JCI Belfast were pleased to host another excellent event for members and guests this week at Youth Action Northern Ireland – This month’s theme was ‘How to buy a house’. We welcomed 3 different speakers who provided great advice to attendees on different aspects of buying a home.  In order of appearance we had Paul McCoubrey (Independent mortgage and financial advisor from Navigate IFA), Laura Ann Fry (Mortgage Advisor from Danske Bank) and Laura Ann Osborne (Conveyancing Solicitor from CMG Cunningham Dickey). The advice on the night was very practical with basic things like getting on the electoral register and ensuring you are up to date on credit card payments advised to help your chances of getting a mortgage.  It was also re-assuring to hear that if you have a bad credit score then it can normally be corrected over time with good behaviour on your account. [gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="417,414"] We were lucky to have mortgage advice from both the bank and a broker on the night and start to get our heads around some of the terminology, which on first impression can seem a little daunting.  In reality though it was reasonably accessible with both speakers saying that it is always good to look at the market and interrogate offers properly (sometimes cheaper monthly payments does not mean the best deal overall!). Laura Ann Osborne was also keen to remind attendees that it is ‘buyer beware’ and that an independent ‘home buyer’s report’ is often a good investment as it will go in to more detail than that requested by the bank or building society for the mortgage (advice on damp / leaks etc).  Finally she told us that the ‘day you buy a house is the day you sell it!’ and we should always be wary of the possible re-sell price and experience when making a big investment. Overall, JCI Belfast were pleased that we had such a good turnout on a very warm night in Belfast and that we were able to secure such brilliant speakers for our members.