A Guide to Remortgaging in Birmingham

Check out how Remortgage Advice in Birmingham can help you

Your journey into the world of mortgages can be a worthwhile experience. Towards the end of your process, you will likely end up with one of the following applying to you:

• Your dream home to settle in and raise a family.
• A property that will serve as a means to continue up the property ladder.
• An investment purchase aimed at providing some extra income.

Whichever of these was the desired route, there will ultimately come a moment when your mortgage term is coming to an end. At this stage, there are several choices to choose.

• Sell your house and either upsize or downsize into a better property.
• Take a look at selling your portfolio to one of your tenants or to another buyer, in search of a completely different investment route.
• Most popular ones that we find people go with though, is to choose to remortgage their home.

What is a remortgage?  

A remortgage is where you can use the proceeds borrowed from a new mortgage, to repay a mortgage that you already have. There’s a large amount of various options when taking out a Remortgage in Birmingham, which range from smaller to larger choices.

Remortgage for Better Interest Rates

In general, the initial mortgage deal you are on will last for about 2-5 years, featuring lower fixed rates or perhaps even rates at a discount. In some instances you will find yourself placed on a tracker mortgage that will follow on with the Bank of England’s base rate.

The vast majority of customers will fall onto their lender’s Standard Variable Rate by the end of their term (you may see this referred to through the web as SVR).

Very briefly to explain this, an SVR is a mortgage that has an interest rate defined by what the lender wants to charge and may change. This also will not follow the Bank of England’s base rate such as a tracker mortgage would.

Because of their arbitrary nature of them, these are generally the most expensive mortgage routes to take, leaving many people to look at their choices for remortgaging to get better rates, which we hope will save you a good amount of money on your monthly mortgage repayments.

Remortgage for Home Improvements

Several years into your living in your home, you might decide that something was missing. Perhaps you need an extra room or a larger living area for your kids or possessions, a new kitchen, a new office, or a converted loft.

Instead of moving to a larger house, some look to release equity by taking out a Remortgage for Home Improvements at the end of their term, to cover the costs of such plans.

Project planning and managing can seem a bit daunting, especially when you have to factor in obtaining a building permit. Others would maybe say that it’s a lot less stressful and more satisfying than the process of looking for a new home, selling your current one, and having to move everything that you own.

Further down the line, this may prove to be even more of a beneficial plan, as creating more space may likely increase how much your property is worth, which is useful for if you ever do decide to sell your home or rent it out.

Remortgage for Changes to Your Term   

Sometimes we find when speaking to customers that people may also wish to remortgage in Birmingham for a better mortgage term, by reducing the length of the term they are on or switching to a product that is a bit more flexible for their needs.

When you reduce how long your mortgage term is for, it means you won’t be paying back your mortgage for as long, though it also means that your monthly repayments will be a lot higher. The longer that you take out your term for, the lower your monthly mortgage payments will be.

Some customers may choose for a more flexible mortgage term. In doing so you may gain the ability to overpay your mortgage, which results in your mortgage being paid quicker. It can also give you the option to carry the same mortgage and rates over to another property, if you ever need to in the future.

Though a flexible mortgage sounds like the ideal mortgage type, they usually come in the form of a tracker mortgage, which as mentioned earlier will follow on from the Bank of England base rate. This will mean that one month your payments could fluctuate based on interest, making them a little inconsistent & unreliable.  

Remortgage to Release Equity

Everyone that owns a home will have some level of equity in their property. This can be worked out by looking at the difference between what’s left to pay on the mortgage and the current value of the property.

As discussed briefly earlier, remortgaging can be used to fund any potential home improvements. Still, there are more options out there than just that. Some homeowners will use it to cover long-term care costs, boost their income, have a well-deserved holiday, pay off an interest-only mortgage, or free up some spending money.  

Sometimes when speaking to customers, we’ll also find that some landlords with a Buy to Let in Birmingham will use a remortgage to release equity as a means of covering the necessary deposit to purchase an additional property for their existing property portfolio.

If you are over the age of 55 and have a property that is worth at least £70,000, it may be worth looking into your options for Equity Release in Birmingham. Speak to a qualified later life mortgage advisor to learn more about this.

Remortgage to Consolidate Debt  

Whilst we’re mentioning the topic of equity release, we should probably mention another big one people use their equity for, that being to pay off any unsecured debts that may have built up over time.  

Though it may seem easy to the untrained eye, debt consolidation bases not only takes into account the amount on how much owe on your debts, but also the value of the property and the state of your credit rating. Because of this, you may be limited in the amount you are allowed to borrow for a mortgage.

On top of this, to pay off your previous mortgage and your debts, you will need to borrow an amount that is higher than your outstanding mortgage amount. This will mean that your monthly repayments will probably be higher. Granted none of this is ideal, but you can worry less knowing that you have some options out there if things don’t go to plan.

If you find that you do have a particularly damaged credit rating, you still have options out there. You must bear in mind though that these will not be easy and require very Specialist Remortgage Advice in Birmingham first.

Even with a specialist on hand, there is no guarantee you will definitely obtain a mortgage. You should always seek mortgage advice prior to consolidating and securing any debts against your home.  

Experienced Mortgage Advisors in Birmingham – Get in Touch

If you are a homeowner nearing the end of your mortgage term, wondering what your options may be for remortgaging, we definitely recommend that you get in touch with a knowledgeable and reputable mortgage broker in Birmingham today.  

