What is a mortgage broker
To broker a mortgage loan, a mortgage broker will act as a link on behalf of an individual or business. The purpose of mortgage brokers is to look for banks or direct lenders that will willingly provide the specific loan an individual would need. With a mortgage broker in Edmonton, you’ll have an easier time procuring the mortgage loan you need at the best possible terms. Even with complicated circumstances or a poor credit score, the ideal mortgage broker will boost your chances of getting a mortgage.
There are regulations in place to guide professional mortgage brokers and make sure they adhere to banking and finance laws in the jurisdiction of customers, so you can be sure you’re in good hands.
What Is A Mortgage?
Quite simply, a mortgage is a loan. A mortgage is not like a personal loan, as it is specifically attached to a piece of property used as collateral against the loan. Failure to pay when due can result in your mortgage provider taking back (repossessing) the property, as would be their legal right.
In essence, mortgages have a set duration – mostly 25 years – although there are shorter or longer terms available. A plan for you to make repayments is drawn up once you’ve borrowed the money. Although mortgages which involve monthly capital repayment plans are more common, there are also other types of mortgage available.
You won’t only have to repay the capital (the money you borrowed), but also the interest on it. A mortgage – secured by the collateral of the property involved – is a debt instrument that the borrower must repay against the agreed pre-set payment instalments. Mortgages are a vehicle for individuals and businesses to make large property purchases, without paying the entire value of the purchase up front. Over a period of many years, the borrower repays the loan (plus interest) until they eventually own the property outright, without any mortgage. The lender can repossess the property against which the mortgage is secured if the borrower does not keep up with mortgage payments.
Should there be a default on mortgage payments, the lender can take back the property, as the bank will have a charge on it. If there is a repossession, the tenants can be evicted by the bank and the property sold to repay the mortgage debt.
Mortgages come in various guises. While there are longer fixed rate terms provided, the borrower will pay the same interest for the initial term; that is, two, three or five years, with a fixed rate mortgage. During the fixed rate term, monthly payments remain the same. The borrower’s payments will not be affected by any increase in the market interest rates if they are on a fixed rate. If market interest rates drop or increase, the borrower’s mortgage repayment remains the same if they are on a fixed rate.
When the fixed rate is over, your mortgage return to a ‘standard variable rate’, which is usually set by the bank or lender from whom you borrow the money. This rate can go up or down whenever the lender sees fit, so if you have a diligent broker or good diary system in place, remember to re-mortgage or call your existing lender and change the rate by looking around three months before that rate increases to the variable rate. This will save you paying much higher monthly payments.
Quite often, the initial interest rate is a low rate, which can make a mortgage appear cheaper than it is. If interest rates increase at a later date, the borrower may not be able to afford the higher monthly payments. After the initial term, variable rates can be adjusted at any time, making the monthly payments unpredictable.
Other less common types of mortgages – such as interest-only mortgages, tracker rates, offset mortgages, buy to lets, bridging loans and secured loans – could also be available to you, so speak with an independent broker to determine your options. You can receive assistance from our mortgage brokers in Edmonton to find a mortgage deal that best matches your individual specifications and circumstances.
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. Find out how your interest rate and total loan amount determines your mortgage repayments with this handy calculator. Find out how much you’ll have to repay every month instantly by simply entering those values with your term and pressing ‘Click to calculate’.
Why Use A Mortgage Broker?
In Edmonton, working with a mortgage broker on your mortgage application is beneficial in a number of ways. 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 be required to complete a few details, but the hard work is managed by an experienced professional, who has your best interests in mind.
With limited understanding on the concept of mortgage brokers, some people don’t fully trust this, believing there must be a catch at some point. As understandable as such thoughts are, it’s important to understand that mortgage brokers have nothing to gain by not working in your best interests.
In short, a broker is required to give proof of their reasons for recommending the mortgage they have (to you, their regulators, the Prudent Regulation Authority or Financial Conduct Authority) or they could be penalised. 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. 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 always be in favour of your own interests and not those of the lending institution. Acting as your agent isn’t all they should do, but also problem solvers and knowledgeable consultants too. 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. Amongst the benefits of working with experienced mortgage brokers are innovative mortgages and sophisticated solutions, because regular 15 or 30-year mortgages aren’t usually sufficient. These include money for children or carrying out much needed renovations, mortgages to raise capital for repaying debts or even money to buy other properties like 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. Borrowers who find they need larger loans than their bank will approve can also benefit from a broker’s knowledge and ability to successfully obtain financing.
