Craig Mortgage Advice

03/09/2026

🏠 Help to Buy – Wales has been extended until 31 March 2027! 🏴

You could buy an eligible new-build home with:

✅ A minimum 5% deposit
✅ A 10%–20% Welsh Government equity loan
✅ A repayment mortgage for the balance
✅ A purchase price up to £300,000

Available to eligible first-time buyers and home movers. Get in touch to explore this an other available options-no obligation consultation.

📲 Find out if you qualify:
https://wa.me/447984649761

Eligibility and conditions apply. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or other debts secured on it.

03/09/2026

🏠 Help to Buy – Wales has been extended! 🏴

Applications can now be submitted until 31 March 2027, giving more buyers the opportunity to purchase an eligible new-build home with a smaller deposit.

How could it work?

✅ Minimum 5% deposit
✅ Welsh Government equity loan of between 10% and 20%
✅ Repayment mortgage for the remaining amount
✅ New-build homes valued up to £300,000
✅ Property must have an EPC rating of B or higher

The equity loan is interest-free for the first five years, although fees and eligibility conditions apply. The amount you repay is linked to the future value of your home, so it could increase or decrease.

The scheme isn’t limited to first-time buyers. If you’re buying a qualifying new-build home in Wales, let’s check whether it could work for you and compare the available mortgage options. There are alternatives available.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it.

31/08/2026

🏡 Is staying with your current mortgage lender always the best option?

New figures from UK Finance show that 81% of mortgage refinancing transactions during the second quarter of 2026 were product transfers, where borrowers selected a new deal with their existing lender.

A product transfer can be quick and straightforward. There is usually no legal work, no property valuation and often no new affordability assessment.

However, convenient does not automatically mean the best value.

Before accepting your lender’s offer, it is sensible to compare:

✅ The interest rate and monthly payment
✅ Any arrangement fees
✅ The total cost over the initial deal period
✅ Early repayment charges
✅ Whether you need to change the mortgage term
✅ Whether another lender could offer a more suitable deal
✅ Any additional borrowing you may require

I can compare the product-transfer options available from your existing lender with remortgage deals across the wider market.

There is no broker fee for my product-transfer service.

If your current mortgage deal ends within the next six months, now is a good time to review your options. We can secure a suitable deal and continue checking the market before your existing rate ends.

📲 WhatsApp me for an initial review:
https://wa.me/447984649761

Abergele

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Mortgage products are subject to availability, affordability, individual circumstances and lender criteria.

31/08/2026

How much sick pay do you receive from your employer?

It’s surprising how many people don’t know the answer when I ask this question. So, if it’s the only thing you take from this post, find out what you would actually receive if you were off sick from your job-check your contract, ask your boss.

Is it Statutory Sick Pay, currently £123.25 per week, or six months’ full pay followed by six months’ half pay? The difference could be significant.

If you’re fortunate enough to receive sick pay through work, that’s great. But what happens when it ends?

Income Protection is one of those policies people often overlook until they stop and think about how long they could manage financially without their normal income. Even where your employer provides sick pay, it may only cover you for a limited period.

Income protection can be particularly useful for all, including:

• NHS staff and teachers with structured sick pay
• Self-employed clients
• People in manual or higher-risk occupations
• Anyone whose household relies heavily on their monthly earnings

The important point is that Income Protection can often be arranged around the cover you already have from your work.

I’ve put together a straightforward guide explaining what Income Protection is, how it works and where it could fit into your wider financial safety net.

👉 Read more here:https://craigmortgage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/income_protection_explained.pdf

If you’d prefer to have a quick chat about your own circumstances, protection consultations are free of charge.

📱 https://wa.me/447984649761
📧 [email protected]

26/08/2026

North Wales, complex income or impaired credit? Quirky property or Holiday Let? This month I have had several clients looking for property finance where they have been declined elsewhere.

Being declined by one lender does not mean every lender will say no.

Lenders have different rules—and those rules change regularly. Approaching the right lender for your property and circumstances is often key.

During August, I’ve received enquiries involving holiday lets, complex buy-to-let properties, impaired credit, unusual income and non-standard properties. As an adviser across residential and commercial finance, I have direct access to more than 140 lenders and can research their criteria on your behalf.

A previous credit issue, complex income or an unusual property does not necessarily mean there is no solution. The details—and knowing which lenders to approach—can make all the difference.
Mortgage rates have also been extremely active this year. Although the Bank of England base rate remains at 3.75%, average mortgage rates are around 0.72 percentage points higher than in January.

