Mortgage FAQs

One kind of loan used to fund the acquisition of real estate, usually a home, is a mortgage. The terms and conditions under which monies are provided by a lender (the mortgagee) to the borrower (the mortgagor) for the purpose of buying or refinancing a property are specified in the mortgage agreement.

A Bank or Lender loans money with interest. In return their loan is secured against the value of a person’s property. The details of the loan agreement are registered against the Title of that property- this is known as a mortgage.

Mortgage brokers are specialist mortgage providers who will look for a suitable mortgage product on a client’s behalf in order to ensure they get the best possible deal. Fees and success rates vary from one broker to the next, so it is sensible to use the services of a number of brokers to get the most attractive quote.

There are two main types of mortgages;

Fixed Rate Mortgage and Variable Rate Mortgage. A Fixed Rate Mortgage means that your interest amount is fixed for a period of time (usually two to five years) therefore your repayments don’t change.

A variable rate mortgage means the amount of interest you pay can change, and therefore so do your repayments. See our page on mortgage interest rates for more information or view the various types of mortgages we offer.

This will not prevent you from getting a mortgage. Our advisors have great success in helping clients with adverse credit. There are a number of lenders that we work closely with who are more favourable to clients who have previously had trouble sourcing finance. Talk to one of our advisors today for further information.

Yes, our advice is always independent and impartial, our advisors don’t work on commission, this means they will recommend what they consider to be the best mortgage to meet your needs. They have no affiliation with a particular lender or panel. Our advisors are CeMap qualified, FCA regulated and offer professional advice.

Being a ‘whole of market broker’ means that we have access to the whole mortgage market. Our advisors search and compare the entire market to find the best offer for you, doing all the hard work for you. Please note however a small number of lenders do use the source of a broker.

Our brokers take all the hard work out of finding the very best mortgage offers available. Our brokers are CeMap qualified and FCA Regulated. We can charge an Application Fee and a Financial Arrangement Fee payable on completion. Any fees will be detailed on the documentation provided prior to any commitment by the client.

There is no prescribed criteria to determine what you can borrow. The amount you qualify for will be determined by the purchase price of the property, the deposit you are able to put down, your income and monthly expenses. Refer to our mortgage calculator for a guide, alternatively our brokers are able to give you an indication over the phone or a full agreement in principle.

See our mortgage process information for a detailed description on what you can expect from our office and how your application will be handled through to completion.

Yes, our brokers have a wealth of experience in a range of Mortgage types including in the increasingly popular buy to let Mortgage. See our Buy to Let page for more information.

Lenders often talk about the LTV requirement. LTV is an acronym for Loan to Value Ratio. This is a term used to describe the ratio of a loan to the value of the property purchased. For eg if you borrow £170,000 to purchase a property valued at £200,000 the LTV is 170,000/200,000 or 85%, the remaining 15% is your equity.

Lenders in general are more interested in your total income and financial status than the number of hours you work. After all, it is perfectly possible for a part-time worker in a lucrative position to earn more than an entry-level full-time worker. Provided you have enough proof of income, your part-time employment status should not be an issue.

This varies significantly amongst lenders & is also determined by the length of your employment. Some lenders will accept just one months’ pay slip whereas others may require proof of income for a full year or longer. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your capacity to verify income, contact the team at UK Property Finance anytime.

Maximum mortgage policies vary significantly among major banks and independent lenders alike. For example, the biggest European bank, HSBC is currently able to offer a maximum of 4.75X the applicant’s annual salary while Barclays and Santander may offer up to 5.5X. Flexible specialist lenders, away from the high street, can offer significantly more, depending on circumstances. Eligibility for larger mortgages is established on the basis of deposit, income, financial status (outstanding loans and credit cards etc. at time of application), credit history, employment status and so on.

Residential mortgages are typically the cheapest mortgages available, hence, there could be more restrictions on the number of residential mortgages you can have. Provided you can prove the income required to pay the first and subsequent monthly payments certain lenders will allow finance for the purchase of additional homes for personal use, a holiday home, weekend residence etc.

Definitely but it is important to remember that as you are transferring unsecured debt to debt secured against your property, your home may be at risk if you fail to keep up with your monthly repayments. Consolidating debts with one affordable remortgage could lead to significant savings on your monthly outgoings and total amount to be repaid however it is important to seek professional advice before securing any loan against your property. Contact UK Property Finance anytime.

Some lenders offer a specialist ‘family buy to let mortgage’ that enables landlords to let properties to family members provided the rent adequately covers the monthly mortgage payments and estimated renovation costs.

The loan amount, also known as the amount you can obtain on a mortgage, is determined by a number of variables, including as your income, creditworthiness, expenses, and the requirements of the lender. Lenders calculate the maximum loan amount they are ready to lend based on certain ratios and rules.