The Sunday Times - First-timers targeted by rate promise - September 2013

High street banks are battling to attract first-time buyers with ultra-low rates, but brokers are warning that some of the best overall deals are still to be found at smaller mutuals. Aaron Strutt at Trinity Financial, the broker, said buyers should still check the whole market for the best deal. “Nottingham building society offers a five-year rate of 4.39% that matches HSBC, but it comes with a lower £299 fee and free valuation for first-time buyers with a 10% deposit, worth about £600.” HSBC deals cannot be arranged via brokers. Mr Strutt warned it remains tough for borrowers with only a 10% deposit to get a mortgage: “There is a big difference between being accepted for a mortgage and the application actually going through, especially with the amount of hurdles some applicants have to jump over to get an offer,” he said. Click here to view the full story: http://goo.gl/hk7YCJ £ September 2, 2013