First Time Buyer

Finance Archive

Archive

  • When to pick up a bargain?

    When to pick up a bargain?

    Falling prices are good news for first time buyers, but when's the right moment to take the plunge? Amid the black economic cloud that's settled over the globe, silver linings are hard to find. But if there's one sector of society who can legitimately start to smile, it's first time buyers (FTBs). Finally. Those who watched from the sidelines as property values soared beyond their reach throughout the early years of the new millennium, are seeing something that, in those days of despondency, they never thought possible: prices are dropping. Not just dropping, but plunging. UK properties are shedding an average of £140 a day and that first rung of the ladder is looking more accessible by the minute. ...

  • Flat rate

    Flat rate

    The flat is the traditional entry point for first time buyers - but when it comes to investing in an apartment, should you buy brand new or opt for older? You can't throw a stone in most towns and cities without breaking a freshly-paned window in a development of new build flats. Apartments for singles, couples and friends are being marketed, perhaps with a patronising hint, to the 'iPod generation'. In developments like this, you can snap up your first home (or 'iPad') for what seems a bargain price. Slick marketing materials and weather-beaten banners announce that your deposit and stamp duty are taken care of, and some go even further and kindly pay your Waitrose shopping bills, Virgin gym membership and travelcard for the first year. So what could you possibly be waiting for? ...

  • Affordability

    Affordability

    There is a silver lining… Cathy Neal from Which? Money reports how first timers can be the winners from the property market gloom ...

  • Northern rocket

    Northern rocket

    The likes of 90% loan to value (LTV) mortgages could return as soon as this summer. The Government will be injecting £14 billion in funding into Northern Rock in a bid to introduce more attractive mortgage products and resurrect the property market. ...

  • The end of an era?

    The end of an era?

    The landscape for mortgages has changed, possibly forever; Gordon Brown hinted that we will never see the return of 100% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages. However, news of more products have begun to filter through with the first 90% products for first time buyers being launched. But do they give first timers fresh or false hopes? ...

  • Hope for first time buyers

    Hope for first time buyers

    Abbey recently announced the launch of a 'market-leading' four-year fixed-rate mortgage for first time buyers that lets you borrow up to 85% of the property's value. Cathy Neal from Which? Money asks, could this be a much-needed lifeline for first timers? ...

  • No deposit, no problem

    Deposits have become the bugbear for many first time buyers. However, for those who are desper...

  • Get fixed

    Don't get sucked in by cheap variable rates. Nigel Tinsdale says it's best to plan for financi...

Market Watch

  • To rent or to buy – that is the question

    Recent figures suggest rental prices are now higher than average mortgage payments. Laura Edgecumbe-Ansdell investigates whether the time is ripe for ftbs to swap renting for a mortgage According...

Featured Properties

 Morrello Apartments, North Wembley

Morrello Apartments, North Wembley

* Based on a 25% share of a one bedroom apartment and allotted parking space with a ...
£46,250*

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