A progress diary from a FTB

homehunter

olbigead wrote: »

homehunter - If you find out that the Mortgage center want even more documents than you send in originally (which we experience a few times!) then you can always take the copies into your NatWest branch to get certified then they can fax it straight to the mortgage center. Just make sure they note your mortgage reference number on the docs.

That's very useful, thank you. In fact, I'd like to take in as much as possible tomorrow - can I ask what you ending up needing to provide? So far I know of 3 months' payslips and 3 months' bank statements each - this in reality works out to 3 months' bank statements between us as we have a joint account, but also it will have to be printed from online because we are paperless :rolleyes:

On the phone they said to bring passports but in the letter they didn't state this. I phoned to chekc and yes, they still need passports. Wonder why they don't check that the letter gives the complete instructions?!

gemstars

olbigead wrote: »

Can I ask where you got this deal from?

We're not sure what to go for with life assurance: whether to go for level term and if we should include critical illness. I understand the pros and cons for each, but the critical illness cover easily triples the premium.

Halifax, bought online.

olbigead

Homehunter:
Right - this is the list of what we finally submitted:
Payslips - 3 months
Statements - 3 months (however, we also gave print outs as we are paperless and they didn't like this!)
Passports
Driving Licence (paper and photo)
Marriage Certificate (as we are recently married, some of my wifes docs were still in her maiden name)
also - because of our odd situation of me living somewhere to do with work, they wanted additional docs so i provided contents insurance proof (policy and schedule docs) which was in my name and car insurance docs in my wifes name.

They seem to be happy finally!

homehunter

Ta muchly olbigead!

Went into branch this morning and took everything we could think of.... 3 months' payslips each, P60s, passports, 3 months' bank statements (we're also paperless so tough, we haven't got anything else!), and our most recent council tax bill with both of us on it and current address. Not married and driving licence not currently valid (don't drive so haven't updated address). I can't imagine what else I can possibly give them...we'll see what next week brings

homehunter

Just thought I'd update...after taking in docs to be certified on Saturday, and posting myself by Special Delivery for 1pm Mon, I received a text message today telling me that I will have a decision in 5 working days! I really hope I hear something by the end of the week....It'll be a long weekend otherwise

Another tip: the mortgage centre said not to let the branch send the application on our behalf. Usually they send it via internal post which causes delays. Sometimes they can insist on sending it themsleves, but you have to be firm! When I went in, they did seem to assume that they were sending it for me but I just explained and they were happy to let me do it.

homehunter

You see, paperless billing/statements are all well and good and environmentally friendly, until your mortgage lender calls up and tells you that the printouts are no good! What I expected TBH, thanks to the OP ;0)
So, luckily I'm working from home today, time for a walk into town I think to chat with my bank, and get something that they will accept (i.e. it must have names on it!) - I am armed with the fax number so I'll see if I can get that sorted out too! Thank goodness I found this thread, I feel a bit more prepared for all this....

the_hatter_2

I'm a little surprised at your problems with printed statements. We recently got a NatWest FTB mortgage and both myself and my girlfriend were asked to present three months bank statements and, of course, we both have paperless current accounts!

Anyway, my printouts look essentially the same as a real one except they have "duplicate" printed across them (Nationwide), but my girlfriends account is the HSBC green current account or something like that... Her statements just look like a screen dump of the on-line banking.

Initially the branch would not certify these documents, I explained that we could not present anything else so the lady dealing with me in branch phoned through the underwriters for me to talk to. After I explained the situation the underwriter confirmed they were happy for these statements and asked for me to pass the phone over to explain this to the branch staff.

All documents dutifully certified and sent to the mortgage centre. Mortgage approved the next day!

homehunter

I may have made a boo boo - apparently, I should not sign in, pull up my online statements and use the print request button to print them. Oh no. Instead I should go to statement request and download them. What a donkey. :rolleyes::p

Well, apparently I'm told that's true - I'm trying to sign in but the bank's internet banking site is down. That is SO typical! I just need these statements, whisk them in to town for certification, then I'm away!! And I can only do it today as I happen to be working away from home. Not that I'm getting much done at the moment

OK, lunch I think, then I'll see if it is working. If not, looks like a £5 charge down the bank...I should go back to paper billing after this

whitegra

homehunter wrote: »

Just thought I'd update...after taking in docs to be certified on Saturday, and posting myself by Special Delivery for 1pm Mon, I received a text message today telling me that I will have a decision in 5 working days! I really hope I hear something by the end of the week....It'll be a long weekend otherwise

I applied for a mortgage with Natwest about 6 weeks ago. I got that same text message, I wouldn't pay too much attention to it, I got worried after I haddn't heard anything for 7/8 working days and called the mortgage centre, they said they don't know why they send out those texts as it almost always takes at least 2 weeks to do the underwriting and get the valuation done before they can send out the offer.

I got accepted and recieved my offer with no problems and no requests for extra documentation in just over 2 weeks from when I made the application so I wouldn't worry if you havent heard anything withing 5 working days... Just waiting on solicitors now :mad:

BTW. I'm a FTB and the documents I needed were:
- Driving License (Plastic and paper)
- 3 months payslips
- P60
- 1 bank statement (as proof of address as I live with parents so don't have any bills with my name on)

Pinkfairywings

I am currently buying my second house and we had major problems as my partners payslips are paperless! His HR department wouldnt certify them either. Its all well and good moving to a green paperless enviroment but when people like mortgage companies wont accept them it can be a nightmare