It's Free to Speak to an Advisor, 7 days, 8am - 10pm
It's Free to Speak to an Advisor, 7 days, 8am - 10pm
Stepping into the mortgage world for the first time can be an intimidating but exciting experience for a number of home buyers even more for those looking to purchase a property on their own.
As an alternative, we do find that many first time buyers in Durham look at purchasing a property with a friend or partner if they are able to do so.
Lenders will factor in both your income as well as your co-borrowers’ so they can work out your maximum mortgage amount. The benefit of having two applicants is that the mortgage costs will be split between you both which, in turn, can help increase your chance of getting offered.
In the event that you default, your co-borrower could be responsible for the full mortgage, and vice versa.
With the help and expertise of being a First Time Buyer Mortgage Broker in Durham, we have collated a guide of helpful tips we recommend you take into account when into a property with a friend or partner.
Some lenders may allow you to co-borrow with up to four people jointly.
This may seem like a safe option with multiple parties creating more financial security when paying the mortgage, however, the chances of someone pulling out before the term ends can be higher. Because of this, it is wise to be selective with who you buy a property.
If you decide that you want to increase your mortgage further down the line, you and your co-borrowers will all have to agree to this. Therefore, it’s good to plan ahead for your future and your plans for the property.
Normally, joint tenancies are utilised by many civil partnerships or married couples. In the case where half of the party dies, the property would instantly be given to the other half. From a legal perspective, joint tenants are two halves of one whole, one borrower.
When it comes to remortgaging or selling the property, both of you will need to agree before proceeding with the mortgage.
For applicants that have co-borrowers that are friends or family, it is likely that you will go for the option of ‘Tenancy in Common’. This means that you both own your part of the property.
You do not need to split your share equally so if one of you is making a lot more income than the other, you will own more of the property than the other.
With this in mind, as a ‘Tenant in Common’, you have the right to act independently. This gives you the option to sell or give away your share if you wish.
A mortgage lender will stress the fact that all borrowers are jointly and severally liable which means that if one of your bo-borrowers decides not to pay their part of the mortgage, it’s your responsibility to keep up the payments.
The intention of looking to buy a home with your then other half doesn’t come with the assumption that you’re going to split before the term is up. It is a large financial commitment to make anyway and can become complex if you are wanting to make any changes.
This can become even more of a challenge when children are involved. In most cases, the parent who will stay with them usually stays in the current property whilst their ex-partner moves out to look possibly look for their own mortgage. Regardless of if you are staying or going, both parties will need the help of a Mortgage Advisor in Durham for divorce and separation.
Whether the situation is that you pay for the mortgage with the assistance of your ex or you pay the mortgage on your own, it doesn’t alter the joint financial commitment you have with them. Therefore, in the event of arrears, the lender will chase both parties.
Removing anyone from a mortgage means that only you will be in charge of paying and managing the payments. From a lender’s point of view, they will need to be confident that you are able to manage these mortgage payments so will reassess your income to make sure this is achievable before they will proceed.
We do find that applicants who are unable to afford a mortgage on their own will go down the route where they apply jointly again with a friend, family member or new partner. These situations will be best with the assistance of Mortgage Advice in Durham.
As mentioned, when it comes to divorcing or separating your partner whilst on a mortgage, both parties are still jointly liable for the property and its mortgage payments.
In the circumstance where you are the one to leave and wanted to remove your own name from their mortgage, it’s not as simple as coming to an agreement between the two of you, they would need to get in touch with their lender.
For those looking to get a mortgage on their own, the lender would take into consideration the property you are currently tied to, so it’s key to make sure that you are removed from the previous mortgage.
In these circumstances, you should always seek Mortgage Advice in Durham.
When it comes to the amount they will be willing to lend you, you will find that some lenders will be more generous than other lenders. This is something your designated Mortgage Advisor in Durham will factor in when recommending the most appropriate mortgage lender to apply for a Mortgage Agreement in Principle with.
When you enter the mortgage world, you will find that there is not just one mortgage for everyone. They vary depending on different circumstances with some being more complex than others. In this article, we will be looking at just one of the types of mortgage, fixed-rate mortgages. This one has increased in popularity over the years and is seen to be the most common one.
As stated in the name, a fixed-rate mortgage is where you are taking out a fixed-rate mortgage where your interest will be consistent throughout your mortgage term.
The duration of the mortgage term can vary depending on the deal you are on. It also depends on how long you fix your deal.
For example, the lowest-terms usually have the lowest interest rates. Even though this is good, it does mean you will need to renew your mortgage product via a Remortgage in Durham more often.
This is one of the reasons why fixing your mortgage deal over a lengthy period on a fixed-rate mortgage can be more beneficial.
It’s all down to whether or you are willing to look for a new fixed-rate deal every two to three years or not. A medium to long-term product is perfect for those who don’t want to frequently search for new deals. Like with many financial commitments, you will need to look at your current and future financial circumstances when deciding the duration you’re going to fix your mortgage for.