Save Time & Hassle
It’s never just about money. As much as it’s important to save some extra money, your time and sanity are important as well. Imagine how much time it would take to find out about the numerous types of loans available from multiple lenders. You’d be required to fill out just one application with a mortgage broker, unlike completing one for every different lender. Your mortgage broker can make available a formal comparison of the loans recommended to advise on the information which completely illustrates cost differences, along with present rates, points and closing costs for every loan shown. To find the best deal in terms of lower rates and overall cost, your broker will make comparisons between popular and less popular lenders.
Take some of the work off your shoulders and outsource it to someone who can offer expert advice. Mortgage brokers do the bulk of the work by helping you during the application and approval process in ways such as taking care of all paperwork; answering questions; handling applications for government schemes; and providing information about the various options and loan features you aren’t aware of. A few of the features may include options to make extra repayments, as well as drawdown facilities and offset accounts. Your general mortgage experience and overall expenses can be largely affected by these features. In fact, if you don’t know so much about these concepts and the effects they could have, you can find clarification and get answers to any questions you may have during a phone call.
Access to exclusive non-advertised deals
Exclusive deals not advertised by banks can accessed by mortgage brokers. 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.
Brokers can search the whole market for the finest deal, whereas individual banks can only offer their own deals and not those of other banks.
Better chance of pre-approval success
If you’re knocked back after requesting an Agreement in principle/Decision in principle of a loan, this will leave a mark against your credit rating. The experience and knowledge required for your best chance of approval the first time you apply is something brokers have in abundance.
Access to expert knowledge
A mortgage broker’s job is to help people obtain loans. Helpful information and exclusive deals you won’t find yourself are accessible to them. If you aren’t looking for them, you’re likely to miss the subtle details that come with loans. In fact, it is these small details that can make a difference to your mortgage in the long run. Having the services of an experienced professional who can point these out for you is a huge benefit.
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. The same way you would contact a plumber to fix a leaking pipe or a hairdresser to work on damaged hair, contacting a mortgage broker is an ideal option for your home loan needs.
About Mortgage Saving Experts
Mortgages and insurance are not as complicated as they might first seem. This is why it’s very important to find honest advisers, who are knowledgeable and experienced. Making the process as straightforward and seamless as it can be is something our mortgage experts will do for you. Why complicate things more than necessary, after all? Allow us to secure the best deal possible for you and make everything straightforward.
You’ll be left thinking that mortgages and insurance are not as difficult as they appear, because of the reliable and transparent service Mortgage Saving Experts provide our customers. At Mortgage Saving Experts, we treat each mortgage and insurance application as if it were our own. We’re all about this. Mortgage Saving Experts are here, no matter what the circumstances, whether you’re a landlord, first time buyer, moving on to a new chapter or just re-mortgaging. We are here to assist! Fundamentally “Take 15 minutes to talk to 1 adviser and find out about 1000s of mortgage deals.”
Our Team of Brighton Mortgage Experts
We make sure we help you get the best available deal the market can offer, as we are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). 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 an honest, passionate, enthusiastic and very experienced team of mortgage and insurance experts.
Our mortgage insurance experts take pride in listening to the current and future objectives our customers have. To achieve these objectives, we will then work hand in hand with you.
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. 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. Other benefits of working with us include:
- With a deal better than the bank variable rate, you’ll 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.
- We undertake comparisons and then advise and arrange the best mortgage for you, choosing from thousands of deals.
- You’ll receive expert advice and support throughout the entire mortgage process.
Our Approach to Mortgage Advice
We make available personalised services and put into consideration all your unique 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:
What differentiates our services from those of other mortgage brokers in Edmonton includes:
- Get to determine your situation and requirements by fact-finding.
- Explain the costs involved with buying and selling.
- Request all documents related to the application.
- Recommend and explain all about the prospective mortgage.
- Provide answers to your questions.
- An agreement in principle will be put in place.
- Have your entire mortgage application sent in.
- 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 offer expert advice on a wide variety of mortgage products. You won’t have any difficulty finding the right mortgage products to suit your needs when working with us. The most popular mortgage types we’re requested 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.
Every lender has different rules and ideas about this. Being a First Time Buyer is not generally considered to be a problem. First Time Buyers must not have owned property anywhere in the world before to be eligible for stamp duty relief for stamp duty purposes.
