here I am paying to exercise and then I refuse to walk more than 20 paces to enter the complex.

These days there are many supplements on the market to loose weight, however what is important to note is, that they do not substitute for exercise. Many of us of course have a busy schedule, and find it hard to fit it in to our busy working days. I heard in the news recently that a vast majority of Americans are having difficulty sleeping. This makes sense since many people do not exercise.

The human body needs to move in order to maintain and increase strength. The heart needs to beat. Oxygen needs to circulate through the body. Aside from anyone’s aspiration to look good, exercise is essential. Lack of exercise leads to premature aging, sagging skin, aches and pains, and much more. These are the external effects; internally you could be dealing with clogged vessels, diabetes, nervous tension, and high blood pressure. The sad part is that these symptoms can set in when it is almost too late. You cannot turn the clock back, and as I have often said regrets can be extremely depressing.

The human body is mind blowing in its complexity and functionality. Take sure simple steps to fit exercise into your day. Simple things just like stretching, breathing, weather permitting a short walk. Yoga is a great way to fit exercise into your work days. Just by breathing or stretching you can help the body. When going to the store, park far away and walk. Do the simple things, do not beat yourself over the head and make it a chore to exercise. Write down the things you like to do that involves exercise, such as hiking, golf, cycling, gardening, swimming, and then do more of that. Vary the fitness routine. Variety promotes interest. When traveling, if in a hotel use there gym, it is free when you stay there. Most Importantly !Start Today!.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter at http://www.learningfromdvds.com and get your free e-book on memory, along with a wide selection of fitness DVDs.

Paul Hegarty is the owner of learningfromdvds.com. A guide to educational DVDs with price comparisons, reviews, and free E-books. Read this month’s e-book on “How To Spot A fraudulent Email”. Grab your free copy today.

03.02.09

Home Loans and Mortgages - Tips to Avoid Foreclosure

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Today’s real estate market is a volatile one; prices are at record levels and Interest rates are favorable, but foreclosures are increasing. Wages haven’t kept up with home prices and some buyers who had to stretch to find a way to obtain a mortgage in the first place are having trouble making their payments. Usually, if a buyer cannot meet his or her mortgage obligation, the lender forecloses, taking the home and leaving the buyer without a place to live and a tarnished credit record. If you are having problems paying your mortgage, can you avoid this scenario?

Depending on your type of mortgage and your lender, you may have other options. Most lenders, wary of rising foreclosure rates, would rather work out some sort of solution than take your home. Lenders are in the business of lending money, not selling houses, and the process of foreclosure is a tedious one that most institutions would rather avoid. The first thing you should do if you find yourself with a problem making your payments is to call your lender and discuss the matter with them. The sooner you contact them, the more likely you are to work out a solution that’s agreeable to both of you.

Here are a few possible options for buyers who are having temporary cash flow problems:

  • Your lender may agree to temporarily suspend payments until you are able to resume paying them. Alternatively, your lender may be willing to restructure or refinance your loan.
  • If your loan is insured by the department Housing and Urban Development or the FHA, you may be eligible for a one-time payment to bring your mortgage payments up to date. For details, contact the HUD or FHA directly.
  • You may be able to sell your home to pay off your loan. This is clearly not the first choice for many homeowners, but it is a better option than losing your home outright. Rising real estate prices during the last few years have left many homeowners with a lot of equity. You may be able to sell your home for more than you owe, which will relieve your debt and leave you with some cash left over.
  • Your lender may be willing to simply take the home back, rather than force you out of it. You lose the house, but your credit rating will not likely suffer.
  • These are just a few choices that may be available to you. Your lender may offer other solutions, as well, so don’t’ hesitate to call them if you find yourself in financial trouble. It is far better to contact the lender and tell them of your problems than to have them call you and ask, “Where is our money?” Be forthright and tell them that you want to work something out, and you may find a solution that allows you to keep your home. It never hurts to ask.

    EzineArticles Expert Author Charles Essmeier

    ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity loans .

    02.02.09

    Online Sports Gambling Keeps Betting Lovers Safe at Home

    Better Betting, Gambling Fortunes, Sports

    A huge number of bettors may have stumbled upon the slogan “offshore sports betting”, but might not be wholly convinced of what that really means. A foreign gambling web site primarily operates out of the rules of any given country or alternatively it can be a world wide web based sports betting website which has its computer servers inside a country where computer accessible betting isn’t at the moment illegal. Concisely therefore, it is a gaming internet site running outside the state of the gambler. Networked sports wagering internet sites are today modulated through the agency of 3 assemblies. These are known as OSGA (the Offshore Gaming Association), the IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) and finally the Fidelity Trust Gaming Association (the FTGA).

    Okla. St..s Ford gets $9.1M over 7 years

    The OSGA are an independent watchdog authority which regulates the offshore gambling business, they are trying to also afford gamblers the means to find trust-worthy sites to play betting games on, without unease. The authority endeavors to support wagering fanatic’s rights, also they do not demand any joining or annual expenses. The association are a professional not to mention neutral third party agency which gives neutral information, founded around your observations, impartial studies, conversations, insider prompts and in addition provides industry information.

