Almost every website these days has some sort of mortgage best buy table attached to it - newspapers, price comparison sites, estate agents, even supermarkets - it isn't hard to keep up to date with the latest 'best buys'. But what are best buys and can they be trusted? You may be looking for a new offset mortgage and may have even perused the best buy tables, but can you be sure that the offset mortgage best buys are the best choice for you? They may have a low rate, but there are much more to offset than that. So don't rely on offset mortgage best buys - get some professional advice.
Be careful not to confuse offset mortgage best buys with the best mortgage for you. You cannot know what the offset mortgage best buys are for you because there are so many different offset mortgages and so many variations on the theme of offset. The best buy table just compares rate - the cheapest offset mortgage best buys rate gets up to the top. Some lenders have begun to compete with 'best buy' products so as their mortgage is on the top of all the tables - they make sure they have the lowest rate, but that doesn't mean they are offering the borrower the best mortgage.
Of course, it is good to continue to consult the best buy table whenever you can. They change every day, so every time you check you may find another set of offset mortgage best buys. But write down the rates and the fees and see how much, on average, you may have to be paying out each month with a new offset. The best buy tables will also give you an idea of how the loan to value ratio affects the rates of offset mortgage best buys.
So once you have an idea of what sort of rate you might be in line for, go and see a mortgage professional. They will be able to go through your entire mortgage and financial past and present, telling you where your money could be best spent and best saved. They will ask you about your situation, your aspirations and your limitations. They will also ask you what you would like to get out of your offset - just by looking at offset mortgage best buys you would never be able to fit a mortgage into your life. Any cheap mortgage might not work with your situation and may end up leaving you even worse off at the end of the month.
So don't rely on offset mortgage best buys. They are just the rate and they can tell you very little about how the mortgage will work with your money. They will not tell you how much you can underpay or overpay, they will not tell you what sort of fees and penalties are attached to the mortgage and they will not tell you how the offset current account functions. In fact, offset mortgage best buys will tell you very little - but a professional mortgage adviser can tell you everything.
