Lost in the maze of mortgages and HIV?

When a mortgage provider talks to you about lending you money, they're primarily interested in finding out how much you need to borrow and whether you have the income to meet the monthly repayments. Your HIV status is, at this point, not an issue.

Where your HIV status does become an issue is if your mortgage provided insists that you have life assurance as a condition of lending you money.

When could a lender insist I have life assurance?

This will vary from one lender to another. In essence, any lender wants to be sure that, should the worst come to the worst and you die (for any reason) could they recover the money they've lent you from the sale of your property. If there isn't obviously enough equity in the property (the difference between its value when you bought it and the current market value), a lender might want to ensure that there is a life assurance policy in place that will pay out a sufficient amount to pay them back.

Can't I just take out any life assurance policy?

Life assurance policies generally won't pay out if the cause of death is linked to a pre-existing medical condition. However, it is possible to obtain life assurance where the policy will pay out a lump sum should you die of an HIV-related illness.

If you are looking for life assurance, please click here.

Finding your own mortgage

Of course you can find your own mortgage. However, as taking out a mortgage is a huge financial commitment, it's wise to research the market thoroughly. There are many price comparison sites that you can use or you can use a mortgage broker. However, be sure that they are providing you with information from the whole of the market, not just from a few providers, to whom they may be tied.