Mortgage Broker in Huddersfield | Mortgage Advice in Huddersfield
Mortgage Advice in Huddersfield
How our service works
Welcome! This is your Mortgage Broker in Huddersfield, and we are ready to help you through your mortgage journey. No matter your circumstances, we will always try our hardest to secure you an excellent mortgage deal for your new home in Huddersfield.
We aim to deliver the same exceptional mortgage advice service to everyone who comes to our broker for help. Once you get in touch and our team has a few details from you, before you know it, your process will be on the move!
- Once our team have keyed in some of your details and learnt a bit more about your situation, they will allocate you to a dedicated Mortgage Advisor in Huddersfield. At this point, we will get you booked in for your free mortgage consultation!
- During your free mortgage consultation, your Mortgage Advisor in Huddersfield will get a bigger picture of your scenario so that they can start looking for competitive mortgage deals that will match your situation.
- Next, your assigned advisor will begin looking for deals that perfectly match your mortgage situation. Any questions that you have along the way, don’t be afraid to ask them! Our knowledgeable advisors have been working within the mortgage industry for over two decades now and have faced almost every mortgage situation imaginable!
- Once they have picked out a mortgage deal for you, you can choose to take the mortgage deal by continuing with us or go back to doing things on your own, it’s completely up to you.
- If you choose to continue with us, it’s now time to get property hunting/make an offer on a property that you love.
Mortgage Broker in Huddersfield – Our reviews
As a trusted Mortgage Broker in Huddersfield, we’ve built up quite a handful of excellent reviews. Most of these reviews have come from struggling customers who really appreciated our guidance and dedication to their case. Hearing back from customers and seeing how much we’ve helped them accomplish their dreams makes us so happy – it’s the reason why we do what we do.
Customer service is at the heart of our business. Without our amazing customer service, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do so well! To take a look at some of our reviews, head over to our reviews page, you won’t be disappointed!
7 days a week in Huddersfield
For Mortgage Advice in Huddersfield during a time that is best suited to you, you know who to get in touch with. Our team are responsive, meaning that we will always get right back to you with anything that you need. Any questions that you may have along the way, make sure that you ask them as your Mortgage Advisor in Huddersfield will be more than happy to answer them. No question is too big or too small to ask, we will always be more than happy to explain to you what is going on during every stage of the mortgage process.
We hope that we get a call from you soon, our team are waiting by the phone in Huddersfield for you to call. Get in touch with our Mortgage Broker in Huddersfield for a free, no-obligation mortgage consultation today.
Leedsmoneyman Spring Budget 2021 Update
Rishi Sunak’s second Budget as Chancellor brought two pieces of welcome news for the property sector as the Government attempts to transform “Generation Rent” into “Generation Buy” to help stimulate the UK economy, namely the new 95% Mortgage Guarantee and an extension of the Stamp Duty Holiday.
95% Mortgage Guarantee
The name of this scheme is misleading as not everyone that applies is guaranteed to be offered a mortgage, it is still subject to affordability and credit score. The “guarantee” itself is that the Government will ensure Lenders don’t stand a loss if they grant a 95% mortgage to a customer who then subsequently falls into arrears and is repossessed leaving behind negative equity.
This scheme should in theory give Lenders more confidence to lend even though the applicant only has a smaller deposit to put down. Of course, Lenders never want to repossess someone’s home unless it is the last resort, but if that happens then the new scheme would cover any shortfall.
Lenders have been worried about the prospect of home values decreasing so this measure should alleviate that concern although of course, the chances of negative equity occurring will naturally reduce should property prices increase as a result of these announcements!
The scheme is available to both 1st Time Buyers and Home Movers, it’s available on any property (not just new build) and will run until December 2022. Some major High Street Banks have already signed up to the scheme and it’s likely more will follow later on. It’s still a big challenge for Lenders to cope with the demand they are getting for mortgages due to the difficulties training and supervising staff working from home but they will want to offer as many of these mortgages as they can.
Stamp Duty Holiday Extension
When the Stamp Duty Holiday was launched last year we all hoped life would be very much back to normal by the cut-off date of 31st March 2021 but things didn’t pan out that way as we know. Solicitors are struggling to keep up with the workload and if lots of chains had collapsed then it would have partly defeated the object of the exercise.
