Articles by John Fitzsimons:
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Fixed-Rate Mortgage: What is it and How it Works
A fixed-rate mortgage ensures your interest rate won’t change for the first two to 10 years of repayment. When the fixed period ends, you can pay the standard variable rate or remortgage.
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Discount Mortgages: Is a Lower Rate Worth the Possible Risks?
A discount rate mortgage tracks a lender's standard variable rate, but at a discount. There are pros and cons to this sort of loan.
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Variable-Rate Mortgages: Right for Some But Not for Others
The interest rate charged on a variable-rate mortgage can go up or down during the term of your loan. This can work for or against you.
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What's Involved in an Exchange of Contracts?
Near the end of a property transaction, both parties sign contracts explaining what is expected of each as part of the deal.
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Property Chains: How to Manage and Navigate the Links
Many home sales are reliant in some way or another on a larger chain of property transactions.
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Mortgage Process: How to Get Your Home
From saving up a deposit to finding the right mortgage, here's the road to buying a home.
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Breaking Down Your Completion Statement
A completion statement is effectively the bill for the purchase of a property, laying out what you need to pay.
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Costs of Buying a House: Numbers You Need to Know
The price of the property you want to buy is just one part of the total cost. You'll also have to include a range of fees for services.
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Mortgage Payments: Ins and Outs of Your Biggest Outgoing
How much you borrowed and for how long, plus other terms of the deal, play the largest part in your mortgage payment amount.
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Mortgage in Principle: What to Know About This Agreement
Having a mortgage agreement in principle in hand when you offer on a property can be a big boost in the eyes of the seller.
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How Much Mortgage Can I Afford?
Taking stock of your finances and deciding what amount of monthly repayment you're able to take on will help guide your mortgage and home search.
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Loans With Bad Credit: What to Know & How to Get One
If you have bad credit, it's easy to think you won’t be able to get a loan. But there might be options available, as well as ways to boost your credit score.
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Low-Interest Loans Explained
Interest rates vary depending on the type of loan and your personal credit rating, but there are steps you can take to get the best possible rate.
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Do I Need a Mortgage Adviser?
Mortgage advisers can guide you on which sort of mortgage best suits your needs, and they may charge a fee for their advice. Learn the pros and cons and what to ask them.
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What is a Mortgage? How it Works
A mortgage is the type of loan you get to buy a home or land, and you pay it back with a monthly repayment, often over 25 or 30 years, after making a deposit when you first get the loan.
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Applying for a Mortgage: What’s Required
First compare mortgages, and then prepare to provide valid identification, proof of address, P60, pay slips, bank statements and other documents when you apply.
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Lifetime ISA: Bonus on Savings for a Home or Retirement
If you’re age 18 to 40, you can open a lifetime ISA (individual savings account) and earn a 25% annual bonus on up to £4,000 in savings until you reach age 50.
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What LTV Means for a Mortgage
LTV stands for loan-to-value. It represents the relationship between the size of a mortgage and a property’s value, and it determines how much your deposit needs to be when you buy a house.
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How to Manage Your Help to Buy ISA
Anyone who has a Help to Buy ISA can still save up £200 per month until 2029 to earn tax-free returns and a 25% government bonus of up to £3,000. New accounts are no longer available.
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