When it’s time to get a home loan, many people head straight to their existing bank. Although this is worthwhile, it could mean you’re limiting your options.
To make sure you find the right loan for your needs, take some time to research all the deals available. This is where the difference between mortgage bankers and mortgage brokers becomes clearer, as mortgage brokers can offer you a wider range of options available on the market.
To get you started, it’s worth talking to a mortgage broker - sometimes known as a ‘mortgage adviser’. With access to thousands of mortgage deals from lots of different lenders, we can give you crucial home loan advice that fits your needs.
What is a mortgage broker?
In short, a broker gives advice on different types of loan products. We can help you from the very start with getting your finances together, right through to the day you pick up your keys - and even after that. A broker will:
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Explain what the first steps are
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Tell you what research you need to do
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Help you budget when saving for a deposit
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Find you a home loan and process the application
The best part is, you can get all of this expert advice before you even start to look for a house. Not only can we provide helpful advice to assess your incomings and outgoings, we’ll also use specific budget planner tools that can work out how much you could afford to borrow. This will help when it comes to the best part - house hunting!
Help find your mortgage
Once you’ve saved your deposit and found a house you like, you can go back to your broker, who will search thousands of deals from many different lenders.
We’ll also know which banks are likely to lend to you, based on the type of house you want to buy. This is because not all home loan providers lend to every buyer, or on all types of properties.
Having an expert help you find the right deals means you’re less likely to be turned down for a mortgage. And if that’s not enough, our job continues after you apply for the loan...
Deal with the mortgage application
Once we’ve found you a deal, we’ll sort out the whole application - saving you time dealing with the paperwork. We’ll also deal with surveyors, your legal company, and handle any paperwork. Most of all, we’ll keep you informed every step of the way and are on hand should you have any questions, no matter how silly you think they are!
Help you with mortgage protection insurance
When buying a home, you’ll need buildings and contents insurance. You should also consider taking out life insurance and critical illness cover to guarantee that you can keep a roof over your head, come what may. Sorting this out by yourself, all while you’re juggling paperwork for your home loan, can feel like an added weight on your shoulders.
Fortunately, many brokers are qualified to help advise on protection insurances too. Again, we can shop around on your behalf and find the right policy for you and your family, and deal with any paperwork required - letting you concentrate on preparing for your new home.
Flexible working hours
A good broker will fit around your diary and can offer flexible appointment times around your working hours.
They can also deal with everything over the phone and by email, meaning they aren’t restricted to branch and office opening hours. So even though you may be working hard and are busy for most of the day, you’ll always be able to keep the ball rolling and get one step closer to owning your home.
Find out more about how we could help
Buying your first home is likely to be stressful, but having a broker secure the right home loan for you - and deal with any worries or problems you have during the buying process - can be incredibly helpful.
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