A dedicated and trusted mortgage advisor in Birmingham will help discuss your circumstances, creating a game plan for the next step of your mortgage journey. It’s always our aim to ensure the second time around is quicker and smoother than your previous mortgage experience.

How to Sell Your Property Fast in Birmingham 

Moving Home Mortgage Advice in Birmingham 

Before you make any further steps on the property ladder, you will first need to think about the process of selling your existing property on the open market, if that is your plan.

Once you have gone through this process and have sold your home, you’ll be able to use the funds from that to put down a deposit on your new home purchase. You are also able to top this up with savings or a gifted deposit.

There is always that ‘magic number’, a minimum asking price that the seller is willing to go for, when someone makes an offer to them.

From the point of view of both the buyer and seller, a big part of negotiations will be how the property is marketed and showcased. Here are some recommendations on ways you can look to sell your home quickly.

Tips to Sell Your Home in Birmingham 

Asking Price 

When you decide on what your asking price will be, you need to make sure that it is reasonable, based on other properties like yours in that area. Speaking to an estate agent will give you a good idea of the highest value a property like yours could sell for, though this doesn’t mean it will sell for that.

As soon as your property listing goes live on the open market, your goal is to attract as many potential buyers as you can, likely as quick as you can. If not many people are interested, it may be that your asking price is too high for people.

Quick sales are needed if you’ve already found a property yourself, that you perhaps want to purchase and call home, but are waiting on your current property to sell before you can make an offer. This is why asking for a ‘fair’ price is a great way to start your journey of moving home in Birmingham.

How does it look from the outside?

As an open and honest mortgage broker in Birmingham, we have been working in the mortgage industry for over 20 years, we often find that the outside of a property is one of the most important parts of selling a property. It’s the viewers first impression, and first impressions do count.

It’s can be as simple as jet-washing a driveway or cutting your front lawn. It will show that you really care about your home and want people to see it in the best light from the get go. It may also get them excited to see the inside, if the outside looks that good!

You never get a second chance to make that first impression, so you should make sure the outside looks as spotless and clean as you can, to give them a good sign of things to come.

How does it look from the inside?

You will also want to be making sure that the inside matches the expectations made from the outside too. This means tidying up and making it so that the inside feels comfortable, warm and welcome to the viewer. You’ll want to remove any clutter from the hallway and from outside the front door.

When the viewer walks in, you want their perception to be that you have really looked after the place. Buying a new doormat, replacing any broken doorbells, all of the little things. This will all work in your favour and give a good vibe to the viewer.

Go around your house, room by room and pay extra attention to your kitchen and bathroom, as these are some of the most important parts of a house. Cupboards and wardrobes should have everything inside neatly stacked and free of clutter.

If you are a smoker, sometimes you can become accustomed to lingering smells, so it would be worth going around to open all the windows, just to make sure the house is nice and aired out before a potential buyer shows up.

Make sure that you keep every room nice and well-lit, make sure to open all curtains and blinds in darker rooms. Your home should feel nice and warm but not too hot. All light bulbs should be tested before viewings start, to make sure they all work properly.

Let Them Feel at Home

You want potential buyers to feel as relaxed as they possibly can. Sometimes leaving out any family pictures or paintings you have as decorations in the house, can showcase the warmth of family, allowing them to see future potential.

You should also let them venture out and have a look by themselves, don’t be crowding them too much, as they will likely want the space, especially if they are a couple, to discuss it all amongst themselves.

Make it Spotless

Once again, it is important to ensure that the kitchen and bathroom are completely spotless. If you don’t use something daily, you should put it away, so that the rooms don’t look cluttered. Make sure towels are neatly stacked away, not on hooks or on the floor.

Double-check everything too, your whole house needs to be cleaned from top to bottom. Make sure clothes are not lying around and the bedrooms are dust-free.

Even cleaning the floors and windows. All repairs should be up to date too, with clean bedding on the beds, all these little things can make a huge impact in the long run.

Make Space

Some people don’t realise that sometimes having empty space is a good thing! This is because it allows your potential buyer to personalise their possible future home. For example, an empty wall in a bedroom could allow them to visualise what they plan to do with it.

Make sure everything is tidied away and anything that isn’t needed, is thrown away. This can save you a job for when you move!

The Garden

Having a garden can be the deciding factor for many property viewers. You need to make sure that there is no rubbish left outside, that it’s all clean and presentable.

Quite often, people will love to see colourful gardens, so even planting some new flowers could do the trick. Anything to liven up your garden could really help you out. Removing weeds and dead flowers, cutting the grass, removing grass clippings also help. 

Be Yourself

First impressions always count, remember to be welcoming, honest and most importantly, be yourself. A single view is just one set of potential buyers at the end of the day, you will no doubt have plenty more if an offer isn’t made first time.

Sometimes creating a balanced view on every problem that you have encountered with the house can help, for example, if you had a problem with a leak, say how you easily fixed it and that it’s very unlikely to happen in the future again.

Estate agents will want to earn their commission by talking to the property viewers as much as possible, however, you need to remember that no one knows as much about the house as you do, so don’t be afraid to jump in and tell them more.

