What is a mortgage broker?
A mortgage broker acts as an intermediary who brokers mortgage loans on behalf of individuals or businesses. The job of a mortgage broker is to identify banks or direct lenders that would make the actual loan an individual seeks.
If you work with a mortgage broker in St-Albans, it won’t be so difficult to get a great deal on the mortgage loan you require. Even if you have a poor credit score or any other issues that could affect your mortgage application, working with a reputable mortgage broker will still boost your chances considerably.
Because professional mortgage brokers are regulated to assure compliance with banking and financial laws in the jurisdiction of the consumer, you can be assured you’re in good hands.
Handy Tools and Calculators
Being aware of what you can borrow and the amount the loan will cost will make it simpler to plan your future. With this handy calculator, get a better understanding of how much your mortgage repayments will be, based on your full loan and interest rate. To immediately determine how much you’ll have to repay each month, simply enter the values and your term before pressing ‘Click to calculate’.
Why Use A Mortgage Broker?
There are a variety of advantages that come with working on your mortgage application with a mortgage broker in St-Albans. Some of the most obvious of these benefits are:
Save Money
Of all the benefits working with a mortgage broker provides, the possibility of cutting costs would be the most obvious. You only need to provide a few details, before an experienced professional committed to protecting your interests handles the hard work.
Some people worry about how true this is, considering the entire idea of mortgage brokers is still misunderstood somewhat around the globe. So, where is the catch? Even though this line of thought is understandable, you can rest easy, because not working in your best interests is in no way profitable to a mortgage broker.
In truth, brokers have to provide viable reasons to you, their regulatory body, the Prudent Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority for recommending the mortgage they have. To not do so could lead to them facing significant problems. Exclusive mortgage deals not found on the high street can be unearthed by many mortgage brokers, which could potentially cut the cost of the entire loan for the client. A reputable mortgage broker will disclose details of how they take payment for their services and convey the components which make up the entire mortgage cost. Positive user experience is much more valuable to a mortgage advisor company than padding out an individual broker’s pocket.
Finds The Most Advantageous Deal
A mortgage broker represents your interests, rather than those of a lending institution. Not only should the role of being your agent be their focus, they also need to be knowledgeable consultants and problem solvers. A broker has access to many different mortgage products and can therefore offer you great value in terms of relation interest rates, loan products and repayment amounts. You will be interviewed by the mortgage brokers to determine your needs and goals – both in the short and long term. Simple 30 or 15-year mortgages are not sufficient in many cases, which is why innovative mortgages and sophisticated solutions are distinct benefits of working with experienced brokers. These include mortgages to raise capital for repaying debts, money for marital needs or children, home renovations or the purchase of other properties such as buy to lets.
Has Flexibility Expertise to Meet Your Needs
A mortgage broker will work with the client in any situation, as well as manage the process and take care of any bumps in the road that may occur. For example, borrowers with bad credit issues can find great products that will suit their needs through brokers who know lenders that offer such products. The knowledge and capability of a broker to successfully source financing will be of great benefit to a borrower who realises the loan they need may be too large for a bank to approve.
Save Time & Hassle
It is not just about money. Saving some extra cash is great, but so is your time and sanity. Think of the amount of time you’d spend researching multiple loan types from multiple lenders. Unlike working with different lenders – which would require you to complete different forms every time – you’d only need one form with a mortgage broker. A formal comparison of the recommended loans can be made available by your broker to provide information that would clearly show the differences in cost, including current rates and the costs of closing each of the loans. Major lenders and those not so popular will be compared by your broker to seek out the most suitable deal for you, in terms of lower rates and total cost.
Take some of the work off your shoulders and outsource it to someone who can offer expert advice. A mortgage broker can do a lot of the work by providing you with support throughout the application and approval process. This might involve completing all paperwork, helping you with applications to government schemes, answering questions and explaining the options and loan features, about which you may not have been aware. Some of these features can include drawdown facilities, offset accounts and options for extra repayments to name but a few. Your general mortgage experience and overall expenses can be largely affected by these features. If you don’t know much about these concepts and how they can work for you, reach out to your broker over the phone for clarification and answers.
