Doctors Mortgages

Guide for Doctors Getting Your First Mortgage

Getting a mortgage as a fist time buyer

If you’re a junior doctor thinking about applying for your first mortgage this guide is for you. Many doctors consider buying their first home as a trainee and we’d like to help you along that journey.

What do we cover in this mortgage guide for doctors?

What is a mortgage?

Put simply, a mortgage is a loan used to help you buy a house or flat.

When you buy a property, you need to put down a percentage of the cost as a deposit. The rest of the money you’ll need to buy your new home is covered by a mortgage.

You borrow this money from a bank or building society. You’ll then pay the money back each month for a set number of years – this is called a mortgage term. A mortgage term can run for up to 40 years.

You’ll pay interest on your mortgage. How much you’ll pay in interest depends on your mortgage rate, how much you borrow and for how long. The quicker you pay off your mortgage, the less interest you’ll pay.

How much you pay back each month will depend on:

  • The type of mortgage you get
  • How much you borrow
  • The term of your mortgage
  • The interest rate you have been offered by the bank

As a junior doctor, you may be eligible for a Professional Mortgage which offers better terms or criteria based on the type of contract you are on. Doctor mortgage loan rates can be more favourable.

How important is the LTV ratio?

As a junior doctor buying for the first time you should understand the importance of the loan to value ratio.

  • Loan = how much you are borrowing
  • Value = Purchase price

For example a house bought for ÂŁ400,000 with a deposit of ÂŁ40,000 (10%) will have a loan to value ratio of 90%.

Mortgage lender will offer better interest rates to borrowers with higher deposits. The interest rates are set in tiers usually starting around 60% of the purchase price (where you will be offered the best rates) and rising.

As property has continued to increase in price it’s important to get the best interest rate because it makes the repayments lower.

Should I aim to put down a 10% deposit as a foundation doctor?

The mortgage landscape has changed post pandemic and 95% mortgages are harder to find.

These days you’ll need at least 10% as a mortgage deposit. However, the government has introduced a new 95% mortgage scheme to encourage banks to start doing them again. Help to Buy mortgages are also an option for those with a low deposit.

Many junior doctors will be in the fortunate position of receiving help with a gift from a parent or relative. It might be an idea to have a conversation about achieving a percentage of the purchase price rather than setting a fixed amount for a deposit gift.  This way you may be in a position to get a better rate.

For example, your parents could choose to gift you £10,000 because it is a nice round figure. However when the purchase price has been agreed it might have been better to gift £12,000 to lower your LTV and take you into the cheaper rate tier. It’s worth thinking about.

Can you can benefit from lower interest rates?

The biggest rate decrease is usually between rates over 85% and rates below 85% and importantly having a lower LTV ratio can change the lending criteria making it easier to apply for the mortgage you need.

We have a guide for doctors saving for a mortgage deposit that is worth checking out.

Can you get a mortgage as a speciality trainee doctor?

junior doctors mortgage guideIf you’re applying for a junior doctor mortgage you are likely to be a first time buyer. It’s an exciting time but it can be a bit daunting. Talking through your options with a specialist mortgage broker who has the experience of dealing with junior doctors is a great start. They will know the best mortgages for doctors to apply for.

Your medics mortgage broker will be able to ensure you meet the bank or building society lending criteria and affordability before your application is submitted. This gives you the best chance of success when applying for a mortgage as a junior doctor.

The lender will assess your mortgage application against their criteria and one of the most important factors is establishing that you can afford to repay the loan.

The affordability calculations are different for each lender so your mortgage broker will be able to advise on which lender can offer you the most if that’s important to you. Mortgage lenders will assess your affordability by looking closely at your income and expenditure.

How is my income assessed as a doctor in training?

At this stage of your career you will find yourself with fixed term contracts usually for a year at at time, sometimes less. It is important to know that not all lenders will accept short term contracts and if they do some apply special terms such as not using all of your income. A junior doctors mortgage adviser will help you understand what lenders look for when applying for a mortgage and will be able to guide you towards the right bank or building society.

