All equity release plans approved by the Equity Release Council allow you to move whenever you like. If you have a lifetime mortgage, you may transfer it to your new home. ... You may not therefore have enough equity to purchase a new home.
We are frequently asked by people considering equity release whether it is possible to sell their house or move in the future if they take out an equity release product such as a lifetime mortgage. The answer to this question is yes, you can sell your home with equity release, subject to meeting some criteria.
Equity release plans provide you with a cash lump sum or regular income. The "catch" is that the money released will need to be repaid when you pass away or move into long term care. With a Lifetime Mortgage, you will owe the capital borrowed and the loan interest accrued.
An equity release application usually takes between 4 to 6 weeks for a lifetime mortgage (the most popular type of equity release plan) and 6 to 8 weeks for a home reversion scheme, assuming the title on the house is clear.
If you're thinking about moving home, you can normally transfer your lifetime mortgage to your new property. This is known as 'porting'. However, your new property will need to meet our lending criteria, so porting isn't guaranteed.
Some 45 per cent of equity-release products now offer downsizing protection, which can typically be used after the first five years of the loan. “The downsizing protection features allow customers to downsize at a time that suits them, rather than being forced to by financial needs,” Mr Wilkie adds.
You can use the sale proceeds of your property to pay your equity release back in full when you move to a new home. However, you may incur an early repayment charge. Moving house doesn't always mean you need to pay your plan back in full. Instead, you can port your existing plan to a new property.
What's the difference between equity release and a lifetime mortgage? Equity release enables homeowners to retain the use of their home while obtaining an income or funds from it. A lifetime mortgage is one of the two main types of equity release products, the other being a home reversion plan.
You may be wondering if you still qualify for equity release? All equity release lenders require that they are the sole first charge on your property. Any existing mortgage or charges will need repaying as part of an equity release.
In general, the more equity you have, the better position you're in because the amount of money you owe compared to the value of your home will be lower. If your initial fixed term mortgage is coming to an end, it can be a good option to remortgage.
Interest rates are typically fixed between 6 per cent to 7.5 per cent, which means in 11 years the amount of money you owe will double. Ros Altman, director-general of Saga, says: 'Some people have no alternative but to borrow from their homes.
Your private and state pension is unaffected by equity release. However, the guarantee credit part of pension credit, which tops up the statement pension to increase pensioners' weekly income, can be affected.
There are many alternatives to Equity Release, which I always explore with clients. These include: Selling assets, remortgaging, asking for help from family and friends, grants, moving to a cheaper home, state benefits, renting a room, budgeting, changing employment, or simply doing nothing.
The lender ranked the top 10 reasons for an application decline. They were flat roofs, proximity to a commercial property, non-standard construction, flood risk, single skin construction, ex-local authority, clutter inside the house, asbestos, proximity to electricity and spray foam under the roof.
The lowest Equity Release interest rate is currently 2.90% (AER) fixed for life. The highest interest rate in the market is 6.80% (AER). In the Spring 2021 Market Report, the Equity Release Council stated that average interest rates for Equity Release were 3.95%.
Is equity release a good thing? Equity release can be a good idea for older people who would like to gain some extra cash in retirement. Equity release can help you make home improvements, pay for the costs of care, help a loved one who is struggling financially, or pay off other debt.
What is a lifetime mortgage for over 60s? Equity release is a form of mortgaging or remortgaging that allows homeowners aged over 55 to release equity from their homes by taking out a tax-free cash lump sum. An equity release mortgage can help you put aside funds for retirement or buy a second home.
Equity release unlocks the value built up in your home as a tax free lump sum. There's no need to move out and you'll still own your home. With equity release you don't have to make monthly payments, unless you choose to. It's usually repaid when the last borrower moves into long term care or dies.
Can you repay equity release early? If you want to – yes you can, absolutely. However, it's important to reiterate how an equity release lifetime mortgage is designed to remain in place for the remainder of your life or whilst your health allows you to remain living in your main residence.
With equity release, you don't have to make monthly repayments. That's because a lifetime mortgage, the most popular form of equity release, is a loan secured against your home which, alongside the roll-up interest, is typically paid back when your plan comes to an end.
You'll normally get between 20% and 60% of the market value of your home (or of the part you sell). When considering a home reversion plan, you should check: Whether or not you can release equity in several payments or in one lump sum.