Covid-19’s impact on mortgages

The covid-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on all areas of the financial world, including banks, loans, and mortgages. Mortgage arrears, or payments failed to be made by their original specified due date, had been consistently falling every year since 2013. However, Fitch predicts that arrears of at least 90 days will constitute about 14-16% of Irish home loans this year, their highest rate since the financial crisis.

Additionally, the pandemic has led to widespread payment breaks for mortgages in Ireland. Payment breaks involve the deferring of repayment of a loan to a later date; they do not change, however, reduce the total amount to be paid. In March of last year, the major banks in Ireland agreed to industry-wide payment breaks for those facing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. This was done out of consideration for borrowers’ situations and lenders’ own desire to avoid high default rates. Ultimately, by May 2020, one in nine owner-occupier mortgage payments was on such a break.

Though this measure was taken of the industry’s own volition, soon after, the …

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The fastest way to get a mortgage

What is the fastest way to get a mortgage in Ireland today? To those unfamiliar and/or engaging with the process for the first time, it can seem drawn out and overly complicated. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. While different people will likely want to use different approaches, but there are some general rules that everyone can follow to ensure their application goes as smoothly as possible.

The first thing one should do is make sure their financial situation is otherwise well and accounted for. In addition to employment and income, this can include things like home insurance and valuation of the property. One should also consider how long they’ve lived in Ireland; depending on the lender, this may be important in their consideration of an application. Borrowers should furthermore ensure that they have good credit and are not too heavily in debt. Lenders are likely to be more apprehensive regarding borrowers with unstable financial backgrounds, as they seem less likely to be able to ultimately repay their loans.

The next things one should keep in mind are …

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What you need when applying for a mortgage

Before applying for a mortgage, one should be sure they have all the necessary documentation. Typically, if one goes through a broker or chooses to go directly to a lender/bank, guidance will be provided on all the necessary paperwork and how to complete it. However, it can save applicants valuable time to try and get pre-approved by either lenders or brokers. In this case, they would likely need to take some initiative.

Documents required for approval and preapproval can vary depending upon the borrower and lender.

All borrowers will likely need:

Proof of ID Proof of Address Personal Public Service Number Proof of Income Financial Statements

Proof of identity can include things like a valid Irish driver’s license or passport. For proof of address, one might consider a utility bill, a tenancy or lease agreement, or government-issued documents that include said address.

Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSN) are issued by the Department of Social Protection (DSP). Non-residents can obtain a PPSN by applying for one with the DSP. Such an applicant will also need to provide proof of …

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Banks or brokers? Which to choose when applying for a mortgage

In applying for a mortgage, there is always the question of whether to go directly to a bank or to go through a broker. There could be advantages and drawbacks to either approach; the former could be faster and/or less expensive, but brokers can provide valuable assistance before and during the application process that make them a viable alternative. Ultimately, which of the two is the better option is based on the individual, and they should consider personal knowledge, experience, and preference when applying.

Firstly, going straight to a bank allows one to avoid paying a broker’s fee. Additionally, there may be an added level of trust associated with conducting negotiations directly. Assuming one has a high credit score, healthy income, and otherwise checks all of the boxes banks are looking for, it could prove to be faster than going through a broker. However, failing to do so might lead to one’s application being rejected out of hand. If an applicant is aware of such complicating factors, they should consider going to a broker instead.

If an applicant isn’t aware …

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What does “Get Rich Quick” even mean?

It is not uncommon that you probably have stumbled upon these ads where people claiming, “Want to know how I got rich quick? Watch my video for more!”. They show off their riches while standing in front of large mansions and Lamborghinis and if you continue to listen, they most likely tell you an inspirational story about how they came from rags to riches. We know this cannot be real, but we all have a small voice in our head saying, “Is it actually possible?”. Are they actually teaching us useful financial advice that could put us in jeopardy or are they just a regular old conman?

