Knowledge Hub

What is a Mortgage Indemnity Guarantee?

A Mortgage Indemnity Guarantee (MIG) is a type of insurance policy that lenders require borrowers to take out in certain circumstances. Typically, it is associated with mortgages with loan-to-value (LTV) ratios of greater than 75% where lenders are seeking additional security.

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A Guide to Portable Mortgages

The decision to move to a new property can be both exciting and daunting. While the prospect of a fresh start is thrilling, the idea of once again going through the whole process of obtaining a new mortgage can be unappealing. Portable mortgages offer an alternative. They can potentially enable a smoother transition by allowing you to transfer your existing loan to your new home, while avoiding an early repayment charge and preserving a favourable interest rate.

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Understanding Mortgage Exit Fees

With the excitement of homeownership comes the shock of unexpected costs. Mortgage exit fees can sometimes be one of these. As such, it is important to understand what they are, their potential impact and possible mitigation strategies.

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Buy-to-Let Mortgages for HMO Properties: What You Should Know

Investing in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) can be an exciting opportunity for buy-to-let investors. An HMO is, broadly, a building or self-contained flat occupied by at least three people who constitute more than one household; the households share one or more basic amenity such as a toilet, bathroom or kitchen; and each household pays rent under its own tenancy agreement.

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A Guide to Understanding Mortgages in Principle

A mortgage in principle (MIP) is a mortgage lender's confirmation as to how much they would be willing to lend to you based on the limited preliminary information you have provided them with about your finances. While not a guaranteed mortgage offer, an MIP carries significant weight.

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Buy-to-Let Mortgages vs. Residential Mortgages: Key Differences

Mortgages are the backbone of property financing, enabling owner occupiers to purchase homes and buy-to-let (BTL) investors to acquire rental properties. While the end goal - property ownership - might be the same, mortgage requirements vary significantly between BTL and owner occupier (or “residential” or, formally, “capital and interest”) mortgages.

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Interest-Only vs. Repayment Buy-to-Let Mortgage: Choosing the Right Option

If you are planning to finance your buy-to-let (BTL) property investment with a loan, you will typically have two types or mortgage to choose from, an interest-only or a repayment mortgage. Understanding the nuances of each can help you make a decision aligned with your financial situation, plans for the property, and overall investment portfolio and goals.

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The Pauzible Process: Simplifying Home Equity Access

Pauzible is at the forefront of financial innovation, helping homeowners regain control of their financial well-being during turbulent times. With groundbreaking products in the landscape of home equity access, Pauzible offers solutions that are not readily available through conventional financing.

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The Role of Buy-to-Let in the Housing Market

Unveiling the impact or role of Buy-to-Let (BTL) on the UK housing market. Explore BTL's role in rental availability, first-time buyer competition, and social housing.

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A Guide to Remortgaging Your Buy-to-Let Property

In the ever-evolving landscape of buy-to-let property investments, remortgaging can be a powerful strategy for savvy landlords. Remortgaging involves switching your existing mortgage to a new mortgage, usually with a different lender. This process can open up many possibilities, from harvesting the increase in the equity tied up in your property to extending the term of your mortgage.

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BTL Mortgage Deposits: How Much Do You Need?

If you intend to rely on mortgage borrowing for a part of the financing of your buy-to-let (BTL) property investment, a grasp of BTL mortgage lenders’ deposit requirements is crucial. This guide delves into the nuances of BTL mortgage-related deposits, exploring how much you need, the factors influencing these requirements, alternative financing options and planning for your investment journey.

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5 Essential Rules Every Buy-to-Let Landlord Must Follow

Investing in the buy-to-let market can be a lucrative and rewarding endeavour, but it also entails various responsibilities and legal requirements. As a landlord, it is necessary to understand the legal framework surrounding rental properties and ensure compliance with all relevant regulations. One of the key obligations for landlords is to provide safe and habitable accommodation for their tenants.

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The highest yielding areas for buy-to-let property

Selecting the right location is vital for buy-to-let investments, as this can make a significant difference to your return. To do this, it is important to consider factors such as local tenant demand, rental yields and property price appreciation prospects. Other factors, such as mortgage interest rates, service charges and maintenance costs will also play a role, of course, regardless of location.

