What is a mortgage broker
Mortgage loans are brokered on behalf of companies and individuals by mortgage brokers, who effectively act as intermediaries. Mortgage brokers exist to find a bank or direct lender that will be willing to make the specific loan an individual requires. You’ll have a stress-free time getting a great deal on the mortgage you need in Upper-Edmonton if you work with a mortgage broker. If you have a poor credit score or any other problems that could have an impact on your mortgage application, the right mortgage broker can increase your chances immeasurably.
With regulations in place to make sure professional mortgage brokers follow banking and finance laws in the relevant customer jurisdiction, you won’t have to worry about being in the wrong hands.
What Is A Mortgage?
Quite simply, 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 default on your payments, your mortgage provider has the right to take back (repossess) the property.
Mortgages are nearly always set for a 25-year period, but long and short terms are also available. As soon as you borrow the money, a plan for repayment is implemented. Although there are different types of mortgages, the most common is one whereby you are bound to a monthly capital repayment plan.
You will be required to pay interest on the loan A mortgage is a debt instrument, secured by the collateral of a specified property that the borrower is obliged to pay back via a predetermined set of payments. Mortgages allow individuals and businesses to purchase sizable properties, without paying the entire cost at once. Over time, the loan and interest included can be repaid by the borrower, before the property can become theirs without any mortgage. If the borrower defaults in making mortgage payments, the property on which the mortgage is secured can be repossessed by the lender.
The property can be repossessed by the lender if the home buyer fails to make mortgage payments, since the bank has a charge on the house. The tenants can be evicted in a repossession case and the property sold by the bank. Subsequently, the equity from which would be used to cover the mortgage debt.
There are several types of mortgages. With a fixed rate mortgage, the borrower pays the same interest rate for an initial term (i.e. two, three or five years), although longer fixed rate terms are available. The monthly payment never changes 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. The borrower’s mortgage repayments do not change if the market interest rates rise or fall if they have a fixed rate.
At the end of the fixed rate, your mortgage would revert to a ‘standard variable rate’ put in place by the lender, bank or building society from whom you borrow the money. The rate can increase or decrease as the lender decides, so with a good broker or diary system in place, do not forget to re-mortgage or call your existing lender, so you can adjust the rate sometime around three months before it’s increased to the variable rate. This will help you avoid paying 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. Because the variable rates can change at any time, the monthly payments are unpredictable after the initial term.
Interest-only mortgages, tracker rates, offset mortgages, secured loans, buy to lets, and bridging loans are less-common types of mortgages that could be available, so contact an independent broker to discover your options. In Upper-Edmonton, our mortgage brokers can assist you in finding the ideal mortgage deal to match your unique circumstances and specifications.
Handy Tools and Calculators
With an estimate in mind – in terms of how much you can borrow and cost of the loan – you’ll be able to plan your future more easily. 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. Just enter those values together with your term and press ‘Click to calculate’ to instantly see how much you’ll need to repay each month.
Why Use A Mortgage Broker?
Working on your mortgage application with a mortgage broker in Upper-Edmonton comes with many different benefits. Some of the most obvious of these benefits are:
Save Money
The most visible benefit of choosing to work with a mortgage broker is that you will likely 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.
For some people, there are doubts regarding this, mostly because mortgage brokers are not fully understood worldwide, so it’s generally thought there must be some sort of catch. While this train of thought is understandable, be assured that most mortgage brokers don’t have an incentive to work against your best interests.
If the broker cannot provide genuine reasons for recommending the mortgage they have (to you, their regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority), then they could be in serious trouble. Many mortgage brokers can obtain exclusive mortgage deals not found on the high street, potentially making the total loan cost lower for the client. 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. For a mortgage advisor company, a positive user experience is higher on the value chain than lining the pockets of an individual broker.
Finds The Most Advantageous Deal
For a mortgage broker, your interests – rather than those of the lending institution – are paramount. Not only should the role of being your agent be their focus, they also need to be knowledgeable consultants and problem solvers. For terms like interest rates, repayment value and loan products, you can get the best possible value from a broker, who has access to a wide array of mortgage products. To ascertain your goals and needs (both short and long term), you’ll be interviewed by the mortgage broker. 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 guide the client throughout the whole process and sort out any issues that might arise. 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. If a borrower requires a loan too large for the bank to approve, a broker can be of benefit by providing the knowledge and ability to successfully source financing.
Save Time & Hassle
It isn’t only about money. While it’s a good thing to save some extra money, your sanity and time matter just as much. Consider how much time it would take you to research multiple loan types from multiple lenders. You’d only need to complete one application with a mortgage broker, instead of filling out forms for every individual 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.
By outsourcing, you can reduce the workload and get someone else’s professional advice. To be of assistance throughout the entire application and approval process, mortgage brokers do the bulk of the work. This includes handling all the paperwork, helping with applications for government ski schemes, answering questions and providing insight on other options and loan features you may not have given thought to. 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. 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. If you contact the bank yourself, you wouldn’t have access to the extra benefits you would otherwise get by speaking to a broker.
A bank can provide access to their own deals (not those offered by other banks), but brokers can gain access to the entire market to find the best deals.
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. Brokers have the knowledge and experience required to give you the best shot at being approved at the first attempt.
Access to expert knowledge
Helping people secure loans is what mortgage brokers do for a living. They have access to helpful information and exclusive deals you’d otherwise not find. Loans are attached to subtleties you could easily overlook if you aren’t searching for them. 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.
