Alex Brooks

Mortgage Stressbusters

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Dreaming of being debt free? Wondering what a tumultuous property market will mean for your financial future? Wanting to buy, sell or invest in property without being ripped off or paying a mortgage for the term of your natural life? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then Mortgage Stressbusters is a must-read. This plain-English, Q&A guide to mortgages and residential property will help you to end mortgage stress once and for all. Not only will you learn how to save money - and time - on your mortgage, but you'll also learn the tricks, tips and tactics that will get you ahead in the property game. Inside you'll discover: * how to get the best mortgage deal * how to buy property successfully, no matter what the market is doing * how to pay off your mortgage - fast * what to do if you can't pay your mortgage. Whether you're stuck in the mortgage mire or just trying to stay ahead, Mortgage Stressbusters is the book for you!

---

Hinweis: Dieser Artikel kann nur an eine deutsche Lieferadresse ausgeliefert werden.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wiley
• Seitenzahl: 272
• Erscheinungstermin: 15. Juni 2009
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 203mm x 137mm x 13mm
• Gewicht: 277g
• ISBN-13: 9780731409877
• ISBN-10: 0731409876
• Artikelnr.: 31802465

Autorenporträt

Alex Brooks specialises in writing about homes, property and sustainable living. She is the author of Planning Your Perfect Home Renovation and The Sydney Morning Herald Good Suburbs Guide. She is also a regular contributor to The Sydney Morning Herald, Sun-Herald, Sunday Life and House & Garden magazine.

Inhaltsangabe

About the author xi
Introduction xiii
Section I: getting on the mortgage merry-go-round
1 Isn't buying property always better than renting? 3
2 Can your own home be a gold mine? 5
3 Property is way too expensive - how will I ever own a home? 10
4 I heard the government will give me money to buy my first home - is this
true? 16
5 But if home prices aren't increasing, why buy now? 18
6 Why save for a deposit when the banks will lend you 100 per cent of the
purchase price? 19
7 What sort of deposit is ideal? 23
8 But I'm paying mortgage insurance, so I'll be fi ne if things get a bit
hairy, won't I? 26
9 Are there any advantages to paying lenders mortgage insurance? 29
10 I'm going to get my parents to go guarantor on my mortgage - that'll
make it easier and avoid paying lenders mortgage insurance, won't it? 31
11 Aren't there a heap of mortgage offers that can help me get into the
market without having to save so hard for a deposit? 35
12 How do the banks decide how much money they'll lend me? 38
13 Credit rating? Isn't that whether you prefer a gold or silver Visa card?
39
14 I'm self-employed, so I'll always have to pay more for a mortgage, won't
I? 42
Section II: loan sweet loan
15 What does the current so-called credit crunch mean for getting
mortgages? 49
16 Banks offer the safest and cheapest mortgages, so why bother with a
broker? 50
17 All mortgages are the same, so what's the point in shopping around? 55
18 The lower the interest rate, the better the deal? 58
19 It's fee-free, isn't it? The bank promised. 61
20 Isn't a fi xed-rate loan a much better way to go? 65
21 What! I'm not paying this thing off for 30 years? 68
22 My mortgage is signed, sealed and delivered - all I have to do is make
monthly payments from now on, don't I? 70
23 A broker has told me about a mortgage-reduction scheme that sounds good
- what should I do? 72
24 How come some people get better mortgage deals than others? 75
25 Shouldn't I look at houses before I work out my mortgage? 79
26 How can I stressproof my mortgage? 83
Section III: playing the property game
27 I love it, I'm buying it. I don't need to look at any other properties,
do I? 91
28 This area is booming - I need to get in quick, don't I? 94
29 Why should I care about rental yields if I'm buying the property to live
in rather than invest? 96
30 Isn't buying near water, parks and swanky schools a waste of money? I'm
buying this cheap property on the main road. 99
31 Should I care how old my neighbours are? 101
32 This is the cutest little unit, why on earth won't the bank finance it?
103
33 What happens when I've made an offer and signed the contract? 105
34 I want to buy in a suburb close to my parents, but the valuation hasn't
come in at the right price. Why can't I use my own valuer? 107
35 Eek, I've already made an offer on the property - is it too late to
change my mind? 108
36 But my fi nance is approved, what can go wrong from here? 110
37 Is it okay to buy without a building inspection? 113
38 Aren't you better to buy a wreck so you can add value? 116
Section IV: property and mortgage tactics
39 Whether you need to buy or sell, isn't it the real estate agent that
determines whether you get a good price? 121
40 We're going to an auction this weekend and we're ready to buy. What do
we need to know? 125
41 But how can you be sure you aren't paying too much for a property? 127
42 Isn't buying well about conditions and terms, not just about price? 130
43 Are mortgagee-in-possession properties cheaper? 131
44 Not all forced sales are mortgagee-in-possession homes, are they? 133
45 Now we've bought, we need to sell our old house - how do we know we will
get the best possible price? 135
46 But I bought the house and now the bank is saying its valuation is lower
than the price I paid. How can that happen? 137
47 But property prices don't fall, so why should the banks worry so much
about valuations? 140
48 So how can you tell if a property could fall in price in the future? 142
49 Surely you can buy the best bargains at an auction? 144
50 Shouldn't I buy the biggest house in the suburb at the bargain price?
145
51 We're in fi nancial strife and need to sell, now, now, now - don't we?
147
52 I am about to retire but still have a massive mortgage and am worried
about having to move - what should I do? 148
53 I can only borrow a certain amount - do I have to shop within that price
range? 149
Section V: creative solutions to ease mortgage stress
54 I'm finding the monthly mortgage payments a real battle - the credit
card is out of control, too. What should I do? 155
55 What are my options if I can't pay my mortgage? 159
56 Things aren't disastrous yet, but interest rates are starting to bite -
what else can I do? 161
57 My partner has just left me and I don't know what's going to happen to
the mortgage - he has to keep paying, right? 164
58 I've found a mortgage broker who can save me by refinancing the mortgage
and our debts - what should I do? 165
59 We're in strife with our lender - they've sent us a letter after missing
a payment. What should we do? 167
60 Repossession sounds scary. Is there anything I can do to prevent it if
I'm in arrears? 170
61 What happens under hardship provisions or if I go to the ombudsman? 172
62 Isn't consolidating debts and refi nancing the best way out of my
troubles? 176
63 But won't refi nancing to a cheaper rate help? 178
64 Is it better to refi nance or sell my house to downsize? 182
65 What about moving out of the house and renting it? 183
66 What about refi nancing to a shared-equity mortgage? 187
67 Can't I access my superannuation to pay off my debts? 189
68 Isn't there some kind of government scheme to help you if you're having
mortgage problems? 190
69 The house has been sold out from under me and I owe the bank more money
than they recouped from the sale - what can I do? 191
70 This mortgage malarkey sounds like hard work - why bother? 195
Glossary 197
Useful websites 207
Appendix A: do your own property market research 213
Appendix B: budget template 215
Appendix C: stamp duty rates 221
Appendix D: mortgage-needs checklist 223
Appendix E: mortgage fi nancing comparison checklist 227
Appendix F: property wishlist 231
Appendix G: house-moving checklist 235
Appendix H: benefi ts of buying at auction versus buying through private
treaty 237
Appendix I: valuer versus agent prices 239
Index 241