Therefore it was good to hear the scheme has been extended to 30th June for purchases up to £500,000 and 30th September for purchases up to £250,000.
The Government certainly sees the property sector as an area that can play a big part in our economic recovery and if you are looking to buy a home or remortgage this year please reach out and we will be happy to advise you.
Property Market Predictions for 2020 in Leeds
Thinking of Moving Home in Leeds This Year?
The property market has hit the ground running at the start of the new decade. Our current activity levels are running at record highs and there seem to be more people than ever looking for Mortgage Advice in Leeds.
What’s In Store For The Property Market?
By way of contrast, 2019 slowed down much earlier than usual in the run-up to Christmas. The obvious reason for this was the unexpected General Election which had an impact on consumer confidence.
When it comes to investing in property, in my opinion, it is often more about how people “feel” about what is happening than the facts. The mortgage deals on offer were amongst the lowest ever yet take-up was poor, much like Brexit, potential buyers were playing “wait and see” on the Election result.
Whether you were a remainder or leaver, there is some clarity at last – we are leaving the EU. Many people who have had their plans “on hold” over Brexit uncertainty are seemingly wanting to move house. I feel that this “pent up demand” has probably been building up for a couple of years now.
Estate Agents are also suggesting large increases in activity too, and in a very encouraging sign, Rightmove reported a 2.3% rise in property prices in the month immediately following December’s Election – the largest percentage increase since they began their records in 2001.
For anyone thinking of moving home this year, the running order is:
- Get your current home valued by at least two Estate Agents – you can then calculate how much equity you have available to put down on your next home
- Contact a Mortgage Advisor in Leeds for a FREE “Affordability Assessment” – we can quickly work out how much you can borrow without the need for a credit check.
- If you then decide 2020 is the year for you to move home, then we can obtain an “Agreement in Principle” – you can use this document to prove to any Estate Agent that you have a mortgage in place. They will then classify you as a “qualified buyer,” increasing your chances of having an offer accepted
Remember, buying a home is likely to be the biggest investment you ever make. When you offer you need to remember is a negotiation process – if your first offer is accepted, you will have only proved you are a poor negotiator! Don’t be down-hearted if your opening offer got rejected, the seller won’t take offense and will welcome a higher bid!
Looking to Remortgage in Leeds?
In terms of Remortgages and new deals, Banks are sitting on larger amounts of cash than usual, and the mortgage rates on offer are very low. Anyone who has let their mortgage “drift” onto their Lender’s standard variable rate might be missing a trick right now.
We have seen more customers opt for five year fixed rates recently as a result of these low rates. A long term fixed rate isn’t right for everyone though and I strongly recommend you speak with one of our Mortgage Advisors in Leeds before simply accepting a new deal on offer from a current lender.
As well as offering competitive deals, there are some signs of Lenders relaxing some of the more illogical pieces of their criteria to meet their lending targets. We are hoping in due this might help some tenants who find it hard to save for a deposit onto the property ladder.
Do I need Mortgage Protection Insurance and Which do I choose?
Different Types of Mortgage Insurance Available in Leeds
Mortgage Protection Insurance is a term used to encompass various types of cover designed to protect borrowers from events which could severely impact their ability to maintain mortgage payments. There are different variations, but when connected to a mortgage, they are all there to provide peace of mind and usually fall into the following categories:
- Life Cover Insurance Advice in Leeds
- Critical Illness Cover Insurance Advice in Leeds
- Income Protection Insurance Advice in Leeds
- Accident, Sickness, Unemployment (ASU) Cover
- Family Income Benefit
What is Life Cover Insurance?
Life cover generally falls into two types – ‘Whole of Life’ or ‘Term Assurance’. The whole of Life cover is guaranteed to pay out a lump sum on death, whenever it occurs. Term Assurance pays out if you die within a specified term of years. There are also different types of term assurance – for example, level, increasing, or convertible – but the type most commonly used as mortgage protection these days is Decreasing Term Assurance.
Linking to a repayment mortgage, and the sum assured reduces the same rate as the mortgage balance over the specified term. Because the insurer’s risk diminishes over time, the premiums are generally cheaper than the other life cover types. If the policyholder dies within the period, then the sum assured should be enough to pay off the outstanding mortgage balance and ensure the borrower’s dependents will not be left with a debt they might not otherwise be able to manage.
