What is a mortgage broker
A mortgage broker represents individuals or companies looking to broker mortgage loans. Mortgage brokers function to find banks or lenders that will willingly make the exact loan an individual requires. You’ll have a stress-free time getting a great deal on the mortgage you need in Peper-Harow if you work with a mortgage broker. Even if you have a poor credit score or any other issues that could affect your mortgage application, working with a reputable mortgage broker will still boost your chances considerably.
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?
In simple terms, 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. If you fail to make payments when due, your mortgage provider would have the right to repossess (take back) the property.
While shorter or longer terms are available, mortgages are usually set for a 25-year period. Once you’ve borrowed the money, a repayment plan is then set in place. Mortgages with monthly capital repayment structures are the most common, even though there are other options available.
In addition to repaying the original loan (the ‘capital’), you’ll also have to pay interest on top. 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 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.
If the home buyer does not keep up with mortgage payments, the lender can take the property back, as there are bank charges against it. The home’s tenants may be evicted by the bank, the property sold, and the equity used to clear the mortgage debt if there’s a repossession.
There are various types of mortgages. 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. Monthly payments do not change during the fixed rate term. The borrower’s payments will not change on a fixed rate, even though the market interest rates increase. Changes in market interest rates have no effect on the borrower’s mortgage repayment if they have 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. 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.
A mortgage may appear cheaper than it really is, because the initial interest rate is mostly a low rate. Higher monthly payments may be hard to meet for the borrower if interest rates are increased later. Monthly payments after the initial term are usually unpredictable, since the variable rates could be changed at any time.
There are other types of mortgages, such as interest-only mortgages, offset mortgages, tracker rates, bridging loans, secured loans and buy to lets, which are less common but may be available nevertheless. Therefore, you should contact an independent broker to know your options. You can receive assistance from our mortgage brokers in Peper-Harow 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. 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 Peper-Harow comes with many different benefits. Some of the most obvious of these benefits are:
Save Money
The most obvious benefit of choosing a mortgage broker is the potential to save money. You only need to provide a few details, before an experienced professional committed to protecting your interests handles the hard work.
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. 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.
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. To potentially reduce the cost of the entire loan, there are some mortgage brokers who can secure exclusive mortgages deals not available on the high street. 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. A positive user experience is more important to a mortgage advisor company than just filling the pocket of an individual broker.
Finds The Most Advantageous Deal
Your interests – and not those of the lending institution – will be represented by the mortgage broker. Not only should the role of being your agent be their focus, they also need to 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’ll be required to meet with the mortgage broker to document your needs, as well as your short and long term goals. 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 work with the client in any situation, as well as manage the process and take care of any bumps in the road that may occur. For instance, brokers would know the lenders that can make available the best products for clients with credit issues. A broker will be beneficial in providing the necessary knowledge to source financing if a borrower requires a loan that’s larger than the bank would normally approve.
Save Time & Hassle
It isn’t only about money. 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 would only have to fill out one application form, instead of one for every lender you have to work with. Your mortgage broker can provide a formal comparison of any loans recommended, as well as advise on the information which accurately portrays cost differences, reflecting current rates, points, and closing costs for each loan. To find the best deal in terms of lower rates and overall cost, your broker will make comparisons between popular and less popular lenders.
You don’t have to burden yourself with all the work, as outsourcing is a viable option to take in order to gain 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 can include drawdown facilities, the option to make extra repayments and offset accounts to name a few. Features like these can make a huge difference to your mortgage costs and overall experience. Better still, your broker can answer any questions you might have over the phone or provide clarity if you don’t know much about these concepts and the impact they could have on you.
Access to exclusive non-advertised deals
There are exclusive deals that aren’t advertised by banks to which brokers have access. The deals are pushed by the banks on to the brokers, who are then charged with overseeing the sale of 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.
While banks can only provide their own deals (and not the deals offered by other banks), brokers can scour the entire market to discover the most suitable deal.
Better chance of pre-approval success
Whenever you request an Agreement in principle / Decision in principle of a loan, this leaves a mark on your credit rating if you’re refused. 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. There are small details accompanying loans that you might miss if you’re not looking for them. The difference to your mortgage could ultimately be made by these subtleties. It’s beneficial to have an experienced professional to point out these things for you.
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
Mortgages and insurance are not as complex as they seem at first. This is the reason you need to find a widely experienced, knowledgeable and honest adviser. Your entire journey can be made stress-free and simple by our mortgage savings experts. Why make things harder than necessary, after all? Allow us to secure the best deal possible for you and make everything straightforward.
Mortgage Saving Experts provide our clients with honest and transparent services that leave you feeling mortgages and insurance are less complicated than they first appear. 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 primarily concerned with. At Mortgage Saving Experts, our services are available regardless of circumstances, whether you’re a landlord, a first-time buyer, moving onto a new chapter or simply re-mortgaging. Assisting you is the reason we’re here! Basically “Search 1000s of mortgage deals by taking 15 minutes to speak to 1 adviser.”
Our Team of Brighton Mortgage Experts
Because we’re regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), we strive to get you the best possible deal on the market. We must justify to our customers and regulators why we make the mortgage recommendations we do, so you know just why you have that mortgage.
Down to Earth Mortgage
Our team of mortgage insurance experts is made up of honest, passionate, enthusiastic and widely experienced individuals.
