Mortgage roundup – A full rebrand and lowered mortgage rates

Roma Finance has rebranded across all channels to providing lending less ordinary as standard.

As part of its ambitious growth strategy, the lender doubled business activity last year, increased its loan book, made key hires, offered fee-free Covid loan extensions to customers and broadened intermediary distribution.

The lender has also enhanced criteria across its short-term offering, increasing loan amounts on development finance to £2 million and reducing bridging and refurbishment finance rates at 60% loan-to-value (LTV) to 0.65% and semi-commercial at 0.90%.

In addition, Roma has enhanced its automated value models (AVM) criteria on bridging finance for both purchase and refinance. These changes now allow applications up to 70% LTV and enhanced loan sizes of up to £500,000.

Scott Marshall, founder of Roma Finance, says: “Our new logo, brand and vision shows how far we’ve come since I set up the business 13 years ago, named after my late grandparents Rose and Max. We had one employee and one desk. Now we are 35 strong with representation throughout mainland UK.”

“Our new brand is modern, approachable and professional and marks another step forward in achieving our ambitious growth strategy, which puts people not property at the heart of our business.”

He concludes: “Roma’s lending less ordinary includes personalised underwriting, a collaborative approach with brokers and their customers, and flexibility for applicants with unconventional circumstances.”

Together lowers its two and five-year mortgage rates

Together has slashed rates on its mortgage products to help more borrowers struggling to get finance from mainstream lenders.

The specialist finance group’s new ‘Prime Plus’ two-year fixed mortgages have been launched at a rate of 4.29% for capital repayments and 4.79% on interest only repayments, while its five-year fixed rate has been re-priced to 4.99% (capital) and 5.49% (interest only).

The lower rate products are available for three months at up to 70% loan-to-value (LTV) on loan sizes of between £50,000 and £500,000.

Self-employed customers, freelancers and contractors, those on zero-hour contracts, retired people and those on benefits, as well as those in full employment, may also fit Together’s criteria for its new product, subject to an affordability assessment.

The lender will consider applications from customers with County Court Judgments (CCJs) which have been settled for at least two years and those who have paid unsecured arrears up to six months before taking out the new product.

Borrowers who have missed only one mortgage or secured loan payment in the past three years and none in the last year, may also be eligible.

Sundeep Patel, director of sales at Together, comments: “Our new two-year and re-priced five-year fixed-rate mortgages are designed to give customers who may not fit the mainstream mould more options to make their property-owning ambitions a reality.”

“Borrowers may be looking for a mortgage on a property of non-standard construction, they may have a non-standard income stream of may have had a minor credit blip in the past – or a combination of all three – which could make it difficult for them to access the finance they need.

He concludes: “We think that it’s important for lenders to offer flexible criteria to increase the choice available in the market and believe there is a strong market demand from would-be customers who may not be able to access mortgages from mainstream lenders.”