Anyone gone down the self cert mortgage route?

[intergalacticwalrus]

We are thinking about it, but DP is being over cautious as usual, and thinks we are going to get our arses felt if we get one. He has heard lots of tales about high interest rates/repayments etc. Are they really that bad? It's our last resort, as banks won't generally touch us with a 12' shitty stick, due to me being self employed. Any experiences good or bad would be helpful.

Also, where is the best place to go to get one, ie independant FA or bank etc.

I'm self employed and I got a mortgage earlier this year through London and Country. They managed to get me a mortgage with a known lender who wouldn't give me a mortgage directly, let alone a higher one than the usual multiples. It was a good rate too.

They usually only take recommendations but I doubt they'd say no if you approached them directly. They're free to approach btw, they get their fee from the lender if you take a mortgage. Atually thinking about it I think I get £20 or something if I refer someone so feel free to email me on essbee34 at hotmail dot com and i'll give you my details! the person I dealt with was Toni (female)

Thanks essbee, I will do that. Just had a peek on their web page, and they are local to me too (in Bath) Even better!

Just found a free phone number for then online. 0800 953 0304, it was Toni Hunt I dealt with (my memory's returning!)

Thanks chick, I have just emailed you.

We did dp was not working as he was looking after me and ds (I was ill)we were living in a small flat which we owned outright and wanted to buy a house as I was getting better and dp was planning to go back to work but we needed to move before he went back as I couldn't do the school run from where we were so we went to a broker and because we had a large deposit we got a self cert with the chelsea bs at a good rate no problems at all xx

Speak with a mortgage broker. You may not need self cert after all - or you may fit the criteria of one of the mainstream lenders who do self cert. Lots of self cert products are now at normal rates, so don't worry about paying over the odds.
There are different categories of self cert - from lenders that literally just ask you to confirm you can afford the mortgage payments, to ones who will check with your accountant to confirm you are trading, but ask no questions about your income.
Hope you find something, London and Country are supposed to be good (but they didn't win Best National Mortgage Broker in the Mortgage Strategy awards )
Give me a shout if you need to pick my brain!!

We have self-cert mortgage because DH is self-employed and we wanted more money than you can normally get. We did pay slightly higher interest rate but nothing hideous.