News about Mark Harris

Despite higher ONR estimates, mortgage rates will not decline despite rising ONR estimates - here's why

www.dailymail.co.uk, March 9, 2024
If mortgage rates begin to decrease off cheaper fixed rate mortgages, millions of mortgage borrowers will face a financial shock over the next two years. For example, it is estimated that 1.6 million households are due to remortgage this year, many of whom will be coming off rates of 2 percent or less. This agony is expected to persist in 2025, with mortgage rates likely to decrease dramatically from where they are now.

Should I purchase a buy-to-let property to get on the housing ladder?

www.dailymail.co.uk, March 5, 2024
I am currently renting and devoting a considerable amount of my monthly income to buy my first house. I have enough money to live in the city where I live to be able to live right now. As a single person, my income isn't sufficient to get the mortgage I need on the remainder. I'm wondering if it's better to buy a cheaper house as a buy-to-let, so you can get on the ladder and hopefully gain an asset that increases in value. Will I be able to get a buy-to-let mortgage , and what rates should I expect?

How did property prices perform under nine different Chancellors over the past 30 years?

www.dailymail.co.uk, March 5, 2024
According to new reports, the property market has remained extremely vibrant during the tenure of various Chancellors in the last 30 years. The survey, in particular, looked at a variety of variables, including monthly transaction volumes and average house price increase under the nine Chancellors since 1997.

Should I fix my mortgage or take a tracker?We ask a dozen brokers what they'd do

www.dailymail.co.uk, February 27, 2024
Anyone taking out a mortgage at the moment will likely be pondering the same questions - how long to fix for?Should they fix at all? It's a decision that could save them - or cost them - thousands of pounds, depending on whether they choose correctly. We asked a dozen mortgage brokers what they would do right now if they were remortgaging or buying a house, and they told us what they would do right now.

As Santander announces increases, sub-4% mortgage rates may'could disappear this week.'

www.dailymail.co.uk, February 20, 2024
After Santander's announcement that rates will be higher from tomorrow, the best mortgage rates are expected to fall below 4% once more. Santander's household fixed rates are on the rise by between 0.23 percent and 0.34 percentage points. Homeowners looking to remortgage will therefore have to pay Santander's five-year fixed rate at 3.9 percent with a £999 fee attached.

Tenants could spend £150k on rent while simultaneously saving to climb the ladder of property

www.dailymail.co.uk, February 19, 2024
The troubling new statistics are based on the typical age of a first-time purchaser and the average tenant in England is expected to rent for about 18 years. This assumes that they first started renting in their late teens or early twenties. Goodlord's estimates included its own rental rates, which stood at £699 per person on average over the past 12 months, and £1,167 per person for those living in London. This could result in a shocking £151,009 being spent on rent in their 18 years as a tenant. And for those people live in London, this figure would rise to a whopping £252,042 in rent before stepping up to the property ladder.

Is YOUR lender paying over 10%?

www.dailymail.co.uk, February 15, 2024
Britons coming to an end of their fixed rate mortgage terms are in danger of falling into mortgage rates that are ten times higher than they are currently on. Borrowers who do not switch to a new one before their current introductory offer ends will revert to their lender's standard variable rate (SVR). SVRs can be as high as 9.73 percent, depending on the lender, and can increase hundreds or even thousands of pounds to someone's monthly payments. We discuss what borrowers need to hear about SVRs, tell what the best lenders charge and which ones have hiked rates in recent years.

Should you fix your mortgage or savings? Experts comment on our definitive guide to what they should do

www.dailymail.co.uk, February 5, 2024
Though the Bank's benchmark rate hasn't budged, savings and mortgage rates have dropped sharply in recent months, so what can you do with your mortgage and savings? We take a look at the estimated interest rates, savings, and mortgages of prospective customers to see what they would do in our definitive guide to fixing.

