What is a mortgage broker
A mortgage broker represents individuals or companies looking to broker mortgage loans. Mortgage brokers strive to find a bank or direct lender that will agree to meet the particular loan an individual requires. With a mortgage broker in Crofton-Park, you’ll have an easier time procuring the mortgage loan you need at the best possible terms. The right broker will also improve your chances of getting a mortgage, even if you have a poor credit score or are subject to any other circumstances that could complicate your mortgage application.
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.
What Is A Mortgage?
In simple terms, a mortgage is a loan. Quite unlike personal loans however, a mortgage is used as guarantee against a loan, because it is linked to a piece of property. If you fail to make payments when due, your mortgage provider would have the right to repossess (take back) the property.
Typically, mortgages are laid out for a set period – usually 25 years, although shorter or longer terms are also possible. A repayment plan is arranged as soon as you borrow the money. While there are various mortgage options, the most popular one requires a monthly capital repayment plan.
Aside from repaying the money you borrowed initially, you will be charged interest on the amount you’ve been loaned (the ‘capital’). Secured using the collateral of a particular property, a mortgage is a debt instrument the borrower must repay via a predetermined structure of payment. Mortgages are a vehicle for individuals and businesses to make large property purchases, without paying the entire value of the purchase up front. The property can be owned by the borrower without a mortgage after the loan plus interest are repaid by them over a period of time. If the borrower defaults in making mortgage payments, the property on which the mortgage is secured can be repossessed by the lender.
The bank has a charge on the house; should the home buyer default on paying the mortgage, then the lender may repossess the property. The bank can evict the tenants, sell the property and use the income to pay off the mortgage debt if there is a repossession.
Mortgages come in various guises. Even though there are longer fixed rate mortgage terms available, the borrower would have to pay the same interest rate for the initial terms of two, three or five years. Monthly payments remain constant during the fixed rate term. The borrower would continue with the same payments if they have a fixed rate, even if the market interest rates go up. An increase or decrease in the market interest rate will not affect the borrower’s mortgage repayments if they have a fixed rate.
As soon as the fixed rate ends, your mortgage will be returned to a ‘standard variable rate’ set by the bank, lender or building society that lends you the money. You must remember to re-mortgage if you have a good broker or diary system in place. Alternatively, call your current lender to adjust the rates around three months prior to it being raised to the variable rate. This way, you can avoid paying too much on monthly payments, because lenders can adjust the rates as they deem fit.
In fact, the initial interest rate is usually a low rate, which can make a mortgage appear less expensive than it is. If interest rates rise later on, the monthly rates may become too high for the borrower to pay. Variable rates after the initial term can be changed at any time, causing monthly payments to be rather unpredictable.
Other types of mortgages exist that are not so common. However, they may be available to you, so talk to an independent broker about such options, which include offset mortgages, interest-only mortgages, buy to lets, secured loans, tracker rates and bridging loans. In Crofton-Park, our mortgage brokers can assist you in finding the ideal mortgage deal to match your unique circumstances and specifications.
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. Take advantage of this handy calculator to determine exactly how much your mortgage repayments will be, based on your total loan figure 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 Crofton-Park comes with many different benefits. Some of the more obvious benefits include:
Save Money
The possibility of saving money is the most obvious advantage of working with a mortgage broker. 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? Although such reservations are not entirely invalid, you should be aware that there is no benefit for mortgage brokers who do not work in your best interests.
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. Exclusive mortgages deals exist on the lower end that can be obtained by a number of mortgage brokers, possibly making the total cost of the loan that bit lower. Detailing the entire cost of the loan and letting you know how they get paid for their services is the duty of any reputable broker. Filing the pockets of a broker is of little value to a mortgage advisor company when compared to making sure customers have a positive experience.
Finds The Most Advantageous Deal
A mortgage broker will work towards protecting your interests, rather than those of the lending institution. In addition to being your agent, they should also 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
Any problems that may arise can be dealt with by a mortgage broker, who will oversee the whole process, guiding the client through any situation along the way. For instance, a broker will have knowledge of the lenders who offer the best products to meet the needs of a client with a credit issue. If a borrower requires a large loan – considerably more than what the bank will approve – the knowledge and expertise of a broker in securing financing would be a distinct advantage.
