Useful information

Legal information - Overview

YOUR HOME IS AT RISK IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP PAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER LOAN SECURED ON IT.

If you choose an interest only mortgage:

WARNING: THE ENTIRE AMOUNT THAT YOU HAVE BORROWED WILL STILL BE OUTSTANDING AT THE END OF THE INTEREST-ONLY PERIOD.

If you choose a variable interest rate loan:

VARIABLE RATE LOANS: THE PAYMENT RATES ON THIS HOUSING LOAN MAY BE ADJUSTED BY THE LENDER FROM TIME TO TIME.

If you choose a fixed rate mortgage:

WARNING: YOU MAY HAVE TO PAY CHARGES IF YOU PAY OFF A FIXED-RATE LOAN EARLY.

If you choose a top up mortgage:

WARNING: THIS NEW LOAN MAY TAKE LONGER TO PAY OFF THAN YOUR PREVIOUS LOANS. THIS MEANS YOU MAY PAY MORE THAN IF YOU PAID OVER A SHORTER TERM.

Mortgage loans are subject to terms and conditions. Security and insurance are required. Credit is only available to individuals aged 18 or over and Resident in the Republic of Ireland, subject to status and lending criteria. Written quotations are available on request from any Ulster Bank Branch.

Ulster Bank subscribes to the European voluntary code of conduct on pre-contractual information for home loans. A copy of this code is available from Ulster Bank mortgages.

Mortgage Release Fee is €38.00 and is payable at the time of redemption of the mortgage. The cost of a valuation of a property is approximately €130 and this cost is refundable if the loan application is refused.

Typical Example with a Capital and Interest Flexible Variable Mortgage of €100,000 over a 20 year term, assuming a loan to value of less than 80% and typical APR 3.9% (variable) and repayments of €598.11 per month. Total amount repayable €143,545.34. Total Cost of Credit (Total Amount Repayable - Mortgage Amount) €43,545.34. The additional cost per month of a 1% rise in the rate of interest of such a mortgage is €53.59. The total cost of credit of a 1% rise in the rate of interest is €56,407.43.

Rates correct as at 25/11/09 and are subject to change.

First time buyer mortgage

Lending criteria, terms and conditions apply. Credit is only available to persons aged 18 years or over. Security and insurance are required. The loan amount is not based on one fixed formula. Factors reflecting the repayment capacity of each applicant are individually assessed based on a combination of factors including qualifying income, net disposable income and existing commitments. Mortgaged property must be within the Republic of Ireland.

Flexible option

Flexible mortgage repayment options are only available with Flexible Variable Rate Mortgages. Minimum mortgage amount is €50,000 and maximum mortgage available is up to 90% of purchase price/ value of the property (whichever is lower) for First Time Buyers & up to 80% of purchase price/ value of the property (whichever is lower) for trade-uppers. The minimum term of the mortgage is 5 years and the maximum term is 40 years provided age is not over 70 at maturity date. Payment holidays are subject to approval and conditions. If you choose the payment-free months option and subsequently revert back to 12 monthly payments, your repayments will be recalculated and reduced accordingly. Written quotations with preferred payment free months available on request from any branch of Ulster Bank.

Example with a Capital and Interest Flexible Variable Mortgage of €100,000 over a 20 year term, assuming a loan to value of less than 80% and typical APR 3.9% (variable) and repayments of €598.11 per month. Total amount repayable €143,545.34. Total Cost of Credit (Total Amount Repayable - Mortgage Amount) €43,545.34. The additional cost per month of a 1% rise in the rate of interest of such a mortgage is €53.59. The total cost of credit of a 1% rise in the rate of interest is €56,407.43. Rates correct as at 20/04/09 and are subject to change. Example with a Capital and Interest Mortgage of €100,000 over a 20 year term, assuming typical APR 3.9% (variable) and two payment-free months during each year, repayments would be €678.23 per month. The additional cost per month of a 1% rise in the rate of interest of such a mortgage is €51.74. Rates correct at 25/11/09 and are subject to change.

