Mortgage advisor, Gary Howe, established the company five years ago.
Gary originally worked within the engineering sector before making the transition into mortgage brokerage fourteen years ago, taking up a position with a large insurance company where he stayed for seven years.
After building up his experience and knowledge of the industry, he then formed Independent Mortgages Direct NE to leave what he dubs as the “tied arena” as he didn’t believe this method and proposition for advice was in the best interest of his clients.
Gary explains: “When Independent Mortgages Direct NE was established, it marked the coming together of several experienced mortgage advisers all with one common goal - that goal was to form a company with an honest approach to giving mortgage advice to clients and helping them through the complicated maze of the mortgage industry with the minimum amount of fuss and strain.
“We achieve our goal with every client who is prepared to trust us with their mortgage account.”
The advisers and staff at Independent Mortgages Direct NE collectively have over 90 years of experience in the mortgage sector and a proven track record in the industry.
In addition, the team makes use of the most up-to-date mortgage sourcing technology to ensure they find the best deal for each client. They also use state-of-the-art client management systems to keep each client up-to-date on the progress of their particular mortgage.
The company searches across the whole mortgage market to obtain the best mortgage for their clients and the team can even obtain exclusive deals through lenders that are not available on the high street.
It’s important to understand that our industry is extremely complicated with lenders, advisers, networks and clubs vying for business in all areas and that’s why it’s so important for customers to seek independent unbiased advice.
For example, most estate agents who advise on mortgage products may only have access to a limited number of lenders and of course there is the old adage of conflicting interests.
At Independent Mortgages Direct NE, it’s the winning formula of impartial advice, the team’s expertise in the sector and their use of the latest technology that has kept clients returning time and time again for Gary and his team to look after their mortgage accounts until they are eventually paid off.
With the current downturn in the economy, finding the most suitable mortgage is a more pressing concern for homeowners and newcomers to the property market.
A range of mortgage types are available, from tracker and fixed, to capped and flexible, but choosing one involves a number of considerations.
Gary warns that borrowers should currently be looking at long-term fixed rates for protection against rising rates once the country climbs out of recession.
He explains: “The Bank of England has set the Base Rate at 0.5 per cent, but borrowers should be careful when choosing deals; trackers have now become the ultimate “handle with care” mortgage because of increased margins and the possibility of increased rates over the coming years.
“If economists are to be believed. the Base Rate will go above and beyond where the rate started and if this happens then a tracker mortgage could end up being a detrimental choice. If there is turbulence ahead then a long term fixed rate would be the only option to take that risk out of the equation.”