When you first take out a mortgage, you make a series of big decisions—fixed or variable rate, term length, lender, and repayment structure. At the time, those choices usually make perfect sense. But life doesn’t stand still—and neither do mortgage rates. What suited you a few years ago might not
Who is a First Time Buyer (FTB) – Definition? Not everyone realises they may still qualify as a First-Time Buyer in Ireland — even if they owned a home before. Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. But in Ireland, the definition of
The house you are buying needs house renovations – so how do you fund these renovations? There are various ways you can fund renovations. You can take out a bank loan or credit union loan once you complete on the purchase of a property. If you don’t fancy the loan
The Help to Buy (HTB) scheme was first introduced in Jan 2017 to help first-time buyers purchase or self-build a new house or apartment. The scheme was reviewed and enhanced in July 2020, providing further supports. The scheme was reviewed again at the end of 2025 and extended to the
What Is an Approval in Principle (AIP)? In the Irish mortgage market, an Approval in Principle (AIP) is a preliminary assessment from a lender that shows how much they may be willing to lend to a potential home buyer. For first-time buyers, it’s a vital first step — helping you
Key Points: First time buyer support schemes Help to Buy Scheme (HTB) First Home Scheme (FTS) Rent tax credit Increase of housing supply Reduced VAT on sale of new apartments Residential Zoned Land Tax Reform (ZLTR) Stamp Duty Residential Rebate Scheme Derelict property tax Many of the Budget 2026’s
Current Flex rates as of 10th June 2025: 2.98% for Loan-to-Value equal or above 80% 3.18% for Loan-to-Value less than 80% The Irish mortgage market welcomed Avant Money’s Flex Mortgage in April 2025. This mortgage combines the benefits of a low variable mortgage rate and a one year fixed rate.
Let’s discuss mortgage affordability and why the “4 times income” rule may not always apply. Central Bank of Ireland loan-to-income limits The Central Bank of Ireland introduced mortgage measures in 2015, revised in 2023, to ensure sustainable lending standards in the mortgage market. Read our Blog Mortgage Changes from January
A current 2024 trend in the Irish mortgage market are the so called ‘green rates’ for mortgages. Lenders are rewarding borrowers for purchasing homes with good energy rating, with green fixed rates over 1% lower than leading market rates. Furthermore, in April Bank of Ireland introduced the EcoSaver mortgage providing