Finding a Mortgage - Top Ten Tips

In the last year the economic downturn has changed the face of the mortgage industry some claim for good. Banks and other lenders have cut mortgage lending severely and finding a mortgage is no longer an easy task.

Buying a house is one of the biggest purchases we make in our lives and picking the right mortgage is essential. Here is the conundrum: fewer lenders mean lesser choices, so in these tough economic times how do you still get the best mortgage deal. Below we will provide you with 10 valuable tips that will help guide you to your dream home and help find you a suitable mortgage.

1. Do your research well

There are some really good mortgage brokers that will tailor-make a suitable mortgage plan for your needs. However, before you go to one of these brokers do a little research on the internet to see what your options are, in addition, this gives you a better understanding of how things work.

2. Check mortgage fees closely

It is extremely important that you understand and calculate the percentage interest fees on your mortgage but also other costs associated with taking out the specific mortgage.

3. The bigger the deposit the better your options

In these tough times to make your lender feel safe and to be able to give yourself as many options as possible, it is better for you to have a large deposit, preferably 25% of the total mortgage. A bigger deposit sum almost guarantees a wide variety of choice.

4. Clean credit rating

The worst affected area due to the credit crunch is the higher risk mortgage market. What does this mean? It means that people with a bad credit rating will have a tough time getting a suitable mortgage deal. So, before you start hunting for a mortgage check your credit rating with the various credit reference agencies, if there are dark patches try and clear them, this will immensely improve your choices. Voting helps. Make sure that you cast your vote in the next election, absence from voting can also effect your credit rating.

5. Check for flexibility of the mortgage

There are many different types of mortgages, some allow you to overpay and with some you can underpay or even take a payment holiday. If you have a choice, choose what suits your future needs the best.

6. Type of financing

Decide on what type of financing you are looking for, short term or long term, interest-only or capital payment, fixed or flexible rates. If you are looking for security and a guarantee of what your payments will be for the set period; choosing a fixed rate mortgage may not be a bad option. The market is still very vulnerable and flexible rates can be viewed by some as risky.

7. Time Duration of the mortgage

The shorter the term the better it is for you in respect to the amount of interest you will pay. If you choose a longer term mortgage it means that you will also be paying a lot more in interest, making the total cost higher.

8. Overpayments

Flexible mortgages allow overpayments which can substantially reduce the term. If you can afford to make overpayments whilst interest rates are low you will reap the rewards in years to come. Some mortgage lenders have overpayments suspended in their accounts for an entire year and at the end of the year they credit the money to your account. Using this method they earn extra interest on your money. So check your policy well.

9. Never lie

If you lie about your credit history, chances are the mortgage lender will find out about it and that will significantly reduce your chances of getting the mortgage. Honesty is the best policy, address the issues you may have and provide evidence to support your suitability.

10. Application process

Make sure you read everything on the application form. Mortgages remain with you for a long time, so take your time and read and understand everything before you commit.

It is possible to still find the correct mortgage for your personal circumstances though may require a little more researching than in times gone by.

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Exclusive Mortgage Broker Leads

When getting a mortgage, borrowers fill the lead forms in person at the lead provider's office or online at the lead provider's website. Except in the case of Internet Mortgage and Telemarketing Leads, the lead providing companies collect the leads during office working hours, and then mail them out at night to brokers. This means that there's at least an overnight's delay in the lead transfer process.

If, on the other hand, Mortgage Brokers have their own web sites that can gather Mortgage Leads, will it not be better? Today, Lead Proving Companies are bringing in the advantages of Web based technology to their Broker clientele as follows: They help the Mortgage Broker, who is registered in their site, with efficient Lead Generation and Management Systems. These are basically web pages that can be handled by the brokers independently. They are designed in such as way that they cover all lead distribution needs as desired by the broker.

By using such Lead Generation and Management Systems the broker can manage the content, upload an Online `Form of Request for Loan' filled in by the Borrower, track visits [knowing the number of people who visited the web page], advertise the website in search engines, allocate the desired choice of lead format - html emails, .pdf email attachments, text files, fax, etc. and accomplish many more tasks.

Several independent Mortgage Brokers and Broker Firms go in for this type of system due to its obvious advantages. Broker Firms use the system with an option to work as an exclusive system [where leads reach one loan officer] or non-exclusive system (where leads reach many loan officers) by using their networking facility.

Though these leads cut an edge over other type of leads, these are more expensive, as such systems include a custom designed web site, a few hours of internet and search engine marketing. Lead Providing Companies usually charge a setup fee for the site and a fee per lead with a minimum stipulated fee. Let's take an example. A Lead Provider charges $1,000 for the website and $1 per lead per day, or a minimum fee of $30 if the leads are less than 30 per day. If the Broker's web site mobilizes 50 leads per day, the monthly fee comes to $50. If on the other hand, the site collects only 25 leads per day, the monthly fee is $30. The price includes electronic data transfer just like in paid web based email services.

Though relatively expensive, speed, confidentiality of data and the degree of freedom to the Broker render Exclusive Mortgage Broker Leads unique and popular.