One of the popular choices amongst fixed rates is five-year fixed rates with one of the reasons being the security of consistent monthly payments. On the other hand, there are some negatives to this. If the interest rates drop when you are locked in, this will result in paying more than you would’ve been had you taken out a product with a shorter term.
It can be possible for you to fix in your mortgage for an even longer period of time if you feel this is the best option for you. In many cases, the options are limited, but you can find seven to ten-year fixed products. You may find these types of products aren’t usually very popular because you’re committing to a product for a whole decade! Within this time, better rates are usually to come available. Keep in mind that these are usually the most expensive fixed-rate products available to customers.
Along with interest rates and payments, you will have to factor in mortgage arrangements and booking fees.
It is likely that a booking fee would be charged if you do attend an appointment with a Mortgage Advisor in Durham. Unlike some mortgage brokers, we do not charge a booking fee, we offer all our customers a free mortgage appointment.
You will be charged upon completion, therefore, for those you take out short, fixed-term products, it could result in you accumulating a large number of costs just for sorting your mortgage. Whereas, with a medium fixed-term mortgage, you won’t be required to constantly pay for arrangement fees.
Also known as ERC’s, you can receive an Early Repayment Charge when you overpay your mortgage or pay back your mortgage too early.
In some cases, people forget about ERC’s or overpay by accident, while some overpay on purpose. This is just one of the cases where the positives of overpaying can sometimes outweigh the negatives.
When your fixed-mortgage term is coming to an end, you may find that there are much better interest rates already available. This where overpaying and receiving an ERC can be beneficial as you are accessing them better rates. In circumstances where it’s a limited product offer that you have received or a deal that you have found and you want to lock into right away, this is where an ERC can be helpful in the long run.
Normally, ERC’s aren’t too costly. The amount you will be charge is calculated by the remaining amount left on your mortgage. For example, if you have a total of £80,000 left on your mortgage and the ERC is 2%, you’ll receive a £1,600 early repayment fine. Overall, this figure does not seem too bad.
Before you fo jump into a deal, as an expert Mortgage Broker in Durham, we do recommend you carry out some research. One thing that is best to avoid doing is going for ‘headline’ deals as these are a way to mislead with their cheap rates but the high arrangement fees!
Seeking remortgage advice in Durham can help you secure great fixed-rate mortgage products. As well as this, it can also provide you with further information on ways to save costs on various fees that are a part of getting a mortgage. Contact us to speak to one of our hard-working Mortgage Advisors in Durham.
To learn more about the other mortgage types out there, check out our article on the ‘different types of mortgage in Durham’.
There are many reasons why you should use a Mortgage Broker in Durham. It can be helpful if you are taking that first step into the mortgage world, or going through the process the second time as you come towards the end of your fixed term as the process can be daunting sometimes.
With many options available for homeowners and home buyers, you ideally want to get it right first time, even with a lot of money involved.
Obviously, we believe that our tailored service as a Mortgage Broker in Durham would be helpful during the mortgage journey, in particular, First Time Buyers in Durham.
Even though we are experts in assisting customers through the process, it’s also understandable that the service is not for everyone and some may still wonder how we can help.
With this in mind, we have created a helpful guide about why approaching a Mortgage Broker in Durham could benefit you in your situation and why some people decide to go direct to the mortgage lender instead.
Deciding to go direct with the mortgage lender and finding your own mortgage deal can save you more money than approaching a Mortgage Broker in Durham. However, mortgage brokers may charge a fee but can be based on circumstances.
Being experienced in going through the process, having an easy case and lengthy knowledge may mean that it’s best and cheaper to go through the process yourself. This can be an issue if you have a more complicated case and people who don’t understand the lender criteria.
Going through the mortgage process with little to no knowledge could either result in you being on the wrong deal or ending up unsuccessful when applying for a mortgage deal. Either circumstance could mean spending more money than you have to, or damage your credit score which could negatively effect your chances of applying for a mortgage further down the line.
A dedicated Mortgage Advisor in Durham strives in getting your recommendation right the first time by finding you the best and cheapest deal on offer. As much as this service comes with a fee, you could find that you save a lot of money in the end.
One of the reasons why many older customers decide to approach a bank is due to how the mortgage process was previously run. Prior to the introduction of online banking apps and modern technology, as a loyal customer, you may approach your local branch a lot where you would speak to the same people.
If you were looking to get a mortgage, you would go through the bank manager and speak to them. They had extensive knowledge of your finances and would be the ones to approve a mortgage for you. Now, many things are done digital including credit scoring.
Because of advanced technology within these banks, it means that the bank manager would not personally go through your case. It would be carried out through an online system which will determine if you are eligible for a mortgage or not. Regardless of what bank you are with, everyone is treated fairly.
Following on from the previous point, there is an assumption amongst people that going direct would mean they are open to the best and exclusive deals. This is true to an extent, however, they will offer the best deal from their own company.
Not every mortgage lender is a bank and there is a large variety of options to choose from. Therefore, the most suitable deal your bank can offer, might not be the best one for you outside that bank.
