First-time buyers
From deposit questions through to completion day: a clear plan, an agreement in principle, and someone to translate the jargon at every step.
Mortgage advice · Great Dunmow
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A little about me
Lisa Lee
Mortgage and Protection Consultant
People remember how buying their home felt. My job is to make sure what you remember is excitement, not stress, so I handle the lenders, the paperwork and the chasing while you get on with the move.
I've spent over 17 years looking after buyers, movers and landlords across Great Dunmow and the villages around it, from first homes on the new developments to period cottages in Felsted and Thaxted. Every case starts the same way: I listen to what you’re trying to do, then search the whole market for the lender that fits, not just the familiar name.
You deal with me directly the whole way through, face to face locally, by phone or by video, including evenings. I explain everything in plain English, keep you updated without being asked, and the final decision always stays with you.
CeMAP qualified
Whole of market
Protection specialist
Why Great Dunmow homebuyers choose me
You don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s what local buyers and homeowners say about working with me.
★★★★★5.0 rating on Google Reviews
“Lisa was upfront about every cost from the first phone call and never once tried to add something we didn't need.”
“Second mortgage I've done with Lisa now. Just as smooth as the first time, straightforward, with no wasted back and forth.”
“She spotted an issue with our credit file before the lender did, and helped us get it sorted before it became a real problem.”
Areas we cover
Advice rooted in Great Dunmow, serving west Essex and the border villages
Select an area to see how I help buyers and owners there, in person locally, or by phone and video anywhere.
Home patch
Great Dunmow
My home patch. From the high street and Woodlands Park out to Flitch Green, this is where I live and work, and where most of my clients buy.
How I can help
Whatever your situation, I can help
First home, next move, remortgage or something the banks call complicated: it all starts with a straightforward conversation about what’s possible for you.
Home movers
Porting, upsizing or relocating into Dunmow's villages, advice that times your mortgage around the chain, not the other way round.
Remortgaging
Your current deal ending isn't a deadline to panic about. Start six months out, lock a rate, and switch again if the market improves.
Buy-to-let
Portfolio or first rental, personal name or limited company, stress-test the numbers across specialist and mainstream lenders.
Self-employed & contractors
Day rates, retained profits or a short trading history: the right lender for your accounts makes all the difference, and I know which ones to approach.
Protection & insurance
Life cover, critical illness and income protection, arranged alongside your mortgage so your home and family stay protected if life changes.
The full journey
From the first chat to your new front door, handled for you
Buying or remortgaging involves a lot of moving parts. The difference is, you won’t be chasing any of them. I handle the lender, solicitor, survey and paperwork and keep everyone moving, so there are no nasty surprises and no needless delays.
STEP 1
First conversation
We talk through your plans, budget and timescales. No cost, and no obligation to go ahead.
STEP 2
Decision in principle
I confirm what you can realistically borrow, so you can offer on the right home with confidence.
STEP 3
Solicitors & survey
I help get your solicitor instructed and the survey booked early, setting everything up so the rest of the process runs smoother, not stalled on paperwork later.
STEP 4
The right deal
I compare over 90 lenders and recommend the mortgage that fits your circumstances, not just the first one offered.
STEP 5
Protection in place
Life, critical illness and income cover arranged to match, so your home is safe if life changes.
STEP 6
Completion & beyond
Keys in hand, then a rate review before your deal ends to help you avoid slipping onto a higher rate.
Compare properly, decide confidently
A bank can only recommend its own deals. I compare all of them.
There's nothing wrong with your bank's mortgage, it's just one option out of hundreds. As a whole-of-market broker I put it up against everyone else's before telling you which one to choose.
With City Mortgage Solutions
Whole of market- Deals compared across 90+ lenders, including broker-only rates
- Advice on which lender suits your income, deposit and credit profile
- Agreement in principle arranged before you offer, so you can move fast on the right home
- Application managed end-to-end: paperwork, chasing, solicitor liaison
- Protection reviewed alongside the mortgage, not as an afterthought
Going direct to one bank
- Only that bank's own products, however the market compares
- You self-select the lender before knowing if their criteria fit you
- Appointment lead times set by branch and call-centre availability
- Progress-chasing across bank, valuer and solicitor sits with you
- A declined application can leave a mark before you try elsewhere
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Great Dunmow and the villages around it
Why use a mortgage broker in Great Dunmow?
Dunmow’s market moves at two speeds at once: fast-selling new developments like Woodlands Park and Flitch Green, and village period homes that lenders assess very differently. Buyers with finance agreed, and the right lender chosen, win both.
Through City Mortgage Solutions Limited I compare more than 90 lenders on every case, so whether it's a builder's deadline or a thatched roof making things interesting, the recommendation you get is the strongest the whole market has.
Lenders compared
90+
Whole of market
Google rating
5.0
From local clients
Initial consultation
Free
Honest, jargon-free advice
Years advising
15+
Mortgage & protection
Access to over 90 lenders, including
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
Halifax
Nationwide
NatWest
Santander
HSBC
Barclays
Skipton
Accord
+ 80 more
Common questions
Mortgage questions, answered straight
You can go directly to a bank, but a whole-of-market broker compares deals from 90+ lenders rather than one, and manages the application end-to-end. Around Great Dunmow the choice runs from brand-new developments to listed cottages in the villages, and lenders differ sharply on both. Knowing who suits your property and your circumstances saves weeks.
Your initial chat is free and without obligation. Should a fee apply to your case, I set it out clearly and in writing before you commit to anything.
Most lenders offer between 4 and 4.5 times income, though affordability rules, deposit size and credit history all play a part. Dunmow attracts buyers stretching for village life and commuters comparing against Bishop's Stortford prices, so I'll give you an accurate borrowing figure and an agreement in principle before you start viewing.
Yes. Many of my clients around Dunmow are self-employed or contract, including plenty connected to Stansted Airport. Lenders treat retained profits, day rates and short trading histories very differently, and matching your accounts to the right lender is exactly where whole-of-market advice earns its keep.
Yes. With the amount of new development around Great Dunmow, Flitch Green and Great Notley, new-build is a big part of my work. Builder deadlines, extended offer periods, incentives and schemes like shared ownership all need the right lender, and I keep the developer's timescales on track.
Around six months before your current deal ends. An offer usually lasts six months, so starting early locks a rate in and still leaves room to switch if rates improve before completion.
We'll find a time that suits you, face to face around Dunmow and the villages, or by phone and video call, including evenings.
Book your appointment
Ready to talk? Let’s have a proper chat.
Book a free, no-obligation chat and we’ll talk through your plans, what’s realistic, and the right next step. No scripts and no hard sell. Prefer to talk now? Call me on 020 7481 3736. Evenings and video calls are no problem.
Thanks, your request is in.
I'll call you back within one working day.