As a rough guide, you should be able to borrow around 4 or 4.5 times your salary (if you’re applying with somebody else this can be combined). The actual loan amount will fluctuate depending on your fixed outgoings like student loan payment, credit cards, pension contribution, travelling expenses. Most lenders will include some or all of these payments in their affordability assessment. Again, your mortgage adviser will be able to select the most suitable lender based on your circumstances.

Will the lender accept additional hours and banding?

Not many lenders understand NHS payslips and most will only allow your basic salary to be used. Any additional income earned above this will be treated differently by lenders so it’s a good idea to get a specialist junior doctors mortgage broker involved if you want to maximise your income.

Can a doctor get a mortgage on a fixed term contract?

The mortgage lender will want to see you last three payslips and your contract. This can be hard to get hold of so it’s a good idea to chase up your trust before you are ready to make a mortgage application. Sometimes you will have a letter confirming your employment and this can be used in some circumstances. If you are moving to a new hospital your junior doctors mortgage broker will be able to advise you on the best doctors mortgage lender.

Your expenditure as a trainee doctor

The lender will want to look at your regular expenditure when assessing your ability to afford the mortgage. They may want to see your past bank statements to see what your spending your money on. This is nothing to worry about but you can do a few things to prepare your accounts and streamline your spending.

Don’t worry too much about your general expenditure and bills as these are to be expected. If there’s any other large regular payments you can do without such as a TV subscription or gym membership, it might be a good idea to cancel these and prioritise your home purchase.

How junior doctors should understand their credit score?

credit score for mortgage applicationYour credit record is quietly building up without you knowing. Every bill you pay is recorded along with your bank accounts, loans, credit card and so on. Its easy to get a really good credit score as long as you make your repayments but beware any missed or late payment is registered and has a really detrimental effect. It wont pick up your rent payment so make sure you have your own phone and other bills in your name if possible.

Have a look at your own credit score and familiarise yourself with the information. Get a copy from Experian or Equifax.

Even if you think your credit score should be healthy, it’s worth checking before you make your mortgage application. As a student and a junior doctor you’ve probably house shared at some point. Without knowing it your housemates’ payment history could have affected credit score due to an address association.

Credit scores take time to build, but there are things you can do that may help to boost your rating:

  • Get yourself on the electoral roll: Always make sure you’re registered to vote. This is one of the single biggest positive impacts on your credit file. Register at gov.uk if you haven’t already done it.
  • Check for accuracy: Get a copy of your credit file and make sure all the information is correct. You will have moved around as a student and junior doctor so check the address history is up to date.
  • Use a credit card: Remember, the mortgage lender will check your file to get an understanding of whether you are good at paying off debts. It’s a good idea to use a credit card on a regular basis and pay it off each month to show you are creditworthy.
  • Clear your debts: Debts are not your friends when plying for a mortgage. The repayments will reduce your affordability and lower the mortgage you can get. Pay off any debts as soon as possible.

Read some reviews from fist time buyers….

We are truly grateful for everything that you have done

Buying your first home during your final year at medical school, whilst sitting finals and going away on elective, was never going to be a stress free process! However, with David at the helm the transition from student living to moving onto the housing ladder was much smoother. David provides an exceptional service; he is

Dr S Serna and Mr P Hayes
Junior Doctor, Oakham

Communication was excellent

Doctors Mortgages were extremely helpful in facilitating the purchase of our first property. Communication was excellent and without them we would have not been able to proceed so swiftly when time was running out! Highly recommended. Thank you very much

D Hudson
Junior Doctor

Made moving home so much simpler

As a first time buyer the mortgage market was a mystery to me and without the help and guidance of David I wouldn’t have known where to start. Having someone else manage the whole mortgage process from start to finish made moving home so much simpler. I was frequently updated on the progress of my

Dr G Brown
Speciality Registrar, Deeside

Endless help in organising a mortgage for us

I would like to wholeheartedly thank you for your endless help in organising a mortgage for us for the purchase of our first house. Following a bad experience with a high street bank’s lack of understanding of junior doctor salary banding, we were anxious to secure a mortgage offer as quickly as possible. Through your

Dr J Cullen
Junior Doctor, Moira

Invaluable guidance and help in arranging our mortgage and securing our first home!