Remember if you are selling to a first time buyer in Birmingham and have a family, it helps to mention how happy of a home it has been for you, as this is sure to rub off on the viewers if they are thinking of raising a family also. 

What is a Tracker Mortgage?

Tracker Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

Before we get onto what exactly a tracker mortgage is, first of all you may be wondering just how many different kinds of mortgages are out there for home buyers and homeowners alike.

There are a lot of different types of mortgages available to customers, with each of them being unique and demonstrating their own list of pros and cons.

Throughout our article here, we are going to take a focus on the tracker mortgage, what it is, how it can help and why it may be a better option for you to take when you are looking at all of your mortgage options in Birmingham.

What is a Tracker Mortgage?

If you have a tracker mortgage, this means that your interest rate will follow alongside the Bank of England’s base rate, with an additional percentage of interest being added on by the mortgage lender.

Your lender will not have the choice of how much they add on top of the base rate, as it is an external rate that they must follow.

For example, the Bank of England’s base rate might be somewhere around the region of 1%, with your lender being required to add on an additional 1%. So, depending on what the Bank of England base rate is, your mortgage will always be slightly higher than that.

Will a Tracker Mortgage benefit me and my situation?

Remember, a mortgage deal is only as good as the situation that it is put up against.

For example, you could get a tracker mortgage, only to figure out later on that you would be much better suited for working with fixed payments (utilising a fixed-rate mortgage), but you are already locked into a legal agreement with a mortgage lender.

It’s for reasons like this why we will always advise that you do plenty of research ahead of the mortgage process or look to obtain expert Mortgage Advice in Birmingham, to make sure that you are on the best deal for your circumstances. We do also feature an article on why use a Mortgage Broker in Birmingham, and list the benfits of having us on your side.

Tracker Mortgages Historically

A Tracker Mortgage will work out well for you if the Bank of England’s rate is low. It will generally sit somewhere around 0-1%, though it will rise and fall as the year progresses. When the credit crunch happened, the market crashed and interest rates rose.

The highest point that it ever went up to was about 5%. Bearing in mind what we said earlier about your lender adding on an additional amount, you could’ve had 6% interest on your monthly mortgage payments!

If we head into more recent territory with March 2020, the mortgage market gave many in the industry deja vu. This time the panic surrounding interest-rates was brought in because of COVID-19.

This time though, things went a little differently, as the Bank of England’s rate dropped significantly, going down to a miniscule 0.1%. If you happened to be on a tracker mortgage during this time, it was likely that you went down to a 1.1% interest rate.

As you might expect during this time, it wasn’t possible to get a tracker mortgage. The reasoning for this, is that in reality, mortgage lenders are a business and need to make money too. This type of practice would’ve been poor business on their end.

As time has passed (as of December 2021), they have become readily available for customers, though they tend not to be as popular as they used to be.

Tracker mortgages rely heavily on the economy, so if the market is performing well, it’s a solid choice to go with. If the market is performing poorly, it’s probably not the best option for you to go with.

Different Types of Mortgages in Birmingham

There are all-sorts of different types of mortgages out there for homeowners and home buyers in Birmingham, it’s all just about finding the right one for you and your circumstances.

Before you jump into something that might be harmful to you, it would be within your best interests to speak to an expert Mortgage Advisor in Birmingham about what your mortgage options might be.

They will be on hand to help you shop around for unique and suitable deals, ensuring that you have the best one you can possibly get for the situation that you are in.

Perhaps you are a First Time Buyer in Birmingham? Maybe you are looking to Remortgage in Birmingham or at your options for Moving Home in Birmingham? In any case, we believe that you will truly benefit from the mortgage advice of our experts here at Birminghammoneyman.

There is rarely a situation we haven’t come across. Utilising our knowledge and experience within the mortgage industry, we will be able to guide you onto the right path for what you are looking to achieve. Book your free mortgage appointment online and speak to a dedicated mortgage advisor in Birmingham today.

What is a Gifted Deposit Mortgage?

One of the most important points at the start of your property journey, before you even get ready to make your purchase, is to ensure you have enough saved to cover the deposit. We regularly hear first time buyers in Birmingham that this part can sometimes be a little tricky.

Quite a common way around this, however, is for someone close to you to help you cover either a portion of the deposit or the full amount. This is called, quite aptly, a gifted deposit. In order for a gifted deposit to work, there will need to be an agreement that this is purely a gift and not a loan to be paid back.

How can a gifted deposit help get me a mortgage in Birmingham?

For many, they benefit a lot more from buying a property and obtaining their own mortgage, than they do when renting from a landlord or local authority. There are lots of reasons for this, with one being that your monthly payments could be a lot less than you might have been paying per month on rent.

If you have worked out that you’ll be able to afford these monthly mortgage payments but can’t afford the initial deposit, then this is where a gifted deposit can become useful. In some cases we even see a gifted deposit being added onto an already saved deposit, increasing the amount.

The more deposit that is put down initially, the better rates you are going to open yourself up to. This in turn offers quite the benefit to home buyers, as you are guaranteed to lower your monthly mortgage payments in doing this.

Who can gift the deposit?

We usually find that it is people’s parents, whether that be their birth parents, adopted or sometimes even carers, who are the ones that will gift a deposit. Across the industry, online and in person, you may see this with the tagline “The Bank of Mum & Dad”.

