Principality offers 95% LTV mortgage to first-time buyers

31 August 2011 | By Natalie Thomas

Principality’s Assisted First-Time Buyer deal allows family members to use their savings to secure the mortgage of their first-time buyer child or relative.

The first-time buyer deposit, which can be a minimum of 5%, together with the family savings must add up to 25% of the property value.

Principality will take a legal charge over the Assisted First Time Buyer Savings Account, paying 3.75% AER , fixed until August 31 2015. The family member will not be allowed access to their money during this time.  

After August 31 2015, if through a combination of mortgage repayments and house price rises, the mortgage has reduced from 95% LTV to 90%LTV, the legal charge on the savings account will be lifted, allowing the family member access to their savings.

The deal is extended to any family member or friend that wishes to act as the investor.

Christopher Johnson, mortgage manager at Principality Building Society, says: “Parents have become a valuable source of help for first- time buyers in a lending climate that demands much higher deposits. While it is clear that parents are willing to undertake acts of extraordinary generosity to help provide a secure future for their children, there are some drawbacks to gifting a deposit. Many parents who lend their children deposits will not recoup their money until the house is sold in the future.

“The advantage of allowing parents to use their savings as security for the mortgage is that they retain ownership of their money. They will continue to earn interest on their savings,while the child gets access to mortgage rates usually available to those with a larger deposit.”

Principality’s First-Time Buyer Mortgage is fixed at 4.49% until 31/08/2015 and then changes to the Standard Variable Rate which is currently 4.99%.It also has a product fee of £499.

The society says it has taken the decision to launch the new mortgage through its retail branches only at this stage. However, it has not discounted opening this up to brokers some time in the future.

 

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