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 Watford, 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.
Also, you can rest easy knowing that professional mortgage brokers must work within regulations that require their compliance to banking and finance laws in the jurisdiction of the consumer.
Handy Tools and Calculators
You can easily plan your future once you have an idea of the maximum you can borrow and how much the loan will cost. Use this handy calculator to see just how much your mortgage repayments are going to be, based on your total loan amount and interest rate. Simply fill in the values plus your term and press ‘Click to calculate’ to immediately discover the amount you must repay monthly.
Why Use A Mortgage Broker?
Working on your mortgage application with a mortgage broker in Watford comes with many different benefits. Of these advantages, some of the more prominent include:
Save Money
The most obvious benefit of choosing a mortgage broker is the potential to save money. You’ll just need to fill out some details and an experienced professional with your best interests in mind will deal with the hard work.
Some people are sceptical about this – especially with the concept of a mortgage broker not yet universally understood. There must be a catch somewhere, surely? A mortgage broker wouldn’t stand to gain anything by not working in your favour. You’ll need to bear this in mind, even though any concerns you might have are understandable.
The broker could actually be at a disadvantage if they cannot prove to you, their regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudent Regulation Authority why they made the recommendations in respect of the mortgage in question. There are various inexpensive, exclusive mortgage deals that a number of mortgage brokers can find for their clients that could possibly reduce the total loan cost. Reputable mortgage brokers will usually inform you how they get paid for their services, as well as disclose the details of the entire cost of the loan. 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 will work towards protecting your interests, rather than those of the lending institution. They shouldn’t just play the role of your agent, but also those of problem solver and knowledgeable consultant. With access to a wide range of mortgage products, a broker can offer you the greatest value in terms of interest rates, repayment amounts, and loan products. Mortgage brokers will interview you to identify your needs, as well as short and long term goals. The simple use of a 30 or 15-year mortgage is inadequate for many situations, which is why sophisticated solutions and innovative strategies are the benefits of working with an experienced mortgage broker. This includes mortgage to raise capital for repayments, money for necessary home improvements or children, or even to buy other properties such as buy to lets.
Has Flexibility Expertise to Meet Your Needs
A mortgage broker will guide the client throughout the whole process and sort out any issues that might arise. For instance, brokers would know the lenders that can make available the best products for clients with credit issues. 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
Money isn’t the only consideration. As much as it’s important to save some extra money, your time and sanity are important as well. Give a thought to the amount of time you’d have to invest when enquiring about various loan types from numerous lenders. You would only have to fill out one application form, instead of one for every lender you have to work with. 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 provide an array of support throughout the application and approval process. This can include assisting with paperwork, responding to questions and helping with government scheme applications, as well as explaining all the available options and loan features you may not have considered or been aware of. Some of these features can include drawdown facilities, offset accounts and options for extra repayments to name but a few. A noticeable difference can be made to your overall experience and the cost of your mortgage. If you’re unfamiliar with these concepts and how they might affect you, your broker can clarify and answer any questions via a phone call.
Access to exclusive non-advertised deals
Brokers have access to exclusive deals that aren’t advertised by the banks. The banks pass these deals on to the brokers, who are responsible for selling the products. Contacting a broker will unlock these extra benefits you would miss out on if you were to approach 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
A mark is left on your credit rating if your request for an Agreement in principle/Decision in principle of a loan is turned down. With the required knowledge and experience brokers possess, you’ll have a better chance at approval the first time around.
Access to expert knowledge
Mortgage brokers assist people with obtaining loans as part of their job. Helpful information and exclusive deals you won’t find yourself are accessible to them. There are small details accompanying loans that you might miss if you’re not looking for them. At the end of the day, these subtleties tend to improve your mortgage chances. If you have an experienced professional who can show you these things, you’ll be at a distinct advantage.
You can avoid spending valuable time to research numerous loans and lenders (while perhaps missing fundamental key subtleties) and instead give the work to someone with key industry experience. Just as you would contact a plumber for a leaking pipe or a hairdresser to replenish damaged hair, a mortgage broker is an excellent choice for all your home loan needs.