Save Time & Hassle
It’s not all about money. Your time and sanity are just as important as saving some extra money. Take into consideration the time you would need to research different kinds of loans from multiple lenders. With a mortgage broker, you’ll only need one application, rather than completing forms for each individual lender. 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. To find the best deal in terms of lower rates and overall cost, your broker will make comparisons between popular and less popular lenders.
Outsourcing the work to someone who can provide an expert opinion is a great way to relieve yourself of the burden involved. 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. Features like these can make a huge difference to your mortgage costs and overall experience. 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
Brokers have access to exclusive deals which the banks do not announce. These deals are passed by the banks to the brokers, who then have the responsibility of selling the products. Going to the bank directly could cause you to miss out on added benefits such as these, which you can procure by speaking to a broker.
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
When you request an Agreement in principle/Decision in principle of a loan and are refused approval, this shows up on your credit rating. You’ll need the necessary knowledge and experience a broker has to secure approval on your first attempt.
Access to expert knowledge
Mortgage brokers help people secure loans for a living. There’s much information and numerous exclusive deals available to them that you won’t find by yourself. Loans are attached to subtleties you could easily overlook if you aren’t searching for them. The difference to your mortgage could ultimately be made by these subtleties. An experienced professional to point you in the right direction is extremely beneficial.
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 like you’d acquire the services of a hairdresser to replenish damaged hair or a plumber for leaking pipes, a mortgage broker is an excellent option for any of your home loan needs.
About Mortgage Saving Experts
Contrary to how they might seem initially, mortgages and insurance are not so difficult. For this reason, it’s necessary to find an honest and knowledgeable adviser, with ample experience. Our mortgage savings experts will ease the process for you and make it as simple as possible. Why make things harder than necessary, after all? Let us make things easy for you and make sure we find you the most suitable deal.
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 treat each mortgage and insurance application as if it were our own. We’re all about this. No matter the circumstances – whether this is your first time buying, you’re a landlord, moving onto a new chapter or even re-mortgaging, Mortgage Saving Experts are here to help. We are here to provide assistance! Fundamentally “Get information about 1000s of mortgage deals by taking 15 minutes to speak to 1 adviser.”
Our Team of Brighton Mortgage Experts
Due to regulations by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), we must do all we can to get you the most suitable 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?
When you take out a mortgage, you’ll be subject to an initial rate for the first few years. After this initial rate finishes, the rate increases to the lender’s variable rate. You will be contacted by our team approximately three months prior to the renewal time to agree a new deal, before the monthly payment and rate are increased. 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 won’t have to remember when the deal is due to end, as we will do this for you.
- You can take a breather, while we do the bulk of the work.
- We are good at what we do, so you’ll always be advised by professional mortgage experts.
- Comparing, advising and setting up the best possible mortgage deal from amongst the many available is what we do.
- You’ll be supported and expertly advised throughout the whole mortgage process.
Our Approach to Mortgage Advice
Your individual needs will be duly considered, as we provide fully personalised services. We take three basic steps 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 Crofton-Park because:
- Use fact-finding to properly understand your individual needs.
- Point out the costs that come with buying and selling.
- Ask for applicable documents necessary for the application.
- Recommend and explain all about the prospective mortgage.
- Respond to any questions you might have.
- Collect an agreement in principle.
- Have your full mortgage application submitted.
- Work with your estate agent, solicitor and mortgage lender to answer any questions comprehensively.
Mortgage Types We Provide Expert Advice On
We provide professional advice on a broad range of mortgage products. In collaboration with our team, you won’t have any trouble finding the best mortgage products to match your specific requirements. Mortgage types that we’re frequently asked to handle include:
First time buyers
Most mortgage lenders Categorise First Time Buyers as 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.
The ideas and rules differ from lender to lender. Being a First Time Buyer is usually not an issue. To qualify for stamp duty relief as First Time Buyers, you must have never owned a property before, anywhere in the world.
The mortgaging process might appear to be challenging, but this isn’t necessarily so. 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 fairly obvious. 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 cut down on cost, effort and time with mortgage brokers, so why not use one? The initial consultation will cost you nothing.
Buying a home
You should get to know more about mortgages if you’re thinking of buying a home in the near future or a few years to come. Find out what to do before applying for a mortgage; during the application process; and how to use it accordingly after purchasing your home. 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 of great importance.
