Mortgage News, Insights & Advice
All the latest UK mortgage news, insights and advice from the world of mortgage lending and Oportfolio
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New Build Mortgage Affordability Changes Announced By Accord
Accord mortgages, perhaps a somewhat lesser known UK mortgage lender, has today announced some very interesting New Build mortgage affordability criteria. If you are in the market for purchasing a new build residential home, then this new update will be right up your...
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NatWest Mortgage Rate Of 3.77% Narrowly Undercuts Nationwide
In a very interesting move this week, one of the UK's big six mortgage lenders has narrowly undercut one of their major competitors to offer the current lowest mortgage rate on the mainstream market. A new NatWest mortgage rate of 3.77% has been released this week,...
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Should I Remortgage With The Same Lender?
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...
What does Brexit mean for the London housing market?
The Easter holidays and the enforced suspension of London Parliamentary business gave us all a welcome break from the wall-to-wall coverage of the ongoing Brexit saga – but with return of MPs to Westminster came the return of the uncertainty that has dogged the...
Avoid these mistakes when choosing your mortgage
If you search on the web for advice on the things you should do when choosing a mortgage, you’ll get a lot of information back. Some of it’s good, some of it not so good. But as important, if not more so, is what mistakes you should avoid doing. Here’s our guide to...
How much deposit do I need for a mortgage?
How much deposit do I need to be able to get a mortgage? It’s a question we hear asked a lot, especially from people who haven’t been through a mortgage application process in a good while and who worry that lenders have changed their policies around what percentage...
Is Buy-to-Let The Housing Solution For Your Children?
One of the key worries for many parents today is where their children will live when they fly the nest, and how they might pay for it. Although there appears to be a general consensus that the housing market is currently stagnant, years of price growth and the...
What do I do if I’ve had a mortgage declined?
Top 5 Tips If Your Mortgage is Declined It’s often said that buying a house can be one of the biggest sources of stress you can have in life, which probably explains why a recent MoneyWise report suggests a quarter of all borrowers find the mortgage application...
Award-winning mortgage advice in London
It’s always lovely when the values you promote as a business are recognised publicly, so there was open delight at Oportfolio when the company’s founder, Oliver Whitehead, was named Best Overall Adviser at the recent Primis award ceremony. It was Oliver’s third year...
Self-employed and need a mortgage? It’s a numbers game.
Is it harder to get a mortgage when you’re self-employed? It’s a question we get asked quite a lot and the most simple answer is that it’s not necessarily more difficult, but the way in which affordability is assessed by prospective lenders is inevitably a bit...
Tips for a stress-free moving day
So, you’ve done it. You’ve taken the plunge, found your dream house, sorted the mortgage (hopefully through us!), found a buyer for your own property and contracts have been exchanged. All that’s left now is to sit back, put your feet up and wait for moving day. Well,...
In a Conservation Area and want to extend? Read this.
When it comes to making plans for the future, one option that many homeowners consider is looking for additional borrowing from their existing lender or, if the circumstances are right, re-mortgaging in order to raise the money needed for a home extension. According...
Brexit and your mortgage
With Theresa May having emerged from her Brussels trip with unanimous backing for her plan for Britain’s exit from the European Union (brexit) and prepares for tomorrow’s Parliamentary vote on it (assuming continued Cabinet concerns about the likelihood of a Commons...
Selling your house through interior design
Our occasional series highlighting the work of businesses Oportfolio works with continues with a look at the impact interior design can have on the sale of your current home and the transformation of your new one. Rush Interiors is run by leading designer, Rushim...
The secret weapon for successful relocation
Our occasional series highlighting the work of businesses Oportfolio works with continues with a look at City To Country relocation – a property relocation service with a difference, run by a man who knows a thing or two about the advantages and disadvantages of city...
We're Here to Help
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.