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

A Rooftop View of Protection: Guardian’s 2024 Claims Report
Yesterday, I had the absolute pleasure of attending a truly memorable evening hosted by Guardian Financial Services to celebrate the release of the Guardian Financial Services 2024 Claims Report. Held at the stunning Wagtail rooftop bar in King William Street, central...

How Much Can I Borrow for a Mortgage? A Guide to Home Financing
If you're looking to purchase a home, one of the initial and most important things you'll be wanting to know is: how much can I borrow (mortgage)? Having an understanding of your borrowing capacity is the secret to a realistic budget and getting the correct property....

Halifax Mortgage Income Criteria Update Boosts Affordability
Big news from Halifax! In a somewhat unexpected move from one of the biggest lenders in the UK mortgage market, Halifax has just announced a major upgrade to its mortgage income criteria, making it easier for people with bonus income or NHS overtime to qualify for a...
Is Prime London Property Bouncing Back?
Historically, owning prime property in London has been a safe and savvy way to invest your money. People from across the globe have fought to own an exclusive piece of the capital. And it looked like this was going to continue forever. However, a disastrous turn of...
How To Get A Contractor Mortgage
One of the most common questions and enquiries that we get, especially being based in London and working with highly skilled professionals on a regular basis, is the subject of how to get a mortgage as an independent contractor. Contractors are an essential part of...
Accord and Coventry Cut Their UK Mortgage Rates
Both Accord Mortgages and Coventry Building Society have sent out email notifications this morning to mortgage advisors, announcing that they are making some big reductions on their UK mortgage rates. These welcome changes come after a week of uncertainty as some...
Are Over-50s Being Priced Out By The Recession?
As more and more news articles are produced about the current economic struggles that the UK faces, we hear a lot about the impact that the economic crisis will have on young people. However, studies show that a large amount of over-50s are actually concerned about...
House Sales In January Lowest Since 2015
Troubling statistics released show that in January 2023, house sales were the lowest that they have been in 8 years since January 2015. Why has this happened? Will it get better? And what could this mean for people looking to get on the property ladder and build their...
Does Shared Ownership Need Re-Branding?
Back in the day, purchasing your first home was much easier. We know that this has become a bit of a cliché, but it's true! 20, 30, 40+ years ago, buying a home in your early 20's was something that was expected to happen. In 1983 the average price of a house in the...
First Time Buyer Deposit Saver By Coventry
Perhaps the biggest stumbling block for first time buyers when considering flying the parent's nest or finally getting out of the generation rent cycle. How much deposit do you need as a first time buyer, and how are you supposed to save a deposit in this day and age?...
Virgin Money Makes Surprising Mortgage Rate Increase
For the last few week we have been reporting on the welcome rate reductions coming from most lenders following the dramatic rate hike of 2022. For many mortgage brokers, it looked like things were finally returning to somewhat normal levels. However, Virgin Money, the...
Collection Of Energy Performance Certificate Ratings
Lloyds Banking group, which is comprised on Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Birmingham Midshires, and Scottish Widows, have revealed their plans moving forward to tackle and reduce carbon emissions through their lending. Both Halifax Bank and buy-to-let lender...
What Is A Santander Accountant’s Certificate?
Getting a mortgage as a self employed person can sometimes be tricky. As specialist self employed mortgage advisors, we know this too well. Whether you have a small freelance business or are the head of a large company, every self employed person has to file their tax...
New Mortgage Rates Below 4% & Other Rate Changes
This week has been another week filled with mortgage rate drops as lenders battle it out to gain new mortgage customers after shooting themselves in the foot with ridiculously high increases at the end of 2022. The most exciting news this week is definitely the...
As A Landlord, Should I Increase Rent?
Historically being a buy-to-let landlord has always been a lucrative game to be in. If you find yourself in the fortunate position to be able to either purchase a property for purely rental purposes, or own a property that you are able to turn into a rental home, then...
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