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

Metro Reduces UK Buy-To-Let Mortgage Rates As TSB Hikes Them
October has truly been the month for rate instability in my opinion. None of us wanted rates to fluctuate as much as they have over the last month or so, and I don’t think that I was the only one who thought that we might at least enjoy some stability until the end of...

Barclays Introduces New Maximum Age For Mortgage Applicants
This morning, Barclays Mortgages has announced a new set of age-related criteria for its residential mortgage offerings, hoping to simplifying the mortgage application process for older borrowers. The changes, establish new guidelines for maximum age limits,...

Energy Efficiency Report Shows Opportunities and Challenges for Buy-to-Let Investors
Today, The Mortgage Works (TMW) Nationwide Building Society’s buy-to-let lending only arm released their energy efficiency report for the private buy-to-let rental sector. The latest report from The Mortgage Works explores the energy efficiency of the UK's private...
Has Brexit Changed The Immediate Future Of Property?
It’s been a few months since I last wrote about Brexit and its likely impact on interest rates, the mortgage sector and the residential property market. That was not long after the deadline for the UK to leave the EU was extended to the end of October. So, now that...
Moving home? Get ahead of the game to get the best deal
Nothing in life stays the same. The plans we make for today and tomorrow can change over time and new plans will need to be made. That’s certainly true when it comes to buying houses. There are all sorts of reasons for moving. It may be that you originally bought the...
Mortgage planning to save you money
We often talk and write about the importance of making sure you start to plan early when it comes to managing your mortgage to save you money. Although the stricter regulatory environment that’s evolved since the economic crisis began in 2008 has resulted in much...
How To Navigate First-Time Buyer Challenges
Anyone who’s looking to get their foot on the first rung of the housing ladder or has just managed to find their way onto it will know that being a first-time buyer can be an extremely challenging and stressful time. You’d almost have had to have been living under a...
Important Insurance Products You Probably Don’t Have
None of us likes to dwell on the unpleasant things that life might throw at us. Whether it’s planning for death or illness, humans seem to generally prefer to postpone the bleaker considerations in life rather than looking for the correct insurance product. Yet,...
High Net Worth? Getting A Mortgage Might Not Be Easy
You’d think it would be the easiest thing in the world. You’ve been highly successful in your life, invested wisely and, by anyone’s standards, you’re comfortably wealthy and able to buy just about anything you desire. Anything, that is, apart from a mortgage. Bizarre...
Should I fix my mortgage?
One of the big questions around homeowner mortgages at the moment is whether it’s best to tie in for a relatively short fixed deal – or go for the longer-term security offered by 5- or even 10-year fix product. With latest industry figures from the mortgage market...
NatWest cuts rates and increases fees
NatWest has made a number of changes across its range, cutting some rates but increasing cashback and fees. At NatWest a number of first-time buyer products with no fee are being replaced with deals that have a lower rate and higher cashback but also come with a fee.
The buy-to-let mistakes every landlord should avoid
Despite the uncertainty in the housing market, the prospect of buying a second property – or perhaps a third, fourth or fifth – to rent out and becoming a landlord is still attractive to a lot of people. Recent research comparing the England and London property rental...
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...
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