Some lenders have recently made selective reductions, but pricing remains volatile and above where it was eight months ago.
If you’re considering a holiday let, buying or remortgaging a complex property, or are concerned about your credit history, send me a few lines explaining your situation on WhatsApp. I’ll come back to you to arrange an initial conversation.

📲 WhatsApp me:
https://wa.me/447984649761


Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Buy-to-let and commercial mortgages are not usually regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Availability is subject to individual circumstances, affordability, property suitability and lender criteria.

26/08/2026

What is Verified Adviser?

Verified Adviser is a structured client feedback platform designed to provide a clear and consistent view of adviser performance based on real client experience.

Rather than relying on traditional reviews or opinions, feedback is collected using a consistent survey methodology that assesses key aspects of the advice experience, including communication, support and overall service.

Check out my Verified Adviser Profile:

Craig was very good. We were able to do this over a teams meeting so very straight forward. Craig is very understanding and was able to give us advice there and then and we had the information back to us within a couple of days.

24/08/2026

Post birthday selfie-catching a few rays after my lunchtime chat with Thomas Michaelson

12/08/2026

🏠 Mortgage rates in 2026 – it’s been a bit of a Rhyl roller coaster

Swap rates, which generally have a significant influence on the pricing of fixed-rate mortgages, have had a real up-down ride so far in 2026.

Periods of escalation and uncertainty surrounding the Iran conflict have caused swap rates to spike, feeding through into higher borrowing costs and mortgage rates.

We’ve then seen more settled periods, with swap rates easing and lenders responding by cutting rates again.

The result? Mortgage pricing has moved up and down considerably throughout the year.

Whilst borrowing costs generally remain higher than they were at the beginning of 2026, opinion is still divided over what happens next with the **Bank of England Base Rate.

That uncertainty makes it even more important to plan ahead.

👉If your mortgage is due for renewal later this year, or you are moving, buying for the first time or looking to increase your borrowing, get in touch now for your mortgage review.

There’s no fee for the initial consultation and no obligation to proceed. If you are staying with the same lender and simply switching rates, there's no broker fee at all.

By using a mortgage adviser, you also benefit from:

✅ Whole-of-market mortgage advice
✅ Access to a lender panel of over 110 lenders
✅ Help identifying the most suitable deal for your circumstances
✅ Full transaction management from application through to completion
✅ Liaison with lenders on your behalf
✅ Guidance and support throughout the whole process

We can secure a rate for your property now and if the lender reduces rates before completion, I can switch you over to the new rate, hassle free.

If you're due to remortgage in 2026 now is a good time to start the conversation.

📩 Get in touch to arrange your free, no-obligation initial mortgage review

*Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

10/08/2026

Beef is the best roast dinner? As a time served chef, it takes something special to wow me. With a few days off from my mortgage advising work, I have been sampling the local delights. This is the best local roast so far, beef on the bone, all fresh vegetables, roast and mash, Yorkshire pudding and stuffing The Black Lion Llanfair TH. ….

10/08/2026

Inheritance Tax planning doesn’t always mean giving your money away.
For more families, Inheritance Tax is becoming something that needs to be considered, particularly with frozen allowances and upcoming changes to how pensions are treated from April 2027.
But there’s another question that is just as important as “How much tax could be due?”
👉 “Where will the money come from to pay it?”
Many people are asset rich but cash poor. Their wealth may be tied up in their home, pensions, investments, rental properties or a business.
Gifting assets can help reduce an estate, but it isn’t right for everyone. You may still need the money yourself, want to retain control of your assets, or simply not want to give your wealth away during your lifetime.
Protection can offer another option.
A suitable life insurance policy, written in trust, can be used to provide money to help fund a future Inheritance Tax bill, rather than trying to reduce the liability itself.
This could help your family avoid having to sell property, investments or business assets simply to find the money to pay the tax.
Depending on your circumstances, options can include whole of life cover, term assurance or joint life second death cover.
Sometimes good estate planning isn’t about avoiding tax altogether, it’s about making sure the money is there when your family needs it.
If you have property, pensions, investments or business assets and would like to understand how Inheritance Tax could affect your family, get in touch for a chat about how protection could form part of your planning.
Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Appropriate legal and tax advice should be obtained where required.