There are a few lenders out there who will possibly allow deposits to be gifted by some other family members such as aunties & uncles, though this will require your dedicated mortgage advisor to take more care when searching for the right mortgage lender to use.

If anyone over the age of 55 is willing to give you a hand, they may have the option of taking out an equity release in Birmingham as a means of gifting you a deposit.

Do your parents know you need help?

When we have our primary chats with customers who are in the situation where they are struggling to save for a deposit, we will usually ask if they are able to be gifted the deposit from someone they know.

In those instances we either hear that they didn’t even know their parents could help, or they do know but don’t feel like they can approach them about the topic.

The reality is that if they are able to do so, most parents are more than happy to help their children if they can. Inheritance can help them achieve this, with some parents opting to gift it early if they have enough saved. We have also had cases where equity release has been used to help them out.

Gifted Deposit vs Loans

Lenders are not particularly keen on working with customers who take out loans for a deposit. The reason for this is because it is an additional financial commitment that could possibly get in the way of your mortgage repayments.

It’s not like there aren’t lenders out there who will accept this, because some of them will, it just makes for a more difficult process.

Is there a maximum or minimum gifted amount?

The majority of lenders out there won’t give you a mortgage unless you have at least a 5% deposit. Some may want more than this though and is entirely dependant on the lender and the situation. Bad credit, for example, will usually mean you have to put down at least a 15% deposit.

When it comes to gifted deposits, there is usually no limit to the amount that can be gifted. As mentioned earlier, the more you have, the better the rates you open yourself up to and the more likely you are to save money on your monthly payments.

Who can benefit from a gifted deposit in Birmingham?

Gifted deposits will mostly be beneficial to a first-time buyer in Birmingham or a home mover in Birmingham. It can also be a helpful tool to use alongside the Help to Buy Scheme in Birmingham.

Depending on the lender that your mortgage advisor in Birmingham selects for you to go with, the required 5% deposit can be paid via gifted deposit.

What proof is required?

As a general rule of thumb, all mortgage lenders will require a gifted deposit form. You may be asked to provide additional proof and ID (such as a donor ID or bank statements).

This all depends on the lender that your mortgage advisor in Birmingham feels is right for you and your personal circumstances.

Gifted Deposit Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

Getting Organised for a Mortgage in Birmingham

First Time Buyer Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

Once you have gotten the hard part out of the way, that being saving up for your deposit (or if you’ve utilised a gifted deposit) and have decided you are ready to buy your first property as a first-time buyer in Birmingham.

The next step is to get yourself prepared for the mortgage process that is about to follow.

Know Where You Stand

In our experience as a mortgage advisor in Birmingham, we have found that customers benefit the most by getting in touch with a mortgage broker as early on in your process as you can.

Your dedicated advisor will help you to work out an outline of the amount you could be looking to borrow for a mortgage and how much your monthly mortgage costs could be.

Before anything else, your top priority should be to obtain an up-to-date credit report. You ideally don’t want any credit issues such as a missed phone contract payment, to hold you back from a mortgage. A credit report will be able to show you potentially harmful factors.

Following these steps will give you a realistic overview of the likelihood that you’ll succeed with a mortgage and what your budget could be. This will help you to organise your accounts, such as any existing credit cards or phone contracts.

Getting Organised For a Mortgage

Our hard working and dedicated mortgage advisors in Birmingham are able to obtain a fully credit-checked agreement in principle for you, within 24 hours of your primary mortgage appointment.

There’s a lot of important paperwork for you to gather for your process, so it’s a good idea for First Time Buyers in Birmingham to start organising what you will be required to have ahead of looking for your mortgage. In doing this, you possibly enable yourself to go through the process quicker.

Proof of ID

We need to be able to prove your identity. With this, you’ll need to provide us with some photo ID such as a driving license or passport, so that we can prove who you are.

Proof of Address

On top of this, you’ll need to prove where you are living. To achieve this, you need to send us a utility bill or original bank statement that has been dated within the last 3 months of your current home address.

Last 3 Months’ Bank Statements

One of the most important factors when seeing if you qualify for a mortgage, is analysing your income and spending habits. This can can be a big difference maker in whether or not you obtain a mortgage. Your bank statements should show your income and what you having regularly going out.

Lenders will not be too thrilled to see gambling transactions on your account. They also won’t be too happy if you go over an agreed overdraft limit or if your direct debits regularly bounce.

It’s best to plan ahead regarding your bank statements. The more organised they appear to be, the more likely you are to be accepted by a mortgage lender.

Proof of Deposit

You will have to prove you have the financial capability to pay for the deposit and also evidence where this came from for the purpose of anti-money laundering.

Try not to move money around your accounts too often as it will make auditing where everything came from a little complex. Lenders like to see you build up your savings, so you’ll need to provide individual proof for any large financial deposits into your bank account.

We regularly see that money for deposits has been given as a gift by a member of your family. The gifted deposit also need to be evidenced, with the “donor” needing to sign a letter to confirm it is a gift and not to be paid back as a loan.

Proof of Income

Regarding being able to afford a mortgage, the most important thing is to be able to prove your that you are financially capable to keep up monthly mortgage repayments.

If you are a regular employee, the proof you will be required to provide is the last 3 months’ payslips and most recent P60. Lenders can take into account frequent overtime, commission, shift allowance and any potential bonuses.