Exclusive Telemarketing Mortgage Leads

Telemarketing Mortgage Leads are faster and more personalized than Internet Mortgage Leads. How do Telemarketing Mortgage Leads work? Let's take an example. Barry wants a mortgage loan. Barry, the borrower, fills the Form of Request for Mortgage Loan on a Lead Provider's website. Tina, a telemarketing representative working for the Lead Provider Company, contacts Barry over the phone, verifies all the important aspects in Barry's Lead (i.e. property type, loan type, and state in which the property is located) and confirms whether Barry is really interested in the loan.

Immediately after this, she puts Barry on hold and phones Larry, a loan officer attached to a lender, and provides him with Barry's name, type of loan sought, and phone number. Larry, the loan officer, uses this phone number to preview the data associated with Barry, by using a standard web browser in his computer. Usually, lender firms have toll-free numbers to call.

If Larry is really interested, he phones Tina. She takes Barry off-hold and introduces him to Larry, the Loan officer. As soon as this is over, she disconnects, leaving Barry and Larry to continue with the sales process.

Exclusive Telemarketing Mortgage Leads involve a telephonic network of the Borrower, Lead Provider and the Lender. An increasing number of call centers, which began a few years back with Business Process Outsourcing and Information Technology Enabled Services, are proving their effective presence in Mortgage Industry as well, by functioning as Mortgage Lead Providing Intermediaries.

In Telemarketing Leads, the Lead Provider thus plays a very central role between the Borrower and the Lender, by handling the most important introductory phase for just a few minutes on the phone.

Semi-Exclusive Mortgage Leads - Not All Leads Are Created Equal!

As it stands, it is difficult to say a business lead is exclusive at all. Even if a company only sells the lead to one loan officer, insurance broker, or some other type sales person, the average consumer looking for information on a product or service fills-out approximately three online forms.

So, when you start talking about "semi" or "non" exclusive the waters get even murkier as to how many individual companies or sales professionals are competing for that prospect. Depending on the company, a semi-exclusive prospect may be sold from 2-5 times. However, each company adheres to a different set of ethical practices that will realistically affect how many times it is actually sold.

Some companies will actually sell a mortgage lead, for example, more times than they say the it is actually sold. Some will not only sell it as a "mortgage lead", but then will also sell it again as a "loan modification", "debt", or some other lead type, etc. Some companies don't care who they sell the it to and will knowingly sell to a lead aggregator who then re-sells the it multiple times. So, realistically you can have one prospect that is contacted 15-20 times!

From my experience, companies that do their due diligence and do some checking into who you are buying your leads from will afford the best opportunity of purchasing the lead product that you think you are getting. Also, make sure to actually speak with someone at the company prior to any purchase. Companies that try to sell you leads by just logging into a website and making a purchase may not be looking out for your best interests.

Personally, I can get a good feel of a company and what type of business model they follow by speaking to a representative of that company. Is the sales person just trying to push you into something that is going to make him the most commission or is he really listening to your needs and trying to find the best solution for your particular situation? There are some good companies out there, and once you find the right one you can create a healthy flow of quality leads that will maximize your ROI.

Mortgage SEO - Your Guide To Exclusive Mortgage Leads

Mortgage SEO is a very important component to your internet marketing budget. Consumers today are weary of doing business with mortgage brokers following the near collapse of the Financial Services Industry due primarily to soured mortgage portfolios. The Sub-Prime mortgage market was left in complete shambles and nearly bankrupted the entire financial system. Consumers today need professional advice from seasoned professionals who will guide them through the mortgage process.

After all, everyone at some point or another will need a mortgage loan. The need will never diminish, the market will never go away. We all need a place to live. Mortgage Companies will always be able to find people to Lend to. The only question is: How do we find them?

Mortgage SEO will enable your firm to drift away from major Lead providers such as Lending Tree and Get Smart. Their Leads are overpriced and their "Success Fees" are extreme. No other lead providers in any other industry charges a "success fee" for what amounts to just forwarding a name and email to a mortgage company. This practice is short of criminal and it is unbelievable that so many mortgage companies have allowed this fee to become standard for such sub-standard quality leads.

Search Engine Optimization for your Mortgage Company will ensure that your Loan Officers and Brokers get a daily stream of EXCLUSIVE, qualified leads that will be local to your area. Potential Customers who search Google prefer to deal with Local brokers as the relationship will be that much more personal. Even though it is unlikely that they will ever sit in your office, people feel more confident doing business with a Mortgage Company that they can visit should they need to speed up the process or get reassurance.The mortgage process is perhaps one of the most complicated and paper intensive processes that most people are put through. Catering to the local market, especially if your firm is in any of the major metropolitan areas, will serve as a huge advantage.

Through SEO, more than ever, it is easier to provide customers with professional service and competitive loans that will enable your Loan Officers to close more loans at the end of the month and have higher levels of customer satisfaction and provide the absolute best return on your internet marketing investment.

The mortgage industry is extremely competitive in the sense that large banks, small savings and loans as well as mortgage brokers are actively competing for your potential customers business as well. By doing your own internet marketing, and enabling your website to rank higher in the search engines though Mortgage SEO (Search Engine Optimization) your Loan Officers will have the ability to close more loans with less competition and higher levels of customer satisfaction.