A Personal Mortgage Experience

I don't know what the mortgage situation is around the world but here in England the mortgage industry is a constant point of debate. It used to be that everyone aspired to having a mortgage on a nice home ? you know the kind of house with enough rooms to cater for the average family with 2.4 children. I was no different myself when I first wanted to get on the first rung of the housing ladder ten years ago.

At the time I was living in a council flat (a government housing apartment) with my husband and our baby daughter. The apartment was a fairly decent size but I had gone back to work and my partner was working long hours so we thought that we wanted to stop renting and take out a mortgage to buy our own house.

I felt quite strongly that I wanted to have a mortgage so that we were not paying 'dead money' in rent. We looked around the area we were in for suitable house, nothing too fancy, just a comfortable two-bedroom property with a small garden for our daughter to play in safely as she grew older. We narrowed down our choices to get an idea of what size of mortgage we required. The next step was to approach a number of mortgage providers to see who offered the best rate for our needs.

It was rare to be able to obtain a mortgage that covered 100% of the property's purchase price but we were lucky in the fact that a member of my family was happy to make up the shortfall for our deposit. After a few weeks we had our mortgage set up and put in our offer for the house we both loved. All that was left then was to wait to see if the house seller would accept our bid. That was one of the longest waits I had ever had, up to that point! Finally, we received the call that told us that the house was ours! The paperwork was all exchanged and the money from our mortgage transferred into the buyer's account. Now we could make arrangements to move in and look forward to a long and happy life in our new home or that was the hope at the time.

Unfortunately, my marriage broke down after only a year in our new home. I contacted the mortgage company to see if I could take on the mortgage myself. Sadly, the amount of money I was earning was not enough and the mortgage company refused my application. I had no choice but to try and sell the house and find a smaller property that I could afford by taking out a mortgage in my own right. The house prices in my area, and the majority of England too, were rising at a ridiculous rate and fewer people were able to take out a mortgage to cover the inflated costs. This was the problem that I faced. Eventually, the reality sank in that I was going to lose my house and have to go back into a council apartment and that is exactly what happened.

I know my story is not unique by any means but the situation has got to the stage in this country that no one can afford to get a mortgage to cover the high cost of houses and apartments. This is not restricted to first-time buyers either. I strongly believe that the housing market is going to crash in the near future as there are too many houses for sale that people are unable to obtain a mortgage to buy. The average salary in this country is too low to qualify for a 100% mortgage on a middle of the range house or apartment. I know I am not alone to be in the frustrating situation that I am in at present but I am still positive that the situation will change in the near future and mortgages will be available to cover the cost of a new home. I am looking forward to that day so that my new family and I can stop paying 'dead money' in rent and get a mortgage to buy our own family home.

About the Author:

Cheryl Lind is the owner and operator of http://www.yestomortgage.com. She is dedicated to helping people get the information they need about mortgages.

In The News:

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Washington Times
The Truth About Mortgage Refinancing Revealed By Connecticut ...
SBWire (press release), WI - 16 hours ago
Westport, Connecticut based Mortgage Broker Don Caiati reveals mortgage refinancing secrets at a new web site that is full of free reports, a home buying ...
Refinancing suddenly booms Honolulu Advertiser
Lenders Backlogged By Refinancing Rush Washington Post
Low Mortgage Rates Bring Refinancing Boom MSNBC
Forbes - Washington Timesall 25 news articles

WJBF-TV
Average Mortgage Rate Hits 5%, Lowest in Decades
New York Times, United States - 8 hours ago
Of course, buying a home is a more lengthy process than simply calling up a mortgage broker to refinance, and activity typically slows during the holiday ...
US Banks Offer Mortgages Below 5% After Fed Action Bloomberg
Rates lowest since '71; time to refinance? Modesto Bee
Long-Term Mortgage Rate Falls Again Wall Street Journal
Forbes - Boston Globeall 837 news articles

Cardoza proposal could aid housing crisis
Stockton Record, CA - 1 hour ago
Under the Cardoza plan, the payment on that mortgage refinanced to 4 percent fixed rate would drop to $1194 a month. Contact reporter Bruce Spence at (209) ...

REFILE-UPDATE 1-US mortgage demand dipped before Fed move-MBA
Reuters - Jan 7, 2009
The jump in applications during December may have been driven by homeowners already "on the fence" and prepared to refinance on a drop in mortgage rates, ...
Mortgage applications down in latest survey Forbes
Week-to-week mortgage applications down 8.2% MarketWatch
Fewer apply for home loans; credit line delinquencies increase Los Angeles Times
KVOA.com - Kansas City Starall 63 news articles

Boston Globe
Fed’s Rosengren Calls for ‘Concerted’ Fiscal, Monetary Policies
Bloomberg - 4 hours ago
... to purchase or refinance homes,” Rosengren said. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped for a 10th week to 5.01 percent yesterday, ...
Rosengren sees path to recovery Boston Globe
Fed's Rosengren says recession more severe than thought Reuters
all 50 news articles

Boston Globe
Congressional Press Release on Mortgage Deal
Wall Street Journal - 8 hours ago
"Despite efforts by Congress to address this issue, not enough lenders have come to the table to help borrowers with bad mortgages refinance into new, ...
Citigroup reaches agreement with key senators on mortgage ... Minneapolis Star Tribune
Citigroup agrees to allow judges to help modify some mortgages IdahoStatesman.com
all 542 news articles

TopNews
Question & Answer on mortgage refinancing
Boston Herald, United States - Jan 1, 2009
If I refinance the mortgage on my current house, will I hurt my chances for getting a loan for a new place later on? A: No. Refinancing a loan shouldn’t ...
Mortgage Rates Hit 37-Year Low Poynter.org
30 Year Fixed Rates Drop to 5.10 percent Best Syndication
Home-Mortgage Rates' Next Stop: Below 5% Wall Street Journal
Ventura County Star - Wall Street Journalall 457 news articles

Refinancing shoots through the roof
Plano Star Courier, TX - 14 hours ago
“Quite a few people have remortgaged,” said Craig Jarrell, loan officer with Pulaski Mortgage. “Most people who refinance are new homeowners as recent as ...

Mortgage refinancing skyrockets
Cincinnati.com, OH - Jan 3, 2009
... 2009 With US mortgage rates the lowest in 30 years, local lenders say they've seen a strong surge in loan applications as homeowners seek to refinance ...
Waco banks seeing a boom in mortgage refinance applications Waco Tribune Herald
Borrowers seeking to refinance may face challenges WTOP
As mortgage rates slide, refinancing applications take off Dallas Morning News
all 15 news articles

Congressman sees support for home refinancing bill
Central Valley Business Times, CA - Jan 8, 2009
“So many folks have found themselves underwater in their mortgage … they can’t refinance,” says Mr. Cardoza. Often those who have lost their investments in ...
Cardoza submits plan to refinance mortgages Merced Sun-Star
Congressman Cardoza Introduces Housing Legislation ABC30.com
Cardoza sponsors bill to reduce mortgage payments, stabilize ... Central Valley Business Times
all 5 news articles

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