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. This is the reason you need to find a widely experienced, knowledgeable and honest adviser. Our mortgage savings experts will ease the process for you and make it as simple as possible. After all, why make everything more stressful than it ought to be? 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. At Mortgage Saving Experts, we handle every single mortgage and insurance application like they belong to us. This is what we’re primarily concerned with. At Mortgage Saving Experts, our services are available regardless of circumstances, whether you’re a landlord, a first-time buyer, moving onto a new chapter or simply re-mortgaging. We’re here to help! In essence “Take 15 minutes to talk to 1 adviser and find out about 1000s of mortgage deals.”
Our Team of Watford Mortgage Experts
Because we’re regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), we strive to get you the best possible deal on the market. We must justify to our customers and regulators why we make the mortgage recommendations we do, so you know just why you have that mortgage.
“Down to Earth Mortgage”
We are a team of experienced mortgage insurance experts, driven by honesty, passion and enthusiasm.
Our mortgage and insurance experts are particularly good at listening to your current and future goals. We will then work together with you to reach these goals.
Why chose Mortgage Saving Experts?
For the first few years after taking out a mortgage, you’ll be subject to an initial rate. The rate is raised to the lender’s variable rate after the initial rate ends. Three months before you’re due to renew, our team will reach out to secure a new deal before your monthly payments and rate increase. Included below are the plus points of working with us:
- The deal you’ll get is better than the bank variable rate, which in turn saves you money.
- You don’t have to keep track of the timeline, as we will look after this for you.
- You can take time to relax, while we handle the stress for you.
- We know our stuff; you’ll always receive pertinent advice from a qualified mortgage expert.
- We undertake comparisons and then advise and arrange the best mortgage for you, choosing from thousands of deals.
- You’ll be supported and expertly advised throughout the whole mortgage process.
Our Approach to Mortgage Advice
We provide personalised services and pay attention to all your specific needs. 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 Watford because:
- Find out what your needs and circumstances are through fact-finding.
- Explain what costs buying and selling involve.
- Request applicable documents to aid the application.
- Make relevant suggestions and provide explanations about the prospective mortgage.
- Proffer replies to any questions you might have.
- Get an agreement in principle.
- Send in your entire mortgage application.
- We will collaborate with your estate agent, solicitor and mortgage lender and reply 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
First Time Buyers are classified by the majority of mortgage lenders as those 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.
For each lender, the rules and ideas about this differ. Typically, there are no problems with being a First Time Buyer. In order to qualify for stamp duty relief, it’s necessary for First time Buyers to have never been property owners before; this applies anywhere in the world.
The mortgaging process might appear to be challenging, but this isn’t necessarily so. The prospect of buying your first home comes with a lot of excitement, so if you manage to find a competent broker who can oversee the process at a reasonable price, then go right ahead. It is abundantly clear why you should use one. After all, if you don’t know a thing about cars and yours breaks down, you would rather call a mechanic than fix it yourself. The same applies to mortgages. Mortgage brokers can help you save money, time and effort, so why don’t you use one? You won’t have to pay for the initial consultation.
Buying a home
If you’re considering buying a home in the near future or further down the line, you should get to know mortgages a lot better in the meantime. 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 would rather not take this approach, then instead contact an adviser, who will be able to walk you through the process.
Your credit is a necessity.
A mortgage is of major importance. The banks risk a lot of money and have been increasingly cautious since the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008. To qualify for a mortgage, good credit is helpful, but not essential. We can also offer guidance regarding how much you can afford to pay for your new home and how to set your limit, depending on your ongoing situation. We will help you with funding, the lowest cost and most suitable deal on offer, in addition to helping you buy your dream home.
Re-mortgage your home
In essence, the only thing you’re doing here is swapping one lender for another to get a cheaper deal or better rate. They don’t always sit well together. 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. It may seem cheaper to be on a slightly higher rate than pay an arrangement fee to another lender. 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.
