What is a mortgage broker
A mortgage broker acts as an intermediary who brokers mortgage loans on behalf of individuals or businesses. Mortgage brokers function to find banks or lenders that will willingly make the exact loan an individual requires. If you work with a mortgage broker in Upper-Eashing, it won’t be so difficult to get a great deal on the mortgage loan you require. 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.
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?
A mortgage is in effect 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. The property can be rightfully taken from you (repossession) by your mortgage provider if you do not make payments on time.
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.
As well as paying back the money you initially borrowed (the ‘capital’), you’ll also be charged interest on that sum. Acquired by the collateral of a particular property, a mortgage is an instrument of debt the borrower is required to repay, according to a pre-set payment structure. Mortgages allow individuals and businesses to purchase sizable properties, without paying the entire cost at once. 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. The lender can repossess the property against which the mortgage is secured if the borrower does not keep up with mortgage payments.
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 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. 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. During the fixed rate term, monthly payments remain the same. The borrower would continue with the same payments if they have a fixed rate, even if the market interest rates go up. The mortgage repayments the borrower makes won’t differ if the interest rates in the market change if they are on a fixed rate.
Your mortgage will usually revert to a ‘standard variable rate’ laid down by the bank, building society or lender that lends you the money, once the fixed rate ends. Lenders may change the rates as they see fit; to avoid paying higher monthly rates, you must remember to re-mortgage if you have a good broker or diary system in place. Otherwise, call your current lender and adjust the rate around three months before it’s increased to the variable rate.
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 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.
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. Our mortgage brokers in Upper-Eashing can provide help for getting the best mortgage deal to suit your personal specifications and requirements.
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. Find out just how much your mortgage repayments are going to be, dependent on your interest rate and full loan amount, using this handy calculator. Just fill in those values, along with your term and press ‘Click to calculate’ to immediately see the amount you will have to repay per month.
Why Use A Mortgage Broker?
Working on your mortgage application with a mortgage broker in Upper-Eashing 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? Even though this line of thought is understandable, you can rest easy, because not working in your best interests is in no way profitable to a mortgage broker.
In fact, a broker could be in serious trouble if they are unable to prove to you, their regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority why they’ve recommended the particular mortgage that they have. 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. Reputable mortgage brokers communicate how they expect to be paid for their services, as well as outline the details of the entire loan. A mortgage advisor company values ensuring a positive experience for their customers over padding the pocket of a broker.
Finds The Most Advantageous Deal
Your interests – and not those of the lending institution – will be represented by the mortgage broker. Acting as your agent isn’t all they should do, but also problem solvers and knowledgeable consultants too. 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. The mortgage broker will talk with you to get a clear picture of 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. 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
Money isn’t the only consideration. Your time and sanity are just as important as saving a bit of extra cash. Consider how much time it would take you to research multiple loan types from multiple lenders. You’d be required to fill out just one application with a mortgage broker, unlike completing one for every different 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. Your broker compares loans from major and less popular lenders to find you the best deal with the lowest rates and overall cost.
Take some of the work off your shoulders and outsource it to someone who can offer expert advice. A mortgage broker can do a lot of the work by providing you with support throughout the application and approval process. This might involve completing all paperwork, helping you with applications to government schemes, answering questions and explaining the options and loan features, about which you may not have been aware. These features could include things such as drawdown facilities and options for making extra repayments and offset accounts. A noticeable difference can be made to your overall experience and the cost of your mortgage. If you don’t know much about these concepts and how they can work for you, reach out to your broker over the phone for clarification and answers.
Access to exclusive non-advertised deals
There are exclusive deals not made public by the banks that brokers have access to. The banks pass these deals on to the brokers, who are responsible for selling the products. Speaking to a broker unlocks these extra perks you would otherwise miss out on by going directly to a bank.
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
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. With the required knowledge and experience brokers possess, you’ll have a better chance at approval the first time around.
Access to expert knowledge
Helping people secure loans is what mortgage brokers do for a living. They have access to information and select deals you wouldn’t discover by yourself. Loans come with certain subtleties you could miss if you’re not looking out for them. It’s these subtleties that can make a difference to your mortgage in the long haul. It is a huge plus to have the services of an experienced expert to show these things to you.
Rather than sacrifice a chunk of your day researching thousands of loans and lenders (and still potentially missing out on key subtleties), why not let someone with industry experience handle the work? 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. 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. Why make things harder than necessary, after all? Let us make everything easy for you and ensure you get the best possible deal.
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. All the mortgage and insurance applications we take care of at Mortgage Saving Experts are treated as if we own them. This is what we’re all about. 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 assist! Fundamentally “Search 1000s of mortgage deals by taking 15 minutes to speak to 1 adviser.”
Our Team of Brighton Mortgage Experts
As we are bound by regulations of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), we must ensure we get you the best available deal on the market. We must justify to 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, enthusiastic and passionate team of mortgage insurance experts, with years of industry experience.
Your current and future goals will be identified by our mortgage insurance experts after talking with you. We then work closely with you to achieve those 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. At the end of this initial rate, this returns 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 advantages of working with us are:
- You can save extra cash, because you’ll get a preferable deal to the bank variable rate.