If instead you are an applicant who is self-employed in Birmingham, then you’ll need to enlist the help of your accountant. They will help you request your last 2 or 3 years’ tax overviews and tax calculations documents from HMRC, which you can use for proof of income.

A list of Your Expected Outgoings

When taking out a mortgage in Birmingham, it really is a good idea to prepare yourself ahead of the process starting. Make note of what you expect your outgoings to be after you move and work out what you are able to afford.

Factor in costs like council tax and utility bills, food, drink and leisure activities. This will demonstrate how much money you actually have free to put towards monthly mortgage repayments.

It may seem like a difficult process, but without taking the steps we mentioned above, it is not possible to proceed with any lender or broker. Once you have taken the necessary steps, you’ll be just that little bit closer to your home owning dreams.

It’s better to prepare yourself in advance, making a collection of everything a mortgage lender might wish to see. This saves both your time and frustration further along the process, especially if it’s something that could’ve easily been arranged at the start.

Self-Employed Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

Wanting a Mortgage Agreement In Principle in Birmingham?

Agreement in Principle Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

A mortgage agreement in principle is basically an obtainable document or certificate of confirmation that proves to the estate agent or seller of the property that ‘in principle’, the bank is willing to lend you a certain amount for a mortgage. You may also see this called a decision in principle.

This is something that we will always look to obtain for of our customers if they don’t have one already, and something we can usually get within 24 hours of your initial appointment.

In order to obtain an agreement in principle, you will have to pass the lenders credit score. This works out well because in almost all cases, this is a very good sign to the lender that you are creditworthy and could be trusted with a mortgage.

If you are in the market for buying a new home as a first time buyer in Birmingham, then an estate agent will often want to check again and again in order to make 100% sure that you are ‘mortgage ready’ when it comes to making any offers on a property.

In having this certificate on hand, you will prove to the seller that you are able to obtain a mortgage for the amount you will need to purchase the property and are ready to proceed with the sale.

A mortgage agreement in principle will not be a definitive guarantee of being able to obtain a mortgage, as the rest of your full application will require further background checks (such as evidencing your income) and having a property valuation undertaken on the property you’re looking to buy.

As an experienced mortgage broker in Birmingham, we highly suggest that all customers try to obtain an agreement in principle at the earliest opportunity. This is because of the following reasons:

1.   Negotiating Power.
2.  Avoid Disappointment.
3.  Knowing Your Limits.

Negotiating Power

Once you reach the point of being able to make an offer on a new home, the majority of estate agents will undertake the necessary steps to ensure that you can go forward with a mortgage on the property.

Generally speaking, they will require you to provide them with evidence that you are able to afford the purchase of the property, prior to listing the property as sold and taking it off the market.

If you have already managed to have a mortgage agreed prior to making an offer on the property, you’ll come off as more appealing to the seller.

This will also prove to the seller that you’ve put a lot of careful thought about your mortgage journey and not just decided to purchase out of the blue, with no preparation.

This might persuade a seller to accept any offers that you make that are lower than the initial asking price. Make sure not to make offers too low though, as you don’t want to insult the seller.

Avoid Disappointment

When it comes to making a purchase on a property, we often find that customers can go full steam into the process, making an offer on a property without making sure that they can afford to actually buy the property in the first place.

This could lead to customers facing potential disappointment if the mortgage application happens to fail, as by that point they may have already had their heart set on that property.

By getting in touch with a mortgage advisor in Birmingham early on, the potential disappointment that you otherwise would’ve faced could potentially be avoided.

Often, there are various factors that are causing a mortgage to decline that can be overcome with a little time and the guidance of a trusted mortgage broker.

Knowing your limits

If you are a First Time Buyer in Birmingham and know you have a good credit score because you’ve never been turned down for credit, have paid everything on time and are registered on the voters roll etc, it is still worth getting in touch with us for mortgage advice in Birmingham.

You might find that you could approach various different lenders and each time get a different max mortgage amount back from them. These lenders all calculate affordability in their own unique way, with their own individual criteria.

If you are self employed in Birmingham, though the mortgage process is not completely impossible to navigate, it can be very complex for self employed applicants, without the assistance of a mortgage broker in Birmingham by your side.

Some lenders will take your net profit, others are known to use your salary and dividends. Some use your latest year, whereas some others will use an average over three years.

Think it’s simple?

Being aware of your borrowing limits is very important when it comes to applying for a mortgage, as then you have a realistic idea of what your price range on a property is going to be.

Our team of mortgage advisors in Birmingham will be able to give you a guide of the potential maximum mortgage available to you and help you to work out an estimate of the amount you’ll possibly be paying back per month for your mortgage.

Specialist Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

Agreement in Principle and Soft Credit Searches in Birmingham

Agreement in Principle explained

First Time Buyers in Birmingham, and other consumers are awareness of credit scoring appears to be higher than ever before, and a large majority of people who get in touch with our team appear to have already reviewed their credit reports online.

There are lots of different credit reference agencies to choose from, with the two most commonly heard of companies being either Experian or Equifax. We personally would recommend that new clients use Check My File for a 30-day free trial. If you do not cancel, this will change to £14.99 a month, though you can cancel this at any point in time. This report offers our clients a collaborative look at the information produced in an easy to understand the color-coded credit report.

