Many mortgage lenders have withdrawn tracker mortgages in 2008. According to the Irish Independent – Bank of Ireland and ICS are going to do the same – and stop offering tracker mortgages to new customers from October 10th.
Ulster Bank and First Active stopped offering new tracker mortgages back in September 2008.
Tracker mortgage rates move up or down in line with ECB rates. When you sign up for a tracker mortgage – the lender agrees to keep your mortgage rate at a specific percantage rate above the ECB rate for the life of your loan. Some tracker rates for new customers are just ECB plus 0.9% . (NIB).
People on tracker mortgages will automatically benefit from yesterdays announced 0.5% ECB rate cut. The ECB decrease takes effect from Wednesday 15th October 2008. This should reduce mortgage repayments by an average of €70 a month. But – it is expected that many lenders will not pass on some or all of that decrease to borrowers on Standard Variable Rate mortgages.
So where can you still get tracker mortgages?
Well – according to the Irish Independent today – only NIB and AIB are offering tracker mortgages – But they have for some reason missed out Halifax and EBS – who are both still offering tracker mortgages according to their web sites.
See our comparison of tracker mortgage rates here to find out the lowest interest rate you could get. .
NB: Halifax are still advertising that they will cover up to €1000 of legal fees for borrowers who switch mortgages to them.