London & Country

SirSaverOBE

My wife and I are about to put in an offer on a house, which if accepted will require the big step of looking into mortgages.

I would be very grateful for any MSEers opinions of L&C as a mortgage broker, as I have heard some negative things, despite it being the top choice for Martin & MSE.

Please let me know what you think!

Many thanks,

SirSaverOBE

TheGreatBear

They are very good for straightforward deals - they will invariably get you the cheapest rate but if things go wrong it is known for things to go slightly 'pear shaped'.

If you are finacially suave and dont require too much advice then there is no reason not to use them.

Good luck

maveli

I recently dealt with them. I don't think they are the best eventhough this site promotes them. I could find a better deal and I asked them if they have anything similar or even the same deal to which they said there is none. I don't know how can they claim to be 100% of the market.

dunstonh

L&C tend to get negative responses from those who are expecting more of a handhold service and not an internet/direct based service.

Like any large firm, service is also down to the individual you get. However, when problems have been highlighted on the forums, they have been addressed.

There is absolutely no issues that should put you off using them unless you feel a face to face and local service is what you are after. Remember, on the whole there will be no cost difference or deal differences (different brokers may have different deals) using a local fees free adviser or L&C.

Dan_Collins_2

Big D is correct, your choice. A few negatives on here but people dont shout about the good thing companies do! They keep an eye on the forum and if they see anything that is going or gone wrong they will step in and help out.

Not sure why MSE endorse them though, well I can guess but who am I to start a chinese whisper!

SirSaverOBE

Thanks for all the comments so far. I'll keep my eyes open, as there are other no fee independents that we could see face to face if it came to it. We put in an offer on the house we liked today! First step taken! Wish me luck ; )

Pint_Sized_Princess

SirSaverOBE wrote: »

We put in an offer on the house we liked today! First step taken! Wish me luck ; )

I used L&C in April last year and to be honest, I found them fantastic. The guy I dealt with delivered exactly what I asked for and from my own research I feel he got me the best deal on the market for my needs.

He was very knowlegable and wasn't pushy and the whole process was extremely smooth. I will be definitely dealing with them again when my fixed rate ends next year.

Dont know if I can mention on here who I specifically dealt with but I couldn't recommend him enough so if you would like his name and direct number, I still have his details.

Best of luck with it all! :beer:

Dan_Collins_2

Pint_Sized_Princess wrote: »

I used L&C in April last year and to be honest, I found them fantastic. The guy I dealt with delivered exactly what I asked for and from my own research I feel he got me the best deal on the market for my needs.

He was very knowlegable and wasn't pushy and the whole process was extremely smooth. I will be definitely dealing with them again when my fixed rate ends next year.

Dont know if I can mention on here who I specifically dealt with but I couldn't recommend him enough so if you would like his name and direct number, I still have his details.

Best of luck with it all! :beer:

Can I ask you somthing?

Why would you research it your self then use a broker? I am not being funny but I see different people doing my job. Those that can arrange mortgages but no time, those who cant arrange the mortgage if they had the time or not and need the hand held service or those who need to get off of the high street for whatever reason!

What I am saying is what makes a person want to use me? Well a broker that is?

Joto_2

I'm afraid I did the same, researched the market and then used a broker. I used L&C and would recommend them as well. As someone already mentioned i found them helpful, thorough and not pushy. I our case they found us a deal that wasn't available unless through a broker ( I know because I checked!) In answer to Dan Collins question, I always research the market to the best of my ability, but I'm not an expert and I was hoping the broker would find something( better deal that I'd missed) We did go through a broker a couple of years ago who tried to charge us a fee for his services even though the rate he found was more expensive than the rate we'd found so I always double check.

madmoose_2

I used L&C as a first time buyer 2 years ago to buy our flat. I found them to be fantastic and very thorough, they came across some great rates for us. I can't vouch for them now as it was 2 years ago, but when our fixed rate comes to an end, I'll definitely be calling on them again for advice.

Pint_Sized_Princess

Dan_Collins wrote: »

Can I ask you somthing?

Why would you research it your self then use a broker? I am not being funny but I see different people doing my job. Those that can arrange mortgages but no time, those who cant arrange the mortgage if they had the time or not and need the hand held service or those who need to get off of the high street for whatever reason!

What I am saying is what makes a person want to use me? Well a broker that is?

No worries, valid question and yes, I dont really fit into any of those categories - although if any I don't really have that much time to spare (who has!)

I did research it myself firstly and found the exact mortgage that I eventually ended up taking out through L&C.

1) After arranging my own mortage / remortgages since I was 19, I never really understood why people used brokers and so I thought I'd try it and find out.......after all nothing ventured nothig gained. I guess I hoped that L&C would find me a better deal than that I could find myself on the high street.

2) Yes, I had scoured the market already - mainly using internet comparison sites and high street lenders web sites directly - but although I'd class myself as fairly intelligent, I'm not an expert and afterall how do I know if I have been looking in all the right places and also whether I've covered all the market?

3) As L&C were so excellent in dealing with me, I decided to go ahead through them, even though I had found the exact same deal already. It was no loss to me.

4) As a matter of interest I didn't tell L&C about the mortgage I'd already found. I just specified I wanted a fixed deal (2 or 3 yrs), no upfront fee and a little flexibility in overpayment.

From now on, I will be using a broker - and I guess I now fit more into the bracket that I have less time to sort these things out for myself - although I am also a big believer that you should make time if it comes to saving money!

Sorry for the longwinded answer but I hope that it answers your question!!!!!!