During the mortgage application process, you are bound to stumble across a hurdle or two. Whether this is a simple mistake or a factor that could risk your application getting declined, there is usually something that trips up mortgage applicants.

Here we focus on the types of hurdles to look out for when progressing through with your mortgage application and how a mortgage broker in Cambridge like ourselves can try and help you get by each one of them.

Mortgage Hurdles in Cambridge

There are lots of different surprises that could pop up throughout your mortgage journey; here is a list of some of the most common mortgage hurdles that we come across as a Mortgage Broker in Cambridge.

Childcare Fees

It’s extremely unlikely that you’ll be turned down for a mortgage just for having children. Although, it’s likely that you’ll receive a higher offer than if you didn’t have children.

Lenders will always have to factor in childcare costs. Before lending to a borrower, they have to be 100% certain that the applicant can afford their mortgage payments on top of their monthly expenditures – which includes childcare costs.

Depending on how many children the applicant has, childcare costs could run into the hundreds each month, which could impact a persons ability to meet their mortgage payments. Childcare costs only ever seem to go up and never down, they will treat this financial commitment the exact same way that they would treat a car loan or hire purchase agent.

Even if your children are older and you don’t have nursery fees to pay for, you still may be offered less than other buyers who don’t have children. If you receive child benefit, this could benefit you as lenders often count it as a contribution towards your disposable income each month.

Divorce / Separation

Unfortunately, a divorce/separation could get in the way of your mortgage and financial situation, especially if you share a joint mortgage. When applicants in this situation get in touch in desperate need of help, we are always willing to offer a helping hand so that we can get them over this tough mortgage hurdle.

Usually, if you’re financially linked to someone via a joint mortgage, you may find it harder to get your application accepted as you still withhold responsibilities for another set of mortgage payments. Lenders have to be sure that you can afford a mortgage before accepting your application.

When applying for a mortgage whilst going through a divorce/separation, getting specialist mortgage advice in Cambridge may be your best option. As an expert Mortgage Broker in Cambridge, we’ve worked with applicants trying to remove their own name from a mortgage; wanting to remove their ex-partner’s name from a mortgage; wanting to obtain a second mortgage despite still being linked to another one.

If you need a hand getting over these mortgage hurdles, we will be more than happy to help. Mortgages after divorce/separation can often get complicated very quickly, so make sure that you have someone by your side every step of the way.

Benefit Income

Different lenders have different opinions on benefit income. Some lenders may take everything into account e.g. child tax credit, working tax credit, disability benefits and pension; whereas some lenders may not even factor in one, it really depends on the lender.

In Cambridge, we have access to lots of specialist mortgage lenders, each with their individual, unique mortgage products. Once you get in touch with our team, we will see whether you’ll be able to qualify for any of these specialist mortgage products.

New Job

You would usually find that a new job comes with a bigger salary, and this extra income is often used on something new, such as a mortgage. So you’d also expect your chances of getting a mortgage to increase due to this extra bit of cash? Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Lenders normally want you to have job security; you will need to have an income every month to get a mortgage. If you’ve just started a job, you’re likely to have a probationary period. Even though probationary periods are usually okay with lenders, there will always be a little bit of uncertainty there.

Lenders will look at your previous places of employment to determine your working patterns. They will want to make sure that you aren’t just dipping in and out of employment. Employment gaps can have a negative impact on your mortgage application and may make lenders think that you are an untrustworthy applicant.

As a mortgage broker in Cambridge, we work with some specialist lenders who work from a newly signed employment contract. This could even be in month one or if your new job is about to start.

Evidencing a Deposit for a Mortgage in Cambridge

Date Last Edited: December 6, 2023