Often our customers will ask if our Mortgage Advisors in Birmingham will be doing a credit search of their own, because they are aware that too many searches can cause problems for their credit score. The lender always runs credit checks, but our Mortgage Advisors in Birmingham will ask the client for their permission beforehand.

What is a Hard Credit search?

A hard credit search will provide a much more in-depth look at your credit report. Any financial institution that looks to carry one of these out should seek your permission before doing so. The advantage of a “hard” search would be that you have a much higher chance of succeeding with your mortgage if you pass the credit search, as they will have already gone quite deep into your details.

The only thing that can go wrong from then on is if, for some reason, you cannot provide satisfactory documentation to back up the information you have disclosed, or it turns out you have provided false details.

Another benefit to the hard search is that it leaves a ‘footprint’ on your credit file, meaning that anyone who looks at your report can see that it you’ve already been under the microscope so to speak. This isn’t inherently a bad thing but if for example, you have multiple searches included in your credit file in a short period, then it could be perceived as you are applying for lots of credit at once, which the lender may feel is suspicious activity.

The footprint does not state whether your application was successful or not but if you have several searches over a few weeks then lenders’ systems could wrongly assume you are being declined on the basis that “Why else would you go to Lender number two unless Lender number one had said no?”.

The odd hard footprint on your record is no big deal so this doesn’t give reason to worry a whole lot about it. The main lesson to take away here, is take precaution in having too many hard searches, as this could negatively affect your process.

What is a Soft Credit search?

On the other side of the coin, we have a soft credit search. This is a much ‘lighter’ search which looks at your financial situation and would be the type of search that would be carried out on price comparison websites to let you know what may be available to you. It may also be used from time to time, in order to verify your identity. Many mortgage lenders carry out soft searches, and we’re always seeing more lenders switching to this type of search.

While less information is offered to who is carrying out a soft search, as opposed to what they would receive if it were a hard search, you can still get a good idea as to whether or not you’ll find mortgage success by obtaining an Agreement in Principle. If you get this, you’re theoretically in with a good shot anyway.

One of the most beneficial things about soft searches is that while you will be able to see soft searches that have been carried out on you, if you check your credit file (people are usually surprised by how many have been carried out on them) these searches are not visible to other financial institutions like banks, building societies or other mortgage lenders. This means you can freely apply for an Agreement in Principle and it is unlikely to damage your credit score, whether it is successful or not.

How our Mortgage Advisors in Birmingham can help

If you are in the market for making an offer on a property as a First-Time Buyer in Birmingham or are maybe Moving Home in Birmingham, our trusted Mortgage Advisors in Birmingham would highly recommend that you have a Mortgage Agreement in Principle in place before getting in touch with the seller.

You want to be able to give yourself the best possible chance of securing the property you want at the lowest possible price, so if you can demonstrate that you have your finances in a good place, you are effectively giving yourself the upper hand. Having an Agreement in Principle could also mean that any estate agent may be put off trying to ‘cross-sell’ their other in-house mortgage services to you.

Capital Raising Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

Specialist Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

If you have been reading up on mortgages or more specifically have been having a look at what your options may be for taking out a Remortgage in Birmingham, you may well have seen the term Capital Raising before.

When seeing this term, you may be confused and wonder what exactly is Capital Raising? Capital Raising is simply the act of raising money for a purpose, with money in this case referred to as the Capital. There are a few different ways this can be achieved and it is used for a variety of different reasons.

Capital Raising Methods 

Remortgage to Release Equity 

Generally we find that it is quite common for customers to take out a Remortgage as a means of releasing the equity that is in their property. If you are unsure of what Equity is; Equity is the difference between what you have left to pay on your mortgage and how much the property has been valued at.

Further Advance Mortgage 

If the value of your property happens increases in value over the duration of your mortgage, rather than Remortgaging to Release Equity, you may have the option to take out a Further Advance. This mortgage type allows you to take out an additional mortgage on your property to borrow an additional amount, as a means of releasing the equity in your property.

This mortgage will generally be taken out over a longer term and have interest rates at a lower rate than a standard personal loan would be, although this is something you will pay back alongside your existing mortgage.

This can be a really solid option for homeowners who are not looking to Remortgage, or maybe tied into their existing deal. It’s important to remember though that there are risks, such as a higher risk of repossession if you cannot keep up the much larger number of monthly repayments.  

Second Charge Mortgage 

A Second Charge Mortgage works in a similar way to a Further Advance, as with this mortgage type you will be taking out an additional mortgage alongside the one you already have, as a means of releasing the equity in your home for future home improvements or anything else you wish to spend your newly acquired income boost on.

The difference between a Second Charge and a Further Advance is that with a Second Charge you will often be with another lender and on a slightly different interest rate. In the unfortunate event of a repossession, your initial mortgage lender will be paid back from the sale of the property in question, with any remaining funds used to pay off the Second Charge with the second lender. 

Capital Raising Mortgage Reasons

There are lots of reasons why you may find yourself needing to Capital Raise and release equity via a Remortgage. The options for this that we often hear include to fund any Home Improvements, Modifications or Alterations, such as a new home office, a possible home extension or even a conversion to a loft or garage. Sometimes, we also see customers using these to consolidate any debts that you have gathered over time.