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5 Buy-To-Let Mistakes To Avoid

Investing in the UK's buy-to-let market can be a profitable business opportunity, but many challenges come with it. To avoid costly mistakes and ensure a successful venture, it is important to navigate the complexities of this arena carefully. Although the potential rewards are attractive, making mistakes can lead to negative financial consequences.

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Top Tips for Investing in a Buy-to-Let Property

Investing in a buy-to-let (BTL) property can be an attractive prospect for those seeking a diversified investment portfolio and a steady stream of passive income. By purchasing real estate with the intention of renting it out to tenants, you not only benefit from regular rental yields but also potentially accrue capital appreciation over time.

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How to Secure a Buy-to-Let Mortgage

Investing in a buy-to-let (BTL) property with funding from a BTL mortgage is a strategic way of generating income and building wealth over time. This guide aims to explain the process of securing a BTL mortgage, focusing on understanding eligibility and the application process and providing tips for prospective landlords.

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A Guide to Offset Mortgages in the UK's Financial Landscape

In the ever-evolving home financing space, offset mortgages have emerged as a compelling option for many UK homeowners. The following guide provides an insightful overview of offset mortgages, highlighting their advantages and limitations and offering guidance on making the best selection for your financial situation.

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How to use Pauzible to get help with mortgage payments

Times of uncertainty can be difficult and profoundly impact people's lives in different ways. The cost of your mortgage can certainly be one of those. The UK saw interest rates rise in December 2021 after unprecedented low rates for almost two years previously.

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Top Big Six Mortgage Lenders in the UK: Your Guide to Navigating the Market

When searching for a mortgage in the UK, you will likely come across the "Big Six" lenders who dominate the landscape with a combined market share of over 70%, according to UK Finance.

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Boosting BTL Property Energy Efficiency in the UK

The UK's Buy-To-Let (BTL) property market is becoming progressively more competitive. One effective strategy for landlords to stand out is to improve their property's energy efficiency. This not only benefits the environment but also reduces tenants’ costs, enhances rental income, attracts environmentally-conscious tenants and ensures compliance with evolving legal standards.

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Renting Properties to Universal Credit Recipients in the UK: Navigating Rental Realities

The landscape of the UK rental market is multifaceted, including tenants receiving Universal Credit, the welfare system designed to help claimants with living costs. Recipients of this benefit are sometimes met with hesitation from private landlords due to perceptions of financial instability. However, by understanding Universal Credit better, landlords can potentially establish fruitful relationships with tenants relying on welfare.

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Navigating the Tempest: Challenges and Opportunities in UK Buy-to-Let

The UK Buy-to-Let (BTL) market, long a pillar of bricks-and-mortar investing, faces gathering storms. Yet, while economic gales buffet the sector, canny landlords are battening down the hatches and charting courses to safer harbours.

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Why Are Landlords Selling Up Their Properties in Great Britain?

The UK's buy-to-let (BTL) market is experiencing an exodus as landlords sell up their rental properties in great numbers. This buy-to-let sell-off has profound implications across Great Britain's housing sector.

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The Pros and Cons of Overpaying Your Mortgage

Overpaying your mortgage reduces your outstanding mortgage balance faster and allows you to save money on interest payments correspondingly. Multiple overpayments can also lead to your mortgage being repaid faster than originally scheduled. However, overpayment also carries some potential risks, which you need to factor into your decision. Assessing your financial situation is key.

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Impact on Landlords and Tenants of Recent Increase in Rents UK

The UK rental market is in a constant upward trend, with the impact of rising rents being keenly felt by both landlords and tenants. The demand for rental properties continues to outstrip supply, a trend that a combination of factors has exacerbated. These include a lack of new rental stock and landlords exiting the market due to unfavourable conditions, leading to rental growth being expected to outpace wage growth in 2024.

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What is Home Equity?

Home equity represents the part of your home that you own, calculated as the difference between the property's current market value and the amount still owed on the mortgage. It's a powerful financial asset that can be leveraged for various purposes, highlighting the home equity loan benefits.