Rather than putting time aside to research thousands of loans and several lenders – and still possibly miss important subtleties – why not let someone else who has industry experience handle the work? 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.
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. Making the process as straightforward and seamless as it can be is something our mortgage experts will do for you. Besides, why complicate things more than necessary? Allow us to ease the entire process and obtain the best deals available for you.
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 handle every single mortgage and insurance application like they belong to us. These are the things we’re about. 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 are here to assist! Fundamentally “Find out about 1000s of mortgage deals by putting 15 minutes aside to talk to 1 adviser.”
Our Team of Brighton Mortgage Experts
We make it our duty to get you the best deal the market has to offer, as we are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We need to provide justification to our customers and regulators for recommending the mortgages we do, so you understand just why you have that particular mortgage.
Down to Earth Mortgage
We are an honest, enthusiastic and passionate team of mortgage insurance experts, with years of industry experience.
Our mortgage and insurance experts pride themselves on listening to what your current and future objectives are. We then work closely with you to achieve those goals.
Why chose Mortgage Saving Experts?
You’ll get an initial rate for the first few years after taking out a mortgage. The lender’s variable rate is implemented after the initial rate is complete. 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. Other advantages of working with us are:
- 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 time to relax, while we handle the stress for you.
- We are good at what we do, so you’ll always be advised by professional mortgage experts.
- We undertake comparisons and then advise and arrange the best mortgage for you, choosing from thousands of deals.
- You’ll be provided expert advice and support right through the mortgage process.
Our Approach to Mortgage Advice
We offer a personalised service that takes into consideration your unique needs. Our approach to mortgage advice involves three simple steps:
- 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:
The things that make our services the best amongst mortgage brokers in Upper-Edmonton include:
- Find out what your needs and circumstances are through fact-finding.
- Point out the costs that come with buying and selling.
- Ask for related documents to help with the application.
- Provide explanations and recommendations for the prospective mortgage.
- Provide answers to your questions.
- Get 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 offer expert advice on a wide variety of mortgage products. By working with our team, you’ll have no trouble finding the perfect mortgage product to match your needs. 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.
The rules and ideas on this are different across various lenders. 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. 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. 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. It’s the same with 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
You should brush up your knowledge of mortgages if a home purchase is a viable option for you any time soon (or a few years down the line). 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 would rather avoid any stress, speak to an adviser, who will guide you accordingly.
Your credit is of great importance.
A mortgage is a major issue. 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 qualify for a mortgage, good credit is helpful, but not 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. In addition to assisting you with the purchase of your dream home, we will also help with financing at minimum cost and the most agreeable mortgage available.
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 always sit well together. Let me explain. 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 may find it’s more practical to go on a slightly higher rate, without paying arrangement fees to any lender. 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. Be careful.
The potential absence of valuation or solicitors fees is one of the plus points of re-mortgaging, even though not everyone qualifies for this. This is because it is dependent on your circumstances alone 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. 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 isn’t considerable.
- The financial situation is no longer the same.
- Costly early repayment charge.
- A reduction in home value.
- You have credit issues.
- Present rate is very agreeable.
- We will guide you when deciding to re-mortgage or not.
Buy to Let
A property bought with the purpose of renting to tenants is known as ‘buy to let’. According to the law, you cannot live in the property. If you’re purchasing a buy to let as a First Time Buyer, the number of lenders available will be restricted and there will be extra checks carried out by the lender in such cases.
- There are a few things you may need to be aware of when purchasing a buy to let property.
- The loan amount you can borrow is dependent on how much rental income you receive.
- You’ll be required to pay a 3% stamp duty after 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 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.
- 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. While the figure varies widely, it is generally set at around 0.33%, depending on the type of mortgage you require. For example, this could be a residential mortgage or buy to let and would take into account whether you’ve had any credit troubles recently. A flat fee of roughly £500 is usually charged by the majority of independent brokers. Be sure to enquire about how to make payments to brokers. They need to be totally clear, informing you of the fee structure they use and just how much you are due to be charged.
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 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?
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. 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.
To get an idea of the amount you can loan, get a decision in principle before applying for a mortgage in full. Arrange an appointment with 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
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 thousands of the latest mortgage deals, so you can find the one you’re after.
What Our clients say About us
Our list of satisfied clients in Upper-Edmonton is lengthy and diversified. If you doubt that we are the professionals most capable of finding you the best mortgage deal in Upper-Edmonton at the lowest price, check out what some of our customers have to say about their experience with us. Contact us today to get a first-hand experience of the excellent services we provide.
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 provide insight and help you get started, find recent news on mortgages below.
Mortgage Regulatory Information
Most mortgages in the UK are provided by building societies, banks and specialised mortgage lenders. 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.
Due to the Financial Services Act 2000, a regulatory scheme specifically for mortgages was implemented by the former Financial Services Authority (now the FCA), even though close regulations have always been in place to guide banks and building societies in the UK.
Mortgage providers are tightly regulated by the FCA, in terms of their professional conduct. 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. 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.
Regarding their financial conduct, organisations that take deposits in the UK fall under the FCA’s sister organisation’s jurisdiction, the Prudential Regulation Authority. They make sure firms have capital large enough to cancel out 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 think it hasn’t been sorted out satisfactorily, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service if necessary. 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.