Please note that the ufirst rate of €10 per month will only apply to your mortgage as long as you have a ufirst current account. If for any reason your ufirst current account is closed and you have a ufirst mortgage, the interest rate will revert to the bank's prevailing variable rate. You will be notified of the increase in your repayments prior to the amended repayment becoming payable.

There is a ufirst monthly membership fee which is currently €10 per month and this fee is subject to change. A free valuation worth around €130 is only available on the ufirst flexible variable mortgage.

Fixed rate mortgages

If you redeem a fixed rate mortgage prior to the end of the agreed term, an early redemption charge will be applied. The redemption charge will be a sum equal to the lower of (i) six months' interest or (ii) a sum calculated in accordance with the following formula:

(Redeemed Amount x (R - R1) x Time remaining in days until the end of the fixed rate period) divided by 365.


For the purpose of the above formula:


"Redeemed amount" means the estimated average loan balance between the time of the proposed repayment or interest rate conversion and the end of the relevant fixed rate period, assuming that no such repayment or interest rate conversion takes place and that all monthly payments have been made by the borrower under the terms specified in the loan offer.  Where a lump sum repayment is made, "redeemed amount" shall mean the amount of the lump sum repayment.

"R" means the interest rate available to the lender for funds placed in the money market on the start date of the relevant fixed rate period for the duration of that period.

"R1" means the interest rate available to the lender for funds placed in the money market on the date of the proposed early repayment, lump sum repayment or interest rate conversion for the remainder of the relevant fixed rate period. The rate applied will be either a 1 month, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year or 5 year rate, whichever is closest to the remaining fixed rate term of the mortgage.

When your fixed rate mortgage expires you can revert to the Standard Variable rate or any other mortgage product that you may be offered at this time. Minimum mortgage amount is €50,000 and maximum mortgage available is up to 90% of purchase price/ value of the property (whichever is lower) for First Time Buyers & up to 80% of purchase price/ value of the property (whichever is lower) for trade-uppers The minimum term of the mortgage is 5 years and the maximum term is 40 years provided age is not over 70 at maturity date.

Investment mortgages

The maximum number of properties available for investment mortgages is 5 with the maximum portfolio not exceeding €1,000,000. The minimum loan amount is €50,000 and maximum mortgage available is up to 50% of purchase price/ value of the property (whichever is lower). Properties for which funds will not normally be advanced- one-bedroom properties, agricultural properties, business premises, flats (on any level) in multi-storey type property i.e. in excess of five stories, unless the property is predominately in private ownership, multiple tenancies e.g. a house or flat with several bedrooms, occupied by a number of individuals sharing common facilities such as kitchen and bathroom etc . The minimum term of the mortgage is 5 years and the maximum term is 25 years provided age is not over 70 at maturity date.

Home Run mortgage – affordable housing

If you have already bought an affordable house under a local authority affordable housing scheme, you are not eligible to switch your mortgage from a previous lender (including Local Authorities) to an Ulster Bank Home Run mortgage. Further mortgage advances, equity release or top-ups are not currently available on the Ulster Bank Home Run mortgage. An Ulster Bank Home Run mortgage is not available if you are building your own home on an affordable housing site allocated by your local authority. Lending criteria and terms and conditions apply. Over 18s only. Security and insurance required. The property must be in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and the mortgage holder must also be resident in ROI. Minimum mortgage amount advanced is €50,000. Minimum mortgage term is 5 years. The maximum mortgage is normally 90% of the property value. As a general rule, loan amounts are subject to monthly repayments not exceeding 30% to 40% of the borrower's/s' disposable income and will vary according to individual circumstances. An approval in principle is not an offer of a loan.

Valuation fee

A free valuation is available on flexible variable mortgages where a ufirst/ufirstgold current account is in place. For other mortgages the cost of a valuation is approximately €130. In each case you can nominate a valuer from Ulster Bank's valuation panel to carry out your valuation, or one will be nominated for you.