David has been excellent at providing us with lots of information and guidance during our search for a mortgage and our first home. He managed to sort out a great offer for us in a timely manner and was prompt and informative in responding to our emails and phone calls. We would definitely recommend to

Dr A Ahluwalia
FY2 Doctor, West Yorkshire

Understands doctors contracts to help secure you a mortgage.

This is the second time we have used Doctors Mortgages. We got quite far with another broker, but just found that they were baffled by doctors terms and conditions. It was reassuring when our broker assured us that our situation was very normal to him and that he didn’t foresee a problem getting us an

Laura Rogalski
GP, Dorset

Lifesaver, went above and beyond

Our mortgage broker, David Marina, has been absolutely fantastic from day one. It’s safe to say that we were a complicated case! As junior doctors buying their first house, but being out of training and having other buy-to-let properties our application for a mortgage provided many challenges. Despite this, David got us an offer with

Adam Walker and Anita Sri
Anaesthetics trainees in Kent

David was a huge help

David was a huge help in navigating the process of applying for a mortgage. As a large portion of my income is from night/weekend enhancements and my partner is self-employed, we were worried that we would not be able to secure a mortgage. However with David’s help we were able to get a mortgage offer

Bethany
FY2, North East England

Saved a lot of heartache and needless stress

I just wanted to say a special thanks to David Marina for all his hard work and dedication to finding us a mortgage. I was a first time buyer and a junior doctor doing regular locums. David made the whole process run smoothly; he explained everything in simple terms as we went along and kept

Dr L McGimpsey
Junior Doctor, Leeds

We would recommend them to others without hesitation

Doctors Mortgages were a huge help to us in securing a mortgage for our first house and we would recommend them to others without hesitation. From the outset David Marina was fast to respond to all correspondence and was always very approachable, giving helpful and pragmatic advice. Also beneficial to us was his understanding of

Dr J Evans
Junior Doctor, Devon

Excellent service

David is a great mortgage advisor, very practical advice, always available, very friendly and approachable, happy to help answer any questions and got us a great deal, would definitely recommend. Our application was especially difficult as I had only been locumming for 2-3 months so most lenders would not offer me a mortgage, David knew

Isabel
Junior Doctor, Manchester

Extremely knowledgable, we’re very grateful

David Marina was wonderfully brilliant in the process of us securing a mortgage. A delight to work with, easy to get hold of, and extremely knowledgable, we’re very grateful, Nicola and Joff Lock

Nicky Lock

I had a great experience

I had a great experience with Doctors Mortgages – David Marina. He was always easy to get in contact with and the process was very smooth. It made the process low stress and I would recommend.

Jess
Psychiatrist, Wirral

5 Star Service

From the first phone call David was professional, helpful and understanding of my situation. He is aware of the pressures and time constraints of working life as a doctor. He found a competitively priced mortgage in a short time frame and guided me through the process. I am really grateful for his readiness to answer

Fiona
SHO, Dorset

eased our worries and secured us a mortgage

My girlfriend and I would like to give a huge thank you to our mortgage adviser, David Marina, for helping with the purchase of our first home. As locum doctors with variable income, we were finding it difficult to secure a mortgage by approaching banks directly. David eased our worries and secured us a mortgage

Max Hadlett
Locum Emergency Doctor, Chester

David was more than helpful

David was more than helpful during a very stressful time, he went above and beyond to be available and provide us with reassurance every step of the way. Would recommend highly.

Dani
A&E Hampshire

David went above and beyond

David was absolutely instrumental in our ability to find a home. We had a lot of difficulty with our initial house falling through and then our eventual house being downvalued. David went above and beyond to give us advice and how to proceed and manage the situation. We couldn’t have got through the process without

Adam and Emma
Radiology, Birmingham

Thanks David!

David was excellent and helped me secure my first mortgage after I had some problems going directly with the bank. He was communicative, fast and very helpful. Thank you!

Matthew
Public Health Registrar, London

David’s advice saved us money, time and stress.