This is another reason why taking out tailored Mortgage Advice in Durham can be a huge benefit to you. With an expert advisor by your side, they will be able to go through your case and find you the deal amongst our large panel of lenders that is perfect for your circumstance.
On the topic of exclusivity, approaching a Mortgage Broker in Durham can give you access to deals that you can’t find anywhere else. If you are a first time buyer, looking to remortgage in Durham or have a specialist case, there are many options available to you through an expert mortgage broker.
After the 2007-08 credit crunch, the mortgage market needed to change. The 2014 Mortgage Market Review, stated that lenders could not sell mortgages to their customers without regulated advice.
This policy meant you couldn’t just approach a bank to tell them you want a mortgage and be accepted without the important checks. Furthermore, it meant that you couldn’t be granted a mortgage by any member of the bank, which was a regular occurrence, regardless of if they were qualified to do so or not.
Along with these new policies, consumer protection was introduced which was initially not provided to you by the bank. This means that you, as the customer, as the right to complain to the Financial Ombudsman if you feel misadvised in any way. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme is also available to you to make a claim.
Having this in place can assure customers who approach both mortgage brokers and mortgage lenders that they are in safe hands and are receiving professional and regulated advice.
One factor which can be a disadvantage to mortgage lenders but is beneficial to mortgage broker is that it can sometimes take months to try and speak to an individual at a bank. Whereas, getting in touch with a Mortgage Broker in Durham, like ourselves, can provide you with a more quick and responsive service that keeps you updated constantly about your mortgage process.
We are proud to offer a tailored service where a member of our team will contact you at a time that is best for you and your lifestyle. From morning, until late, 7 days a week, our expert Mortgage Advisors are here to help. This can sometimes include bank holidays!
Depending on availability, you may be able to book yourself in and have the appointment on the same day! However, it’s up to you if you want to speak to someone today or in a few days time.
As a part of our tailored service, our advisors have flexible availability. This means you can book yourself in around your 9-5 or around any other commitments. Our quick and simple book online system is great if you are on the move and need to book an appointment.
Responsiveness is an important part of Durhammoneyman. Whatever mortgage process you are going through, our friendly team will keep you in the loop. Your advisor will let you know of any changes that could arise.
The public’s views on mortgage brokers has changed due to Mortgage Brokers in Durham, like ourselves, providing an open and honest service to all customers looking to start their mortgage journey.
Through our time providing Mortgage Advice in Durham, we sometimes speak to customers who have a more complex situation than your average case. Below are just a few common situations we have encountered over the years;
In previous years, mortgage lenders could easily offer you deal that was better than any other lenders. Now, it’s not all about which deal you go with, it’s if you match the criteria or not.
Even if you find a deal that is reasonable, it doesn’t mean you match the criteria for it. In order to determine this, the lender will perform either a hard search (resulting in a footprint on your credit file? or soft search (leaves less of a footprint on your credit file).
One thing that could damage your credit file is being declined for an agreement in principle when applying for a mortgage. On top of that, if you are declined, it’s very unlikely that you will be given a reason for this which can be frustrating.
If you do speak to a Mortgage Broker in Durham like Durhammoneyman, we will be able to go through your case before, so you are prepared and in a position where you have a better chance of being accepted.
Here at Durhammoneyman, we have a large panel of lenders who offer a range of mortgage products. We will be able to match you up with deals and look to get you an agreement in principle. If you get your agreement in principle through Durhammoneyman, it will usually take no more than 24 hours after your free mortgage appointment.
Remember, having an agreement in principle doesn’t always mean you’re guaranteed to be agreed, nor does it guarantee a mortgage in the end, but it does provide safety for your credit file to have an expert go through your file beforehand. As a Mortgage Advisor in Durham, we always aim to get your recommendation right the first time.
At the end of the day, it’s your decision. As mentioned, there many advantages and disadvantages of going with a Mortgage Broker in Durham. On the other hand, there is many pros and cons to going direct as well. It all depends on how quick you want your service to be, and how secure you want to be.
Through our time as a Mortgage Broker in Durham, we have built up a positive reputation and strong relationship with many customers looking to begin their mortgage journey. If you are a first time buyer in Durham, coming to the end of your fixed term, looking to remortgage in Durham, we have done it all!
Here at Durhammoneyman, we offer fast & friendly advice that is FCA regulated. Simply book online or get in touch to book yourself for a free mortgage appointment or remortgage review with one of our brilliant advisors. Our goal is to fulfil your mortgage needs, by providing you with advice, at a time that best suits you, subject to availability.
For more information about our service, check out our fantastic customer reviews. You can have a customer insight on how our service has helped many individuals on their mortgage journey. We also offer free financial education through our YouTube Channel, MoneymanTV.
Help to Buy was introduced in the 2010’s, off the back of the UK government’ previous FirstBuy Scheme. With a series of pre-existing and new schemes placed under that banner, it was designed to help first time buyers get onto the property ladder.
Over the years we have seen schemes under this banner disappear, whilst others have carried on without that branding. The most popular and well-known of these was the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme, which was closed to new applicants towards the end of 2022.