Access to exclusive non-advertised deals
There are exclusive deals not made public by the banks that brokers have access to. The banks pass these deals on to the brokers, who are responsible for selling the products. Talking to a broker can release these extra perks, which you’d otherwise not enjoy by contacting the bank yourself.
A bank can only sell their own deals – not those of the other banks as well – whereas a broker can search the whole market for the best deal.
Better chance of pre-approval success
Whenever you request an Agreement in principle / Decision in principle of a loan, this leaves a mark on your credit rating if you’re refused. Brokers have the knowledge and experience required to give you the best shot at being approved at the first attempt.
Access to expert knowledge
A mortgage broker’s job is to help people obtain loans. They can access useful information and exclusive deals you likely couldn’t find yourself. Loans come with certain subtleties you could miss if you’re not looking out for them. In the long run, subtleties like these are significant to your mortgage. Having the services of an experienced professional who can point these out for you is a huge benefit.
Instead of removing a chunk of your day to conduct voluminous research of loans and multiple lenders as well as possibly missing important subtleties, why not give the work to a person who has ample industry experience? For home loan requirements, a mortgage broker is the best ways to go, just as a hairdresser is for replenishing damaged hair and a plumber for fixing leaking pipes.
Contact the Mortgage Saving Experts in Horsell. You can reach us by dialling 01273 738 072 today for a friendly chat.
About Mortgage Saving Experts
Mortgages and insurance are not as complicated as they might first seem. Finding an adviser who is reliable, knowledgeable and has significant experience is very important for this reason. Our mortgage savings experts will make your task as easy and straightforward as possible. Why make things harder than necessary, after all? Allow us to secure the best deal possible for you and make everything straightforward.
Mortgage Saving Experts offer honest and transparent services to our customers, making them feel that mortgages and insurance are not as problematic as they first appear. All mortgage and insurance applications are handled like they’re our own at Mortgage Savings Experts. These are the things we’re about. It doesn’t matter what the situation is – whether you’re a first-time buyer, a landlord, re-mortgaging or moving on to a new phase altogether – Mortgage Saving Experts are here to help. We’re here to help! Approximately “Take 15 minutes to talk to 1 adviser and find out about 1000s of mortgage deals.”
Our Team of St-Albans Mortgage Experts
As we are bound by regulations of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), we must ensure we get you the best available deal on the market. We must justify to you and our regulators why we recommend the mortgages we do, so you know exactly why you have the mortgage you have.
“Down to Earth Mortgage”
Our team of mortgage insurance experts is made up of honest, passionate, enthusiastic and widely experienced individuals.
Our mortgage and insurance experts pride themselves on listening to what your current and future objectives are. We will then work together with you to reach these goals.
Why chose Mortgage Saving Experts?
After taking out a mortgage, you’ll get an initial rate for the first couple of years. After the initial rate period, the rate is then raised to the lender’s variable rate. Before your monthly payment and rate are increased, our team will reach contact you to arrange a new deal roughly three months prior to the date of renewal. Here are some of the other advantages you’ll enjoy if you work with us:
- You’ll get a better deal than the bank variable rate and subsequently save money.
- You don’t have to remember when your deal finishes, as we will do this for you.
- We can take care of the hard work for you while you relax.
- This is our area of expertise; you’ll always receive advice from a qualified mortgage expert.
- Comparing, advising and setting up the best possible mortgage deal from amongst the many available is what we do.
- You’ll be provided expert advice and support right through the mortgage process.
Our Approach to Mortgage Advice
Your individual needs will be duly considered, as we provide fully personalised services. Three simple steps are taken in our approach to mortgage advice:
- Let’s have an Initial Chat, so we can get to know You and What Your Requirements Are
- We Search the Entire Market to Find the Best Deal for You
- We’ll Present you with the Cheapest and best Deals Available for Both Mortgages and Insurance Cover
How Mortgage Saving Expert Brokers Can Help you:
Our services are more remarkable than those of other mortgage brokers in St-Albans because:
- Understand your needs and circumstances via fact-finding.
- Point out the costs that come with buying and selling.
- Request applicable documents to aid the application.
- Recommend and explain all about the prospective mortgage.
- Respond to any questions you might have.
- An agreement in principle will be put in place.
