Mortgage News, Insights & Advice
All the latest UK mortgage news, insights and advice from the world of mortgage lending and Oportfolio

Precise Mortgages Launches New Bridging Loan UK Product
Specialist lender Precise Mortgages has expanded its bridging loan range by introducing a new developer exit product and reducing bridging loan rates by 0.07%. Bridging loans are a great alternative lending method for short term finance, and definitely something that...

Are Buy-to-Let Mortgage Rates Set to Rise in 2025?
Buy-to-let mortgage rates have been a focal point for landlords and property investors over the past year, with notable fluctuations influenced by economic events, swap rate markets, and broader financial pressures. Recent analysis by specialist lender Octane Capital...

Nationwide Housing Affordability Report: First-Time Buyer Challenges
The housing market in 2024 offered glimmers of hope for prospective buyers, with Nationwide Building Society’s latest Housing Affordability Report highlighting slight improvements in affordability. However, unfortunately beneath these modest gains lies a sobering...
Nationwide Offer New Green 0% Mortgage Product
Nationwide building society announced on the 15th of May 2023 that they would soon be introducing a new green 0% mortgage product for additional borrowing on properties. What does this mean exactly? Well it doesn't mean that you won't have to pay anything at all on...
Changes To Mortgage Products End Of May 2023
Product refreshers, product withdrawals, product increases, whatever you want to call it. Something is stirring in the mortgage market this week, and many lenders are making changes to mortgage products that will mean that rates are going up. In the first couple of...
All Buy To Let Rates Increasing (Bank of Ireland)
Mortgage lender Bank of Ireland, normally known for their exclusive low bespoke rate products have announced that we will soon see buy to let rates increasing across their product offerings. A shock certainly to see this from Bank of Ireland but an understandable...
Several Banks Enhancing Interest Only Criteria
Several UK mortgage lenders have started enhancing their interest only criteria with some great new positive changes, making life much easier for borrowers and brokers alike. When getting a new mortgage, it has traditionally been a default setting (so to speak) to...
UK Inflation Drops To 8.7%
The Office of National Statistics have sensationally announced that UK inflation has dropped to 8.7%, the first time it has been below double figures in almost a year. So what does this mean for definite? What could it mean for the future? And what does this mean for...
Average Mortgage Rates UK May 2023
Here is a brief breakdown of the average mortgage rates UK banks are currently offering in the final week of May 2023. The last few weeks have seen a bit of turbulence when it comes to mortgage interest rates. The raising of the Bank of England's base rate on the 11th...
Mortgage Rate Reductions For Energy Efficient Homes
A newly announced government initiative could see lenders providing mortgage rate reductions for energy efficient homes or homeowners who are willing to make improvements to their existing properties, making them more energy efficient. With the average mortgage rate...
Hidden Mortgage Fees
It isn’t just about rates. When looking at mortgages it is important to consider all mortgage fees, other associated fees, incentives and the small print. This is what we do for our clients, and this is what sets our advice and guidance apart from the rest. In this...
Oportfolio Mortgages Partners With eConveyancer
We at Oportfolio Mortgages have some very exciting news. We are now officially working with eConveyancer, a property conveyancing organisation that will help us to provide an even smoother and better mortgage journey for our remortgage clients. What Is A Conveyancer?...
Mortgage Arrears – What Can I Do To Avoid It?
Recently released data shows that unfortunately mortgage arrears in the UK are on the rise, due mainly to the ongoing costs of living crisis. An increase in both mortgage interest rates and the general costs of food and utilities over the last few months has meant...
Halifax Make Changes To Loan To Income Criteria
Halifax bank have announced that they will be making some significant new changes to their existing loan to income affordability criteria. These new changes being brought in are a surprising yet encouraging move from a major high street lender like Halifax, but they...
As Rent Rises, Is Now a Good Time To Buy?
Newly released data from national estate agent Hampton's shows that average rent for outside London has exceeded £1,000 a month for the first time, clearly displaying the drastic shift in the rental market over recent months. In the capital, where our head office is...
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