What this means is that first time buyers are no longer able to use a Help to Buy in Durham or anywhere in the UK, though this doesn’t necessarily mean that support for home buyers has ended. There are still a variety of schemes that can help to buy in Durham!
The Shared Ownership scheme was introduced as a means of allowing applicants to purchase a percentage of a property and then pay back the remaining amount as rent.
You will usually have to own between 25-75% of the property in question. The remaining percentage will be owned by an outside party, namely the local housing association or council. This share can possibly be increased further down the line, if you happen to find yourself in possession of some more money.
The way that your payments work is that you will be paying back your monthly mortgage payments, but also a monthly rental cost. This basically means you are paying 100% of the ground rent and service charge on your new home. This will still apply, even if your share is the minimum amount.
The Forces Help to Buy scheme was introduced in 2014 after the roaring the success of the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme (which is no longer avaliable). This scheme aimed to utilise the same basic concept as the one that came before it, however, this one was focused in on members of the armed forces.
If you do fit into the criteria of the scheme, this is something that could provide a real advantage to you when trying to get onto the property ladder. The government has made this an enduring policy and we have high hopes that it stays around, as the scheme is incredibly helpful to existing armed forces members who are in need of the extra help.
The Lifetime ISA is often a scheme that people forget. It’s not everyone’s immediate go-to scheme, however, it’s still useful to have some knowledge of it, as it could be the scheme that helps you secure a property as a first time buyer in Durham.
A Lifetime ISA is more or less a savings account where your money grows, completely free of tax. The government will also provide you with a top-up to your savings with an extra 25%. This means that if you meet the £4,000 maximum amount, you will receive a rather welcomed £1,000 bonus to your savings.
You have to pass specific mortgage criteria in order to gain access to this mortgage scheme. All of these details are readily available on the Lifetime ISA website.
Through our experience as a mortgage advisor in Durham, we have heard of our many clients’ different mortgage hurdles. Although these challenges are not entirely impossible to resolve, it’s vital to know that they can become a major factor in stalling the speed and flow of the process.
These challenges could include:
Divorce and separation can be hard to deal with and is very unfortunate. When this occurs, many divorced partners are then faced with more than just marriage challenges, with one of these being the joint financial endeavours that were taken out together.
An option that initially sounded endearing to many married couples, due to the fact it can allow them to achieve their goal quicker, can quickly turn sour in the event of a separation.
We tend to hear a handful of commonly asked questions from one half of the former happy couple when they get in touch. These include;
Considering the affordability of your mortgage payments is paramount. As well as having an expert Durham mortgage advisor, you need to ensure that you are fulfilling necessary income requirements that make the obstacle of divorce and separation easier to overcome.
In some cases, getting a new job comes with a greater income level than your previous job. However, a gap between going from your previous job to your new job can become a complication with your mortgage, and it’s especially the case for mortgage lenders.
If you are starting a new job, some lenders are always willing to factor in the new job either in the first month or as soon as you are about to start it. Furthermore, you will find periods of probation are acceptable.
When dealing with mortgage-related issues, we have found that the mortgage amount can change depending on if you are a family with children or not. A family with children, for example, will be offered much less compared to a family without children.
This is especially true in cases where the parents have just started back at work and are in the process of managing childcare, which are known for having notoriously high monthly costs. Many mortgage lenders will view these the same way they view other large monthly outgoings such as car payments.
It is best to mention, however, that a number of mortgage lenders operate in a different way. In some cases, lenders dismiss childcare-related expenses as part of the outgoing costs. This is due to the fact they strictly operate based on the data presented by the Office of National Statistics for outgoing costs. This can potentially increase the mortgage amount.
Anti-Money Laundering laws, put in place in the UK, tend to be quite strict. Because of this, it needs to be known where all funds deposited by the mortgage borrower are coming from. Evidence of the deposit source will be required by your mortgage broker and lender. Sometimes, it may even be required by estate agents and solicitors.
Due to this, the entire mortgage application becomes a lot more complicated. Regardless of the source of deposit (either gift, personal savings, property sale, premium bonds, or personal loans), there must be documents detailing how the funds were obtained.
Benefit income can have its challenges too! With the help of an expert mortgage broker, this can be easily tackled. In fact, all forms of benefit incomes can be taken into account from disability benefits to child tax credits, however, this depends on the views of the mortgage lender.
It doesn’t matter if you are a first time buyer in Durham, looking to move home in Durham, or looking to remortgage in Durham, challenges can come about and cause unnecessary stress. Get in touch with a mortgage broker like ourselves and we will try and help take the stress away.
In order to understand what happened with the “Credit Crunch”, we need to take a look back on the years that lead up to it. If a first time buyer in Durham took out a mortgage to buy a home back in the 1970s and ’80s, it’s very likely that this process was undertaken through a building society. It may be hard to believe, but your high street bank did not always offer their customers mortgages!
To find out whether you qualified for a mortgage or not, you’d have made an appointment with the building society manager and spoke with them. Customers would be encouraged to take out savings accounts with the building society and then the building society would use those people’s savings to lend to their other customers. Interest-rates would also be higher to borrowers than the rate they were paying to savers, in order for them to turn a profit.
Once the banks started to get involved with mortgage lending, they moved away from that older model. Instead, they opted to “buy” the money from markets, in order to accelerate the rate in which they could lend money to their customers.
If we move ahead of time and into the mid-2000s, there were plenty of new specialist lenders working within the mortgage market. Most of these originated from North America. Their way of handling business was to sell their book of mortgage customers, allowing them to raise new funds and continue the cycle of lending.
This method of practice was labelled Securitisation. The investors that bought these books were larger financial institutions such as pension funds and other High Street Banks.
The market was booming and these mortgage lenders were making a great deal of money. The newer lenders seized an opportunity by introducing more relaxed lending criteria. Poor credit history? Don’t worry about it. Wanting to self-certify? Go for it! These sorts of things were no issue for their businesses, or so they thought at the time…
As anyone with an inkling of common sense might have anticipated, these mortgages began to default. Major banks lost their confidence in each other, due to the uncertainty of how exposed they were in the very quickly falling apart subprime mortgage market.
In very quick fashion, the once sustainable banks’ share prices had completely dropped. A select few were bailed out by the UK Government (or more accurately, the taxpayer) in order to stop them going under altogether, whilst many failed to stay afloat.
Over the course of “The Great Recession”, a total of almost 80 different banks, building societies and lenders around the world, across 20 different countries, filed for bankruptcy or were acquired.
Because of this utter economic disaster, lending quickly dried up. Property prices dropped by a large amount and everyone lost confidence in the UK economy. It took almost a decade for the market to safely get back to a point where it could function sustainably once again.
Nobody wanted this to happen again, especially the UK Government, so investigations took place that aimed to look into what exactly happened and where it all went wrong. These studies led to the carefully thought out “Mortgage Market Review of 2014” that led the charge forward.
Self-cert mortgages had already been completely banned by then, but the biggest change to come out of this was that lenders themselves were now solely responsible for ensuring that the customer could in fact afford their mortgage payments.
The lenders were now responsible for digging deeper into customers incomes and outgoings with more precise lending criteria. They were paying more attention to credit commitments, childcare and other outgoings, so they could ensure customers were definitely able to afford their mortgage repayments on a consistent basis.
We have no doubts that it has now become a lot harder to get a mortgage than it was back in the day, though this is absolutely for the betterment of the industry, the economy and homeowners nationwide. Customers need to be a lot more organised with paperwork in order to prove their finances and be taken seriously by lenders and home sellers alike.
So many mistakes were made in the period running up to the Credit Crunch, but we hope that the industry learned a lesson this time and has lowered its chances of ever falling into a rut like this again.
A 95% mortgage is as simple as the name would suggest; you are borrowing against 95% of the price of a property, and then you are covering the remaining 5% with your deposit. An example of this is if you looked at buying a property that was worth £150,000 with a 95% mortgage, you would be putting down £7,500 as your deposit and borrow the remaining £142,500 from the lender.
Off the back of the March 2021 Budget, Boris Johnson announced a Mortgage Guarantee Scheme for mortgage lenders, making 95% mortgages more readily available from the bigger high street banks.
This is fantastic news for First-Time Buyers and Home Movers alike, as this scheme will continue running until December 2022. Certain terms and conditions will apply though, which is something your Mortgage Advisor in Durham will be able to look at, to see if you qualify.
All our customers who opt to get in touch will receive a free, no-obligation mortgage consultation where one of our dedicated mortgage advisors will be able to make a recommendation on the best possible route for you to take.
95% mortgages are usually accessible by both First-Time Buyers in Durham & those who are Moving Home in Durham. Whilst saving for a 5% deposit sounds like a pretty straightforward concept, you’ll still need to have an acceptable credit score and prove that you are able to afford your monthly mortgage repayments, in order to access a 95% mortgage.
A good credit score is essential in the process of obtaining any mortgage, especially a 95% mortgage. Things like paying any current credit commitments on time, ensuring your addresses are updated and checking that you’re on the voters roll, can all help with your credit score.
Affordability is another one that is important to take note of. By giving the lender details of your income and monthly outgoings (things like your bank statements will be necessary for this) and any pre-existing credit commitments, your lender will be able to get a general overview of whether or not you are able to afford this type of mortgage.
Nowadays we see lots of family members helping each other get onto the property ladder, especially parents looking to further their children’s lives. The way this usually happens is by gifting the person looking to find their home, the deposit required. Known through the industry as the “Bank of Mum & Dad, Gifted Deposits are only intended to be a gift, and not as a loan. The lender will need proof that this has been agreed, before it can be used towards your mortgage.
When looking for a 95% mortgage, you want to make sure you have the right type of mortgage. Each mortgage type works differently, with that choice allowing you to find one that is most appropriate for your personal and financial situation.
Some homeowners and home buyers prefer Fixed Rate or Tracker Mortgages, mortgage types which mean you either keep interest rates at a set amount for the term given or have your interest rates tracking the Bank of England base rates.
Alternatively, you might find that Interest-Only or a Repayment Mortgages are more your style. Interest-Only allows cheaper payments until you need to pay a lump sum at the end (mostly now used for Buy-to-Lets), whereas a Repayment mortgage (a normal mortgage if you’d like) means you’ll be paying interest and capital combined per month.
Seeing as a mortgage is such a large financial outgoing, you need to be prepared and need to be aware. You might find things like higher interest rates, remortgaging difficulties due to less equity and then negative equity all cropping up if you’re not.
There is no need to worry though, as all these can be avoided if you’re savvy enough with your process to begin with. The more deposit you put down for a property, the less risk the lender will see you as.
A larger deposit, of say 10-15%, would not only reduce the rates of interest by a noticeable amount, but would also give the property more equity and reduce the risk of negative equity, thanks in part to you borrowing less against the property.
So, whilst the risks may seem intimidating, planning ahead and saving for a bigger deposit to access something like a 90% or even an 85% mortgage will be a massive help in your mortgage journey and something you’ll be able to reap the rewards from in the future.
*Please note this information is outdated, and revelant during the start of the Covid pandemic*
At the start of the Covid pandemic, the Government promised that all borrowers would be allowed a three-month mortgage payment holiday if they needed it. Most lenders followed the Government’s guidelines and did their best to help their borrowers during these hard few months.
We feel that it is best to create a summary of what mortgage payment holidays are, what lenders are doing and who can provide you with help and guidance through the coming months.
On that note, we feel like this is a good time to talk about what mortgage holiday payments are and how they can help you with your mortgage payments.
They are quite simple. A mortgage payment holiday is a set-period, agreed upon between you and your lender, bank or building society, where your mortgage payments are deferred. In this situation, the set period should be around three months.
You will still have to pay back these payments. Over the period, you will receive interest which will be added onto your loan at the end of the payment holiday whilst your capital balance will not decrease. So, your overall mortgage loan will slightly increase. So you save money in the short term but in the long term, it may prove expensive.
Once you feel like you are ready to start paying back your monthly mortgage payments, either your monthly mortgage payments will be recalculated at a higher level or your mortgage term could be increased. Lenders prefer to not increase your mortgage term as it could put you past their standard retirement ages.
You may even be allowed to pay off a lump sum later on in the year to get your monthly mortgage payments back on track to how they were prior to your payment holiday.
Mortgage payment holidays are available for borrowers with both residential or Buy to Let Mortgages in Durham. This really helps out landlords as they now have help if rental payments are affected.
Here is the Government’s proposal following the COVID-19 outbreak:
Even if you had a mortgage payment holiday before, we always recommend speaking to your Mortgage Advisor in Durham. They will sort out everything out for you and work out whether you actually need to take a mortgage payment holiday. You can also go directly to your mortgage lender and enquire about taking one but this may not benefit you as you may not even need one. The main thing is not to panic and explore all of your options before rushing into anything.
Here are the steps you need to take if you won’t meet/aren’t meeting your monthly mortgage payments and have been directly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak:
For more useful information on how the coronavirus could affect your mortgage click here.
In most cases yes, they can give a negative effect to your credit score. However, you are taking one because of a virus so lenders shouldn’t let it damage your score.
To ensure that this is the case, before taking out a mortgage payment holiday, you must contact them. You need to record their answer as well as the date, time and the name of the person that you spoke with. This will avoid any confusion down the line if anything changes. It all depends on your lender, there is no guarantee that every lender will say the same thing.
You would’ve thought that everything would continue as normal, however, all lenders are now avoiding all remortgages and product transfers during a mortgage payment holiday.
This will affect borrowers approaching the end of their existing product as they may be forced to move on to a higher lenders variable rate. This could mean that borrowers who act too early and jump into a mortgage payment holiday deal straight away could end up accruing interest on a costly variable rate.
This is another reason why we say don’t rush into anything! Take it slow and evaluate your options with an expert Mortgage Advisor in Durham first, they will make sure that you actually need to take out a payment holiday first before diving in headfirst. There are lots of mortgage options out there so have a look first with your mortgage Broker in Durham.
Some lenders could offer you a temporary switch over to interest-only in order to reduce your monthly payments but not to add any more to the loan amount by still servicing the interest payments each month.
You don’t need to put all of your mortgages onto interest-only, but doing so could help you out financially.
If you have savings, remortgaging onto an offset basis could really help you out, you will be cutting down on monthly payments massively. For example, if you have a £250,000 loan and £50,000 in your savings, you would only pay interest on £200,000.
This may all may seem a bit stressful and it this may have come around faster than expected, however, you should try to take it slow and calm down. As your Mortgage Broker in Durham, we are still here to help and relieve you of all of that stress. Remember, we are still open as usual operating 7 days a week. Receive a free mortgage consultation with a Mortgage Advisor in Durham today, we hope that we can help you out!
A credit score is a tool that lenders use to measure an applicants ability to afford a mortgage. The higher your score, the more likely it is that you’ll be accepted for a mortgage. Which means that if you have a lower score, your chances of being accepted decrease.
