David J Salmon

Homeowners who are in arrears with their mortgage payments will have their properties repossessed as a “last resort”, according to one expert.

Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at independent mortgage advisor John Charcoal, says that repossessions are as bad news for lenders as they are for borrowers and therefore all other options will have to be exhausted before this takes place.

His comments come as the Financial Services Authority (FSA) sets out new measures, which aim to ensure that homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage repayments are treated in a fair manner.

Such proposals include stopping lenders from charging monthly fees for customers who have made an arrangement to pay off their arrears and are sticking to this agreement.

Mr Boulger states: “The FSA proposal is very reasonable on that basis and obviously does avoid putting further pressure on people who have gone into arrears.”

Housing charity Shelter recently revealed that over one million people in the UK have used a credit card to pay for their mortgage or rent in the last 12 months.

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Now Is the Best Time To Start

 The age old saying “There is no time like the present” has a lot of truth in it, but we still often resist it. When we don’t feel ready to do something, we can come up with a thousand reasons why now isn’t a good time. We fear the unknown and can easily persuade ourselves to wait for a better time. But waiting for the perfect time stops you from getting on with actions that could be taken right now. There is hardly ever a perfect time to make a big move. But that doesn’t mean to say that it is not the right time to get started. Maybe right now all you need to do is to get the ball rolling, so things fall into place.

Often the real problem isn’t that it’s not the right time. More likely is that you just don’t know where to get started on a big project. For example, if you decide you want to change jobs, you don’t have to start by leaving the job you are in now. You start slowly by deciding on exactly what sort of job you are looking for. You re-write your CV, research opportunities, perhaps even consult a career specialist to help you plan your approach. The actual step of changing jobs comes after all this preparation work, composed of many small steps.

The secret of tackling a big move is to start where you are and take a first small step. The next steps will gradually fall into place once you take action. Now is the best time to take that first small step.

 Coaching

It is a waste of energy to look for reasons why now is not the right time to get started. Instead use that energy to find reasons to start and work out what first step you can take from where

you are now. You are just where you are meant to be right now. The usual excuses that people use for not doing something, “I don’t have the right qualifications, I’m too old, it will cost too much,” are just limitations imposed by themselves. Step past your limitations and work out the first steps you can take. There may be many steps needed before you can reach your goal, but once you start you will get closer with every step you take. If you take one small step every day in one year you will 365 steps closer to making your dream come true.

Coaching Question

What first step can you take today?

Daily Action

Start by creating a plan to help you reach your goal. Break it down into small steps and create a system that works for you; a spreadsheet, a list or whatever you like. The main thing is to have a system that you will follow to track your progress. Take daily steps towards your goal and you will have no more reasons not to start now.

Quotes

“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Benjamin Franklin

“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” George Washington Carver

 
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Despite the increased availability of 85 per cent loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages, many first-time buyers are still unable to get a foot on to the property ladder, it has been suggested.

Paul Holmes, chief executive of Firstrung, says that while the fact that lenders are loosening their borrowing requirements does help, there are still not many first-time buyers who have a 15 per cent deposit to offer.

His comments come in response to statistics from moneysupermarket.com, which reveal that the number of 85 per cent LTV mortgages on the market has increased by 22 per cent since December 2009.

“A lot of first-time buyers whether singularly or together are still miles away in terms of multiples, as well as the deposit,” explains Mr Holmes.

Recent data from the National Association of Estate Agents could make grim reading for some first-time buyers, revealing that only 19 per cent of people who purchased a property in December 2009 fell into this category.

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Let Yourself Feel

Feelings are feelings. They aren’t good or bad, they just are. Feelings express what you are experiencing at the time. Ignoring or suppressing your feelings isn’t a good idea. To understand and appreciate life deeply you need to be in touch with your feelings, as they are the key to experiencing life.

It isn’t always easy to let yourself feel your feelings so deeply. Sadness, grief and disappointment aren’t easy emotions to allow ourselves to experience. Society expects us to get a grip on our distressing feelings and we are expected to get over them as quickly as possible. However the more you feel a feeling whether a happy or sad one, the more deeply you experience life. You also are able to be more empathetic towards others. Experiencing sadness also makes you appreciate feelings of joy more when they come your way.