Mortgages may appear to be a rather difficult process, but they really don’t have to be. The purchase of your first home can be filled with excitement, so if you discover a well-respected broker to manage the process for a reasonable price, then use one. It is abundantly clear why you should use one. If you have no knowledge about cars and yours develops a fault, you would call a mechanic rather than attempt to fix it yourself. With mortgages, it is exactly the same. You can save on time, effort and even money with mortgage brokers, so you should use one. The initial consultation comes at no cost at all.
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. Learn what to do before applying for a mortgage; what to watch for during the process; and how to use a mortgage after you’ve bought your home. If you prefer otherwise, then instead speak to an adviser who will guide you through it.
Your credit is important.
A mortgage is a serious affair. Banks put up a lot of money at their own risk. So much so, they’ve been very careful since the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. To be eligible for a mortgage, good credit is useful but not absolutely essential. 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. 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
In short, this means you’ll switch from one lender to another to get a more affordable rate or cheaper deal. They don’t necessarily have to be paired together. Let me simplify this for you. 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. 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 advantage of re-mortgaging is that you won’t have to pay any valuation or solicitors fees. That said, not everyone is eligible for this exemption. This is due to the fact that it is based solely on your disposition at the time of re-mortgaging. So, do find out from your adviser.
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.
Reasons for remortgaging your property
- Depending on your individual circumstances, such as…
- Mortgage debt is fairly minor.
- There have been significant changes in financial disposition.
- Significant early repayment charge.
- Decrease in home value.
- Existing credit problems.
- Already on a great rate.
- We will provide guidance to help you choose whether to re-mortgage.
Buy to Let
A ‘buy to let’ property is one bought with a view to renting to others. Legally, you cannot live in the property. If you’re a First Time Buyer, the number of available lenders will be restricted if you’re purchasing a buy to let, while extra checks would be carried out by the lender in such cases.
- 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.
- You’ll still have to pay the extra 3% of the purchase price, even if the property isn’t valued as it should be for the stamp duty to be liable.
- TIP: If you’re looking to buy a second property, you should ask your solicitor/conveyancer to work out the amount you have to pay.
- To find the best mortgage to match your requirements, a good adviser will know which questions you need to answer.
- Get in touch with our advisers to see if you’re eligible.
How Much Do Mortgage Brokers Charge?
Most mortgage brokers get paid commission from lenders, which will be a percentage of the mortgage loan you receive. This is often about 0.33%, even though it largely varies, based on your mortgage needs. For example, a residential mortgage or buy to let and if you’ve had any credit issues recently. A flat fee of roughly £500 is usually charged by the majority of independent brokers. Be sure to find out from brokers how you pay them. They need to be totally clear, informing you of the fee structure they use and just how much you are due to be charged.
For our fee structure, we charge clients £695; any commission we receive from mortgage lenders is subtracted 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. 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?
This depends on several factors, such as the deposit value and how much you earn, how many children you have, as well as what debts (if any) you 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. A credit check will be undertaken for mortgage purposes to confirm you have sufficient credit rating.
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. We can provide an initial estimate, without the need for any credit checks to begin with.
The Latest Best Mortgage Rates
Whether you’re looking to re-mortgage, move home, find a first-time buyer mortgage or a buy-to-let, we can help. We compare recent mortgage deals in large quantities to help you find just what you want.
What Our clients say About us
In Edmonton, we have long and diverse list of satisfied clients. If you’re still not sure that we are the experts to get you the most suitable mortgage deal in Edmonton at the most affordable price, check out some of the things our clients have said about working 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 available to you when trying to secure the best mortgage deal, the more advantages you’ll enjoy. To help you begin on the right path, find recent insightful mortgage news below.
Mortgage Regulatory Information
Most mortgages in the UK are provided by building societies, banks and specialised mortgage lenders. Although a big portion of the market share is owned by Lloyds Banking Group and Nationwide Building Society, all together there are 200 different financial institutions providing mortgages in Britain.
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. There are stern rules that serve as a guide with regards using unfair, deceitful promotions and adverts, as well as checks for financial service contracts for consumers. Regulations were originally set out in the rules for Mortgage Conduct of Business (MCOB), but these were overhauled as a result of the FCA Mortgage Market Review (MMR) in 2014.
Deposit-taking organisations in the UK are under the jurisdiction of the Prudential Regulation Authority (a sister organisation to the FCA) for their financial conduct. They ensure firms have a high enough level of capital to offset their lending risks.
The first step in tackling any issue you have with regards your mortgage provider is to take it up 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.