Cheery's country living adventure

South_coast

On the flip side, I used the broker recommended by the estate agent (his office was in the back of theirs) and all was fine - sorry to muddy the waters with the opposite experience 🤣!

Cheery_Daff

Always good to hear the opposite experience! I remembered today that we did actually have an appointment with the estate agent's recommended broker, but she never ever sent us anything and we'd found the other geezer in the meantime so didn't chase...

beanielou

No harm in using the EA's broker!

rtandon27

So far my non-existent meeting with the broker has gone well - LOL

The estate agent made a telephone appointment with me on the broker's behalf and was provided a number he should call me at.  Instead of keeping the appointment and calling at the set time (which I had to clear in my calendar), he sent an e-mail after the fact asking if I was interested in advice, and if so to call him at the numbers provided.  I shot back an e-mail, very polite but to the point, asking if I misunderstood the booked time and gave him 3 further times I was available, asking him to reply by end of day.  I indicated that I would appreciated a conversation explaining what the benefit of using a broker would be. 

Needless to say no reply - initial impressions are everything aren't they?  Doesn't appear as if he's interested in the commission & I have no interest in time wasters so won't be chasing him. - LOL

We (meaning the OH) will however see if we can find a local well rated mortgage broker on our own & perhaps may have better luck with the initial consultation.

teapot2

We used a broker when we were first time buying.  It was London & Country [recommended on MSE], they don't charge fees, all done via phone, email etc and went smoothly.  We had a complicated situation with me being self employed.  If you do go with the EA broker check the fees they charge.

Cheery_Daff

What a shame RT! Clearly doesn't need your business... 

I confess I don't know why people recommend not using the estate agent's broker, I've just seen lots of people recommend not doing it! 

Had a text on my birthday saying I'd missed a Hermes delivery, and to reschedule. Since it was my birthday, (surely it was feasible that someone had sent me a present??) I did click the link, although it seemed a bit mad that they hadn't just left it in the porch, given where we live. 

Link asked me for name and address, which was a bit suspicious - surely you should know that if asking me to reschedule delivery? Didn't fill it in as I was suspicious, but also busy, and wanted to investigate further. 

Turns out it's a recognised scam, although in my case they didn't already have name and address, and didn't ask for money. Good job I didn't fill it in.

Bit disappointed it wasn't really a parcel though 😂

rtandon27

Phew - so glad you didn't fill in the info Cheery!

Mostly my experience with H3rmes has been that they would rather dump and run than try and redeliver! ...and by dump I mean lob over the gate into the front yard! ...we have been lucky this past year though as we have had the same H3rmes chappie who carefully places my packages at the faux door and waits for me to stick my head out the window before running off 😂

themadvix

The thing you need to check with mortgage brokers, wherever you find them is that they are whole of market, not limited to recommending products that they get paid for. 

We used the broker that came with the estate agent when we first bought and were so pleased we returned to him for our first remortgage. We’d potentially use him again too, if we were switching provider. A good broker can see all the options (at the time we took our first mortgage out comparison sites didn’t cover mortgages and I’m still not sure if they really catch everything) and know what may/may not be suitable for you and how likely you are to qualify for the mortgage depending on the lending criteria of each company. He also guided us on the life assurance options too. He helped us through the application process with things like what info we needed to provide (esp as I was self employed) and where we could get it from (verified SA302s, which I had to order and then get stamped at the local tax office - remember them? - this was only 2012!!).

 With your Canadianness and complicated situation with OH RT, a broker might be a good move. However, despite MSE recommending them, I’ve heard nightmare stories about L&C - a local one you can meet (maybe), might be best. (Or go it alone - I don’t want anyone to think this constitutes advice in any way!!)

Baileys_Babe

rtandon27 said:

Mostly my experience with H3rmes has been that they would rather dump and run than try and redeliver! ...and by dump I mean lob over the gate into the front yard! 

Our experience of Hermes, used to be like yours until about 4 or 5 years ago when a fantastic person took on our area, they are friendly, polite, we receive an email that morning with a 2 hour delivery window, on time, deliver to our door, if they leave a parcel because we are out a card with detailed clear instructions is left and the parcel is placed is out of sight. They do not hide our parcels in random places, including the bins of the same numbered house in the next street! The only problem we have had since they have had the route was when our regular person was sick and the stand-in delivered our parcel to a neighbours house (who was away, the house sitter the parcel added ours to the pile of numerous parcels they had received) I was sent an email 2 days later through the system to say it had just been delivered with a vague description of where it had been left, the situation wasn't resolved until my neighbour returned.

If all Hermes drivers were like ours their reputation would change overnight.

Cheery_Daff

Morning MSE chums! 

The sun is shining, and I have a busy day of meetings sadly - but then a three day weekend, woo hoo! 

Mr Cheery's pension has gone into the bank, as has the latest SEISS payment, which at just over £400 isn't going to change the world but is very welcome given his complete lack of self-employed income for the entire last year We took that pension at exactly the right time, it seems.

Last day of April, so I'll do some banking tonight (I can see the LPG payment of £597 has come out today as well). 

Last day of Happy Wheel spinning for April, and after another dire morning of losing everything I touch, I can confirm that April's total is MINUS £147

This is the first month I've ever been in minus figures at the end of, and clearly reflects the dangerous variance of bigger spin sizes. I'm going to do the same for May (hoping the variance swings the other way and I get a big win...) but then go back to smaller spin sizes I think. 

And no, I won't be taking money OUT of the kitchen fund! The MB account will just have to absorb that loss itself. I have put the SEISS payment into the kitchen fund though, since it's extra, and since we usually live on the equivalent of my standard wage and put any extra from anywhere (including Mr Cheery's income, which can be sporadic) towards OPs - which are at the minute being diverted to kitchen. 

So despite the MB fiasco, the kitchen fund now stands at £1182.72. 

Hoping to hear from Agent Million after the weekend

And now I'd best go and get on with the day job as I'm clearly not going to be leaving it any time soon!!