Strengths and weaknesses of interest-only mortgages

Interest-only mortgages have surged in popularity within the mortgage industry, offering a distinctive structure and potential advantages. Yet, like any financial tool, they come with both pros and cons that warrant careful consideration for prospective homebuyers. In this article, we delve into the merits and drawbacks of interest-only mortgages, empowering you to make a well-informed decision regarding their suitability for your journey to homeownership.

Interest-only mortgages offer several appealing advantages. Initially, they feature lower monthly payments compared to conventional mortgages. During the initial period, borrowers are solely responsible for paying the interest portion of the loan, resulting in more manageable payments, particularly in the early stages of owning a home. Moreover, opting for an interest-only mortgage can free up additional cash flow, which borrowers can redirect towards other financial objectives or investments. This flexibility is especially beneficial for individuals with variable income or those seeking to optimize investment opportunities. Furthermore, some borrowers may opt for interest-only mortgages to invest the savings from lower mortgage payments into higher-yielding investments. Financially savvy borrowers may reap rewards if these investments yield returns surpassing …

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When Do I Know If I’m Ready to Own a Home?

The decision to become a homeowner is a significant milestone in one’s life. It represents a step towards financial stability, independence, and the opportunity to create a place of your own. However, before taking the plunge into homeownership, it’s essential to assess your readiness. Let’s explore key indicators that can help you determine when you’re ready to own a home.

Financial Stability

Financial stability is a crucial factor to consider when contemplating homeownership. Evaluate your current financial situation by assessing your income, expenses, and debt obligations. Consider factors such as job security, income growth potential, and the stability of your financial foundation. Ensure you have a reliable source of income to cover mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs. Building an emergency fund for unexpected expenses is also vital. Having a stable financial position gives you confidence in your ability to meet the financial responsibilities that come with owning a home.

Debt and Credit Management

Assess your debt and credit situation to gauge your readiness for homeownership. Lenders typically consider your credit score and debt-to-income ratio when determining loan …

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Understanding the Impact: How Interest Rate Hikes Affect Irish Mortgages

In this blog, we journey through the intricate world of interest rates and their profound influence on our mortgages. With recent rumblings of potential interest rate hikes, it’s essential to understand how these changes can impact our financial lives. We’ll explore the key aspects of interest rate hikes, their implications for Irish mortgages, and provide real-life examples to help you grasp their significance. So, let’s dive in and gain a deeper understanding of this critical subject.

 

The Basics: Interest Rates and Mortgages

Before we delve into the impact of interest rate hikes, let’s refresh our understanding of the fundamentals. Interest rates are the cost of borrowing money, and they directly affect the amount you pay on your mortgage. When interest rates rise, the cost of borrowing increases, leading to adjustments in mortgage payments. Conversely, when rates decrease, mortgage payments may become more affordable.

The Ripple Effect: Monthly Mortgage Payments

Interest rate hikes have a direct impact on your monthly mortgage payments. As rates rise, your mortgage interest charges also increase, resulting in higher monthly payments. For example, let’s consider …

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What you need to know about ECB’s raising interest rates

The European Central Bank raised interest charges more than what they initially announced. Over the past few months, the rates have increased by around 1.25%. The clients have not yet been reached by institutions including Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB.

Customers have a lot of pain for the future because there are a lot of uncertainties. They now have to deal with high mortgage interest rates in addition to inflation, rising electricity and fuel costs. New customers face a direct problem because their five-year fixed rates increase by 2%. As a first-time buyer, you will receive a rate of 5.95%. Long-term fixed loans rise by 1.49% to 1.58%. (depending on size and running time). As a result, banks such as AIB, ESB, and Haven must raise their rates for new and switching customers. The current customers are not affected. Customers with tracker mortgages face an increase in interest rates due to contractual obligations. Some of the new customers must take an expensive rate, which means they must pay 240€ more than before the ECB increase.

If the AIB, EBS, …

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Compare Mortgage Rates of Irish Lenders

The ECB will continue to raise the interest charges over 2% by the end of the year 2022. In 2023 it will be up to over 3%. If you are a first time buyer you must have 10% of the  whole house price. If you have more than 10%, your rates will be lower. There are a lot of products out there and you must have a look at which one is the best for you. There are  products for first time buyer, second time buyer, self builder and switcher. Some of them have  some special products like green mortgages or for renovator.  

The following companies were compared: Bank of Ireland,  Finance Ireland, Avant Money Mortgages, ICS Mortgages,  Permanent TSB, Haven, AIB, EBS. 