    The Interactive Gaming Council are a nonprofit agency. The agency was created to allow a forum for interested participants to address points also to communal matters in the worldwide online gambling business, in an effort to establish reputable and also accountable industry precepts and patterns which enhance buyer certainty in web based sports betting products and functions, and also to aid as the trade’s inclusive procedure representative and the IGC also provides a data base of operations.

    The IGC has established a reputation for promoting dependability, fairness and also plausibility via its strict code of conduct, also its allure for honest businesses. The IGC governs overseas sports gambling via utilising a particular 10-point code of practise and in addition bills gaming business enterprises fees for featuring their logo. Malcontent gamblers may, should they like, state their issues to the Interactive Gaming Council.

    The FTGA has been set up in a venture to create a standard to reform the criteria of live gaming trading operations. The Interactive Gaming Council hope that through partnering with sites of good reputation, they can form a membership of the most trustworthy and professional offshore gaming companies worldwide. There are organizations who supervise the conduct of live sports betting and which should aid to take the edge off most if not all of the fears because of apprehension experienced by numerous gamers. Computer accessible sports gaming internet sites are absolutely free from pitfalls, now that personal data should not be a requirement and the returns not to mention the betting odds are consistently as balanced and reasonable as an orthodox Vegas-style stake. They do away with travel, but still preserve the underlying essence, only nowadays you are enabled to play at your own PC.

    02.02.09

    Hunt for the Best Commercial Mortgage Rates

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    While offices and factories are important for any business, purchase or construction of these premises will divert the ever-important capital from regular business expenses. If you are thinking of extending the lease period of your property then wait. Rental of leased properties put a much higher cost on the business. Even after years of paying the lease, you continue to be the leaseholder. In this article, the author has tried to show how commercial mortgages offer a middle path.

    While the entrepreneur becomes a property owner with the help of commercial mortgages, the sum that he has to expend every month or quarter will be equal or sometimes lesser than what is being offered on lease, thanks to the low commercial mortgage rates.

    Those who are conversant with the residential mortgages will not find commercial mortgages very different. The only difference lies in the fact that commercial mortgages are designed for the businesspersons. Nowadays, businesses are readily making use of commercial mortgages to not only purchase property, but also raise finance for other business purposes.

    Commercial mortgage rates may generally take two forms. The first is when the market forces are given a free hand, and the commercial mortgage attracts interest at the commercial mortgage rate prevailing in the market at that point of time. Though this method has been used conventionally, the regular ups and downs in the figure is seen as a drawback. The second form of commercial mortgage rate is the result of this drawback. In this method, the commercial mortgage rate is locked to a rate for a particular period or for the entire life of the mortgage. Keeping the commercial mortgage rate locked for a particular period may cost the borrower some extra points or fees for the lock period. The fees will be welcome as long as it insures against rising commercial mortgage rates.

    A point that further goes in favour of commercial mortgage is that the interest paid is tax deductible. Moreover, any proceeds received from the commercial mortgages are not included while calculating the taxable income. Nevertheless, before you assure yourselves regarding the fact, it will be safe to confer with a tax consultant, if the purposes to which the proceeds have been used come under the purview of business purposes under commercial mortgages.

    Like in any mortgage, the lender has a lien over the property of the entrepreneur that he exchanges for commercial mortgage. This lien is to be exercised only in the event of non-payment of the due amount. In all other cases, the borrowing enterprise gets the property rights back after the last of monthly repayments have been made. Property serving as collateral does not interfere in the enterprise’s right to continue its operations in the property.

    Early redemption charges are a thing of the past now. Many lenders used to include this clause in order to prevent borrowers from switching over to other mortgage lenders by refinancing commercial mortgages. The early redemption charge used to be either for the whole term or for a certain number of years. The idea was to compensate the lender for the commercial mortgage rate that he lost through premature settlement. Even today, some lenders would have this clause included in fine print. It will be prudent to carefully read for this and several other clauses that can trigger problems in the future. The early redemption charge can be brought down through proper negotiation.

    Lenders will recommend a different method of using commercial mortgages, when the purpose is different from buying business property. Refinancing an existing mortgage and including the sum needed by the enterprise in the new commercial mortgage is one of the methods. In an equally popular method, the lender would open a line of credit in favour of the businessperson. The amount that is credited is the difference between the present market value of the business property and the unpaid amount over the commercial mortgage.

    As compared to the process of searching and deciding several issues involved in a commercial mortgage, the application process is simple. It will not require more than a minute to fill in the details of the mortgage on the application form given in the loan providers website, that almost every bank and financial institution has nowadays. Online processing of commercial mortgages has added to the speed with which these are approved.

    Loan borrowing is like once in a life time decision and much is at stake. It is indeed not a good thing that many people are
    misguided into taking loans that are not appropriate to their financial situation. This leads to many allied misgivings. As a
    financial consultant the only driving force of Ann Gibson is to provide proper knowledge. Because knowledge in respect to
    loan borrowing is power and exudes financial benefits.He works for mortgage web site cheapest mortgage uk.To find a cheapest mortgage,adverse credit mortgage,residential mortgage that best suits your need please visit
    www.cheapestmortgageuk.co.uk

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