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Top Mortgage Review Service for Homeowners

A mortgage review could save thousands. Lenders are competing strongly with each other to attract new mortgage customers. Many however have not reduced their standard variable rate to existing mortgage customers.

Mortgage Review

Following the increase in inflation analysts are predicting that interest rates could follow. It could be a good time to secure a long term fix rate to protect against these risks.

Contact Best Mortgage Services for the cheapest remortgage rates. Book a free mortgage review and find out how much money you could save. An initial chat could save you a lot of time and money.

Book a free mortgage consultation.

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Top Independent Mortgage Advisors in Northern Ireland

Independent Mortgage AdvisorsWe are partnered with “whole of market” Independent Mortgage Advisors throughout Northern Ireland. Our Mortgage Brokers compare thousands of deals that are on the market. Mortgage deals change frequently and it is important to deal with a whole of the market mortgage broker to compare interest rates, fees and other charges to get the best deal for you.

Your local Mortgage Advisor will communicate with estate agents, solicitors and insurance companies to make the application process as smooth as possible.

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Get the best mortgage advice with appointments to suit your schedule. 

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By submitting this form you agree that a regulated mortgage broker will contact you to assist with your query. Your details will not be sold to any third party and will not be used for future marketing purposes.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any other debt that is secured on it.

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Independent Mortgage Brokers

Santander fixed rate mortgages

Santander has a 5 year fixed rate of 4.20% with a £999 fee that can be added to the loan.

The three year fixed rate is 4.40% and the 2 year is 4.28%. Both products with a £999 fee that can be added to the loan.

These products are available at 60% loan to value and have the benefit of a free valuation.

They are one of few providers to offer a 10 year fixed rate at 4.44% with a £999 fee that can be added to the loan. This offers peace of mind for customers looking to lock in a long term rate.

For remortgage customers the above products are offered with a free valuation and free remortgage legal work.

Get in touch with a local mortgage broker. Complete the form below

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House prices not affordable except in Northern Ireland

The average cost of a home in England was £298,000 in the 12 months to the end of March last year, equal to 8.6 years of average household income, the latest official data shows.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) calculates this affordability level on an annual disposable household income of £35,000 during the period. An acceptable level of house price affordability is at five years of household disposable income.

It adds that since 1999 “house prices have increased twice as quickly as household incomes in England; house prices in Wales and Scotland have also increased more rapidly than incomes, but the differences are more moderate”.

The department points out that average house price to disposable household income ratios were 5.8 years in Wales – based on homes priced at £205,000 and £35,000 average incomes.

In Scotland, the ratio is 5.6 years – based on homes priced at £185,000 and £33,000 average incomes.

While in Northern Ireland the ratio is 5 years — based on homes priced at £160,000 and £32,000 average incomes.

The ONS says for low-income households, average-priced homes in all four countries have been “unaffordable” since 1999, when it began collecting data in this series.

It says only the 10% of highest-income households in England could afford an average-priced home with fewer than five years of household income in the financial year to 2023.

This is in comparison to Northern Ireland where an average-priced home was affordable with an average household income.

Contact us to discuss your mortgage options

Income Plus multiples for First Time Buyers

Income plus affordability for first time buyers. Leeds Building Society

A range of new mortgages and improvements in assessing borrowers affordability to repay will result in Leeds Building Society offering first-time buyers up to £66,000 more on average.

The Income Plus mortgages could result in aspiring homeowners with a minimum household income of £40,000 to borrow up to 5.5 times their earnings, compared to 4.5 times on the Leeds BS standard lending.

These changes will result in the average first-time buyer being able to borrow a maximum of £356,000 through Income Plus compared to £290,000 under its standard lending.

Single and joint borrowers, including those who are self-employed, are eligible for Income Plus mortgages which are available at up to 95% loan to value, including new build houses (new build flats 85% loan to value).

They can also be combined with the society’s existing green affordability benefit which enhances the affordability on a new build home with an Energy Performance Certificate of A or B.

Income Plus will be available via the society’s intermediary partners only.

Rates on the seven Income Plus mortgages range from 4.40% at 75% LTV (£999 product fee) to 5.15% (£999 product fee, £500 cashback) and 5.19% (no product fee, no cashback) at 95% LTV. All of the mortgages are fixed for five years and include a standard home valuation survey.

Income plus will support the increasing number of first-time buyers facing affordability constraints.

To discuss your mortgage options contact us.