Other circumstances wherein a homeowner may use this include; to gift a deposit to your kids, to purchase a second home (usually an option with Buy to Let Landlords in Birmingham), and to pay for larger purchases such as a car, wedding or holiday. 

Saving your Time, Saving your Money – Mortgage Broker in Birmingham

If you have any equity in your property and are in the market for a capital raising mortgage, then a Remortgage in Birmingham could be beneficial to you. As a general rule, mortgage lenders will let you borrow up to 90% of the value of your property.

Please do Get in Touch and we will advise you of the most appropriate course of action to take for your circumstances. If remortgaging isn’t quite the option for you, taking out unsecured credit might be a more suitable option. A standard Remortgage can take an estimate of around 4 to 6 weeks to fully go through.

With Debt Consolidation there are some risks to bear in mind. That is why we always recommend you speak with a qualified Mortgage Advisor in Birmingham, before you look at consolidating any unsecured debts against your property.

Birminghammoneyman is an experienced Mortgage Broker in Birmingham, here to help you find the best capital raising mortgage deal for your financial, as well as personal circumstances. All of our customers will benefit from a free Remortgage consultation with a qualified advisor. During this consultation your dedicated mortgage advisor in Birmingham will make a full recommendation.

If you happen to be over the age of 55, you may find yourself better suited for the option of Equity Release in Birmingham. 

Getting a Mortgage if You’re Self-Employed in Birmingham

Nowadays, we find that self-employment is more common than ever across the country, with that also being the case in Birmingham.

As a Mortgage Broker in Birmingham, we are rarely seeing people remaining with their first employer from the first few years, all the way throughout retirement. Over time, they want to change their career paths in order to improve their personal development and financial circumstances.

In recent years, there are a lot more different opportunities for self-employed and freelancers within the digital sector. The world is getting increasingly more technological advanced, and we as people are becoming more and more interconnected. We are always learning, and are continually taking advantage of the opportunities that appear for the self-employed within these industries.

In years prior, it used to be quite a challenge trying to get a mortgage while being Self-Employed. Now we find that it is a lot easier to get a mortgage as a Self-Employed applicant, with more gaps are opening in the market and lenders becoming more relaxed and lenient with these applicants.

Self-Employed Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

You need to make sure you are ahead of the mortgage game. In order to help you reach that point, we have put together some helpful mortgage tips for those who are Self-Employed and thinking of Moving Home in the Birmingham area, or perhaps are a First-Time Buyer in Birmingham.

How many years’ books do I need?

If you end up going with a self-employed specialist lender, you will find that they often require you to provide one years accounts. High street lenders have a tendency to be a lot more stricter and will want to see two year’s accounts.

Unfortunately, statistics will show that most new business attempts will end up being unsuccessful, and this is why lenders always need you to evidence your track record, before they’ll allow you to borrow such a large amount of money.

How will a lender assess my income?

Most lenders will have a look at the average of your last two years’ worth of income. That being said, if your business has grown over the past year and the lenders can see that you will be able to afford a mortgage and run your company simultaneously, they will go off the latest year and may ignore anything that has happened previously.

I’m a director of my own limited company

If you are a director of your own limited company, you are technically an employee of your own business. Lenders won’t see your situation that way and will only assess you as an employee if you own less than 25% of the companies shares.

Lenders often add the dividend you have drawn to your annual salary as a way to work out what your yearly earnings will be. The amount that you are able to borrow for your mortgage will be based on a multiple of these earnings.

You will find that sometimes there will be lenders that will work from your net profit, rather than your salary/dividend. The way this works is favourable for directors who like keeping their drawings low.

My accounts don’t reflect the real success of my business, what can I do?

As an experienced Mortgage Broker in Birmingham, this is something we get asked quite often. During your annual meeting with your accountant, you will be able to talk about how to minimize your tax liability.

It works the other way when it comes to taking out a self-employed mortgage, the more income you have declared, the bigger the mortgage you may be able to obtain.

How much deposit do I need to put down?

The minimum deposit self employed applicants are putting down are a 5% deposit for a self-employed mortgage. It’s works the same way as it does with regular employees. If you only have one years’ accounts, you might have to put down a little bit more for your deposit, in order to increase your chances of finding success.

Contractor mortgages

For contractors, there are various different mortgage options that are available to them. It’s more common now to find people working from shorter term contracts.

If you are able to evidence that you have a good track record, your lender can consider taking your ‘daily rate’ over your net profit. This will be a benefit to contractors, as lenders will consider treating you as self-employed instead if that works out better for your situation.

You will need to know long is left on your current contract, as lenders will be asking you this. They must be sure that your income will be continuous, so they know whether or not that you will be able to afford your mortgage. It may even possible to get a mortgage when you are on your first contract, though this all depends on your specific circumstances.

Can I still get a self-cert mortgage?

You can no longer get a self-cert mortgage. They were mistreated and there are no plans for these to make a return.

How our Mortgage Advisors in Birmingham can help

We know that trying to get a mortgage as a sole trader, partner or company director can be challenging. It can be much easier for an employed applicant, as depending on the lender that you go to, some are stricter with their criteria than others. This is why if you Get in Touch with a Mortgage Broker in Birmingham, you could reap the benefits.

Our mortgage advisors will give you a realistic expectation from the start, guiding you through the self-employed mortgage process and searching through thousands of mortgage deals on your behalf.

