Siobhan Holbrook runs a successful mortgage brokerage in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. “Since I started the business over 10 years ago, my passion has been to help people secure their home,” she says. “I feel strongly about getting to know each and every one of our clients; their motivations and their insecurities. This allows me to provide a bespoke service to help them overcome any concerns.”
Siobhan knows that the burning question on everyone’s lips is “what’s the market like right now? She explains “It’s safe to say that the market is currently in a position where people have an appetite and interest to know if they can afford to move. The enquiry level for mortgages is actually pretty high at the moment, and I think that’s because people have been deterred from engaging with the market for the last three months which has left us with a build-up.
“Whether people are comfortable committing to a new mortgage product is a different issue but at this moment in time, people really want to know whether it’s possible for them to buy a home. This is fairly typical for this time of year. Come January, people set their layout for the year and perhaps decide their goal is to purchase a home so naturally, we do see a massive surge of enquiries during these early months.
“On a positive note, lenders are starting to reduce their rates. It’s a good time for people to start getting information together and monitoring these rate decreases. They will probably find that later in the year they may be in a position to commit.”
“Buckinghamshire doesn’t seem to get hit so hard by blows in the property market compared to other areas,” she says. “Buckinghamshire has a lot going for it in terms of property. We’re on the commuter belt, perfectly situated for commuting to Oxford, Cambridge, London and Birmingham whilst being a hive of commercial activity and businesses in its own right. We’re also well educated in the Shared Ownership scheme, giving those who need a helping hand onto the property ladder the support they require.” Siobhan’s top tip if you’re looking to move is – get budgets together and start saving. “Sure, there’s probably going to be something unexpected that crops up and scuppers your saving plans and that’s okay. If you need to dip into that money then that’s OK – but the intent to save remains. Seeing that money accumulate month by month will help you move forward.”
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