Reduction in 5 year fixed rates

The average five-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.66%, down from 5.33% 12 months ago according to the Rightmove weekly mortgage tracker

The data shows the average two-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.92%, down from 5.76% a year ago. A significant reduction of 0.84%.

The property portal calculated that the average monthly mortgage payment on a typical first-time buyer type property when taking out an average five-year fixed, 85% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage, is now £1,093 per month, down from £1,159 per month a year ago.

Meanwhile, the average 85% LTV five-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.69%, down from 5.40% a year ago, while the average 60% LTV five-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.05%, down from 4.91% a year ago.

To discuss your mortgage options contact us.

First time buyer rates still low amid turbulence

Rightmove has released its weekly mortgage report.

The current average asking price of a typical first time buyer property is £225,340.

For someone taking out an average five-year fixed, 85% LTV mortgage, the average monthly mortgage repayment on this type of home is now £1,104 per month if repaying over 25 years, compared with £1,138 per month a year ago (when the average first-time buyer property asking price was £223,426).

The average rate for a 95% loan to value mortgage fixed for 2 years is 5.65%. The larger deposit a buyer can put towards the purchase the lower mortgage rate that can be sourced.

For example the average 2 year fixed rate for a buyer with a 25% deposit is 4.85%. The average 5 year fixed rate is 4.74%.

To discuss your mortgage options get in touch with a local broker through Best Mortgage Services.

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First Time Buyers prepare for stock reduction

The level of stamp duty free properties will fall by 20% of over 90,000 properties as of April when the stamp duty threshold reverts back to £300,000 for first-time buyers. Last week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave no indication in her Budget that the government would extend the current First Time Buyer stamp duty threshold, which is due to expire in March.
From 1 April 2025, the current stamp duty threshold up to which first time buyers don’t pay stamp duty in England is reducing by £125,000 from its current level of £425,000 down to £300,000.
This will lead to a reduction of 20% of properties that are not impacted by stamp duty for first time buyers.
While the national tax-free stock reduction stands at 20%, First time buyers in some cities are going to see a larger drop in the number of homes available to them.
There was hope that last week’s Autumn Budget would extend the current stamp duty relief given to first-time buyers, at the very least. Those currently on the hunt for their first property still have time to beat next year’s deadline but they need to complete within the next five months.

Mortgage rate cuts from Virgin and Co Op

The Co-operative bank for intermediaries has relaunched selected mainstream and buy-to-let (BTL) products for new business and retention products while Virgin Money has launched seven-day specials and reduced selected rates.

The co-operative bank for intermediaries has cut selected two- and five-year fixes by up to 0.32% in its residential range across new business and internal product switches.

Meanwhile, Virgin Money has launched three seven-day specials, which will be available until 22 July.

These include

75% LTV remortgage five-year fix at 4.40%
80% LTV purchase five-year fix at 4.46% with a free valuation
90% LTV purchase five-year fix at 4.75% with a free valuation
All three come with a fee of £995.

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Things to consider when choosing a mortgage.

With rising household bills, switching your mortgage could be one way to save some money. As competition hots up between lenders there are plenty of low rates to choose from. Many of the deals are below 1 per cent.

Here are top tips to choosing a mortgage.

Know your budget. List all you’re your expenses and see what surplus is left over.

Decide which mortgage is right for you. Many people prefer the security of a fixed rate. With variable rates your mortgage payment will change as interest rates change.

Look at the whole deal. Don’t just look at the interest rate. Consider application fees, arrangement fees, early repayment charges.

Talk to a Mortgage Broker. Mortgage Advisors continuously search mortgage deals and can advise on the best option for your circumstances. Some of the best deals are only available through mortgage brokers. Get in touch with a local mortgage broker.

Get your paperwork ready. Have at least 3 months bank statements and payslips for proof of income. If you are self-employed most lenders will require at least 2 years accounts. Proof of identity and proof of current address is required.

Check your credit file. Get a copy of your credit report to check that there is no adverse credit registered. Some lenders will decline an application based on the information on your credit file.

Job consistency. Lenders like to see you have been in your current job for at least 3 to 6 months and will need confirmation that the role is permanent.

The larger the deposit the better. Lenders reserve their best rates for those with larger deposits. The more money you can put towards the purchase, the greater choice of mortgages you will have.

Minimise your debts. Try to reduce any debts that you have before applying for a mortgage. This demonstrates to the lender that you can manage money effectively. It could also mean that you will qualify for a larger mortgage when it comes to the lender’s affordability calculations.