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The shopper has recently been left some inheritance and is thinking about investing in a home in Edinburgh with a plan of renting it out and eventually moving there. He has a deposit of £20,000, earns a salary of £25,000 and is considering applying for a buy-to-let mortgage. Other than a student loan he has no debts and wants to know whether he can get a buy-to-let mortgage and what options are available to him. The shopper currently rents in London.

Graham Ross Financial Services Limited

Edinburgh, EH 14 7EJ

www.mortgage-broker-edinburgh.co.uk

Speed of response: Time of call: 11.02 am. The call was answered after three rings by the adviser.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Telephone manner: Friendly and polite, the adviser came across as professional but not particularly animated.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Qualifications: No qualifications were mentioned.

Rating: 0/5 stars

Payment method: When the shopper asked, the adviser said he accepted fees or commission. For fees, he charged roughly £140 an hour and estimated he would need two to three hours to complete the mortgage.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Guidance: So long as the shopper had a sufficient deposit there should not be a problem getting a buy-to-let mortgage. He said the shopper would need a 10 per cent deposit. He said a survey would have to be carried out to estimate the expected rental income. As long as the rental income covered the mortgage there should be no problem getting a loan. He said lending criteria differed.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Knowledge: The adviser did not talk much about actual buy-to-let mortgages but focused on the buying process, urging the shopper to see a solicitor.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Verdict: Very friendly and laid back, the adviser gave the shopper decent advice but did not tell him enough information about buy-to-let deals.

Rating: 18/30 stars

Brian Lynn Financial Services

Falkirk, FK2 0XE

No web presence

Speed of response: Time of call: 11.13 am. The call was answered after three rings by the adviser.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Telephone manner: Lively and friendly, the adviser spoke confidently and quickly.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Qualifications: No qualifications were mentioned although the adviser said he was independent and covered the whole of market.

Rating: 1/5 stars

P ayment method: The adviser explained as he worked from home and therefore had less expenses, he normally did not need to charge a fee and was happy just relying on a procuration fee from the lender. He said he had to give the option of charging a fee, so it was a possibility if the client so desired.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Guidance: There should be no problem in the shopper getting a mortgage provided he had a 15 to 20 per cent deposit, the adviser said. The importance of the rental income covering 125 per cent of the mortgage and a good credit history was stressed. The adviser went through a few sums and examples. He suggested getting property in a good area so the house would appreciate in value. Now was probably a good time to get a mortgage because interest rates were around 6 per cent and probably would not alter too much in the near future.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Knowledge: The adviser clearly knew his stuff about buy-to-let mortgages and seemed very optimistic about the shopper's chances.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Verdict: The adviser was professional and demonstrated extensive knowledge of the market. He put the shopper at ease and gave him sound and helpful advice.

Rating: 21/30 stars

STD Financial Services

Edinburgh, EH4 8AX

No web presence

Speed of response: Time of call: 11.23 am. The call was answered after two rings by the adviser.

Rating: 4/5 stars

T elephone manner: The adviser was very friendly, listened to the shopper and came across as professional on the telephone.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Qualifications: Nothing was said about qualifications but he did state he covered the whole of market.

Rating: 1/5 stars

Payment method: When asked the adviser said he did not charge a fee for arranging buy-to-let mortgages and accepted commission from the lender.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Guidance: If the shopper had a decent deposit the shopper said there should be no problem getting a mortgage. He went on to briefly explain buy-to-let mortgages. He explained that there would be credit searches and buy-to-let mortgages were not as hard to get as regular mortgages with some lenders offering 85 per cent loan-to-value. The adviser took the shopper's contact details and said he would email him terms and a fact find form.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Knowledge: The adviser came across as very knowledgeable about both buy-to-let and the housing market.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Verdict: Friendly, helpful and professional, the adviser listened to what the shopper had to say and provided sound advice. The shopper was made to feel at ease by the advisers calm tone and knowledge of the market.

Rating: 19/30 stars