Grieving over the death of a pet that we are attached to is often frowned upon, but our feelings are just as real and should be acknowledged. Feelings are not about what others think of as appropriate, but about what we are actually feeling. Go with your feelings and allow yourself to experience them fully, no matter what others think.

Coaching

Feelings shouldn’t be suppressed or censored. It doesn’t matter what others think – you have the right to feel how you do and express it.

Coaching Question

Are you letting yourself feel?

Daily Action

Observe all the feelings that you feel today. Make the most of each one and value it for what it is. When you feel, you know that you are living your life.

Quotes

“Tears are words the heart can’t express.” Anonymous

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Carl W. Buechner

“People love others not for who they are but for how they make them feel.” Irwin Federman

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The UK property market has not yet made a full recovery from the damage that was caused by the worldwide economic downturn, one expert has suggested.

Paul Holmes, chief executive of Firstrung, says that the housing market is only halfway through the process of property prices recovering to their pre-recession levels.

“The only reason house prices didn’t fall further last year was all the rescues for the banks and the artificially low interest rate,” he states.

His comments come in response to recent statistics from moneysupermarket.com, which revealed that there are now more home loan products available to those wishing to take out a mortgage.

There are now 22 per cent more 85 per cent loan-to-value deals on the market than in December 2009, while rates across all mortgage products have fallen.

Mr Holmes states that he thinks some of the optimism surrounding the UK housing market coming out of the recession is “statistically negligible” because he does not class a 0.1 per cent growth as a recovery.

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To Get A Yes, You Have To Ask

An important key to success is being prepared to ask for what you want. Unless you ask you are unlikely to get something. People can’t say yes to you unless you ask. Never be afraid of asking for something. You won’t get what you want unless you do.

A friend recently applied for a job that was her dream job. She didn’t have all the qualifications they were asking  for and she knew it was a long shot, but she applied anyway. Her view was that if she didn’t apply they wouldn’t have anything to say yes to. I was impressed by her positive take on it. Many of us in the same position wouldn’t have bothered applying, thinking that they would only get rejected anyway. You never know unless you try and even with a long shot there is always a chance of a yes. The important thing to remember is that you have to ask, so that the other person has a chance to say yes.

Coaching

Rather than fearing a no, change your perspective to that of giving people the opportunity to give you a yes. You never know what possibilities there are unless you try. Perhaps you won’t get the job you applied for, but they might offer you another one that is just right for you instead, just because you gave them the opportunity of meeting you. Ask and allow a yes to come your way.

 Coaching Question

Are you asking so that you can get a yes?

Daily Action

Practice giving others the chance to say yes. Ask for what you want. You have a 50/50 chance of getting it, which are really good odds.

 Quotes

“You create your opportunities by asking for them.” Shakti Gawain

“If there is something to gain and nothing to lose by asking, by all means ask!” W. Clement Stone

“Anything that’s worth having is worth asking for.” Melba Colgrove

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House prices in the UK are unlikely to rise dramatically in the immediate future, according to one expert.

Jon Brown, partner relationship manager at iammoving.com, says that while the economy is being repaired and lenders are restoring their faith in mortgage borrowers, Britons are still concerned about economic stability and job security.

Furthermore, he adds that people should learn lessons from the recession and the property price peak that was seen prior to the credit crunch.

“We must see that an increase in property value of this magnitude is simply not a sustainable prospect and we should not attempt to repeat it,” he states.

Mr Brown’s comments come in response to recent data from Halifax, which revealed that house prices increased by a total of 105 per cent in the last decade.

The average price of a home in the UK in the final quarter of 1999 stood at £81,596, this figure rose to £167,020 by the end of 2009.

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Build Your Foundations Well

When you build a house the foundation is the most important part to get right. You need a solid foundation to support the walls and the whole building. Without it, however well you build your roof and walls they could all crumble if not supported properly. A foundation doesn’t need creativity, just good solid building, block by block. The creativity comes after, when you add your own designs and finishing touches to your home. But you can’t be creative unless the foundation is there to support it.