David has helped us to secure the mortgage on our first property. He has been so helpful, with great advice about the mortgage and lots of other aspects of the buying process. He has been available for chats throughout the last few months, answering calls immediately, and responding to emails late into the evenings. Specifically taking into

Thom & Charlotte Hughes
ST3 Winchester

mortgages for doctors

Not all mortgages are the same. How do you find the right one for you?

When you know how much you can borrow and the deposit needed, you need to compare the mortgages available on the market. This means looking at more than just mortgage rates and making sure you choose a junior doctor mortgage that best suits your needs.

You should consider the following

  • What type of rate do you want. Fixed, Variable, Tracker and so on
  • How long do you want the mortgage term to be
  • What are the fees or charges for the rate, application or valuation

Your mortgage adviser will help you understand all your options and provide illustrations of the recommended mortgage.

Choosing the term of a mortgage

With the rising cost of home ownership, junior doctors are opting for longer mortgage terms to reduce their monthly repayments. Mortgages have traditionally be set up to be repaid over 25 years. Trainee doctors have age on their side and an awareness of their future earnings potential.

A lot of first time buyers are choosing a mortgage term of 30 or 35 years. Remember, although the term is set a lot can happen in your life and your circumstances are likely to change. If you are able to pay the loan back quicker you can make over-payments to reduce the term. You may want to move or buy another home in the future at which time you can agree another mortgage term.

Are fixed rate mortgages a good idea?

Fixed rate mortgages mean paying a set amount each month for a given length of time. Fixed-rate mortgages deals are often for two, three or five years.

Fixed rate mortgages are the most common type taken out by junior doctors buying for the first time. As the Bank of England rate rises over time you will have peace of mind that your repayments stay the same until the fixed rate term ends.

At the end of your fixed period, you'll need to switch to a new rate to fix again. You can do this either with the same lender or another one by remortgage if they are offering a better deal. If you don't, you'll be charged at your lender's standard variable rate (SVR), which is usually much more expensive.

The process of buying a house as a junior doctor

newly qualified doctor mortgageOf course, there’s more to buying a house than arranging a junior doctor mortgage. If you’re not sure what happens (and when) in the home-buying process, here’s a very brief overview of the steps involved.

  • Know your budget. Before you apply for a mortgage, you’re going to need to know what you can borrow. This will help you know what value property you might be able to afford.A doctors mortgage broker will use affordability calculators from medic friendly lenders to get an idea of the value of property you might be able to afford. You’ll also get an estimate on what the monthly repayments could be.
  • Get a decision in principle. It's always fun to search Rightmove for the perfect home but before you start in earnest your should ask your broker for a 'decision in principle'.This isn’t an official mortgage offer, but more an indication of how much the lender is willing to lend you. When you’ve got an Agreement in Principle, you can start house hunting.
  • Secure your new home. When you've found your perfect first home - and you'll know when you do,  you need to agree a price to pay.The estate agent will speak to the seller and handle any negotiations. Once the price has been agreed you're on your way to home ownership!
  • You'll need a solicitor. A solicitor will sort all the legal work involved in the purchase of your first home.A solicitor or conveyancer will draw up contracts and handle the exchange of these with the seller’s representative, as well as the payment of your deposit. You can use our doctors conveyancing service to find a recommended firm from our panel of recommended conveyancers.
  • Get a mortgage offer. You'll need to progress with your full mortgage application and the lender will check your documentation and request a property survey.Once all the checks have been carried out the lender will issue a formal mortgage offer. This is your guarantee of mortgage acceptance and your solicitor will be able to move forward with the purchase.
  • Final stages of buying your first home. You’re on the home straight now.Your conveyancer will exchange contracts and pay your deposit to the seller once all the searches are done and you are ready to move forward. This is legally binding and a moving in date will be agreed by all parties  before the purchase is finalised.

That's all there is to it. You'll have help along the way from friends, family and of course your mortgage broker. So make sure you use all the resources to hand and ask any questions you have as you go along the journey of getting a junior doctor mortgage.

 

We can help junior doctors looking for a mortgage We are experts in sourcing and arranging mortgages for junior doctors and we have an exceptional reputation for customer service. Deal with us and we'll guide you through the mortgage application process from start to finish.