AIB has relaxed its lending conditions for people seeking a mortgage, in a move that will see more people qualifying.

THE collapse of Home Payments Ltd highlighted the urgent need to regulate commercial fee-charging debt management firms.

THE collapse in property prices shows no sign of abating as figures show Dublin residential property prices have collapsed by over 50% since the peak of 2007.

ONLINE betting accounts are being used as reasons for refusing struggling homeowners the option of having a mortgage approved or restructured.

THE number of homeowners looking for help from their bank has doubled in the last few months.

IT could be 2014 before the European Central Bank (ECB) raises rates again, according to an Irish Examiner survey.

A €6 BILLION bailout for householders in mortgage arrears that would allow those hopelessly indebted to walk away from their home loans would solve the current crisis, according to the economist credited with predicting Ireland’s property demise.

BANKS have been accused of “cherry-picking” who they want to give mortgages to as brokers claim people can’t secure loans despite the number of applications increasing.

A MORTGAGE strike which has been proposed by trade union officials would hurt members more than the banks.

HOMEOWNERS could be hit with further interest rate hikes later this year, followed by two more next year.

THE head of the European Central Bank (ECB) says it has a responsibility to 331 million people in the eurozone — not just Ireland.

MORE than four out of five homeowners will be exposed to the prospect of rising mortgage costs today as interest rates are expected to rise.

THE number of mortgages given out by banks this year is expected to fall to levels last seen in 1971.

HOUSEOWNERS are facing a further rise in the cost of mortgage repayments next month.

HOUSE prices have fallen more than 5% since the start of the year and more than 12% in 12 months, with experts saying there is no end in sight to falling values.

NEARLY one in nine residential mortgage holders — 86,271 borrowers — is unable to make repayments or has sought help from their bank.

MORTGAGE lending has halved, with an average of just 36 approved per day in the first three months of the year.

PEOPLE who bought apartments during the property boom have been worst hit by plummeting prices, with the value of their homes now less than half what they were worth four years ago.

HOMEOWNERS with 100% mortgages could be stuck in negative equity for the next 16 years.

THE mortgage market is just 10% of what it was at the peak of the housing boom, with brokers reporting very little activity.

A HOMEOWNER could save thousands over the lifetime of their mortgage by increasing their repayments by €100 per month.

HOMEOWNERS with plenty of cash will be the main benefactors of a sweetener for tracker mortgage holders on offer by Permanent TSB.

HOMEOWNERS could be hit with increased mortgage costs today when the European Central Bank (ECB) announces if there will be any changes to interest rates.

HOUSE prices fell in Ireland by more than anywhere else in the world last year.

A HIKE in interest rates will result in an immediate rise in the number of homeowners falling into arrears on their mortgage repayments.

TRACKER mortgages represent one of the best value deals mortgage holders have ever received from their banks.

FEARS have intensified that the European Central Bank (ECB) will definitely hike interest rates next month, resulting in increased mortgage charges for many house owners.

The worsening situation in relation to people in trouble with mortgage repayments was a ‘financial timebomb’ which would go off unless action was taken to help hard-pressed homeowners, according to Ciaran Phelan, chief executive of the Irish Brokers Association (IBA).

ONE in 10 house owners are having difficulty paying their mortgage, according to the Central Bank — but experts warn many more could be in serious trouble.

JUST 28,000 mortgages were issued last year — a drop of 43% on the previous year.

FOUR years ago, almost two-thirds of consumers expected house prices to rise each year until 2012, according to an ESRI report.

TRACKER mortgage holders could be hit with up to five interest rate hikes by the end of next year — adding €150 a month to a €200,000 mortgage.

ULSTER Bank has become the latest lender to hike interest rates yesterday, announcing a 0.5% increase, which will add around €60 a month to a €200,000 mortgage.

OTHER lenders are expected to follow an anticipated move by Permanent TSB to hike interest rates resulting in more payment hikes for house owners.

THE fact that Ireland suffers from a lack of rapid-reporting structures when it comes to the property market is a detriment to us all.

HOMEOWNERS are likely to be hit by increases in mortgage interest rates in the first few months of the new year as lenders aim to claw back some of their massive losses.

THERE was some small relief for struggling homeowners yesterday with news they will not face interest charges if they fall into arrears on their mortgage.

CONSUMERS are continuing to borrow less and are increasingly struggling to meet mortgage repayments, figures reveal.

FOREIGN banks entering the Irish market may be more willing to cut a deal with mortgage holders as they look to reduce their loan books.

HOMEOWNERS have seen the cost of their mortgages rise sharply in the last year with an average 250k mortgage repayment rising by up to €130 a month.