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The Changing Landscape for Tenants

The private rental market is shifting significantly as proposed new legislation seeks to reshape the balance of power between tenants and buy-to-let landlords in England. These changes, driven by political initiatives and tenant activism, mainly aim to improve security and affordability for renters, and reform grounds for repossession by landlords. 

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Leveraging Home Equity: Understanding Your Borrowing Options What is Home Equity and How Can it Be Used?

Building equity in your home is a gradual process that occurs as you pay down your mortgage and your property's value increases over time. Essentially, home equity is the difference between the current value of your home and any outstanding mortgage debt. The equity you build up can be utilized in various ways to help you achieve your financial goals. 

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Why use home equity? Reasons/benefits of using home equity

It's a powerful financial asset that can be leveraged for various purposes, highlighting the home equity loan benefits. Understanding why and how to use home equity, alongside acknowledging its potential pitfalls, is crucial for any homeowner looking to make informed decisions about their property and finances.

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Navigating the Mortgage Market: Tips for Securing a Competitive Interest Rate in the UK

Embarking on the journey of homeownership in the UK is an exciting venture, but securing a mortgage, which is typically fixed for a two or five year period, can make a significant difference in the long-term to the cost of homeownership until the time to fix the next two or five year mortgage rate comes round.

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Understanding Home Equity in the UK

Home equity is the portion of the value in your property you genuinely own after deducting any outstanding mortgage or loan amount secured against it. It is a crucial aspect of homeownership in the UK, as it helps homeowners understand their asset's net worth. To calculate home equity, you need to find the difference between your property's current market value and the outstanding balance on any mortgages or secured loans against it.

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Understanding the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on Property Purchases

Acquiring a residential property in England or Northern Ireland requires understanding the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). This tax is an immediate additional expense over and above the deposit, and other property purchase-related costs such as the estate agent’s, solicitor’s and surveyor’s fees.

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Interest Only Mortgages in the UK Market: Benefits & Risks

What is an interest only-mortgage? Interest-only mortgages are a type of mortgage where the initial loan amount (or principal) remains the same over the entire mortgage term. It is typically repaid through the sale of the mortgaged property or other forms of repayment strategy, including remortgaging or drawing upon savings and other investments.

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The role of mortgage brokers in the current UK market

Mortgage brokers provide clients with a range of services in connection with obtaining a mortgage. They evaluate their clients’ financial position and recommend suitable products. They also compare multiple deals from different lenders and assist with mortgage applications.

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UK Rent Surge: Perfect Storm of Supply, Inflation and Investment

Rental rates across UK cities have been rising at concerning speeds recently, affecting affordability and shaking the foundations of social mobility. According to one study, rents could surge by 25% between 2023 and 2026, with the most significant surge this year, 20241. Multiple interconnected economic factors propel this uptrend - from fundamental supply-demand mismatches to evolving monetary policies and investor behaviours.

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Preparing for a Mortgage Application: A UK Homebuyer's Checklist

Before applying for a mortgage, you must have a realistic understanding of your financial situation. If your financial health is in good standing, you are already improving your chances of becoming a homeowner.

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What You Need To Know about Fixed-Rate Mortgages

Fixed-rate mortgages are a popular option, where the interest rate stays the same for a set period, providing stability and predictability in the constantly changing finance space. In this article, we will explore the details of three different fixed-rate mortgage options, 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year, to help you understand their advantages and disadvantages and, hopefully, allow you to make an informed decision.

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Retirement Mortgage Options for UK Seniors

There will come a time when, with a falling birth rate, improving life expectancy and ageing population, a more significant proportion of the UK population will have reached the age of 55 and over1. These people will need financial products that suit their needs in their long old age. Lifetime mortgages and other specialized solutions aim to address the financial needs of the older population.

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Understanding the Now-Concluded UK Help to Buy Scheme: Pros and Cons

The Help to Buy initiative enabled first-time home ownership dreams until new applications to it closed on 31 October 2022. By helping with deposits through equity loans, it improved purchasing power for constrained first-time buyers. Now, as attention shifts to comparable schemes, it is worthwhile reviewing Help to Buy's structure, benefits accessed, limitations faced and legacy impact.

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