- Get your whole mortgage application submitted.
- Communicate with your solicitor, mortgage lender and estate agent to respond to any questions through to completion.
Mortgage Types We Provide Expert Advice On
We advise expertly on a vast selection of mortgage products. In choosing to work with our team, finding the ideal mortgage product to meet your needs will be relatively easy. The most popular mortgage types we’re requested to handle include:
First time buyers
Many mortgage brokers consider First Time Buyers people who have either:
- Never owned a property or
- People who have owned a property in the past, but not owned one for six months or more.
Different lenders have different ideas and rules regarding this. There usually are no issues in being a First Time Buyer. To qualify for stamp duty relief as First Time Buyers, you must have never owned a property before, anywhere in the world.
Mortgages can seem a daunting process, but they do not have to be. Buying your first home can be exciting, so if you come across a suitable broker who can handle the process for you at a fair price, do take advantage of their expertise. The reason you should use one is quite apparent. It stands to reason that you would contact a mechanic if your car became faulty – especially if you knew little or nothing about cars. The same applies to mortgages. You can save on time, effort and even money with mortgage brokers, so you should use one. There are no charges for the initial consultation.
Buying a home
If you’re thinking of a home purchase any time soon – or even within a couple of years – you should familiarise yourself with everything involved with mortgages. Get to know what to do before your mortgage application, during the application process itself and the way in which to use it after buying the property. If you prefer otherwise, then instead speak to an adviser who will guide you through it.
Your credit is of great importance.
A mortgage is a major issue. Since the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008, banks have trodden more carefully in terms of risking money up front. For mortgage eligibility, good credit helps, but isn’t vital. We can also provide guidance about the amount you can afford to pay for your new home and what should be your maximum offer, based on your current circumstances. Helping you buy your dream home is not all we do; we will also help you finance it with the lowest cost and most beneficial mortgage deal available.
Re-mortgage your home
Effectively, all you’d be doing with this is changing to a different lender to find a better or more affordable deal. The two don’t automatically go hand in hand. Let me make it clearer. It may seem unwise to pay an arrangement fee to another lender to get on a lower rate if you have a small mortgage. You might find it cheaper by going on a slightly higher rate and paying no arrangement fee to the lender at all. Asking for advice before making up your mind about the deal is important, so that you don’t end up with a more expensive deal on the whole, even at a lower rate.
Tread carefully. One upside to re-mortgaging is that your usually not required to pay for valuation or solicitors fees, although some people don’t qualify for this. This is because it is dependent on your circumstances alone at the time of re-mortgaging. So, please check with your adviser.
A brilliant way to ensure you cut down on your mortgage bills is to re-mortgage on time. Depending on your circumstances, it might not be the ideal move for you – even though a re-mortgage arrangement certainly has its benefits.
- Depending on your individual circumstances, such as…
- Mortgage debt is fairly minor.
- Financial circumstances have changed.
- Significant early repayment charge.
- A drop in the value of your home.
- Existing credit problems.
- Present rate is just fine.
- We will advise you whether to re-mortgage or not.
Buy to Let
A ‘buy to let’ property is one you want to purchase in order to rent out to tenants. You are not allowed to legally live in the property. The number of available lenders will be restricted if you’re a First Time Buyer, purchasing a buy to let property. Also, extra checks are made by the lender in cases like these.
- You may need to know certain things when purchasing a buy to let property.
- The rental income you receive is a primary factor when determining the size of the loan you can borrow.
- You’ll have to pay an extra 3% stamp duty on top of your normal stamp duty.
- If the value of the property isn’t valued at the amount for which stamp duty becomes liable, you are still required to pay the extra 3% of purchase cost.
TIP: If you want to buy a second property, find out the amount you’ll be require pay from your conveyancer/solicitor. A knowledgeable adviser will help find the right mortgage to suit your requirements by asking you the relevant questions. Get in touch with our advisers to see if you’re eligible.
How Much Do Mortgage Brokers Charge?
The majority of mortgage brokers receive commission from lenders, which is a percentage of the mortgage loan you secure. Even though the figure isn’t set in stone, it is usually about 0.33%, based on the type of mortgage you require – for instance, a residential mortgage or buy to let. Also, any recent credit issues you may have had would be taken into consideration. The majority of independent brokers typically charge a flat fee of around £500. Be sure to find out from brokers how you pay them. They must be completely clear, letting you know the exact figure and fee structure in place.
