Mortgage Adviser - Recommendations?

[SnowBells]

Can you guys recommend mortgage advisers to me? Apparently, I am meant to go by recommendation... and I don't know that many people who can actually recommend me one as they have bought either ages ago - or are currently buying and not too convinced they were any good.

[watermint]

We are currently using London & county. Seem really good so far. It's all free and over tge phone.

[Mildpanic]

Where are you? We have used a guy local to us and he was amazing. Several friends and friends of friends also found him to be very good.
We are in the North.

[MummytoMog]

London and country. Got us an amazing deal, and we were very difficult due to self employed DH and planning an extension.

[watermint]

Sorry I meant London & country not county! Sourced us a good deal and always call when they say they will.

[ChunkyPickle]

I'm using one in Bucks that seems fine (did DP's brothers mortgages too - we've all had rather different needs which he's fulfilled).

I did my first mortgage myself, but the sheer amount of mucking around and paperwork they need these days makes me glad that I got someone else to do it this time. No charge either, as he's paid commission by the lender (generally, if we'd gone with someone with no commision then he'd have charged us instead - but I don't know how common zero commission is)

I don't know what makes a good one though. This one kept in good contact, gave me plenty of options, took buckets of paperwork from me, liased with the mortgage companies for me and generally got it all shipshape with a minimum of effort on my part. I googled for mortgage offers, and there seem to be some that are slightly better, but I know that what they say they'll give you and what they'll actually give you are always different things.

[SnowBells]

We're in Oxfordshire/Berkshire border.

I will note down London & Country!

[GiraffesAndButterflies]

London & Country because:
They are free
They look at the whole of the market (as opposed to eg a bank looking at which of the products they provide is best for you, L&C look at everything from every mortgage provider)
They are very highly recommended by Martin Lewis (the moneysavingexpert bloke)
They have provided us with great service so far, through 3 mortgages/remortgages.

[Nojustalurker]

We have just been given a list of suggested mortages from l and c but we found a better deal ourselves. We are planning to fix more 5 years and then reconsider our mortgage provider. L and c tell you who would be best for the whole of your mortgage not just the fixed term.

[GiraffesAndButterflies]

Oh and they are very good at explaining how mortgages work!

[mumtominx]

Which? have a mortgage advice service, google them

[isisisis]

Currently remortgaging, using London & country due to Martin Lewis. They've been really good so far.

[AndIFeedEmGunpowder]

We used a guy called Steve Duncan at kingsway mortgages
He was great. Very straightforward and got us a fantastic offer against the odds. Would highly recommend.

[lessonsintightropes]

Rob Gold at Oakwood Seddon Smith in Herts is amazing, we've used him twice now and recommend him to all our friends.

[SnowBells]

AndIFeedEmGunPowder

Would you be able to let me know what Kingsway Mortgages charges for brokerage fee?

[lessonsintightropes]

Just out of interest ours was a one off £300 fee - all mortgages arranged with them now are free. We were also a difficult case initially and the new mortgage is 2.24% for a 2 year fixed deal, down from 5.69% for a three year fix in 2011 when it was impossible to get a mortgage and we had old poor credit issues which have now been resolved.

[HaveToWearHeels]

Have a lady in Reading that is brilliant, has arranged a dozen or so mortgages for us. She is completely independent, sorted out an issue I had with my credit a few years ago. She will work with you over the phone internet or you could go and see her. Elmbank Mortgages