Home Buying Jargon There are many confusing terms associated with
buying a home, this section will explain these in easy to understand language,
making everything clear and understandable.
APR This term stands for Annual Percentage Rate, which
is the amount of interest to be paid on top of the loan amount. Many different
things affect the APR, including the Mortgage loan length in years, the
lender and the amount of the mortgage.
Arrangement Fee This is the fee lenders sometimes charge to setup
the mortgage. This fee is often added on top of the mortgage.
Buildings Insurance This is the insurance which must be taken out on
a property to have a mortgage. This is to cover the cost of damage from
events such as floods, fire and storms.
Buildings Survey This is a report generated by a Charted Surveyor
which details the condition of the property, describing structural and
other defects.
Capital and Interest Mortgage This is a repayment mortgage, where your monthly
payments gradually pay the mortgage off, and also the interest.
Capped Rate A mortgage with a capped rate of interest is one
where the interest rate won't go above a certain level, the 'capped' rate.
The advantage of this is that you can get the benefits of interest rate
drops, but not be hit by any rises above the 'capped' level.
Cash back Some mortgage products offer cash back when you
take out the mortgage, to spend on whatever you want, to be paid off along
with your mortgage.
Contents Insurance This is an Insurance policy covering personal belongings
within a property and its outbuildings for damage and theft.
Conveyancer This person is responsible for all documentation
regarding the sale and purchasing of properties.
Conveyancing The name given for the work carried out by a Conveyancer,
the legal process of buying and selling properties.
Daily Interest This is where the mortgage is calculated daily
on your mortgage, meaning the outstanding/remaining balance changes every
day.
Date of Entry The date when money is transferred for the property
and the buyer receives the keys.
Deposit This is the money paid on top of the mortgage to
secure the property. A larger deposit means a less amount to be borrowed
to purchase the property, and usually means the monthly payments would
be less and or paid off over a shorter period.
Discounted Rate This is where the interest on the mortgage is discounted
below the Bank of England's set rate but a certain amount for a fixed
amount of time. Eg, a Discounted rate of 2%, for the first year is a common
mortgage product offered to first time buyers.
Equity This is the difference between the amount outstanding
on your mortgage and the value of the property. Negative equity is when
the property is valued less than the outstanding balance, this is not
a good situation to be in.
Estate Agent This is someone who acts on behalf of the seller
selling the property. They often arrange viewings for the seller, and
work closely with the buyer.
Fixed Rate This is a fixed rate of interest guaranteed not
to change for a fixed amount of time.
Guarantor This is someone who guarantees to pay the mortgage
if the borrower can't or won't for any reason. Guarantees are usually
used when the borrower isn't earning enough to buy the property they want.
For example, parents often act as guarantors for their children buying
their first property.
Interest Only Mortgage In an interest only mortgage the borrow only pays
back the interest, and at the end of the mortgage term (usually 25 years)
they have to pay back a lump sum of the purchase price. Often this is
done through a separate investment.
ISA Individual Savings Account. This is often used
to pay back the lump sum at the end of an interest only mortgage.
Land Registry Fee The conveyancer pays this on the buyers behalf
to register the details of the property in the property register.
Life Insurance This is a form of assurance that if you die, the
policy will pay out a lump sum on death or diagnosis of critical illness
of the policy holder, usually to pay off the outstanding balance of a
mortgage.
Mortgage Term The length of time you agree to pay back the mortgage
over. Usually around 25 years, but can be longer or shorter by request,
or according to the age of the borrower.
Negative Equity This is when the outstanding balance on the mortgage
is less than the property value.
Overpayments When you're allowed to make extra payments each
month ontop of the standard payments to help pay off the remaining balance
quicker, and save on interest charges.
Payment Holiday When the borrower can take a break from making
mortgage payments, often useful during periods of unemployment or when
planning events using up a lot of financial resources, eg, building an
extension or fitting new windows.
Pension Mortgage An interest only mortgage, where a personal pension
plan is used to pay off the outstanding mortgage balance on retirement,
and also provide a pension.
Remortgaging When you arrange a new mortgage on your existing
home.
Stamp Duty Government tax that must be paid based on the purchase
price of a property.
Title Deeds The legal documents showing ownership of property
and land.
Tracker Rate Tracker rates vary inline with the Base Rate set
by the Bank Of England.
Valuation The value of the property, used to see if the property
is worth the amount that is away to be paid for it.
Variable Base Rate This is the basic rate of interest charged on
a mortgage. This varies, so repayments can vary both up and down.