Mortgage News, Insights & Advice
All the latest UK mortgage news, insights and advice from the world of mortgage lending and Oportfolio
The Mortgage Works Data On The UK Buy-To-Let Property Market
Landlord confidence in the UK rental market has seemingly taken a hit, with fewer landlords feeling positive about rental yields compared to a year ago. That is at least according to the latest research from The Mortgage Works (TMW), the UK buy-to-let property market...
BM Solutions Expands Buy-to-Let Portfolio Mortgage Criteria
Today, BM Solutions (part of Lloyds Banking Group) has announced significant changes to their buy-to-let (BTL) and let-to-buy (LTB) mortgage criteria. From tomorrow (Friday the 29th of November) landlords will have greater borrowing flexibility, providing them with...
Barclays And Bank of Ireland Lead UK Mortgage Rate Reductions
In a potential sign of a bit of market stability, Barclays and Bank of Ireland have both announced significant reductions in their fixed mortgage rates, a few weeks after the UK Government unveiled its latest budget. This comes after a turbulent few months and lets be...
What does the stamp duty holiday mean for you?
Last Wednesday (July 8th 2020) the Chancellor the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced a sweeping change to the rules around Stamp Duty – or Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) to give it its full title. When the property sector was reopened in May, there were fears that the...
Buy-to-Let in the post lockdown market
The UK property market has now been open again for six weeks following its enforced two-month suspension during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and, with the easing of government restrictions on property transactions, the buy-to-let (BTL) market has also begun to...
What is the real cost of moving house?
So the housing sector has reopened after seven weeks of lockdown and maybe the time spent in close proximity to your family has exposed the shortcomings in your current home. Or perhaps you’d been drawing up plans to move to somewhere new before the coronavirus struck...
What’s in store for the post-pandemic housing market?
The coronavirus lockdown has been an absolute game changer for anyone who had spent the first quarter of 2020 planning a spring or summer move. It hasn’t just been down to the Government’s measures effectively shutting down the residential housing sector; other...
Expert help and advice at an anxious time
As the UK takes its first tentative steps towards coming out of lockdown, the worries that enforced social isolation brought – concerns over job security, food shortages and the clear risk to health – are for many people being replaced by new anxieties relating to...
Is it time to make your financial legacy tax proof?
If you’re a homeowner, then chances are you’ll already have a life insurance policy in place to cover your mortgage, either because you decided it was the smart thing to do (which it is), or because your mortgage lender insisted on it. If you don’t currently have a...
Financial Protection: Getting The Right Advice
As we enter the sixth week of lockdown, it’s not surprising that many people have spent much of the time in isolation from the rest of the world thinking about their health, financial security and the ways in which they can best protect themselves in the future. From...
Now Is The Time To Protect Yourself Financially
As we approach the end of our fifth week of enforced social distancing, the impact on how we live life and – crucially – how we manage our personal finances has been radically altered. The government’s fiscal response to the current crisis has been focused...
Our guide to the Coronavirus Mortgage Relief Scheme
The Government has promised that homeowners whose income is affected by the coronavirus/Covid-19 outbreak will be eligible for mortgage payment relief in the form, initially, of a suspension of repayments for three months. Is everyone eligible? No. Although the...
Can I improve my chances of getting the mortgage I want?
Any veteran property owner who’s been through the process of applying for a mortgage in the last few years will tell you that there are a lot more hoops to jump through these days than there used to be before 2008. Although lenders have become more competitive in the...
5 things you need to know when buying a new home
Moving home – or buying a new home – can be a really exciting time, but it can also seem a bit overwhelming, even if it’s not your first rodeo in the property market. According to the lifestyle magazine House Beautiful, studies published last year suggest the average...
Can I get a mortgage if I’ve just changed my job?
If you’re about to start a new job or you’re switching from a salaried role to self-employment, you may be worried that your change of circumstances will negatively impact your chances of securing a mortgage. But while some lenders can be reluctant to lend to you if...
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.
