# Can I get a mortgage on my own without declaring that I'm married??



## macy10 (18 Apr 2010)

Hi all,
Just recently married and haven't changed names with banks etc.... Should've been on the ball before we got married but we want to buy a site and build our own house. Living in house husband bought in his name 5yrs ago. 

Facts: I earn approx 40k
Husband was a well to do builder, spent a year on the dole and is now back working on the back to work scheme, earning a wage and a supplement from the socail. I've savings of 20k.

Husband bought house 5 yrs ago. Skin of teeth away from -ve equity never missed a payment. There's a House in our estate on market for ages n doesnt seem to be shifting. That's why I'm investigating this route as we need to act fast on this site but our house may not sell for ages..

Q: Found site of our dreams. Can I apply for a mortgage on my own for €250, without declaring that I'm married?? Maybe I'm well off the mark, but I feel my husbands poor earning record of late may bring us down...

Need to act fast as there's an offer in already on this site and I cant stop thinking about it and how easily it could slip away from us if I dont put my thinking cap on...

Appreciate any guidance on the matter

Thanks.


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## Mad Bad Babs (18 Apr 2010)

there is a good mortgage affordability calculator on the EBS website so it might give you an idea what you can afford as a single applicant. honestly don't think they will give you €250K based on 42K earnings. At the moment with  our Joint income of €70K i can get mortgage €266K.
I know how you feel about finding a dream house/site and wanting to get it badly but like myself i think you are rushing things abit without thinking of the full implications. 
i can't help you on the declaring your married on the application but it seems like you are clutching at straws here and thats never a good idea.
I'm sure you'ill get some sound advice here and best of luck!!


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## Eithneangela (19 Apr 2010)

No, No and No.  On all application forms you have to fill in your marital status - if you lie about it, I'm quite sure the penalties will be quite severe.  Don't even think about it, it's just not worth it.


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## sadie (19 Apr 2010)

We recently got our mortgage approval re-approved. 
Single income of 40k, two children, one parent at home. We were approved for 100k with BOI, our main bank (that's all we asked for). They felt we might get 120k but I got the feeling any more than that would be pushing it. We have substantial savings so the mortgage would less than 50% LTV.

Last year Halifax turned us down for even the minimum €75k mortgage because we had 2 kids, under their 'responsible lending' criteria we wouldn't be able to afford the repayments. 

Currently we live on €40k, our rent is €700 a month, yet we regularly have to dip into savings for things like car insurance, a very rare hotel stay, or if something goes wrong with the car. 
Not sure if you have children, but they make a huge impact on your affordability. I thnk you would be absolutely bonkers to go off and get a mortgage of €250k. 
People need to get very very real here on the lifetime of debt and penny-pinching and living from month to month in the overdraft.


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## macy10 (19 Apr 2010)

Thanks so far for all your advice. No we dont have children. We're both under 30. There's an offer of €150 on this site at the moment, so I guess a mortgage of €220/230 could get us through if needed be and we didn't have to bid higher than 160....


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## Renter27 (19 Apr 2010)

No when applying as a single applicant you will have to sign declarations that no one else has an interest in the property/site, ie a spouse.


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## smiley (19 Apr 2010)

Renter27 said:


> No when applying as a single applicant you will have to sign declarations that no one else has an interest in the property/site, ie a spouse.



And to that effect you will be brought to the commissioner of oaths to take and sign an oath that you are not married..ie..no other legal entity has entitlement.


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## PaddyBloggit (19 Apr 2010)

When I signed my mortgage application I didn't have to sign an oath nor did I have to stand in front of any commissioner of oaths. The signing of the mortgage documents are oath enough for anyone.

The answer to the OP's question is ... No ... no you cannot get a mortgage without declaring that you are married and there's no doubt that OP's husband's credit history will have a bearing on the application.

If you can't get the site based on your married status then you cannot afford it.


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## fizzelina (20 Apr 2010)

macy10 said:


> Thanks so far for all your advice. No we dont have children. We're both under 30. There's an offer of €150 on this site at the moment, so I guess a mortgage of €220/230 could get us through if needed be and we didn't have to bid higher than 160....


If you pay €160k for a site and have only €60k left how will that cover the house building costs?? I think you are being unrealistic about what you can afford. You have a home, why stretch yourself so much for this new site. We all have a dream home in our heads,but some people make themselves happy with what they have.


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## macy10 (20 Apr 2010)

_If you pay €160k for a site and have only €60k left how will that cover the house building costs?? I think you are being unrealistic about what you can af]_
_ ford. QUOTE_

Answer to that is that my husband is a builder and my brothers are also tradesmen, which would keep the cost of the build down and if we could just buy the site now for €160, hold onto our house for another yr or so and just build up our savings to 40k, then that would leave us with 100k for build.

Maybe I am being completely unrealistic here, but want to move on this sooner rather than later and thought i'd have a better chance applying for a mortgage as a single applicant, than with a husband already owning his own house and on a back to work programme.


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## dereko1969 (20 Apr 2010)

Sorry but how are you going to be able to increase your savings *and* pay off an additional mortgage of 160k?


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## fizzelina (21 Apr 2010)

you can only find out by asking the bank I guess. But since you are married and the bank will see you as joint applicants then they will take into account the other house so it is a second mortgage (probably lower LTV) and also on 40k they more than likely won't lend you 250k, 6 times earnings! 2.5 or 3 times earnings is seeming the norm lately.


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