24th May, 2001
Notice
Board
APPLYING
FOR A MORTGAGE
One of the biggest
investments you make in your life is a mortgage. In the
excitement of getting your first home it is easy to take the
first offer of a home loan that comes along. Most people are
looking for the maximum loan they can secure based on their
incomes.
There are two basic criteria'.
1) Purchase price of the property - lenders will usually give up
to 90% of the cost of purchase ,some will go up to 92% in certain
circumstances.
2) Income criteria - this can vary from case to case. Since the
huge increase in house prices over the past five years lenders
have become more flexible on the multiple of your income or joint
incomes that they will advance.
If under these criteria you still cannot reach the amount of loan
you require you have other options:
1) Agree to rent out one of the rooms in your new home. This
might add an extra £10,000 to the loan advanced.
2) Bring in another party as part of the loan application e.g , a
parent, brother or sister. Three or four applicants becoming more
common on loan applications.
3) Having someone to go guarantor on the loan can also increase
the amount advanced,
4) Taking longer-term mortgage say 30 or 35 years! will also help
get you the maximum amount. Taking a longer term does not lock
you into that term as you can clear the mortgage earlier by
making over payments.
It is a well-known fact that people do business with people not
institutions. So whether you go directly to a lender or use a
mortgage broker it is the professionalism and knowledge of the
person who is dealing with your case that is important. It is
also important that your case gets the time and attention It
deserves. Every case is different and has its own uniqueness.
There are a number of stages of mortgage approval that you can
get. They are as follows:
1) Approval in principle this is a very' preliminary approval
based on initial information provided to the lender. It is only
an indication that the lender is willing to look favourably on
your application subject to verification of information and a
credit check.
2) Approval subject to valuation - this is where you have been
approved on the income criteria and they are waiting on the
valuers report to make sure property will match the 90% rule and
a number of other matters that the valuers report covers.
3) Written loan offer - this goes to your solicitor because you
are entering into a legal contract it is vital to get good legal
advice. Your solicitor is the only qualified person to provide
this.
Make sure that your life assurance and fire insurance is ready to
go into force as the loan check will not be issued without them
in place.
The 10% deposit has proved an obstacle to some people. You either
have to save for
KENNEL COUGH ALERT
There have been a number of cases of Kennel Cough in dogs in the
Douglas area recently.
Kennel Cough is a highly contagious virus. It affects the
respiratory tract and causes severe bouts of dry harsh coughing,
often producing white phlegm, similar to the whooping Cough in
humans.
Dogs can contract this virus very easily. Dogs in kennels and
shows or dogs in close confinement with other dogs are the most
susceptible.
If you suspect your dog has any of the symptoms, bring him to
your vet. He will be treated with antibiotics and cough syrup. It
is best to be seen sooner rather than later because in weak
elderly dogs it can be fatal. It can also progress onto pneumonia.
This disease subsides after a few weeks, however prevention is
better than cure. There is a vaccination available for your dog,
which will lessen the chances of your dog contracting the disease.
We would advise that every dog receive this important
preventative measure.
Information supplied by The Animal Care Hospital, The Fingerpost,
Douglas.
euroFLOAT
The Forfas EMU Business Awareness Campaign has
launched euroFloat, an easy-to-use computer software program
developed by the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland. euroFloat
helps retailers to estimate the number and denominations of euro
notes and coins they will require to enable them to give change
in euro when the new notes and coins come into circulation on 1
January 2002.
From 1 January 2002, retail outlets will charge customers in euro
and will give change in euro only, even when Irish cash is
tendered as payment. As a result, retailers' float requirements
will, at least for the first few days of the cash changeover, be
larger than usual. To help them with this task, the ECBI worked
with a software company to develop a program that will help
assess their euro cash needs.
The software operates on the basis of the retailers entering from
their current till rolls, the transaction amount and the amount
tendered as payment. Ideally, the exercise should be carried out
during a representative sample period of trading similar to the
first week in January. euroFloat then converts the change given
in these transactions to euro, and calculates the numbers and
denomination of euro notes and coins required to give that amount
in change.