Bank of Ireland has a lot of offers when you get a mortgage. If you get your first mortgage with this bank, they will give you 2000€ for saving up. They also have a  cashback system, so if you take a mortgage there they will give you 2% cashback of the mortgage and 1% extra cashback if …

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What is happening with interest rates, why, and what can you do?

What is happening with interest rates?

Interest rates rise and fall, we have been in a secular-ZIRP (zero interest rate policy) environment for quite some time and as people who subscribe to the monetarist school of thought, this would always lead to inflation which we are seeing now, albeit a fairly delayed response given how long this policy has been in place.

Why?

Not too long ago the yield curve was negative 20 years into the future such was the dismal outlook of markets for any level of inflation, but then you had a pandemic, the ‘great resignation’ and between labor and supply constraints along with monetary policy effects, there is inflation you haven’t seen in 40 years. Now the curve is negative only one year into the future and the price in the money markets has risen.

Just to clarify this, many mortgage providers get their money by buying it (you buy at X + interest rate and then ‘sell’ it to borrowers at X+margin [which is ideally above the price you bought it at]). In an oversimplified manner, …

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Pros and cons of a variable rate mortgage

A variable rate mortgage is a mortgage in which the interest rate on the outstanding balance changes periodically. Typically, these loans will have fixed, or “teaser” interest rates for a specified amount of time, after which the interest rate will change based on a variety of factors. In most cases, the initial interest rate on a variable rate loan will be lower than a fixed rate, which can be appealing for homebuyers. But it is important to be aware of the pros and cons before jumping into a variable rate loan.

Pros

Flexibility

The number one advantage of a variable rate mortgage is flexibility. With a variable rate mortgage, you don’t need to worry about penalties for things like increasing your monthly payment, or paying off your mortgage early. You also have the ability to make lump-sum payments on your mortgage throughout the year, which can be very helpful for home buyers with a fluctuating income affected by bonuses or commissions. If your life is likely to change relatively soon, and you plan on eventually moving or selling the house, …

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Buying a home vs. Renting: Which is better?

Buying your home is one of the biggest financial decisions of your life. However, it is a big commitment and there are a lot of hidden costs and factors that can make it unaffordable for some. Because of the costliness of buying a home outright, many buyers turn to renting instead, especially in expensive housing markets like London, New York, and Hong Kong. Determining which option is best for you depends on a variety of factors, and not everyone’s situation is alike. To help with this important decision, let’s take a look at some of the key differences between buying and renting.

Buying

When buying a house, it’s likely you’ll need to apply for a mortgage. To get a mortgage, you need a deposit (usually at least 10% of the home’s value) and a steady income in order to make repayments. The greater your deposit and income, the more your bank or lender will be able to offer you. However, if you live in an expensive area, or have a low salary and little savings, buying may not be for …

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Mortgage arrears in Ireland fall despite pandemic’s economic effects

Over the past year, the covid-19 pandemic has caused many economic challenges for Irish citizens and people worldwide. Between level 5 lockdowns, business closures, and soaring levels of unemployment, it would be logical to believe that people may be falling behind on payments, especially mortgages, which are most people’s largest and most important monthly payment. However, recent data shows that the number of mortgages in arrears actually  decreased during the first quarter of 2021, despite level 5 lockdowns and record high unemployment rates.

Recent data from the Central Bank shows that the number of family home loans in arrears decreased by 2,838 during the first three months of 2021. During this period, the Covid-adjusted unemployment rate hit its peak of 25.1 per cent in early January, as thousands of businesses were forced to close their doors due to level 5 lockdowns. This is surprising given that the number of people behind on their mortgage payments actually decreased, while conventional wisdom would expect to see an increase in arrears. This contrast suggests that government supports, such as pandemic unemployment benefits, have …

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Why are Mortgage Interest Rates so High in Ireland?

Recent reports from the Central Bank of Ireland indicate that mortgage holders in Ireland are still paying much higher interest rates as compared to most of their  neighbors in Europe. Therefore, why are people in Ireland paying high mortgage rates and is there a way to reduce it? Currently the  interest rate for a first-time buyer is at 2.79 percent, which means that it is now the highest in all of the 19 countries in Europe together with Greece. Despite the fact that the interest rates have dropped by 0.11 percent as compared to last year, they are still way more than what is being charged in other places in Europe where the average rate is as little as 1.31 percent. 

In a report by the Banking and Payment Federation of Ireland (BPFI), the mortgage for a first-time-buyer in Ireland is approximately €225,000. Basically, this means that someone who borrows this amount with the hopes of repaying it in 30 years ends up paying an extra of €167 per month and over €2,000 annually as compared to other countries …

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