Our mortgage insurance experts take pride in listening to the current and future objectives our customers have. These goals will be achieved when we work with you intently.
Why chose Mortgage Saving Experts?
For the first few years after taking out a mortgage, you’ll be subject to an initial rate. After this initial rate finishes, the rate increases to the lender’s variable rate. Three months before this rate is up for renewal, our team will contact you again to put a new deal in place before your rate and monthly payments increase. Other advantages of working with us are:
- With a deal better than the bank variable rate, you’ll subsequently save money.
- You won’t have to remember when the deal is due to end, as we will do this for you.
- We can take care of the hard work for you while you relax.
- We know our business, so you’ll only be advised by qualified mortgage experts.
- 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 offer a personalised service that takes into consideration your unique needs. The approach we take 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 Peper-Harow include:
- Get to determine your situation and requirements by fact-finding.
- Point out the costs that come with buying and selling.
- Ask for related documents to help with the application.
- Make relevant suggestions and provide explanations about the prospective mortgage.
- Respond to any questions you might have.
- An agreement in principle will be put in place.
- Get your whole mortgage application submitted.
- Communicate with your solicitor, mortgage lender and estate agent to respond to any questions through to completion.
Mortgage Types We Provide Expert Advice On
We advise expertly on a vast selection of mortgage products. Working together with us, finding the most suitable mortgage product to suit your needs won’t be difficult at all. Amongst the mortgage types we’re commonly asked to handle are:
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.
For each lender, the rules and ideas about this differ. Being a First Time Buyer is usually not an issue. In order to qualify for stamp duty relief, it’s necessary for First time Buyers to have never been property owners before; this applies anywhere in the world.
The mortgaging process might appear to be challenging, but this isn’t necessarily so. 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. Why you should use one is pretty obvious. Besides, if your car breaks down and you have no knowledge of cars, you wouldn’t attempt to fix it yourself; you would use the services of a mechanic. The same applies to mortgages. Mortgage brokers can save you time, effort and money, so why not use one? The initial consultation will cost you nothing.
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’d prefer a different approach, then speak to an adviser who can guide you through it.
Your credit is important.
A mortgage is serious issue. The banks risk a lot of money and have been increasingly cautious since the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008. Qualifying for a mortgage is boosted by good credit, but it isn’t compulsory. 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. 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. The two of them don’t have to go hand in hand. Let me make it clearer. If your mortgage isn’t so big, you might consider it not worthwhile to pay an arrangement fee to a new lender for a low rate. You may realise that it’s less expensive to go on a slightly higher rate than paying any lender an arrangement fee. 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. Take extra caution.
One benefit of re-mortgaging is that you’ll not normally pay for any valuation or solicitors fees, although not everyone qualifies for this. The reason is that it is based on your disposition alone at the time of re-mortgaging. So, please check with your adviser.
A brilliant way to ensure you cut down on your mortgage bills is to re-mortgage on time. 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
- Depending on your unique needs, like…
- Mortgage debt is considerably small.
- The financial situation is no longer the same.
- Expensive early repayment charge.
- Home value dropped.
- You have credit issues.
- Already on a suitable current rate.
- We will advise you whether or not to pursue a re-mortgage.
Buy to Let
A ‘buy to let’ property is one you want to purchase in order to rent out to tenants. According to the law, you cannot 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 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.
- 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.
- A knowledgeable adviser will help find the right mortgage to suit your requirements by asking you the relevant questions.
- Get in touch with our advisers to find out if you qualify.
How Much Do Mortgage Brokers Charge?
A percentage of your mortgage loan is paid as commission to many mortgage brokers by lenders. 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 usually charge about £500 as a flat fee. Be sure to ask brokers how you can pay them. They must be completely clear, letting you know the exact figure and fee structure in place.
We have a fee structure based on charging our clients £695. From that figure, we then deduct any commission received from the mortgage lender Our client will be asked to pay the difference between the commission we are paid and £695, if the amount of commission is less than £695. If for example, we are paid a commission of £495, we would ask you to pay a fee of £200, payable on production of your mortgage offer. Please note, we only take payments on a results-based arrangement.
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. 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.
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. Without the need for credit checks, we can at least provide an initial estimate.
The Latest Best Mortgage Rates
We can provide help in many different situations; for instance, re-mortgaging, first time purchase, moving home or buy to lets. We compare recent mortgage deals in large quantities to help you find just what you want.
What Our clients say About us
Our list of satisfied clients in Peper-Harow is lengthy and diversified. If you’re still not sure that we are the experts to get you the most suitable mortgage deal in Peper-Harow at the most affordable price, check out some of the things our clients have said about working with us. To get a first-hand experience of the great services we provide, call us today.
Latest Mortgage News
The more information you have to hand in your search for the ideal mortgage arrangement, the greater advantage you’ll have. To help you begin on the right path, find recent insightful mortgage news below.
Mortgage Regulatory Information
In the UK, most mortgages are provided by building societies, specialised mortgage lenders and banks. 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. There are strict rules regarding the use of unfair, misleading adverts and promotions, as well as checks to make sure the terms of any contract for financial services are fair for the consumer. 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.
In terms of their financial conduct, organisations collecting deposits in the UK fall under the Prudential Regulation Authority, the FCA’s sister organisation. 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 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.