Monty’s Mortgage Blog

Category Archives: Best Mortgage Rates

2012: What does the future hold for the mortgage market?

By Andrew Montlake | Published: 11.01.12

In my mind 2012 was always meant to be the year when everything began to improve, after all we have the Olympics and the feel good factor from that together with a good Euro Championships would surely propel us on to bigger and better things? However, it looks as if I may have been a little lost in dreamland with that, although to be honest no-one really foresaw the issues from Credit Crunch 1 mutate into the mega-storm that threatens to break up the Euro itself.

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Also posted in 2012, Bank Base Rate, Coreco, Large Mortgage Loans, Mortgage Brokers in London, Mortgage Finance, Property Market, The Economy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Window Dressing

By Andrew Montlake | Published: 28.11.11

Another interesting week in store as Georgie boy, the Chancellor prepares to deliver his Autumn Statement tomorrow. Expect a dash of hard realism with a hint of hope that will be crushed by the media fixated on the mantra that bad news sells.

The real issue, like an annoying soap opera you don’t really like but can’t help watching, is still playing itself out in Europe. Rumours are both good, that the IMF is preparing a EU600 billion bail out of Italy to solve its issues, (denied by the IMF for now) and bad, that ratings agencies are poised to basically downgrade the whole of Europe causing further issues, (not denied)!

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Also posted in Coreco, European Union, First Time Buyers, Independent Mortgage Advice, Large Mortgage Loans, Mortgage Blog, Mortgage Brokers in London, The Chancellor, The Economy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Does anyone really care about the base rate anymore?

By Andrew Montlake | Published: 25.11.11

Let’s face it; there is more chance of Sepp Blatter becoming the next England manager than the Bank of England changing their rate from the 0.5% low at present. But as has been the case for many a month now, the rate itself is not the real issue, it is everything else that is happening around it and boy there is a lot going on.

The Euro turmoil is starting to affect the biggest countries in the EU now, and for the first time in around a decade the UK is now able to borrow on cheaper terms than Germany. German 10 year government debt rates increased to 2.21% whilst the UK, relishing it’s new found “safe-haven” status, sits at a mere 2.16%.

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Also posted in Bank Base Rate, Best Fixed Rates, Coreco, Economic Recovery, European Union, GDP Figures, Large Mortgage Loans, Mortgage Brokers in London, Professional Mortgage Brokers, Remortgage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Snap Out Of It, Mr Shapps!

By Andrew Montlake | Published: 24.10.11

When I read that Mr Shapps, who I actually like, had made a speech within which he called for 30 year fixed rate mortgages I must admit my shoulders sagged a touch.

My first reaction was if that was the best idea he can come up with then we are all up the proverbial creek without a you know what. In reverting back to an oft tried and never achieved call for 30 year mortgages we suddenly saw that actually, no one in power at least, seems to really get the issues.

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Also posted in Best Fixed Rates, Coreco, Interest Rates, Large Mortgage Loans, Mortgage Advice, Mortgage Brokers in London, Mortgage Funding, Mortgages, Professional Mortgage Brokers, Property Market, The Economy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

HSBC – Stop It, My Sides Hurt…

By Andrew Montlake | Published: 18.10.11

Apparently, and, (said in the style of Theresa May), I am not making this up, HSBC have said that “HSBC accepts around nine in 10 of all customers who apply for a mortgage with the bank”.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, (stop it, ha, my, ha, sides hurt, ha).

Actually maybe that’s a little disingenuous, as to be fair at least they are giving the impression of supporting the average mortgage borrower and their rates have been consistently attractive. However, in making this comment whilst trying to put the proverbial boot in to mortgage brokers who they clearly see as an irritant, (who needs independent advice pah, advice is for wimps), they are opening themselves up to closer inspection.

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Also posted in Coreco, First Time Buyers, Independent Mortgage Advice, Interest Only Mortgages, Large Mortgage Loans, Mortgage Blog, Mortgage Brokers in London, Professional Mortgage Brokers | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment