The issues facing first time buyers, homeowners and potential movers!

To say that the government is currently under a substantial amount of pressure is something of any understatement. Keeping political points of view or persuasion on the sidelines, the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit remain huge issues which are dominating time, resources and attention.

I fully appreciate the importance of tackling these concerns and the major toll they are having on the health – physically, mentally and financially – of the UK population. However, there are also a number of other areas which the government can ill-afford to ignore across the housing and mortgage market.

The problems facing mortgage prisoners are mounting and a recent report from the London School of Economics (LSE) has put the onus and ethical responsibility on the government to solve the mortgage prisoner crisis quickly and recommended a package of measures to do so.

Another situation which is cause for great concern revolves around cladding, and finding appropriate solutions for such deputes should also be high on the government’s agenda. Through no fault of their own, all too many people continue to find themselves in a position where it is neigh on impossible to sell certain property types or even remortgage them - which is an unacceptable outcome.

There are also question marks in the air around whether the government will extend the stamp duty deadline in light of some lending, survey and conveyancing backlogs which are having knock-on effects on a growing number on housing chains. A trend which will only intensify in the coming weeks.

These are just some of the issues facing first-time buyers, existing homeowners and potential homemovers. In the current economic climate, there are many extra layers of complexity for all those involved in the mortgage journey. And this really does outline the importance of impartial, independent financial advice when it comes to  overcoming a growing number of challenges and ensuring that people have access to the right kinds of financial options to match their current, and future requirements.

So, speak to a specialist, impartial, independent adviser about your property related needs in this increasingly uncertain marketplace.

A computer can't listen to your mortgage needs and requirements!

With technology taking over the world, and so many transactions taking place over the internet, it might be easy to be attracted to products online.  There is so much information readily available and over 11,000 mortgage products to choose from, but these types of things can get lost in translation.  Therefore, seek advice!  Yes, it may cost you a small fee to have someone research the market on your behalf and make recommendations, having first assessed your short to long term needs and requirements.  More importantly, it could save you thousands in the long run, versus choosing the wrong products yourself. In addition, any professional will probably seek to build a long-term relationship with you and contact you at the time your current rate is coming up for renewal to ensure you have the best rates available.

It doesn't matter whether you are experienced, or if this is your first time.  Property ownership can be complicated, so explore all the options and do your homework.  There are a huge number of lenders available to you and all have competitive edges and good criteria options for the right customer.  Make sure you understand everything at the outset so that you don't regret it later!

A good independent mortgage adviser will be able to review the whole market for you and can identify the best lending options and then deal directly with the lenders central processing units, speeding up the process from application to offer. That said, even in this area we know of at least one lender that is sixteen days behind on post or electronic updates!  

An experienced adviser will listen to your specific needs and timescales and ensure that they line you up with a lender who will match both. So, if speed is crucial, then you may need to consider working with a lender where the rate may not be the keenest on the market, but they will get the deal to completion within your target timescales to ensure you get the property of your dreams.  Remember, make sure you adviser looks at the whole market, and not just a limited panel of lenders ensuring that you get the widest choice of lenders and products (including exclusive deals) available to you.

Some lenders incurring delays due to some amazing deals being available!

The good news is that the mortgage market is really buoyant with good business volumes and mortgage product choice at its highest for some years.  There are some fantastic rates and opportunities for clients, especially pre Brexit.

The bad news is that this is causing a number of lenders major servicing problems as they do not have the staff to handle application numbers.  One we know of is working on applications submitted two weeks ago and once agreed, taking a further week to send out the mortgage offer!  We also have had delays on valuations with some surveyors taking up to two weeks to book an appointment. Unfortunately, lenders have agreements with certain surveyor companies, and they have to undertake the valuation, no matter what the delay in actually carrying out the appointment.  There is no shame in being open about these delays as they should be taken in to account whether buying or selling a property and this helps everyone manage expectations. 

In addition, an increasing number of valuations are coming back down valued.  This can cause immense problems and stress for the consumer as it could affect the overall loan borrowed.  Do your homework on the valuation before getting to application stage to ensure there’s no disappointment later on. 

Lenders and their valuers do not tend to accommodate a challenge to their valuation amount on the property.  Normally, the only times that a change to their original valuation amount occur, are when they have been supplied proof by the applicant of a recent sale (within a few months) and the property being located within a few hundred metres of the subject property!  Difficult indeed.

Finally, we are looking to recruit again.  Are you in the mortgage market, or have experience and fancy a new challenge?  If so, we would like to have a chat.  Pop in to the Carfax office, or please have a look at the job descriptions on our website to find out more.

Credit scoring is not right for everyone.

I haven't mentioned it for a while, but it certainly is causing a lot of customers an issue.  Credit scoring!  This is an assessment on all available financial information and calculates a 'score' for the lender.  It also includes a search on your overall credit history covering, in the main, all of your financial transactions over the last few years.

Most lenders credit score applications to try and assess your ability to repay any loans.  This will take in to account many factors including the amount of credit you have, whether you are on the electoral role, your recent payment profile on any existing credit and the number of recent credit searches you have on file.  Nearly all financial institutions will register a credit search against you.  So, if you have recently updated your car insurance, home insurance, taken out a mobile contract and just got a new credit/debit card, that’s probably four searches in a short amount of time!  Be wary that some 'comparison sites' may have also searched you just whilst seeking a new insurance quote.

If the lenders computer says ‘no’, you will tend to find most high street lenders doors shut to you.  But fear not, if you have a reasonable deposit and can prove all income, there are lenders who do not credit score, but will manually review and underwrite affordable applications on an individual basis. 

I always suggest that you speak to an independent mortgage broker with access to whole of market mortgages.  Banks may only advise on their product range. Estate Agents ‘in-house’ mortgage advisers may only be able to offer mortgages from a select panel of lenders. Therefore, in order to get best advice, make sure you do your homework, speak to a whole of market mortgage broker who can advise on the most appropriate mortgage in the market to meet your requirements, whether this be with a credit score or just a credit search.

Are you ready for Open Banking?

Open banking seems to be the buzz phrase of the moment as the world of technology impacts the way our spending habits are analysed.  In short, you will soon be able to give permission to your Bank or Building Society, to release all details of your bank account transactions to any regulated business.  This can speed up the process of decision making when applying for loans, mortgages, etc, in comparison to just supplying your last three months paper bank statements, which is the current normal way of disclosing.  So no longer will your bank be the only one to know how much you spend on your weekly shop, utility bills and broadband!  Or of course, when you move into, and how often you use, your overdraft!  Permission can be withdrawn at any time.  Nine institutions were given a deadline of 13^th January to be ready for launch, and five have been granted an additional six weeks to be ready.  Watch this space!

There have been a number of new products launches for the new year as lenders seek to gain a good start to 2018.   Many lenders have lowered rates and some have reviewed their criteria in order to bring in more business, possibly allowing customers that wouldn’t have been approved towards to the end of 2017.    Always review all possible options before giving up. 

Finally, the importance of mortgage advice has never been greater. It is an interesting fact that, according to a number of industry sources, over 70% of all mortgages are written through professional advisers. There are probably many reasons for this including long delays we are advised are happening with some lenders both in interview capacity and processing times.

The majority of professional mortgage advisers review the whole market for you and can identify the best lending options and then deal directly with the lenders central processing units, speeding up the process from application to offer.  That said, even in this area we know of at least one lender that is over ten days behind on post or electronic updates currently!  A good adviser will listen to your specific needs and timescales and ensure that they line you up with a lender who will match both.  They should also contact you again when your product is up for renewal and guide you through that process, building a long-term relationship with you. 

See if a remortgage to a fixed rate might benefit you..

We are in the middle of the Easter school break and this is traditionally a time when many people do one of three things in the mortgage sector. They start looking at new properties to move to: they are already committed and are packing ready for the removal lorry or, they take time to review what mortgage they have and question if there is anything better out there. It might be argued that huge numbers of people simply take a holiday, and why not?

Certainly, once the holiday is over, then it makes sense to review the current mortgage deal and see if there is a better option and perhaps look to secure a competitive rate for a few years. Whilst I always err on the optimistic side of a rates argument we are entering a truly unknown era. We have never left the EEC before and so there is no history to prompt what the immediate and longer term implications will be.

It may well be that we need to be prudent and a medium to long term fixed rate will allow the head to drop comfortably onto the pillow each night if rates do rise as a result of Brexit (whoever thought of that word to describe it?)

So do take the chance to look and see if a re-mortgage to a fixed rate might benefit you. Actually, it is wise to consider this anyway, regardless of Brexit as there are millions of people on lenders standard variable rates enjoying complete and deafening silence from their current mortgage lender. Why the silence? Simply because lenders are comfortable with you paying over the odds and increasing their margins! They are under no obligation to offer you a better deal when you come to the end of an incentive term and you automatically flip onto their variable rate. It is worth looking for a better deal and many lenders will welcome you with free valuation and legal initiatives and a difference of 1% can save you a substantial sum over few years.

Talk to an independent mortgage adviser and see what they can offer.