How to repay your mortgage a YEAR earlier - and save thousands - using this National Insurance trick

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 30, 2024
According to a large bank, a typical homeowner could repay their mortgage a year ahead of schedule if they diverted money they earned from the recent National Insurance cut into overpaying their home mortgage. According to Santander, a worker earning £30,000 could reduce their total mortgage interest by £7,405 by doing this. We'll discuss who should consider overpaying their mortgage.

Is now a good time to buy your first home? Before house rates increase, you could make a bargain

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 30, 2024
According to reports, those wishing to get to the property ladder this year have the opportunity to haggle and buy at a discount before house prices increase. According to Zoopla, more houses are hitting the market this year, with the number of available homes up 22% on this year alone, and a fifth of sellers still offering more than 10% less than asking price to guarantee a sale. However, higher mortgage rates remained a sticking point.

What 1% deposit mortgages might mean for first-time buyers... and the housing market has changed

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 23, 2024
According to reports, the government is considering allowing first-time buyers to get on the property ladder with just a 1% deposit. Any first-time buyers would no doubt endorse the policy if it is confirmed. However, critics argue that raising mortgage rates could also raise house prices, and that first-time buyers may not be able to afford the monthly payments required on such a large mortgage, particularly because mortgage rates remain relatively high.

How £34million high school went from new-build hope to hellish fight club where teachers are regularly attacked after fish and chip shop head and his successor walk away

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 18, 2024
Violence, assaults, internal truancy, youth swearing, vaping, and knocking doors down are all causing disruption at Pencoedtre High School in Barry, South Wales, according to teachers. During a fight between two girls during lesson time, the male teacher was allegedly bruised his ribs. The teacher allegedly called for help for 20 minutes, according to Union representatives, but no one appeared to assist for 20 minutes. Hundreds of children are roaming the corridors without any adult supervision,' Union official Sharron Daly (inset). It's virtual anarchy'

Crisis deepens at £34million newbuild Welsh school where striking teachers claim they are treated 'like punching bags' as executive headteacher suddenly steps down

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 17, 2024
Pencoedtre High School in Barry, South Wales, has seen a record of 136 exclusions since September last year, when the new term was first introduced in September. After being given "nothing" from the council, head teacher Debra Thomas has stepped down, a local councillor said. These developments, according to Cllr. Rhys Thomas, Chairwoman of the Learning and Culture Scrutiny Committee, are highly concerning, and show that the Vale Council has failed to accept responsibility.' Debra Thomas had a tough time figuring out Pencoedtre School's issues, and the Council had no help removing blame at any turn.'

Are house prices falling in YOUR area?Try this online calculator to see whether your home's value has gone up or down in the last year as average property prices fall at fastest rate in more than 12 years

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 17, 2024
A new online calculator can tell how much money your house has increased or lost in value over the last year, as median property values dropped at their slowest rate in over a decade. According to official estimates, UK property values were generally cheaper in November 2023 than a year ago. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), house prices dropped by 2.1 percent in the 12 months to November 2023 to hit £285,000 on average.

When will two-year fixes fall below 4%?

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 16, 2024
In the new round of re-pricing this year, four more mortgage lenders have reported rate cuts today. NatWest, HSBC, TTSB, and Metro Bank are among the nearly 50 other lenders that have reduced residential rates lower since January 1st. The lowest five-year fixes are down by as low as 3.9 percent, while the lowest two-year fixes are now closing in on the 4% mark.

Teachers striking at £34million newbuild Welsh school claim they are treated 'like punching bags' by pupils and are being forced to lock their office doors to protect themselves from attacks by violent teenagers - with 136 exclusions this year

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 15, 2024
When the new year began in September, Pencoedtre High School in Barry, South Wales, has seen a record of 136 exclusions since September. The school was designed by London-based architects, with the school's brutality being attributed to its new layout, which featured wide open balconies around a central 'heart space' dining hall, central 'heart space, and courtyard. According to the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), the open-plan strategy has contributed to the bad behavior. Teachers said the school's central location 'Successful Future Centre' encouraged large groups of children to interact, sparking brawls.

