Back in 2004, our MD, John Yerou, founded C&F Mortgages with a single goal in mind. High Street lenders were constantly failing limited company contractors and freelancers, despite their high earnings. It was an injustice that John set out to change.
Over a decade later, having helped many thousands of contractors secure competitive mortgages, that original drive remains the ethos of the team. Indeed, in January 2015, the team received official recognition of their ground-breaking work. Voted top-performing broker in the Mortgage Intelligence Awards, John humbly accepted the award from Sir Steve Redgrave on behalf of the team.
C&F Mortgages exists primarily because mortgage finance works differently for contractors and freelancers. To date, there’s little to define what constitutes different types of self-employed status for lenders. That’s despite the burgeoning growth of the sector in the UK.
Many of our clients feel dejected after the High Street rejects their mortgage application. What they didn’t expect when they decided to start contracting was the lack of credit available to them.
It’s not so much the lack of credit that’s the issue. C&F Mortgages spend all day, every day dealing with lenders who are ‘contractor-friendly’. It’s generic lenders’ lack of understanding the way you work that’s the problem.
In at the deep end
As such, C&F Mortgages is a company forged in the heat of battle. We don’t do third party referrals; we approached the High Street direct. We asked the big lenders why they’re not inclined to lend to independent professionals.
Some listened to our argument and worked with us to bring financial independence to our sector. Others were less receptive and are sticking to mainstream mortgage lending.
That’s fair enough. But now, we consider it our job to help contractors and freelancers find the right property finance first time.
That’s important. Multiple unsuccessful credit searches can leave nasty footprints on your file. Approaching a lender who understands your true worth is critical for your application’s success.
Mortgages for Independent Professionals Where the High Street Fails
There may well come a day when the big banks define strategies for contractor mortgage lending. Until that time, we’re here for you. A specialist contractor and freelancer mortgage broker, focusing on what’s important to you:
- competitive mortgages based on your contract;
- quick turnaround for successful applications;
- a proven completion history;
- an FCA-regulated and approved specialist mortgage brokerage;
- no payslips, accounts or reams of paperwork, just your contract, CV and bank statements;
- a direct line to senior underwriters who understand contract-based earnings.
We work with our clients, assigning a qualified manager to your application from day one. And those managers know what to look for, the vast majority self-employed themselves. They choose to offer their personal advice and expertise through us.
You can’t beat hands-on experience; we have that in spades. Now it’s time for you to begin building your own foundation for a brighter, more secure future. When you need a contract-based mortgage, speak to advisers who ‘get it’ and have the right tools to get the job done.