Even though having a good credit score may look good on the outside, you must know that each lender has their own individual lending criteria and it’s more than likely that you won’t meet all of them. So sometimes it’s also down to your circumstances and not just your score.
Most lenders’ criteria are completely different from one another, lenders have almost developed their own niche market. You could end up matching to a handful of them or maybe only a couple. As long as you end up securing a great mortgage deal that is all that matter though and it’s your advisor’s job to help you do that.
Whether you go with your bank’s in-house advisor or a Mortgage Broker in Durham, your personal and financial situation will be evaluated and then compared with lenders’ and their mortgage products.
We would always recommend approaching a Mortgage Broker in Durham before going straight to your bank’s in-house advisor and this is because your bank can only offer you their own products. If you choose a broker like us, we are able to access thousands of different mortgage deals through our large panel of lender’s. Once we have your details, we will try our hardest to match you to a lenders’ criteria.
If you are struggling to match a lenders’ criteria, it could be down to numerous different things. The most common reason why people don’t meet lenders’ criteria and get declined for a mortgage is because of their low credit score. If this is the case, then you need to try and improve it.
Having unnecessary credit searches on your file could have a negative effect on your credit score. Lenders’ don’t like seeing that you are repeatedly checking your score, they may think that there is a reason for it and they could even start asking you questions about it during your application process. Even using price comparison websites could damage your score.
On a side note, if you are applying for a mortgage, we strongly recommend that you avoid applying for any form of extra credit in the meantime. Paying back owed credit before your application will look good on your application, however, borrowing/paying back credit during your application will have a reverse effect. If you borrow credit, some lenders’ could think that you cannot afford the deposit and are relying on the credit to help you.
A great way to improve your credit score is to register onto the Electoral Roll, it indicates stability and lenders really like that. It’s really easy to get yourself registered and the fact that it can increase your credit score, you’re missing out if you don’t take the opportunity.
If you are already registered, you should check that all of your information is correct as lenders will easily spot misspellings and an incorrect address.
Maxing out your card each month will negatively impact your credit score. If you are using a credit card, a lender would much rather that you pay off the balance in full each month as it shows that you are good at managing your money. If you are exceeding your credit limits or overdrafts, your lender won’t think that you take your finances seriously. This could massively impact your credit score, especially if you get declined by a lender due to this reason.
When people move home, especially from their parent’s house, people often forget to update all of their address’. When you forget to update your address with a previous credit provider, it can appear that you live in two different properties at the same time. This can hurt your credit score once lenders see this so make sure that you are keeping on top of what address’ are linked with each of your accounts.
Do you have any store/credit cards that are no longer in use? If you do, then you should contact the provider and get them to fully close your account(s). Having these accounts open could be doing your credit score more harm than good. However, this could also still have a negative effect on your credit score as the credit reference can’t really tell if it’s you closing the account or the provider. Don’t worry though, it’s a good thing to check up on as if you have lost a card and didn’t realise then fall victim for fraud, you could end up having a worse effect on your score.
If you are financially linked to a family member or ex-partner your credit score could be affected without you even knowing. However, if the account is still live, you cannot remove your link just yet. If you want to remove any of these links, then you should get in touch with the credit reference agencies and make a request.
More often than not, applicants see credit scoring as an unfair way of determining the success of a mortgage application. For example, you may have a low score due to personal circumstances, which applicants think is unfair. As a Mortgage Broker in Durham, we mostly see that it’s people that are Moving Home in Durham or Self Employed applicants who struggle with their credit score. However, if this isn’t your mortgage situation and you still need help with improving your credit score, you know to get in touch with.
Sending an up-to-date credit report to your expert Mortgage Broker in Durham could prove extremely beneficial to your mortgage journey. A great tool that we always recommend to our customers is checkymyfile.com.
Try it FREE for 30 days, then £14.99 a month – cancel online anytime.
The more your advisor knows about your finances the better. Also, there are still some lenders that prefer to operate the old-fashioned way and will manually assess your application. They will still have rules that they stick by about the number of defaults and CCJ’s that they will allow.
A Mortgage Broker in Durham, like us, likes to do things the new way and will always aim to deliver you the same Fast and Friendly Mortgage Advice service that you are all used to. We hope to hear from you soon.
As a Mortgage Broker in Durham, we often have First Time Buyers in Durham considering their first move onto the property ladder as they ponder whether to buy a home or continue renting.
When deciding whether to rent or buy, the most common thing that you will hear is that renting is a waste of money. You have to ask yourself, is it a waste of money? The answer completely relies on your personal circumstances.
In fact, times have changed and it’s now a lot more common to find people who are renting. As an expert Mortgage Broker in Durham, we thought that with all of our mortgage experience we should talk about whether you should buy or rent a property.
The property market has been dipping up and down for quite some time now, you can never tell when it’s going to drop again. So if you decide to buy a property and the market plummets, your property value could too.
This has happened to many unfortunate homeowners over the years, although, history suggests that even if you buy at the very peak of the market as long as you can afford to keep the property eventually prices tend to go back up.