Pay close attention. The potential absence of valuation or solicitors fees is one of the plus points of re-mortgaging, even though not everyone qualifies for this. Any reasoning depends solely on your circumstances at the time of re-mortgaging. So, please ask your adviser about it.
Performing a re-mortgage in time is a practical way to reduce your mortgage costs significantly. Even though a re-mortgage deal is accompanied by various benefits, it might not the best choice for you, depending on your unique circumstances.
- Based on your unique circumstances, such as…
- Mortgage debt is considerably small.
- There have been significant changes in financial disposition.
- Early repayment charge that’s costly.
- Decrease in home value.
- You have credit issues.
- Present rate is very agreeable.
- We will advise you whether to re-mortgage or not.
Buy to Let
A property bought with the purpose of renting to tenants is known as ‘buy to let’. 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.
- When purchasing a buy to let property, there are a few things you’ll need to know.
- The loan amount you can borrow is mostly based on the total rental income you receive.
- 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’re purchasing a second property, ask your conveyancer/solicitor about the figure you’ll have to pay. A good adviser will know the exact questions to pose and will find a mortgage that fits your exact requirements. To find out if you qualify, contact our advisers today.
How Much Do Mortgage Brokers Charge?
Many mortgage brokers are paid commission from lenders, which represents a percentage of your mortgage loan. Depending on the type of mortgage you need – whether buy to let or residential mortgage for instance – and whether you’ve had any credit problems of late. The figure is often set at around 0.33%, although this varies widely. The majority of independent brokers typically charge a flat fee of around £500. Be sure to enquire about how to make payments to brokers. They must be completely transparent, telling you how much is being charged and what fee structure they use.
We charge the client £695 as part of our fee structure; if the mortgage lender pays any commission, it is then deducted from that figure. If we receive a commission below the value of £695, we ask the client to pay the difference between the received commission and £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. What determines the amount a lender will agree to lend is a full affordability assessment. This will help them understand your loan or credit commitments, as well as income and everyday household expenses. Other than this, they will also carry out a credit check to ensure you have an agreeable credit rating 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. At the initial stage, we can give you an estimate, without needing to perform any credit checks.
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 make comparisons between thousands of recent mortgage deals to help you find the one you want.
Request a free quote from Mortgage Saving Experts, your Watford Expert Mortgage Broker
What Our clients say About us
Our list of satisfied clients in Watford is lengthy and diversified. If you’re still not sure that we are the experts to get you the most suitable mortgage deal in Watford at the most affordable price, check out some of the things our clients have said about working with us. Reach out to us today for a personal experience of how effective our services are.
Latest Mortgage News
The more information you have to hand in your search for the ideal mortgage arrangement, the greater advantage you’ll have. To help you begin on the right path, find recent insightful mortgage news below.
Mortgage Regulatory Information
Building societies, specialised mortgage lenders and banks provide the most mortgages across the UK. All in all, there are 200 different financial institutions offering mortgages in Britain, although Lloyds Banking Group and Nationwide Building Society have the largest share of the market.
Although banks and building societies have always been closely regulated in the UK, the former Financial Services Authority (now the FCA) implemented a regulatory scheme specifically for mortgages as a result of the Financial Services Act of 2000.
The FCA monitors the professional conduct of mortgage providers. There are strict rules regarding the use of unfair, misleading adverts and promotions, as well as checks to make sure the terms of any contract for financial services are fair for the consumer. Regulations were initially documented in the rules for Mortgage Conduct of Business (MCOB), but were overhauled because of the 2014 FCA Mortgage Market Review (MMR).
With regards their financial conduct, deposit-taking firms in the UK come under the jurisdiction of FCA’s sister organisation, the Prudential Regulation Authority.
They make sure firms have a substantial level of capital to offset their lending risks. Taking up the matter with your mortgage provider is the first step to take if you have any complaints about 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 Contact the Mortgage Saving Experts in Watford. For a brief and informal chat, call us now on 01273 738 072.
What to Ask Your Watford 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 Walsworth, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Waltham-Cross, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Ware, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Wareside, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Waterford, Hertfordshire
- Mortgage Brokers in Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire
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