When applying for a mortgage, one of the most crucial steps is understanding how lenders calculate how much you can borrow or how mortgage is calculated. Mortgage calculations are based on a range of factors, including income, outgoings, employment type, and deposit...
Investing in a buy-to-let property can be a lucrative venture, offering long-term rental income and potential capital appreciation for those looking to invest their money somewhere. However, landlords must also consider the financial responsibilities, including tax...
The number of first-time buyers in the UK saw a significant increase in 2024, with 341,068 people stepping onto the property ladder. This marks a 19% rise compared to 2023, according to the latest research from Halifax. First-time buyers made up 54% of all home...
In March 2023 team Oportfolio attended the PRIMIS Mortgage Network's annual conference and recognising excellence awards ceremony in Telford. Every year, PRIMIS hosts a day-time conference where mortgage and protection brokers from the network are invited to come...
The hottest finance topic in the UK at the moment is changing mortgage rates. Will they go up? Will they go down? To many, it does seem like mortgage lenders are changing their minds on a daily basis. Just as we thought the market was recovering from the substantial...
Let's face it, it's our biggest nightmare. Losing a large part of, if not all of your income if you find yourself unable to work. This applies to both employed people and self-employed people. However, shocking research shows that a disproportionate amount of employed...
In 2010, a new bank appeared on the UK high street. The first new high street bank in the UK in around 150 years in fact! With a big blue, white and red sign, people couldn't help but stop and see what the new 'Metro Bank' was all about. As you can probably guess,...
In this edition of advisor insights, senior mortgage and protection advisor at Oportfolio Mortgages Jade Pinkerton shares her thoughts about why self-employed people need mortgage advice now more than ever. Jade and the Oportfolio team attended the PRIMIS mortgage...
New Clydesdale Bank buy-to-let criteria changes have been announced this week. In a message to all subscribing brokers at the beginning of the week, the Scottish based bank announced that they would be making a major change to their buy-to-let criteria that would...
NatWest mortgages have announced that they will be increasing their overpayment allowance on their mortgage products, meaning that borrowers will have more of an opportunity to pay back their loan quicker and sooner without incurring any extra fees. Here is a...
Shocking research by mortgage lender Coventry Building Society has revealed that despite recent stamp duty cuts and changes to the rules, London based home purchasers are paying significantly more stamp duty than any other area of the country. So, what is stamp duty?...
2022, going in to 2023 has been an incredibly difficult time for many people. The current economic crisis that we find ourselves in has tightened a lot of people's purse strings, eaten up savings, and has unfortunately left many worse off than they were before. As a...
As we reach then end of the first week of March 2023, the mortgage market has already seen a lot of changes coming in from mortgage lenders. Not all of them positive! Unfortunately a few lenders have started to increase their mortgage rates again, despite reducing...
Statistics recorded and released by the Bank of England show that mortgage approvals on average have slumped and fallen for the fifth month in a row. This means that more mortgage applications, which would normally go through to offer smoothly, are being declined or...
Halifax bank and buy-to-let only lender BM solutions (Birmingham Midshires) have announced this morning that they have made some changes to their products, specifically around their completion dates on selected products and mortgage types. Here is a breakdown of what...
If you have any questions about UK mortgage news or anything you’ve read then please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
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