Critical Illness Insurance
There’s an argument that says that life cover gets taken for the benefit of other people – i.e. your dependents – because sadly you won’t be around to see any service yourself. However, these days, thanks to improvements in medical treatment, many people now survive conditions that once might have been fatal. Nevertheless, whilst undergoing what may be long spells of treatment and recovery, it could have a marked effect on your ability to meet your financial commitments.
It is leading to the development of Critical Illness cover. That works similarly to Life Assurance, in that it has taken for a specific term of years. The cover can have different options such as level/increasing and so on. It got designed to pay out a lump sum and, like Life cover, for borrowers, it is typically taken on a decreasing term basis in line with the reduction of your mortgage balance. The key is that the benefit is paid if you fall victim to one of several specified critical illnesses, and pays out whatever the long term prognosis of that illness.
Do you need critical illness cover?
The type of illnesses covered vary from company to company but, in general terms, insurers usually cover between 40 – 50 specified conditions including cancer, heart attack, and stroke. Payouts depend on meeting the required level of seriousness of the particular situation suffered. The life companies all work to at least the pre-designated clinical definitions prescribed by the Association of British Insurers, which means that they can’t just arbitrarily decide that you’re not ill enough. Hopefully, if your treatment is successful, it means that not only have you survived, but you can benefit from your prudence by no longer having a mortgage to pay after your illness.
In practice, many companies will offer Life and Critical Illness Critical cover as a combined policy. They would usually payout on the first event, i.e. whatever happens first – either death or a severe illness – the payout gets made. They can also get written on a single or joint life basis.
Income Protection Insurance
Whereas Life and Critical Illness cover pay out a lump sum, “Income Protection” pays out a monthly sum designed to replace your wages in the event of you being unfit to work. Unlike Critical Illness cover, there are no restrictions on the illnesses or injuries covered, the only factor being whether they make you unsuitable to work. However, restrictions on how much you can cover and how quickly benefits would start to get paid. Additionally, the insurers want you to have an incentive to return to work rather than being better off on sick.
Typically, the most you can cover would be approximately 55%-65% of your income. Benefits would begin to get paid after a “deferred period” which would generally equate to the length of time you would receive sick pay from your employer. Benefits would continue to be paid for as long as you remain unfit to work or until the policy term ends, whichever comes first. However, to make premiums cheaper, most companies offer a “budget” option whereby benefits would get paid for a shorter period – usually between 2-5 years – to at least allow you to make alternative arrangements if it looks like you’ll get incapacitated for longer than that.
Like Life and Critical Illness cover, these policies are underwritten based on your health and lifestyle when you apply. All income protection policies get written on a single life basis.
Accident, Sickness, Unemployment (ASU) Cover
Similar in many ways to Income Protection, these policies also cover you should you be made unemployed. Benefits are usually linked to your mortgage and other costs (rather than necessarily your wages) and would usually be paid one month “in arrears” after a successful claim. These policies get underwritten at the time of a claim, which can sometimes mean confusion/delay regarding whether a request would get met.
They are a useful safety net if you are made long term unemployed but be sure to check the details of how/when any unemployment benefits would get paid out, as it may be that you would have returned to work before any monies become due.
Family Income Benefit
Probably the least common of the “mortgage protection” type policies but can often be valuable – particularly for those with young families. These plans can get taken to cover Life and/or Critical Illness get underwritten on the application in the same way as mentioned above.
However, unlike the traditional forms of policy, rather than pay out a lump sum, the cover would pay an annual or monthly income for the remainder of the plan’s term. Thus it can replace the primary breadwinner’s income for several years, dependent upon a particular client’s circumstances, which would get written on a level or basis, or an index-linked basis designed to keep up with inflation.
Summary
There’s an adage that says you can never have too much insurance. Indeed, many people have one or more of the different policy types, and it would be wrong to think of Mortgage Protection Insurance as just an “either/or” choice. However, affordability plays a massive part. Whilst it would be fantastic to cover yourself for every potential opportunity, a good Protection Specialist Advisor in Leeds will sit down with you and tailor the type of cover to be the most suitable combination to your family’s priority and budget.
If you take more than one type of policy; however, your Protection Specialist Advisor in Leeds would usually place all the cover with one provider. To help save you the additional policy administration charges that individual policies carry but get reduced when bringing all the policies under one plan.
