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 · Maldon
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A little about me
Martin Hunt
Mortgage and Protection Consultant
Most people think a broker's job is finding a rate. Really it's making sure nothing catches you out three weeks before completion. I've been doing this long enough around Maldon to know where those surprises usually hide.
I live locally and have worked with buyers, movers and landlords across Maldon and the Blackwater villages for over 18 years now, plus plenty of people further afield who found me through a recommendation. Heybridge, Tollesbury, Wickham Bishops, Danbury, I know the area well enough to know which lenders are worth approaching.
You’ll always deal with me directly, face to face locally, by phone or by video, including evenings. Every recommendation comes with a plain-English explanation of why it’s right for you and what it protects, and the final decision always stays with you.
CeMAP qualified
Whole of market
Protection specialist
Why Maldon 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
“A very trustworthy company. Martin Hunt was very professional throughout the process and ensured all of our needs were met with a streamline and user friendly process! I thoroughly recommend using City Mortgage Solutions!”
“We have used Martin Hunt at City Mortgage Solutions on a number of occasions and he has never failed to disappoint. Martin is professional, efficient and has always found the best deal for us. At no point have we ever had to chase and the whole process has been made easy and straightforward with martin’s guidance. We would not hesitate to recommend City Mortgage Solutions.”
“We have been using Martin Hunt for over 20 years, and there is no one else we would trust with our mortgage and insurance needs. Martin is attentive, knowledgeable, patient and dependable, always offering clear, practical advice and securing the best deal possible. Most recently, his advice to fix our rate early was invaluable, as rates have since increased. He secured us a great rate and saved us money in the process. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Martin and will continue to do so.”
Areas we cover
Advice rooted in Maldon, serving the Essex towns around it
Select an area to see how I help buyers and owners there, in person locally, or by phone and video anywhere.
Home patch
Maldon
Home base. From the old town and the Hythe down to Heybridge, 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 Maldon's catchments, 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.
Whole of market, not one shelf
A single bank can only offer what it's got on the shelf.
I'm not tied to any one lender, so instead of hoping their product happens to fit you, I go and find the one that does. See the practical difference that makes.
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.
Maldon, from the Hythe to the Blackwater
Why use a mortgage broker in Maldon?
Period cottages in the old town, riverside homes by the Hythe and new family streets toward Heybridge rarely stay listed long. When the right home appears, the buyers who arranged their finance first are the ones who secure it.
Working with City Mortgage Solutions Limited I compare more than 90 lenders on every case, so the recommendation you get isn't one bank's shelf, it's the strongest answer the whole market has for your circumstances.
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. In a market like Maldon's, where good homes by the river and in the old town move quickly, having an agreement in principle arranged before you offer can be the difference in securing a property.
Your initial consultation is free and comes with no obligation. If a fee applies to your case, you'll have it explained 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. I'll give you an accurate borrowing figure and an agreement in principle, so when the right home in Maldon appears you're ready to offer.
Yes. Plenty of my Maldon clients run their own businesses or contract. Lenders treat retained profits, day rates and short trading histories very differently, and knowing which lender suits your accounts is exactly where whole-of-market advice earns its keep.
Yes. Maldon's old town and the Blackwater villages are full of period, timber-framed and individual homes, and lenders vary widely in how they treat them. I know which lenders are comfortable with character stock, so we approach the right one first time instead of losing weeks to a refusal.
Around six months before your current deal ends. Offers usually last six months, so starting early locks a rate in now while keeping the option to switch if rates improve before completion.
We'll find a time that suits you, face to face around Maldon 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.