This data is then "grossed up" to the full value of
transactions for a week's trading to estimate their overall euro
cash requirements for the first week of January 2002.
The retailer can use the results generated by EuroFloat to
organise with their financial institution the actual amount of
euro cash they will require for the early days of January 2002.
EuroFloat was commissioned by the Euro Changeover Board of
Ireland and developed by Clear System Solutions Ltd. in Microsoft
Access. It can be used in Windows 95/98/NT/2000. euroFloat is
available in CD-Rom and floppy disk.
Formats from the ECBI and Forfas; and it will also be distributed
through retail organisations. It can also be downloaded from the
ECBI's website www.euro.ie) and from the Forfas website (www.emuaware.forfas.ie).
DOUGLAS TIDY TOWNS
Douglas tidy Towns Committee are continuing to make progress to
ensure that Douglas Village gets a good result in September 2001.
A public meeting will be held next Thursday 24th May 2001at 8.00pm
at the Community Centre.
On Friday 25th an information desk will be in Douglas Village
Centre and Douglas Court on Thursday 31th May 2001 7-9 pm.
A number of areas have been visited by our street sweep group
since February as follows:
Douglas Village East, Douglas Village West, Donnybrook Hill,
Grange Road, Ballybrack/Ravensdale Nature Way, Community Park
including River, Church Road/Church Street, Carrigaline Road,
Centre Village, Marryborough Hill, Tramway Tce, Rochestown Road,
South Douglas Road, Main Douglas Road, Slip Roads to Ring Road,
Estuary Douglas Hall side.
It is possible that the street sweep will soon commence on
Wednesday evenings during the Summer months.
Sean O Riordan
Chairman, Douglas Tidy Towns Committee
DAVID KITT in CORK
A report by A.J.B.
David Kitt, a Dublin singer-songwriter who started off singing to his four track in his bedroom, could not have possibly dreamed of the 'hype1 that surrounded his mini-tour of Ireland and the buzz that enveloped the audience before his recent gig here in Cork. While the impatient fans waited downstairs for the doors to open to let them into the sacred chamber where their musical God would sing, posters were literally ripped off the walls as the crowd chatted and looked around constantly lest their idol appear and they miss out on the chance of a much-sought-after signature. When we were finally let up the stairs, we had to endure a tortuous wait of over an hour before the maestro himself appeared on stage. Some relief was felt while we were entertained by support musicians Re d'ltalia, but it was only when a few eagle-eyed punters spotted David himself, wading through the crowd to make his way to the 'inner sanctuary', that the energy of the crowd reached almost fever pitch. Kittser's set, when he eventually clambered on stage and wrestled with a stubborn programmer that refused point-blank to play the backing beats to any of his songs, was liberally peppered with gems from his debut EP "Small Moments" and even included new tracks from the forthcoming album "The Big Romance". He engaged in some cheerful banter with the audience and at one point handed half a cigarette to a woman up the front, while the rest of the audience looked as though they would gladly risk any illness for a drag from a Marlboro that had once touched their hero's lips. Each song was as beautiful as on the EP, with David's vocals pure and powerful, capable of making even a heartless person feel the emotions of a young man in love and in pain in equal measure. "Another Love Song" received one of the best receptions on the night, the audience singing along, some with their eyes closed, swaying to each beat and applauding boisterously at the end. "In The Morning" reduced the audience to silence, the only sounds being the gentle beats and soft vocals backed by the strumming of David's guitar pure magic. Everyone sang along to the new single, "Song From Hope St.", although it had not even been released at that point - a sure testimony to David's underground following and constantly increasing fanbase. When Kittser came to the end of his encore, it seemed as though we, the crowd, were not the only ones who didn't want him to leave - David decided that it was only fair to play one more song, and after a few cries of" get your David Kin off! " (To which he did not oblige, much to our chagrin!), he launched straight into the final track on "Small Moments", "Headphones". This developed from a laid-back, tripped-out tune to a full-on distortion session, which culminated in Kittser playing his guitar with a drumstick he, found lying nearby! Needless to say, this sight went down a storm with the audience, few caring about the lack of a distinguishable tune and instead cheering on the unlikely partnership of David and his clarinet-playing best-friend, who seem completely in sync in their distortion, oblivious to the audience, each cocooned in their own world - with spectacular results. When it was all over, it is safe to say that each audience member left with a great big smile on their face and a spring in their step, and not just because of the availability of cheap beer. And when I stumbled into what I thought was the Ladies Bathroom and found myself backstage and face-to-face with the maestro himself the night just couldn't have got any better. He was extremely nice and not even fazed by the gibbering girl asking him for his autograph. Suffice to say I haven't taken his album out of my CD player since! Despite the comparisons with a Welsh man who has been virtually adopted by the entire population of Ireland, David Kitt is like no other artist at the moment, and deserves all the success he gets. As one young guy behind me said; "I bet you never saw David Gray do that!"
