Fierce competition among mortgage lenders in recent years has brought great news for consumers - Banks and companies scrapping of the companies has only led to a greater depth of choice and value for almost every type of borrower, from those who seek to obtain a mortgage for the first time through those looking to remortgage their existing one.

In today’s market, the traditional one size fits all type of mortgage has long disappeared - the borrowers now have individual needs and goals, not to mention the history of credit, too! It is true that, regardless of their credit history or personal circumstances, there are mortgage products to fit almost any type of borrower.

If your mortgage requirements are less than conventional, you may experience difficulty in obtaining mortgage financing through the usual channels, by way of approaching the High Street banks and companies.

High Street lenders have been the traditional preserve of the borrowers with impeccable credit records - many of these lenders will be very eager to deviate from their ideal customer profile. In many cases where a borrower has a blemished credit history, an initial computerized credit scoring system will result in a denial.

There is a now a huge selection of specialist / sub-prime mortgage lenders, many of whom who are willing to consider most types of mortgage application - those with the worst records of credit, the self-employed workers borrowers with little or no proof of income.

In many cases, borrowers are being redirected to the world the loan specialist after being rejected by a High Street bank or building society for whatever reason. These types of specialized lenders, once considered a niche market, have become widely recognized throughout the mortgage industry and the rise of providing an important role.

Many specialists / mortgage lenders will only be accessible through an intermediary, such as a mortgage broker, independent financial adviser or mortgage network - Customers must first go through these channels, in order to access many of these products to mortgage lenders.

Self-employed mortgages

Employed borrowers have always been treated differently from their counterparts employees. They have always been penalized for their status in the past, usually in the form of higher interest rates, or an interest rate of freight. Self-employed borrowers are still perceived by many banks and corporations as a greater credit risk unless you are able to provide backup of their income in the form of two or three years’ accounts and six months of account statements bank.

There are many specialist lenders who recognize the enormous volume of self-employed persons in the labor force, well over four million and, therefore, make greater efforts in accommodating the needs of these people loans. They can not offer the lowest rates in the market, though their mortgages are still competitively priced and can offer greater flexibility too.

Buy to Let mortgages

Remortgage to buy products that have long been the preserve of the specialist lender. The purchase to let the market has attracted a large number of owners in recent years as the escalation in housing prices and greater need for investment in low-risk property has a very viable option in which to invest in.

Many major lenders have jumped on the purchase of car for that however it is worth bearing in mind that specialized lenders often have more experience of buying for the market.

Approaching a mortgage broker can be a great place to start in the investigation of its specialist lending needs. As mentioned above many of the leading specialized lenders are available only through an intermediary, however, the majority of mortgage brokers have access to a wide variety of different lenders.

A mortgage agent may charge a fee for services there, however, this can sometimes be negotiated in the light of the fact that most also receive a commission on the conduct of mortgage lender for its implementation.

You also notice when doing their research that most of the specialized lenders are in fact lending arms of major banks and major building societies.

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The first issue of concern is improved communication to subprime borrowers about the real, hidden cost of their adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) loans. This kind of loan is often suggested to subprime borrowers because the introductory rate of interest is so low - so low, in fact, that it’s often called a “teaser rate”. Before the appearance of the government Statement, ARM loans assessed huge penalty fees for refinancing the loan or prepaying it before the term expires. Often, the penalties continued for most of the duration of the loan.

Regulators tighten rules for subprime lending in the Statement by providing guidelines requiring subprime lenders to offer full disclosure of fees and rates associated with an ARM. Moreover, they state that “liar loans,” loans that ignore a borrower’s capability of repaying the loan and require no documentation of earnings, must be curtailed. These liar loans are also called “stated income loans,” “low-doc loans,” and “no-doc loans.” A borrower simply states the amount of his income, without being required to produce a W2 form or pay stubs to substantiate his statement. Based on what he has claimed, he qualifies for a loan he cannot really afford. It’s clear that this practice is the cause of at least part of the subprime market problem!

The Statement is specific about predatory and deceptive lending practices - what they are, and why they must not be used. Such predatory practices often victimize those who may not really understand what they are being asked to sign, members of particularly vulnerable groups: the elderly, minorities, and first-time home buyers. It is also very clear about the fact that not all subprime lenders can be considered predatory.

If you are a subprime buyer, what do these new regulations mean to you? For one thing, you can’t be entrapped in an ARM with an upcoming reset date: 60 days notice is now required. If you decide to refinance early in the loan, or if for some reason you become able to repay it early, no astronomical prepayment fees will be assessed. Lenders must now require proper documentation to verify income. This is a positive improvement, because a subprime borrower should never borrow more than he will really be able to repay. Many subprime financial institutions have gone under in recent years, simply because they ignored the critical need to determine accurately each home buyer’s capability to meet financial obligations. The regulations force subprime lenders to deal more ethically with subprime borrowers. They must show due diligence with their determination of these borrowers’ future solvency. Foreclosures ruin local real estate markets, as well as borrowers and lenders.

Earlier guidelines issued by the regulatory agencies have been tightened by the Statement. Some have been incorporated into its text; others, like the 2001 Expanded Guidance, are referenced. The intention of the federal agencies in tightening the rules for subprime lending is to protect subprime borrowers from lenders of questionable integrity, and to protect lenders from ruining themselves because of laxity in their underwriting practices. This document is bound to have a positive effect on the current downward-spiraling real estate market.

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