There is a lot of talk at the moment regarding the 'credit crunch' and how this affects mortgage borrowers, specifically borrowers with bad credit.

Borrowers with bad or adverse credit apply for what is publicly termed as an 'adverse' or 'bad credit' mortgage. Bad Credit Mortgages can seem a little confusing; indeed any mention of bad credit can send people running for the hills - but it shouldn't, from our experience the majority of clients who have impaired credit are in the situation they are in due to no fault of their own (death in the family, made redundant etc). The process of applying for a mortgage with bad credit is pretty much the same as applying for any mortgage as far as the client is concerned, but the rate might be a little higher (representing the additional risk to the lender) and there may be more fees (due to the extra work from the broker and/or lender, most of which the borrower will never see!). There are a multitude of lenders that specialise in bad credit mortgages, these lenders are known in the industry as 'sub prime' lenders (a prime lender being your local high street bank or building society), 'sub prime' lenders tend only to deal with mortgage brokers as there is so much to consider when arranging a mortgage for someone with bad credit and, although the terms 'sub prime' and 'bad credit' can sound a little off putting to some, there are some very good products available with competitive rates and terms - if you use a broker who knows what they're doing.

Specialist brokers tend to get the best results as they deal in this area all the time, there are a number of brokers who will say they deal in adverse credit but, from experience dealing in this industry, its better to use a broker who specialises in 'bad credit' rather than one that dabbles, the reason being there are literally thousands of products available, some with very subtle differences and getting the best deal is sometimes just a matter of broker experience in dealing in the 'sub prime' market. If you are applying for a mortgage with bad credit, the golden rule of thumb is - to be honest with the broker, the truth will out in the end!, remember, brokers are there to work for you not against you and a specialist broker should know which lenders to approach depending on your individual circumstances. So, whilst there is a lot of talk about the credit crunch and mortgages for the credit impaired, if you need a mortgage or remortgage with bad credit there are a multitude of products available, but, use a broker with no upfront fees and specialises in bad credit - that way you will be getting specialist advice and, if the mortgage doesn't complete you won't be left out of pocket.