The Tough London Mortgage Market

The property market in London is rather different compared with the rest of the country. There is super-prime London where homes go for two, three, four million or even more.

The average price of a home in Kensington and Chelsea now stands at £1,079,414, which is 14.6% higher than last year. Many people buying in super-prime London probably don’t need a mortgage in London, as they are foreign buyers from the likes of Russia and the Middle East.

At the other end of the scale in London are boroughs like Barking and Dagenham where the average price of a property is £196,886 – way lower than the top end of the scale, but still just above the national average. In this borough the annual price increase to November 2007 was 11.4%.

Bexley is the next lowest region for average house prices at £228,372, with a rise of only 7.3% in the past year.

There are, of course, a number of companies who deal in mortgages in London. Some have a specific role to do so; some deal in mortgages all around the country.

It is very difficult for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder in London, as even the lowest average priced region outstrips the average for the country. The credit crisis that has hit the whole world is making it harder to get mortgages around the whole country, and it is even harder in London where prices are higher. The best way for would-be first-time buyers to get a mortgage is to talk to independent mortgage brokers or advisors who have access to the whole mortgage market and can match mortgages in London to people’s individual circumstances. A mortgage broker is really essential in the current mortgage climate. There have been a rising number of repossessions in Britain in 2007. Mortgage brokers have the skills required to ensure that borrowers get the right deal for them – not for the mortgage company. In the current difficult financial world it is crucial to get independent mortgage advice.

London house buyers in particular need the best possible independent mortgage advice with the high relative prices in the capital.

You need to look for a mortgage broker who will be on your side, and look for the best deal for you. You need someone to help you cut through the confusion and the blinding headline rates to give you straightforward advice.

You will also have to consider what type of mortgage you will get and your mortgage broker will be able to help. Should it be fixed, tracker, discount or offset? There are many choices, and there are a wide range of fees associated with different mortgages. It would be very difficult for a mortgage seeker to understand the whole of the market. However, mortgage brokers and advisors deal with these products all the time, and will be able to find the best deal for the individual.

Finding mortgages in London is not the easiest task in the world. Using a mortgage broker can make the task much more bearable.