For example, during the period of the credit crunch sold values dipped. Before the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, the credit crunch was one of the lowest economic periods of recent times. Surprisingly, less than a decade later these sell values shot up to a new all-time high, meaning that if you bought a property between 2005-2010, it was more than likely that your property value had increased.
What we are trying to say is that if you invest in a property, in the future your sell price could increase which shows that it was worth buying over renting.
On the other hand, you could lose money if you are forced to sell your home at the wrong time, for example, this could be down to a relationship breakdown or a reduction in your income.
If you are concerned about the risks that come with buying a home, talking to a professional Mortgage Advisor in Durham could put you at ease. Before rushing into anything, it could benefit you to know where the market is currently sitting. We have been working within the mortgage industry for over 20 years now, we know exactly how the market is performing and what deals will be available based on what it’s like.
Buying a home is a huge financial commitment and you want to make sure that you get it right the first time. It also needs to be 100% right for you, the most important factor is that it matches your circumstances.
Applicants tend to think that mortgage payments are more expensive than renting, however, this is usually not the case. Also, depending on the mortgage that you take out, your payments may fluctuate; this is due to the interest rates changing. If you don’t want an inconsistent interest rate (can sometimes go down if you are lucky), you may want to look into fixed-rate mortgages. A fixed-rate mortgage could be the best option for you as your mortgage payments stay at the same rate through your whole mortgage term.
When renting, you’ll usually find that your monthly payments stay the same. Sometimes your lender may increase your rent for one reason or another but it’s unlikely that they’ll ever reduce it.
People like buying a home for a sense of security. No one can force you out of the property unless you fail to keep up with your mortgage payments. Whereas if you rent, if something goes wrong on the landlord’s end, they could ask you to move out.
Of course, you have some protection when you are renting and get asked to move out; you will always get a notice period. This is a disadvantage to renting, you are living in someone else’s property so if they want you to move out, there isn’t much that you can do. This is certainly not ideal, especially if you have family or work nearby or you have children in a local school.
Sometimes landlords give their tenants the first refusal to buy the property if they are selling it so they can save on estate agents fees.
Renting can be more flexible than owning. If at any time you want to move out of the property, you have the complete right to; you can give your landlord notice whenever you want. This may be because of a job offer in another area or that you simply want to move somewhere new, etc.
This is made more difficult as a homeowner as you have to decide whether you want to keep your home and rent it out as a Buy to Let in Durham or sell it. The process of selling a home and buying a new one is time-consuming and expensive, so if you are considering going down this route, it may be best to get Mortgage Advice in Durham. Speaking to a Mortgage Advisor in Durham could take all of the stress off your back and it could allow you to access competitive mortgage rates.
If you think that you may not be around in a particular area for very long you should consider whether the property is worth buying. Buying a property should definitely be seen as a long-term investment.
If you are renting, your landlord should be responsible for any major repairs. There will always be some letting agents and landlords better than others, however, as a tenant you should expect to do some minor maintenance of the property yourself.
If you are a homeowner then all of this is on your own shoulders, and so is insuring the property which will be a condition of any mortgage you take out.
Despite what some people might say, we know that owning a home is not for everyone. If you are a First Time Buyer in Durham applicant maybe you should consider renting first, especially if you are young or are moving in with a partner for the first time. If you move in with a partner, it could end up favouring you to rent just in case the worst happens and things don’t work out. Getting a name removed from a mortgage can be tricky and complicated whereas if you are renting, it can be a much easier process as you can move out whenever you want.
Before diving headfirst into buying a home, it could benefit you most to look at all of your options and see which route benefits you most. Buying a home is a huge financial commitment, you need to be certain that this is right for you and your circumstances. If you decide to rent though it may take you much longer to save up for a deposit.
As a Mortgage Broker in Durham, we see that most applicants end up deciding to buy over renting. People see getting a mortgage as an investment and they would much rather see their monthly payments going towards their own benefit rather than someone else’s. It’s sometimes just a case of getting your timing right and also being in the right financial position to be able to proceed.
To see what route could be best for you based on your personal circumstances, get in touch with your experienced Mortgage Advisor in Durham. Durhammoneyman will hold your hand through the whole renting/home buying process and we will provide our full help and support at all times. We have been doing this for 20 years now, we know exactly how to help you!
Read our 17 Reviews
Durhammoneyman.com & Durhammoneyman are trading styles of UK Moneyman Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
UK Moneyman Limited is Registered in England, No. 6789312 | Registered Address: 10 Consort Court, Hull, HU9 1PU.
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
We are entered on the Financial Services Register No. 627742 at www.register.fca.org.uk
Contact
Follow Us
Durhammoneyman.com & Durhammoneyman are trading styles of UK Moneyman Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
UK Moneyman Limited is Registered in England, No. 6789312 | Registered Address: 10 Consort Court, Hull, HU9 1PU.
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
We are entered on the Financial Services Register No. 627742 at www.register.fca.org.uk
Speak to an Advisor – It’s free!
7 Days a Week, 8am – 10pm