Any way out of a fixed rate mortgage...

Any way out of a fixed rate mortgage...

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Discussion

Moose.

Original Poster:

5,339 posts

242 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
...without having to pay the release fee?

My current fixed rate deal doesn't expire until end of August and is fixed at 5.95% with a release fee of 3% (~£3000 as it stands). My mortgage lender's current standard variable is 4% which is substantially less! I've tried to negotiate with them but they will not move the mortgage onto another rate without me paying the fee, thus making it pointless changing. I've told them it's quite hard to make the payments at the moment (true!) but all they've said is don't default on your payments or else! Not exactly sympathetic frown

Any ideas folks or is struggling on until September the only option?

ipitythefool

12,627 posts

249 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Moose. said:
...without having to pay the release fee?

My current fixed rate deal doesn't expire until end of August and is fixed at 5.95% with a release fee of 3% (~£3000 as it stands). My mortgage lender's current standard variable is 4% which is substantially less! I've tried to negotiate with them but they will not move the mortgage onto another rate without me paying the fee, thus making it pointless changing. I've told them it's quite hard to make the payments at the moment (true!) but all they've said is don't default on your payments or else! Not exactly sympathetic frown

Any ideas folks or is struggling on until September the only option?
Why is it a struggle at the moment?

September isn't long to wait in the scheme of things.

shirt

22,649 posts

202 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
would you still be 'struggling' if the SVR was 8%apr?

Jgtv

2,125 posts

198 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Nope no way out, sorry I am in the same boat till July. As you said any movement is only going to cost you a lot of cash or tie you into another deal.


Nickyboy

6,700 posts

235 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Even if you could get it changed you would be looking at close to 2 months by the time they did all the paperwork for it and got it changed. Abbey said it would take close to 6 weeks for mine to change from Repayment to Interest only to save me £150 a month till November.

Moose.

Original Poster:

5,339 posts

242 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
I let the property out (mortgage company are aware of this) but I've not been able to let for a while now, so payments are tricky without the rental income. Not to mention I've been spending a LOT of money on training for a future career which means I have no savings any more. I should be able to keep going until then, but was just a bit annoyed at the lender's bluntness really.

Graham

16,368 posts

285 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Im sorry mate but you signed the paper work.. I dont see why they should have any obligation to do anything until the end of the term..


im on a fixed rate too 5 % for another 12 years.... I took the view that if it went down, i'd be mildly annoyed but if it went up I'd be fecked so went for a fixed rate... its just a form of gambling really. currently we're both loosing and the banks are winning... but I remember double digit interest rates in the not too distant past !!!

Hope you manage your way through it

G


Seight_Returns

1,640 posts

202 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
You entered into a deal whereby you paid a premium to protect yourself against the risk of high interest rates. If rates were 10% you'd be quids in and they'd be losing money - if they came to you and asked you to renegotiate becuase they didn't like the deal you'd rightly tell them to get stuffed too.

What you're asking is akin to going into a betting shop and asking for your money back just because you backed the wrong horse.

scotal

8,751 posts

280 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Moose. said:
I let the property out (mortgage company are aware of this) but I've not been able to let for a while now, so payments are tricky without the rental income. Not to mention I've been spending a LOT of money on training for a future career which means I have no savings any more. I should be able to keep going until then, but was just a bit annoyed at the lender's bluntness really.
Who is the lender?

Herman Toothrot

6,702 posts

199 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Graham said:
I took the view that if it went down, i'd be mildly annoyed but if it went up I'd be fecked so went for a fixed rate...
Only way to think about it really.

barney123

494 posts

212 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Graham said:
Im sorry mate but you signed the paper work.. I dont see why they should have any obligation to do anything until the end of the term..


im on a fixed rate too 5 % for another 12 years.... I took the view that if it went down, i'd be mildly annoyed but if it went up I'd be fecked so went for a fixed rate... its just a form of gambling really. currently we're both loosing and the banks are winning... but I remember double digit interest rates in the not too distant past !!!

Hope you manage your way through it

G
+1

I am in for another 8 years (I fixed at 4.99%). I had 2 years or so with a better than average rate, but hey ho.

By the time you pay the arrangement fees etc etc every 2 years to remortgage, it becomes expensive.


hornetrider

63,161 posts

206 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Seight_Returns said:
You entered into a deal whereby you paid a premium to protect yourself against the risk of high interest rates. If rates were 10% you'd be quids in and they'd be losing money - if they came to you and asked you to renegotiate becuase they didn't like the deal you'd rightly tell them to get stuffed too.

What you're asking is akin to going into a betting shop and asking for your money back just because you backed the wrong horse.
Wholeheartedly concur.

OP - suck it up, buttercup! Can you not drop the rent asking price to let it out quicker?

Zippee

13,480 posts

235 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
I'm in a 5 yr fixed at present that ends in June next year at 4.95%. Whilst I could be paying a lot less now I know I've been getting the benefit for at least the first half so it works both ways. You wanted the benefit of a fixed rate at the start then unfortunately this is the risk you take.

shirt

22,649 posts

202 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
do you have the option to go interest only without incurring fees? might save a few £.


andy400

10,426 posts

232 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
I'm fixed into all my mortgages with ok rates that were once very good rates (though one ends in September, so that could be interesting). I console myself about the fact that I could be paying less, with the fact that I know exactly how much will go out every month, if rates go skyward again I'm insured against unpleasantness, and actually, remortgaging every couple of years gets quite expensive - and makes the quoted rates a bit 'false'.

It's all a bit of a gamble, but then so is life.

liner33

10,702 posts

203 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Moose. said:
I let the property out (mortgage company are aware of this) but I've not been able to let for a while now, so payments are tricky without the rental income. Not to mention I've been spending a LOT of money on training for a future career which means I have no savings any more. I should be able to keep going until then, but was just a bit annoyed at the lender's bluntness really.
As a rate for a rented property thats not bad our is 7% on our rented properties frown

scotal

8,751 posts

280 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
liner33 said:
Moose. said:
I let the property out (mortgage company are aware of this) but I've not been able to let for a while now, so payments are tricky without the rental income. Not to mention I've been spending a LOT of money on training for a future career which means I have no savings any more. I should be able to keep going until then, but was just a bit annoyed at the lender's bluntness really.
As a rate for a rented property thats not bad our is 7% on our rented properties frown
Are you tied in?

Jgtv

2,125 posts

198 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
[

OP - suck it up, buttercup! Can you not drop the rent asking price to let it out quicker?
Yeah thats not a bad idea, rent it out at 4/5ths of the monthly mortgage one a short term let, or rent rooms out on similar basis.

www.Easyroommate.co.uk or something like that should be able to help you out there. better in the long run

Edited by Jgtv on Thursday 19th March 10:43

ipitythefool

12,627 posts

249 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
Moose. said:
I let the property out (mortgage company are aware of this) but I've not been able to let for a while now, so payments are tricky without the rental income.
shout
CUT THE RENTAL PRICE.

thebluebus

3,558 posts

218 months

Thursday 19th March 2009
quotequote all
OP, can you change the term of the mortgage within the bounds of the current rate fix deal and not incur costs?

i.e. get them to change the term from 20 years to 30 years - could drop the repayments.