Guide to Equity Release Schemes

July 7th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Financial Products, Property Market Comments Off on Guide to Equity Release Schemes

Equity release schemes are a way for home owners to raise capital against the security of their homes without having to make any capital or interest repayments during their lifetime. Initially these schemes may seem too good to be true however as with any type of mortgage there are pros and cons.

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Remortgaging my property – a quick guide

June 22nd, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Financial Products, Mortgages 1 Comment »

Remortgaging your property is a big decision, but make the right move and you’ll be glad you put the time and effort into it.

Why remortgage?

Well, if you’re coming to the end of your current mortgage deal, you’ll have to make a decision between finding a brand new mortgage and reverting to your lender’s SVR (Standard Variable Rate) deal.

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How to finance your dream home abroad

April 28th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Insurance, Property Market 3 Comments »

If you have decided to purchase an overseas property in France, Spain or elsewhere abroad, there are likely to be a number of finance options available to you. Shop around and speak to an independent financial expert who can help you find the best product to suit your needs. There are some mortgages that allow you to switch currencies during the term, depending on which is most favourable at the time.

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Applying & Obtaining a Mortgage in 2011

April 26th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Financial Products, Mortgages 1 Comment »

The decision to take on a mortgage is a big one and should not be taken lightly. It is likely that you will be repaying it for most of your working life. It’s extremely important therefore to make sure that you get the mortgage that is right for you. You should be prepared to pay a little extra for some good quality independent financial advice.

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Why doesn’t one size fits all home insurance work?

April 21st, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Financial Products, Insurance 1 Comment »

How much attention do you pay to the nitty gritty of your home insurance? Not much? Then now might be the perfect time to make a change. The fact is that one-size-fits-all home insurance doesn’t really work for anyone – we’ve all got different needs and different things that need covering.

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Alternative Business Structures – Business Entity

March 14th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Estate Agents, Legal, Mortgages 2 Comments »

Currently, a solicitor who is performing “reserved legal activities” (activities which only a solicitor is permitted to perform such as the key elements of a conveyancing transaction) for the general public is only permitted to practise in a firm wholly owned by solicitors. The Legal Services Act 2007 (“the Act”) however introduces a new type of business entity, the Alternative Business Structure (ABS).

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Buying Home Content Insurance – Important Criteria

February 14th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Financial Products, Insurance 4 Comments »

Looking after a home is a huge responsibility and when you are considering making sure that you and your belongings are safe it is important to decide to take out home insurance cover. The trouble is there are so many different insurance policies out there, by so many different providers, that it is difficult to choose between them.

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Relying on the Mortgage Lender’s Valuation Report?

February 8th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Legal, Mortgages 4 Comments »

Before agreeing to lend money on a property a mortgage lender will instruct a valuer to carry out a basic report, called a valuation report. The report does not go into any great detail but will give a market value figure which the lender will rely upon when deciding how much it ought to lend.

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Different Types of Property Surveys

January 24th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Mortgages, Property Market 3 Comments »

Before buying any property you are highly encouraged to have a survey carried out. In fact if you are buying with a mortgage then your lender will insist. If you don’t have a survey then you are accepting the property in whatever condition it happens to be in, regardless of whether the seller is aware of any defects. There may be problems with the property that are not apparent from just looking around.

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Securing a Debt Against Another’s Property

November 10th, 2010 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Legal, Mortgages, Property Conveyancing 6 Comments »

In terms of a person’s assets, land is unique in that a debt can be secured against it without the owner giving up control of the asset. Items can of course be bought on hire purchase agreements but these remain the property of the seller until the debt is paid, and an item can be pawned but the pawnbroker will retain it pending full repayment.

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Is the Property Ladder Broken?

October 28th, 2010 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Mortgages, Property Market 9 Comments »

Broken Ladder: 3 years without rent, food, clothing – then you can afford a deposit.

New research out today reveals that the average first time buyer (FTB) would have to save every single penny of their earnings for more than two years to have a chance of getting a foot on the housing ladder. In London it would take three years.

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