A mortgage is a serious affair. The banks risk a lot of money and have been increasingly cautious since the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008. To be eligible for a mortgage, good credit is useful but not absolutely essential. We can also guide you with regards how much you can afford to pay for your new home and what should be your price ceiling, based on your current situation. We won’t just facilitate the purchase your dream home, we will also help you fund it with the lowest cost and most favourable mortgage deal on offer.
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 of them don’t have to go hand in hand. Let me clarify this. If you have a small mortgage, you’ll probably find it’s not worthwhile paying an arrangement fee to the lender just to go on a lower rate. You might find it cheaper by going on a slightly higher rate and paying no arrangement fee to the lender at all. It’s best to always talk to someone before agreeing any deal, because you don’t want one that’s more expensive overall, even though the rate might be significantly lower. Tread carefully.
One benefit of re-mortgaging is that you’ll not normally pay for any valuation or solicitors fees, although not everyone qualifies for this. This is due to the fact that it is based solely on your disposition at the time of re-mortgaging. So please check or ask your adviser.
A re-mortgage completed on time is a smart way to significantly reduce the cost of your mortgage related bills. Although it can be a good thing – depending on your individual needs – a re-mortgage deal might not be the most suitable choice.
Reasons for remortgaging your property
- Based on your specific needs, such as…
- Mortgage debt is considerably small.
- Financial circumstances have changed.
- Significant early repayment charge.
- A drop in the value of your home.
- You are having trouble with credit.
- Already on a suitable current rate.
- We will dispense advice on the merits of pursuing a re-mortgage.
Buy to Let
A ‘buy to let’ property is one bought with a view to renting to others. Legally, you aren’t allowed to 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, you’d be required to know quite a few things.
- The amount of rental income you receive more or less affects how the loan amount you’re able to borrow.
- A payment in respect of an extra 3% stamp duty will be required after 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 good adviser will know the exact questions to pose and will find a mortgage that fits your exact requirements.
- Get in touch with our advisers to see if you’re eligible.
How Much Do Mortgage Brokers Charge?
Commission is usually paid to mortgage brokers by lenders; this will be a percentage of the mortgage loan you secure. This is usually around 0.33%, although this does vary massively, depending on what mortgage you require. For example, this would take into account buy to let or residential mortgages and whether you’ve had any credit problems in the recent past. Many independent brokers charge flat fees, usually around £500. Remember to ask brokers how they want to be paid. They must be completely transparent, telling you how much is being charged and what fee structure they use.
Our fee structure is based upon charging the client £695; any commission which is received from the mortgage lender is deducted from that figure If the commission we receive is less than £695, we then ask the client to make up the difference between what we have been paid in commission up to £695. For instance, if the commission we receive is £495, then we would require you to pay £200 to make up the difference. This can be paid when your mortgage offer has been produced, meaning we only get paid on results.
How Much Can I Borrow?
This is based on a number of factors, such as the amount you deposit, your income, the number of children you have, and any current debts you might have. How much a lender is willing to lend is based upon a full affordability assessment, whereby they will look to understand your income, as well as any loan or credit card commitments and regular essential household expenditure. 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. Initially, we can at least give you an idea, without needing to conduct any credit checks.
The Latest Best Mortgage Rates
We can help, whether you’re seeking to re-mortgage, purchase a buy to let, move home or find a mortgage for a first-time buyer. We compare thousands of the latest mortgage deals, so you can find the one you’re after.
What Our clients say About us
Our list of happy clients in Crofton-Park is long and diverse. If you still have doubts about our ability to professionally provide the best deal in Crofton-Park at the cheapest price, see for yourself 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 at your disposal when seeking the best mortgage deal, the better the position you’ll be in. The latest mortgage news below will provide the insight you need to properly get started.
Mortgage Regulatory Information
Banks, building societies and specialised mortgage lenders account for the bulk of mortgage providers in 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. Strict rules are in place against using false or unfair adverts and promotions, in addition to checks to ensure the terms of contracts for financial services are fair for the consumer. The original regulations represented in the rules for Mortgage Conduct of Business (MCOB) were reconstructed due to the 2014 FCA Mortgage Market Review (MMR).
