Remortgages are creating a stir…
Despite coming towards the end of the holiday season, there is certainly a lot of mortgage activity happening! AToM have seen a huge increase in enquiries for re-mortgages as customers look to refinance existing deals on to better rates or raise capital to purchase other properties or for home improvements. There’s no better time to review the market as there are some competitive rates currently available.
With rates so low we have also seen a vast increase in customers looking to consolidate debt and add these to their current mortgage. This can sometimes cause issues. If you consolidate unsecured finance in to your mortgage, although your monthly payments may be lower, you may be paying more for your debt over a longer term.
Those whose finances have got out of control tend to look at debt management plans, or Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA). Again, the lower monthly payments may help in the short term, but you may well find it hard to gain an approval from a lender to refinance at a later date. Lenders tend to shy away from debt management plans and may not touch anyone who has been in an IVA unless it has been discharged for more than four years. Advice should always be sort before entering in to these types of arrangements.
At AToM, we are independent and we will happily go through the pros and cons of changing any of your financial details before proceeding to conduct any credit searches or decision in principles. You need to be clear that it’s the right deal for you. If your current deal is still the best option for you, we will suggest you stay where you are.
Whatever you do remember to check what terms and conditions apply and also remember that your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.