It is the same with anything in life. You have to build your foundation well, before you get to be creative and make your own individual mark. Once your foundation is in place you can build on it and use your flare and creativity to make it yours.

We often want to skip over the boring work of laying a foundation. It is not very exciting and we are impatient to proceed to the creative part. The foundation is dull and we want the fun part of it all. Often we think we already know it all, after all it is basic. But if we don’t take the time to learn the basics thoroughly as a foundation, everything we do afterwards may fall down in ruins because it is not supported. You need a strong foundation if you want what you build to last.

Coaching

The basics may be dull and even uncomfortable to learn, but resist the temptations to rush through them. The basics build you a strong foundation for the future. Once you have them mastered it will be that much easier to learn the more difficult techniques that you need to express your creativity.

Coaching Question

Are you building your foundation as well as you can?

Daily Action

If you are struggling in something, look back and see if you took the time to master the basics. If you skipped over them, go back and learn them now. It will be time well spent as you will find things much easier once you have.

Quotes

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” Meister Eckhart

“Do not despise the bottom rungs in the ascent to greatness.” Publilius Syrus

“Don’t be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That’s only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself.” Olga Korbut

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If the private rental sector was not there to act as a safety net, the UK housing market would be “in desperate straits”, one expert has commented.

A spokesman for the National Approved Letting Scheme says that renting gives many people more flexibility.

“Four or five years ago it was always felt that it was imperative to get onto the housing ladder. Now more and more people who could afford to get onto the housing ladder actually prefer to rent,” he adds.

His comments come in response to recent findings from the British Property Federation, which revealed that private landlords could be the only way to fill the housing gap in Britain.

During the fourth quarter of 2009, some 41 per cent of members from the Association of Residential Letting Agents reported that they had more potential tenants than available properties.

A further 54 per cent of those questioned felt that due to the economic downturn many consumers are being forced to rent rather than buy a property.

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All You Need Is Ten Minutes

Ten minutes doesn’t seem very long, but focusing for ten minutes at a time can get a lot of things done. In ten minutes you can de-stress, or you can use it to catch up on the news, finish off a small job or do one piece of a bigger project. Ten minutes can accomplish many things.

Taking ten minutes to unwind can make a big difference to your day, so that you are more productive for the rest of it. Ten minutes is enough to walk around the block, do some stretching exercises, take a power nap or just do some deep breathing and meditation, so that you feel rejuvenated and refreshed.Ten minutes give you a chance to catch up with e-mails and thank you notes, pay a few bills or make a phone call. You can complete those small tasks that are always being put off in a few batches of ten minutes.

Loads of small chores fit into ten minutes. Dusting your desk, taking out the rubbish, unloading the dishwasher can all fit into an odd ten minutes while you are waiting for something else to happen or someone else to be ready. You’ll be able to get ahead and ease the load of chores and fill in time productively that might otherwise have been wasted.

Many big projects can be broken down into small steps. Try breaking down tasks into sections that can be done in ten minute bursts. Not only will it be easier to see your forward progress, but you will get moiré done, as you can fit it into odd slots of available time, instead of waiting to have a whole morning available to tackle the project.Ten minute tasks also help you minimize the stress of overwhelm. By having tasks available that fit into ten minute slots you can focus on them easily and get them done quickly without all the wasted time of wondering what to start with,  which you have with a big unfocussed project. Getting ten minutes done will inspire you to carry on and give you a sense of accomplishment.

Coaching

Ten minutes can seem like no time at all, but if you are focused you can do a lot in it. The secret is knowing what to do with your ten minutes and having a list of quick tasks that you can do whenever you have ten minutes free.

Coaching Question

What will you do with your ten minutes?

Daily Action

If you have a task that seems daunting, try breaking it up into ten minute segments to do every time you have ten minutes available in between other tasks. You’ll be amazed how much you can get done when you are focused.

Quotes

“I took a course in speed waiting. Now I can wait an hour in only ten minutes.” Steven Wright

“It’s how we spend our time here and now, that really matters. If you are fed up with the way you have come to interact with time, change it.” Marcia Wieder

“Today, be aware of how you are spending your 1,440 beautiful moments, and spend them wisely.” Anonymous

“Your greatest resource is your time.” Brian Tracy

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