- We will help you keep abreast of the expiry dates for deals, so you won’t have to worry.
- You can take time to relax, while we handle the stress for you.
- We know our business, so you’ll only be advised by qualified mortgage experts.
- We compare, advise and arrange the best mortgage for you from thousands of available deals.
- For the entire mortgage process, you will be expertly advised and supported.
Our Approach to Mortgage Advice
We make available personalised services and put into consideration all your unique needs. 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 Upper-Eashing because:
- Understand your needs and circumstances via fact-finding.
- Point out the costs that come with buying and selling.
- Request applicable documents to aid the application.
- Propose and explain the likely mortgage.
- Get answers to any questions you might have.
- Get an agreement in principle.
- Have your full mortgage application submitted.
- 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 our clients expertly on a vast selection 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 put people in the First Time Buyers category if they 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. There usually are no issues in being a First Time Buyer. To qualify for stamp duty relief as First Time Buyers, you must have never owned a property before, anywhere in the world.
Mortgage processes may look tough to negotiate, but they really don’t need to be. 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. The purpose of using one is straightforward enough. 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. With mortgages, the same principle applies. With mortgage brokers, you can cut down on money, effort and time, so you should use one. There are no charges 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. 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 important.
A mortgage is serious issue. A lot of money has been risked by banks over the years; notably, they have been more and more cautious since the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. To be eligible for a mortgage, good credit is useful but not absolutely essential. Depending on your present circumstances, we can be your guide on how much you can afford to pay for your new home and help set your cost limit. 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 essence, the only thing you’re doing here is swapping one lender for another to get a cheaper deal or better rate. The two of them don’t have to go hand in hand. Let me explain. It may seem unwise to pay an arrangement fee to another lender to get on a lower rate if you have a small mortgage. Being on a rate that’s a bit higher may seem more agreeable to you than paying an arrangement fee to any 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. Focus on any small print.
One benefit of re-mortgaging is that you’ll not normally pay for any valuation or solicitors fees, although not everyone qualifies for this. Any reasoning depends solely on your circumstances at the time of re-mortgaging. So please check or ask your adviser.
A smart way to significantly minimise the cost of your mortgage bills is to undertake a re-mortgage on time. Depending on your specific needs, a re-mortgage deal might not be the best option, even though it does have its advantages.
Reasons for remortgaging your property
- Depending on your unique needs, like…
- Mortgage debt is fairly minor.
- There have been significant changes in financial disposition.
- Early repayment charge is on the high side.
- Home value dropped.
- You are having trouble with credit.
- Present rate is very agreeable.
- We will advise you whether to re-mortgage or not.
Buy to Let
A ‘buy to let’ property is one you want to purchase in order to rent out to tenants. Legally, you aren’t allowed to 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 rental income you receive is a primary factor when determining the size of the loan you can borrow.
- You’ll be required to pay a 3% stamp duty 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’re looking to buy a second property, you should ask your solicitor/conveyancer to work out the amount you have to pay.
- A good adviser will know the exact questions to pose and will find a mortgage that fits your exact requirements.
- To see if you’re eligible, reach out now to our advisers.
How Much Do Mortgage Brokers Charge?
Many mortgage brokers are paid commission from lenders, which represents a percentage of your mortgage loan. 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. Most independent brokers charge a flat fee, which is typically 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 have a fee structure based on charging our clients £695. From that figure, we then deduct any commission received from the mortgage lender If the commission paid to us falls short of £695, our client will then be asked to make up the difference between the commission we receive and the figure of £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 takes into account many factors, such as how much you deposit, the amount you earn, the number of children you have and what debts (if any) you have in the background. The amount a lender would be willing to lend is dependent on a comprehensive affordability assessment that helps them understand your income, as well as any loan or credit card commitments you might have and everyday household expenses. A credit check will be undertaken for mortgage purposes to confirm you have sufficient credit rating.
For a more accurate idea of how much you can borrow, get a decision in principle before you apply for a mortgage in full. Arrange to see one of our qualified mortgage experts today. We can at least give you an idea, without having to do any credit checks at the initial stage.
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 make comparisons between thousands of recent mortgage deals to help you find the one you want.
What Our clients say About us
Our list of satisfied clients in Upper-Eashing is lengthy and diversified. If you still have doubts about our ability to professionally provide the best deal in Upper-Eashing at the cheapest price, see for yourself what some of our customers have said about their experience with us. For a personal experience to discover how effective our services are, contact us 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. Below can be found recent news on mortgages to provide the insight you need to get started.
Mortgage Regulatory Information
Building societies, specialised mortgage lenders and banks provide the most mortgages across the UK. There is a total of 200 different financial institutions which offer mortgages in Britain, although Lloyds Banking Group and Nationwide Building Society owns the market’s largest share.
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. Tough rules are in place concerning checks that ensure customers are fairly treated in terms of contracts for financial services, as well as misleading and unfair adverts and promotions. As a result of the FCA Mortgage Market review of 2014, the initial regulations set out in the rules for Mortgage Conduct of Business were revamped.
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 ensure firms have a high enough 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. You utilise a complaint procedure via the FCA if you don’t think it has been suitably dealt with. In turn, this can be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service if deemed 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.