Having a CCJ on your credit file can make you feel like all hope is lost. Pinnacle can help put your case in the best light which gives you the best opportunity at getting a mortgage.
When trying to obtain a mortgage with poor credit, a range of problems tend to arise. This can greatly deter people from looking into what options they have available to them and exploring the different routes they could take. Often, a client may have been refused a mortgage due to bad credit from a lender who isn’t keen on lending money if it doesn’t meet their strict criteria.
Depending on the date, amount and what the county court judgement was given for; a mortgage is most definitely achievable, however it is vital to consider the costs that may come with it. Typically, lenders will offer a higher than average interest rate and in some cases limit the amount they are willing to lend. Much will also depend on whether the CCJ is satisfied or unsatisfied. Where a CCJ can be satisfied then your chances of success would improve greatly.
Case Study: A client approached us with a large deposit and simply requiring a mortgage to make up the shortfall of the house price. The client was in a difficult situation due to living arrangements coming to an end and was unsure what the options were moving forward.
When speaking with the client, they made it clear that adverse credit was on the case and that they had an outstanding CCJ of a small amount that would be addressed in the future. Once we had conducted our research, we presented the client with a variety of solutions and explained what the potential options could be. In this particular case, a lender had agreed that if the CCJ had been settled then they would be happy to lend the shortfall amount. Due to the CCJ being settled, the lender was comfortable to offer the client enough funds to cover the shortfall of her immediate purchase. This highlights how essential it was for our client to venture through different avenues as it brought attention to the solution; simply satisfying the CCJ to be eligible for the desired borrowing amount.
As mentioned previously, it is important to consider the drawbacks of borrowing with a poor credit file, such as the higher interest rates and if the monthly payments would be affordable. In the case above, our client will likely stay on a short-term fixed rate and then proceed to remortgage away to a more suitable lender and rate when the time is right, thus achieving the objective of purchasing a property whilst being able to move away from the higher interest rate when possible. To do this, they must allow their credit file to recover from the adverse by keeping up with payments and being vigilant with their finances.
