Mortgage Misery and Mayhem

It's been a long time coming, but the housing bubble has finally burst, and with the market in a state of depression, home-owners are also finding Negative Equity a serious threat. Properties are being re-valued at lower rates, and in some parts of the country are dipping as low as 60% of prices paid as recently as 2007. As such, the Loan to Value Rate (LTV) may have decreased by a similar amount, meaning home-owners are no longer able to remortgage, and are instead trapped by having to pay back the old, higher value at a monthly rate that is hard to afford. When you consider the wage cuts, pay freezes and redundancies of the last 24 months, a bleak picture is painted. Inflation is rampant and the economy is grinding to a near-halt.

Whilst all borrowers face dilemmas when determining whether to take a fixed- or a variable-rate mortgage, the worst to be affected by this nasty state of affairs are those clients looking to come off a fixed-rate arrangement made in the last two years. The chances are increasingly high that they will be pushed into accepting a standard variable rate mortgage. This means that rather than decreasing their outgoings by re-mortgaging, the opposite may in fact be true, with instalments increasing by anything up to a staggering 65% or more. Even the best two-year rates on offer could see them repaying around 35% more than under their original arrangement.

Worse still, the last downturn in the housing market lasted decades, which means that we could be in for a similarly long rough patch this time around. This means that home-owners may be stuck in this situation at the mercy of the lender for years to come. Those who took out mortgages with an LTV of 90% or higher have it especially tough. New lenders see them as a bad risk, so it is highly unlikely there will be a quick solution to their predicament.

However, it's not all doom and gloom. Home-owners in need of a remortgage still have a few options available. Around 18 months ago the law changed to make the use of Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) mandatory. Although this may seem like a hassle when previously consumers were allowed to arrange their own mortgages, these specialists can draw on a wealth of industry experience and negotiation skills to position the client in such a way that granting a remortgage seems a more attractive prospect to the lender. They will also be able to offer invaluable insight into which option is best for the client with regards to terms, rates and add-on fees the lender may levy.

Being caught in these kinds of mortgage trap can be scary and depressing, especially when individuals are saddled with this kind of negative cash flow situation through no fault of their own. In 2006 a study estimated that the monthly mortgage payment of an average salary earner (circa £23,500 at the time) amounted to 60% of their take-home pay. Things have worsened since then, and in this harsh economic climate it is more likely that they will be experiencing severe financial pressure from other creditors, whilst relying on a salary which has barely increased in years.
 
Although there are many sources of information, from the Citizens Advice Bureau to websites such as this, it can be difficult to bring yourself fully up to speed at the same time as organising a career and family life, which explains why Personal Debt Management firms are becoming increasingly popular. For a fee, they will make sure they find the best terms for their clients, offering mortgage advice as part of the package. Some even operate on a commission basis where they take their fee from the money they save you, which is an attractive option for the cash-poor. No matter what your circumstances, if you find yourself caught in a similar situation, the key is to act now. Seeking independent advice from an accredited professional will ensure the implications of your current situation do not stay with you until the end of the mortgage term, potentially decades into the future.