THE HISTORY OF DOUGLAS
Part 41 - continued from last week
BLOOMFIELD HOUSE
This house, also on the Rochestown Road, came into prominence as
the result of a famous libel case between the two prominent Cork
Families of Pike and Beamish in May 1894, over a game of cards at
the County Club, Grand Parade (now the I.C.C.). At the time it
evoked tremendous local and legal interest, sufficient to be
treated at length by John Welcome in his
book "Cheating at Cards." The case Pike v Beamish was
tried at the Four Courts, Dublin. Mr. Justice William O'Brien
found in favour of Pike, a verdict which became a talking point
in drawing rooms and lawyer's chambers. "Whatever may have
been the merits of the case, the reputation of the Bench was not
improved when Mr. Justice O'Brien subsequently accepted from the
proud and happy mother of the plaintiff, the gift of a handsome
residence at Douglas, outside the City of Cork."
Maurice Healy, barrister and wit had this to say about the judge
in the case: "he lived and died a bachelor: he heard daily
mass, fasted and abstained on all appropriate occasions,
distributed all his goods to feed the poor, and worked more
injustice in his daily round than English readers would have
believed possible."
WINDSOR
On the Rochestown Road, not far from East Douglas, stands
'Windsor.' It was owned for generations by Lord Bandon and his
predecessors before being purchased by Sir Abraham Sutton, J.P.
O'Neill Daunt, a convert, baptised by Fr. Matthew - "The
Apostle of Temperance" - and the colleague and secretary of
Daniel O'Connell in his struggle for Catholic Emancipation, once
resided there. The house is now The Rochestown Park Hotel.
RAVEN'S COURT
"Raven's Court is a fine old residence in an excellent state
of preservation, overlooking the Douglas Valley. The oldest
portion of the residence now forms the stables. The house is
occupied by Mrs. Seymour, widow of the late Lt. Colonel Joseph
Seymour, whose father was County Inspector of the Royal Irish
Constabulary, who when quite a young officer was entrusted in
1848 to execute the warrant for the arrest of William Smith
O'Brien on a charge of high treason. Colonel Seymour's
grandfather was a Quaker and was read 'out of meeting' for taking
up arms for the King at the time of the Irish Rebellion in 1798.
The house overlooks the old brickworks, of which more anon.
... continued next week
DOUGLAS COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Runners-up in "Spin-a-Web"
Douglas Community School students had a major triumph at the
weekend when they came runners-up in a national website design
competition. Spin A Web, run by the Computer Science Department
in Trinity College Dublin, is recognised as the most important
website design competition in the country and attracted hundreds
of entries from around the country. The school will be presented
with a £2,000 computer server and the team members won £250
vouchers from the competition sponsor Eircom.
The site is called "What Lies Ahead" and is a most
useful and well designed site, giving information to pupils who
are about to start in second-level school, about the kind of
changes that they can expect and the kinds of subjects that they
might be taking. It is an interactive resource, with a quiz,
sound files and games and has relevance for pupils in sixth or
fifth class who want to do research on going on to second-level
education.
The team are Richard Greene, John O'Callaghan, Paul Durcan, Paul
Menton and Barry O'Halloran. To log on to the site go to the
Douglas Community School site at http://www.iol.ie/~dcscork/
and follow the link there.