We have a fee structure based on charging our clients £695. From that figure, we then deduct any commission received from the mortgage lender If we are paid a commission less than £695, the client is then asked to pay the necessary difference to top it up to £695. If we receive a mortgage commission of £495 for example, we would ask our clients to pay us the difference of £200 after the mortgage offer is produced, so we are only paid on results.
How Much Can I Borrow?
A lot of factors influence this, like the number of children you have, the deposit amount, your income and any debts you might have in the background. A total affordability assessment is required to determine how much a lender will agree to lend; this takes into account your income, any loan or credit card commitments you have, as well as regular household expenses. In addition, they also perform a credit check to make sure your credit rating is suitable for mortgage purposes.
Prior to applying for a mortgage in full, obtain a decision in principle to form a clear picture with regards the amount you can borrow. Arrange to see one of our qualified mortgage experts today. Without the need for credit checks, we can at least provide an initial estimate.
The Latest Best Mortgage Rates
Our services are available whether you want to re-mortgage, move home, purchase a buy to let or procure a first-time buyer mortgage. We compare thousands of the latest mortgage deals, so you can find the one you’re after.
Request a free quote from Mortgage Saving Experts, your St-Albans Expert Mortgage Broker
What Our clients say About us
Our list of satisfied clients in St-Albans is lengthy and diversified. If you aren’t convinced that we are the professionals to make the best possible mortgage deal in St-Albans at the lowest price, take a look at what some of our customers have said about their experience with us. For a first-hand experience of just how amazing our services are, give us a call today.
Latest Mortgage News
The more information you have to hand in your search for the ideal mortgage arrangement, the greater advantage you’ll have. Below is the latest insightful mortgage news to help you get started on the right path.
Mortgage Regulatory Information
In the UK, most mortgages are provided by building societies, specialised mortgage lenders and banks. In total, there are roughly 200 financial institutions that provide mortgages in Britain, even though the biggest share of the market is owned by Lloyds Banking Group and Nationwide Building Society.
In the UK, despite there being tight regulations that guide banks and building societies, a regulatory scheme was implemented by the FCA (formerly the Financial Services Authority) in response to the Financial Services Act 2000.
The professional conduct of mortgage providers is regulated by the FCA. Strict rules exist that monitor the use of dishonest and misleading adverts and promotions, checking to ensure the terms of any contract for financial services are fair to the customer. As a result of the FCA Mortgage Market review of 2014, the initial regulations set out in the rules for Mortgage Conduct of Business were revamped.
The Prudential Regulation Authority (a sister organisation to the FCA) presides over deposit-taking organisations in the UK, with regards their financial conduct.
They make sure firms have a substantial level of capital to offset their lending risks. If you have a complaint about your mortgage provider, the first step is to take up the matter with them. If you don’t like how the issue has been dealt with, you can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Some mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority such as moist Buy to Let mortgages and if you make a complaint about these you are unable to take these to the Financial Ombudsman Service Reach out to the Mortgage Saving Experts in St-Albans. You can reach them by dialling 01273 738 072 today for a friendly chat.
What to Ask Your St-Albans Mortgage Broker?
What happens if you don’t respond to my messages within that timeframe?
How quickly will you respond to my messages?
How much hand-holding is involved during the buying process?
Why should I choose you rather than another broker?
- “Why exactly are you the best?”
- “In what way do you deliver great service?”
What sort of clients do you specialise in?
What will the true cost of my home loan be?
How much can I borrow?
How many loans have you written during that time?
How much experience do you have?
Get in contact with the Mortgage Saving Experts in Horsell. You can reach them by dialling 01273 738 072 today for a friendly chat.
Other Areas We Cover
- Mortgage Brokers in Shenley, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Smallford, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in South-Mimms, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in South-Oxhey, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Spellbrook, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in St-Ippolyts, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in St-Paul’s-Walden, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Standon-Green-End, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Stanstead-Abbotts, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Stanstead-St-Margarets, Hertfordshire