Every customer will receive a free initial Mortgage Consultation, so make sure that you get in touch with one of our Self-Employed Mortgage Advisors in Birmingham today.

Can I Get a Mortgage With Bad/Adverse Credit in Birmingham?

Bad Credit Mortgage Advice in Birmingham

Many would say that unsecured credit happens all too often and it’s not an uncommon occurrence for clients to approach us for Specialist Mortgage Advice in Birmingham when they have a missed payments or have a lower credit score than is acceptable.

Once you have missed one of your monthly mortgage repayments, or something considered rather small, such as a missed payment to a mobile phone provider, you may end up with a default attached to your credit report. This has quite a bad effect on your future ability to obtain a mortgage, as it will be a strong indication that you represent a higher risk to the lender.

That being said, having missed monthly payments or any amount of defaults will not necessarily mean you can’t get a mortgage, but you may be in need of specialist help. The reason for this, is that it is fairly likely you will be turned down for a mortgage by a High Street Bank who may be risk-averse, especially if you only have a smaller deposit the property you’re looking to move to.

Specialist Lenders will want to know the date the default was registered against you and the further away you are from that specific date, the more likely it is that we’ll be able to provide some form of help. This is particularly the case if it was down to a lifetime event such as separation, ill health or an untimely redundancy. People do make mistakes when they are young and it can feel that these financial mistakes come back to cause trouble down the line.

We may also be able to provide assistance if you have had historic mortgage arrears or a County Court Judgement.

Bad Credit Mortgage FAQs

Below we have compiled some helpful answers to frequently asked questions regarding Bad Credit mortgages in Birmingham & nearby locations.

What will my mortgage advisor in Birmingham need to see?

No matter the type of credit problem you have had in the past we are going to need to see an up-to-date copy of your credit report, something which can usually be obtained online completely free of charge.

It’s important that you obtain your credit report before you decide to apply for a mortgage, especially if you have been having any doubts about your credit history. The reasoning for this, is that undertaking multiple unnecessary credit searches can further damage your credit rating.

I have good income, but bad credit. Can I still get a mortgage?

The answer to this depends entirely on your personal circumstances. Some customers may be a little perplexed when it comes to the impact of their credit. It may look bad, they may have had something flag up and cause problems, but they have a sufficient income & enough deposit to reduce a rate and get a favourable mortgage. So why won’t the lender allow them to borrow a specific amount for a property, or anything at all for that matter? What it all ultimately boils down to, is risk.

The lender needs to have the utmost confidence that you are able to pay back your mortgage payments without a likelihood of any form of arrears occuring. If arrears end up unfortunately happening, the lender may need to repossess your home, which is something they definitely would prefer to avoid. Though it might sound rather difficult, there are still plenty of routes to take for people looking to get a mortgage with bad credit, even if those routes may incur slightly higher rates. Getting in touch with a dedicated Specialist mortgage advisor in Birmingham will be a the most appropriate next step to you finding your way towards a potential mortgage.

I’ve had mortgage problems before. Will that stop me getting a mortgage?

Sometimes, for reasons you may not exactly have control over, you may find yourself in financially struggling and unable to keep up the mortgage payments you previously had no trouble paying. These circumstances are really not an ideal place to find yourself in. Whilst it could be a momentary lapse for a month, one that you are able to pay back in no time, the damage is done and your record will show it as a missed payment.

There may be other credit issues too that you’ve been subject to during this time period, and when it comes to getting a Remortgage at the end of your term, or a new mortgage after Moving Home in Birmingham, you may find yourself in a spot of bother. As mentioned earlier on in this article, this will always end up coming back to the risk. Can the lender trust you to not find yourself in this situation again?

Luckily, as loyal providers of Specialist Mortgage Advice in Birmingham, we have had lots of experience in helping customers who have find themselves with bad credit, especially when they’ve previously had or currently have a mortgage. If this sounds like your situation, then speaking with a trusted mortgage broker in Birmingham will be crucial to finding success in your home owning future.

What other types of adverse problems are customers faced with?

Customers may find themselves with all kinds of different adverse problems when it comes to their credit, all of which can have a negative effect the mortgage process. These issues vary from, but are not limited to;

• Missed Mortgage Payments
• Credit Card or Loan Defaults
• County Court Judgements (CCJ’s)
• Bankruptcy

Whilst these are all unfortunate and oftentimes disheartening situations to find yourself in, it’s not the end of the road. The process may take longer, there may be more hurdles on your path and you may end up on a higher rate, but there are specialist lenders out there, some of which we have on panel, who will accept you depending on what your circumstances are.

To increase your chances of success and open yourself up to better rates, we highly recommend that you take a look at improving your credit score. We have a helpful, in-depth mortgage guide that we’ve written on How to Improve Your Credit Score, which will hopefully put you in a better place for obtaining a mortgage at some point down the line.

Get in Touch for Bad Credit Mortgage Advice

If you are in need of some expert mortgage advice in Birmingham regarding a Bad or Adverse Credit situation, then Get in Touch with our affable and reliable team of experienced mortgage advisors here at Birminghammoneyman. We’ll use the knowledge we’ve gathered over our twenty plus years of service to our advantage, working incredibly hard to try and ensure we have a clear and concise plan of action for your credit score and hopefully, if all goes right, a favourable mortgage outcome for you at the end.