What are landlords' best buy-to-let mortgages? Should they fix or risk a tracker?

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 15, 2024
Many buy-to-let landlords will be monitoring mortgage rates with the same ardent attention as homeowners and first-time buyers. A mortgage rate war has erupted since the start of the year, and more than 40 lenders have lowered their rates. Should landlords fix or hold out for more cuts? We take a look at what they should do when buying a new mortgage and a rundown of the best mortgage deals currently available.

Oil Rush: How criminal gangs and thugs are targeting pubs and supermarkets for 'liquid gold' cooking oil which can be converted to biofuel and sold on black market

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 13, 2024
As prices rise in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, criminal groups have been aiming pubs and supermarkets to steal cooking oil. Prices have soared since the war started in February 2022, with Russia and Ukraine as the top producers of sunflower oil. According to a string of robberies around the country in the last two years, a gangland source told The Mirror that vegetable oil was 'fast becoming liquid gold' as a result. (left and right: two of three thugs who pleaded guilty to the robbery of oil in October,2022)

Oxford United 6-2 Coventry is a sportsman who plays football for the University of Oxford in a wild competition for the fourth round of the FA Cup. Kasey Palmer is a student at the University of Oxford

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 6, 2024
LIAM MORGAN OF THE COVENTRY BUILDING SOCIETY SOCIETY ARENA: It's been almost a year since Coventry was disqualified from the competition, according to the same stage and venue as National League Wrexham in a game that featured seven goals and a red card. And there were eight people here, four of whom, including a 30-yard wondergoal from Coventry's Kasey Palmer, were within the first 19 minutes, helping the Championship side prevent being on the wrong end of an upset for the second straight season.

If lenders keep lowering mortgage rates, will a decrease in mortgage rates drive higher house prices?

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 4, 2024
Mortgage lenders are cut rates on a regular basis, prompting some to believe that the sluggish property market is on the rebound. According to Moneyfacts, NatWest, First Direct, TSB, and MPowered Mortgages all announced mortgage rate cuts today, although the average five-year fixed mortgage rate across the entire market has fallen from 5.5 percent to 5.4 percent in the same day alone.

Should I fix my mortgage for two or five years?More Britons now take shorter option

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 4, 2024
Anybody buying a house or remortgaging their house this year faces a decision that could save them - or cost them thousands of pounds, depending on whether they choose correctly. It's either fix their mortgage for two or five years. We take a look at why the trend has shifted from five years to two.

The Bank of England maintains interest rates at 5.2 percent, which includes mortgages and savings

www.dailymail.co.uk, December 14, 2023
The Bank of England has chosen to hold the base rate at 5.2 percent once more, boosting the belief that we have hit the peak for interest rates. The decision marks the third pause since the Monetary Policy Committee voted to hold the base rate first in September and then at the beginning of November. Since December 2021, there have been 14 consecutive base rate increases in totality since December 2021.

Home sellers are often asked to lower asking rates in order to reduce asking prices

www.dailymail.co.uk, December 4, 2023
Home sellers are facing a reality check, with more being asked to lower their asking price in order to get the property sold. According to Rightmove, the average time it takes for a seller to find a buyer has increased by three weeks from 45 days last year to 66 days now. During 2023, price cuts have also become more common, with 39% of houses having their price cut during sales down from 29 percent last year.

Why the Government's 95% Mortgage Guarantee Scheme doesn't work for single first-time buyers

www.dailymail.co.uk, November 6, 2023
The Government is considering exorbiting the mortgage guarantee scheme to benefit a new generation of home owners.' The scheme shields lenders from some of the dangers involved with handing out mortgages with 5 percent deposits, which, in theory, makes them more likely to provide them. However, new data shows that the majority of single first-time buyers on an average salary are unlikely to afford to use the scheme.