The Prudential Regulation Authority (a sister organisation to the FCA) presides over deposit-taking organisations in the UK, with regards their financial conduct. They ensure firms have a high enough 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 feel it hasn’t been dealt with to your complete satisfaction, there is a complaints procedure which can be referred 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
What To Ask Your Brighton Mortgage Broker?
This is a logical follow-up question. Again, insist on a specific reply.
And once you’ve received answers to these questions, ask if the broker would be willing to put both claims in writing. That will indicate how seriously those claims should be taken.
If a problem arises during the loan application process, you’ll want your broker to respond quickly – hence this question.
Again, demand a specific answer – “Within three hours”, say, rather than “Quickly”.
The reason for this question is so you can discover whether the broker will closely guide you through what is a complicated and stressful process – or expect you to figure it out for yourself.
Organising finance and purchasing property can be complicated and stressful, so you want to know you’re in safe hands. That’s why, before you settle on a particular broker, you should challenge the broker with this question.
Don’t let the broker get away with vague statements like “Because I’m the best” or “Because I provide great service”. Use follow-up questions to demand detail. “What specific things make you better than other brokers? What, specifically, do you do to deliver great service?”
Another important question to ask. That’s because while most brokers focus on ‘plain vanilla’ clients, others might focus on, say, sophisticated investors or borrowers with credit problems.
Hypothetically; Broker A might have done 450 vanilla loans and 50 bad-credit loans, while Broker B might have done 50 vanilla loans and 250 bad-credit loans. So if you were a borrower with credit problems, you might be better off with Broker B.
Next, probe them about their customer service standards
A great way to utilise the knowledge and experience of a broker is to get them to work out the true cost of your home loan. Based on whether you’re paying Repayment or interest only, how much of a deposit you have, the length of your loan term and the rates payable your broker will be able to obtain a mortgage illustration which will have the true cost on it. This is normally depicted by the Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
By maximising your deposit amount and minimising your loan term, you stand to significantly reduce the overall cost of your loan. However, there is much more to answering what the true cost of your home loan will be. Upfront fees such as valuation fees, conveyancing and legal fees need to be added to the total cost. Ongoing fees such as those you can incur for using a drawdown facility.
While it’s impossible to forecast the entire cost of your mortgage to the penny – and let’s not forget how life circumstances and changes can affect your ability to pay your loan too – a broker can can help clarify the big picture details. Mortgage Saving Experts can recommend any protection or insurances to protect you and your family to cover life unfortunate eventualities and our team of advisers can use this information to help you decide which loan is best for your circumstances.
The big question plaguing home buyers tends to be, ‘how much can I borrow?’ Each lender is massively different in this area so as a maximum depending on many factors. In the majority of cases, you can borrow up to around 5 times your gross annual salary but in some instances, you may borrow up to 5.5 times your gross annual income
Once you speak to us, however, we’ll be able to give you a much more accurate indication of your borrowing capacity. Brokers act as the go-between for you and the lender. Lenders will need to know your living expenses, debts, credit score and whether you have dependents. A broker can factor all these things into the right loan.
A broker can also explain home loan terms you’ll need to know, such as LTV, which is the initialism for Loan-to-Value and refers to the percentage of the total loan amount you seek to borrow as a percentage of the property purchase price or value. They can also explain things like the differences in interest rates and repayment types such as Interest Only and Repayment (Capital & Interest)
This is a good follow-up question to ask, as it will give you a better understanding of the mortgage broker’s experience.
For example, imagine two brokers joined the industry in 2013, but that Broker A had written 500 loans during that time and Broker B had written 300. In that case, even though both parties would be able to claim five years of industry experience, there would be a clear difference in hands-on experience.
This is a good place to start, because a more experienced broker will generally be more knowledgeable than a less experienced broker.
Press the broker to give you a specific answer, such as “Eighteen years” or “I’ve been a broker since 2007 and in the mortgage industry since 2001”, rather than something vague like “I’ve got a lot of experience”.
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Barry Webb
After nearly 20 years in the financial services industry, I started Mortgage Saving Experts. I thrive on helping people save money and come up with simple and clever little ideas which make massive savings to my clients. I want the company’s core focus to be great customer service. You don’t get good customer service anymore and this is about time that changed, It’s about taking responsibility and always going the extra mile.