A new-build shared ownership property can be a great option to when looking to take the first steps on the home ownership ladder. House prices are going up, and in many cases it can be quite difficult for first time buyers to firstly save enough money for a deposit,...
Louis Mason
Christina Smith From TSB Mortgages Shares Her Thoughts
This week, our mortgage advisors at Oportfolio Mortgages had the privilege of welcoming Christina Smith, business development manager for TSB mortgages into our London based mortgage brokerage. As part of our ongoing commitment to building close relationships with...
UK House Prices On Upward Trend
As 2024 starts to draw to a close and we enter the final three months of the year, there has been some promising and positive signs for UK property owners regarding UK house prices. Over the last…well…couple of years, really, UK house prices are increased generally....
TSB Announces Positive Changes to Lending Criteria
In an exciting development for prospective homebuyers and existing mortgage holders, TSB has announced significant improvements to its lending criteria. Effective from the 13th of July 2023, the changes aim to enhance affordability and accessibility for borrowers....
Prime London Property Resilient Amidst a Price-Sensitive Market
London is a great city...in fact, ask a resident and they will most likely tell you that it is the greatest city in the world! Yes, we might not have the best weather all the time, we might not have the white sand beaches and crystal blue oceans, but there is...
What Is Income Flex Mortgage Criteria?
One of the biggest issues that new borrowers and existing mortgage owners struggle with nowadays is mortgage affordability. Yes, you may be able to afford a £1,000 a month rental payment or your existing mortgage of £2,000 a month, but unfortunately this means nothing...
UK House Price Growth Down For 10th Month In a Row
New data released by E.surv in their June 2023 House Price Index confirms that UK house price growth has slowed again for the 10th month in a row. What does this mean exactly? And what can we expect from UK house prices moving forward. Is owning a property right now...
UK Two-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Higher Than 2008
In a somewhat concerning development for prospective home buyers and existing borrowers, two-year fixed mortgage rates in the UK have climbed to their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. Also surpassing the peak at the release of the mini-budget. Recent...
Should I Make Mortgage Overpayments?
Taking a slightly different angle to the mortgage news that most people are reporting about people struggling to pay their mortgages and record high interest rates, we are going to talk in this blog about people who can afford to make mortgage overpayments on their...
Halifax Offers Extra Support For High Net Worth Mortgages
Halifax for intermediaries, the lending channel accessible only by mortgage brokers, have announced a new initiative to support mortgage applications for high net worth mortgages. Referred to as 'premier customers', mortgages for higher loans need extra care and...
Accord Offers Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor Mortgages
Today mortgage lender Accord Mortgages announced that they will now offer Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgages. This new revelation from Accord is great news for people looking to purchase their first property, who might fall short of the regular high mortgage...
Precise Mortgages Makes Big Changes To Products
Specialist mortgage lender Precise Mortgages, part of the Charter Court Financial Services Group, has announced that they are pulling their current buy-to-let and residential product ranges and will replace them with new updated products. It seems that the lender...
Property Down Valuation and What You Can Do
It’s worth as much as someone is willing to pay… or is it? This week we have had three separate property purchase cases where properties have been significantly down valued by the lender's valuers at mortgage application stage. What does a property down valuation...
Variable Mortgage Rates Increase By As Much As 0.50%
New figures on average UK mortgage rates released by Uswitch this afternoon show that some rates have increased by as much as 0.50% in a week. This latest shocking change, specifically to variable mortgage rates comes after several weeks of constant rate increases and...
Leeds Building Society Help Shared Ownership Homeowners
For a number of years now, shared ownership has been gaining traction and becoming more and more popular for younger buyers. Despite recent drops in property prices, the average price of a property in the UK is over £250,000 and in places like London this is doubled...
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