We may typically think of a conman to be the same thing as a thief or a liar but a true conman does not force us to do anything. They do not forcefully steal our possessions away from us, rather they trick us into giving up our own things. They are manipulators and we are obsessed with them. We see them in movies and comics but fail to see them in our day …

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The interest rate will kill you.

No, not physically but they will hurt your financial goals if you do not completely understand them. When you are starting out on your financial journey you are not trained to look at interest rates. Most of us are just happy we got fifty euros in our pocket when we first start earning money. We know money comes in and goes out. Once we start going to university or getting a credit card that’s when interest rates start coming into play.

Although 2.5% on the paper might look like a small number on the paper, do not be fooled. Interest rates can be one of the biggest deciding factors in your financial life. The difference between a good and a bad interest rate to a car, credit card, mortgage, and so much more can literally be the difference between tens of thousands of euros! It might not seem to be a lot, in the beginning, take caution to your calculations. Even a cellular phone bill can hit you with a damaging interest rate which if you’re straight out of secondary …

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House Buying in Ireland

Buying a new home or property is possibly one of the most daunting tasks out there, especially for first-time buyers or international buyers. There are many regulations to keep in mind, and here is just a small list of actions to take that will make this process so much easier.

1: Builder: Contact a local builder and request them to look at the prospective property. They will be able to tell you how much additional work needs to be done for the property, and generally advise the state of the property.

2: Electrician Check: If you have the contact, call in a favor from an electrician to check the wires for issues and maintenance.

3: Structural survey: This will be an investment, and you’ll be surprised at the number of faults this check can find within a property, no matter how pretty the house may look from outside. The usual cost is around €1.5k, but worth it in the long run, if you are to meet large issues.

4: Deposit: Buying international means that you may have to put in …

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First-Time Mortgage Buyers

The COVID Pandemic may have been a financial detriment to many, but there are also families that have been saving due to the lack of activities to participate in. After the lift of quarantine, there is expected to be a rise in the real estate industry. With so many individuals looking to find a mortgage plan, we have comprised a couple of tips on how to use your money more efficiently.

The first major actions to take are opportunities to boost your credit file. If you look online, there are thousands of articles on how to do so. But for an official site, there is none better than the Money Advice Service list. Here are just a couple of ways to improve your credit score:

1: Pay your bills on time. This may sound obvious, but many people overlook this. With being able to pay all your bills on time, there will be no more drops in your credit score, and it can only go up from there.

2: Register yourself on the electoral roll. This is such a quick …

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The Growing Trend of Taking Longer Mortgages

According to a newly done study by the Nationwide Building Society; in the past year, nearly 70% of first-time buyers took out a mortgage beyond the traditional term of 25 years. This starkly compares to how less than a decade ago, that rate was less than 50%. There was a 45% rise in first-time buyers taking out an initial term of more than 25 years.

The longer the mortgage period, the higher the overall costs will be, even with a lower interest rate. The total significant costs for the mortgage can lead to the consumer paying for more than expected. It is calculated that taking a mortgage plan from 25 years to 35 years can have an increase in the total payment of the mortgage by nearly 40%.

While the market house prices continue to rise, the earnings of these first-time buyers have changed little. This creates a significant barrier for first-time buyers to make a deposit. A study shows that having a 20% home deposit nowadays is equal to 104% of the pre-tax income of an average full-time worker. …

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How are online mortgages changing the mortgage industry?

How are online mortgages changing the mortgage industry? Not long ago, the idea of doing a mortgage online seemed almost impossible, yet here we are seeing mortgages being done online. They may not be for everyone but with so many things moving online, why not mortgages? With COVID 19, it seems to be the perfect time for this industry to grow.

You can simply link your bank account or upload your bank statements, tax information, proof of assets, and any other documents that are needed securely online. This saves the time of having to collect these documents and is much more efficient. Being able to apply online, takes away the manual work of entering data which can also help reduce the number of errors that can occur with traditional ways of applying. You are also able to sign online which keeps you from having to interact in person during these times.

For those of you who are not the best at keeping your paperwork organized, this may be the answer for you. It is much easier to organize and find …

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