Is your current mortgage deal nearing its end? You might be wondering whether to remortgage with the same lender or switch to a new one to get a better deal and more importantly, save some money with a lower interest rate! As a mortgage expert I understand that this...
Tips, insights, suggestions, and recommendations written by mortgage and protection experts to help you.
Transport Links In London And Buying Property
Living in the capital is great. Whether you are a young professional forging your career in the big city, or a seasoned 'Londoner' who just loves everything about the metropolitan lifestyle. There is something for everyone. And getting a slice of real estate for...
Guide Price vs Asking Price
So you are ready to purchase a new home. It could be the first house or flat that you have ever bought. It could be your next family home with that extra bit of space. Or it could be a property that you are investing money in and plan on letting out as a buy-to-let....
Best Places To Stop In Central London Along Jade’s Route
In just over five weeks, our senior mortgage and protection advisor Jade Pinkerton will be running the ASICS Central London 10K in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support. The run takes place across central London and goes through some of the most iconic and touristy areas of...
What Is An Offset Mortgage?
You might have heard that term offset mortgage thrown about before on TV adverts, news articles, and in your local bank. But how much do you really know about offset mortgages? What are they and why would anyone choose to offset their mortgage? In this article we will...
Oportfolio’s Charity Initiative
At Oportfolio, we are all big supporters of charity, and we try to help in any way we can with good causes in the local area and the country as a whole. This year we are starting an initiative to support a different charity every quarter to try and raise as much funds...
Interest-Only vs Repayment Mortgage
What is the purpose of a mortgage? Is there a clear definition? Most people would define a mortgage as a loan provided by a bank, building society, or private finance company to purchase a property when immediate funds are not available. As a loan, this money will...
What Is A Standard Variable Rate (SVR) Mortgage?
The standard variable rate is a nightmare. There’s no reason to pretend that it isn’t, and you should want to avoid it at all costs. For a lot of mortgage customers, well at least those who are receiving continued quality mortgage advice, the standard variable rate or...
New Build – Answering questions you need to know
The UK government has pledged to try and build 300,000 new homes every year by the mid-2020s. In this blog we will go through some of the most common questions people have when they first start looking at new build homes.
Deposit – What will I need?
Deposit. Probably the most common word you hear during the house buying process and, perhaps the one that makes people the most apprehensive. With any property purchase, unless you are lucky enough to buy in cash, you will need some form of property finance loan such as a mortgage. And, with any kind of mortgage, you will normally need to contribute some of your own funds towards the purchase.
Credit score – Does it really make a difference?
Perhaps the oldest question in the book of mortgages, do I need a good credit score to get one? For years people have avoided getting a mortgage because of their ‘less than perfect’ credit score and hundreds of thousands of people have missed out on some perfect properties due to black and white mortgage lenders and inexperienced advisors.
2021 – A Year in Review
Oportfolio Mortgage Brokers based in London talk about the mortgage market in 2021 and future developments in 2022.
Buying your first home – broker is best
Last year, despite the pandemic, there were 674,263 houses sold in the UK and a staggering 356,800 of these were bought by first time buyers. Now that is fantastic news! Not only does that show that the housing market is still chugging along at a steady pace, but it...
“Best of breed” advice
Mark Gledhill - Oportfolio advice client since 2008 Mark and his wife came to Oportfolio for advice in 2008 as first time buyers with a new baby and in need of some expert help and guidance. With Oportfolio’s advice and knowledge around the homebuying process, Mark...
How Does A Self-Build Mortgage Work?
The government has announced that this winter they will launch the all new ‘Help to Build’ scheme, available to people looking to get stuck in and build their own home.
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