Why use a broker at all
Your bank can only offer you its own mortgage, at its own rates, under its own credit policy. Lenders differ far more than people expect.
One set of rates, one credit policy
One application, every lender
What you can borrow
The Central Bank sets limits that apply to every lender in the country.
Lenders can exceed those limits on a limited share of their lending each year, which is called an exception. They are genuinely limited in number and tend to go early in the year, so timing matters if you need one.
Three calculators, before you talk to anybody.
What you could borrow, what it would cost each month, and what switching would save you. No sign-up to see an answer.
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Illustrative only and not personal advice. Lenders stress-test repayments at a higher rate than they offer and apply their own credit policy, so any figure here is a guide rather than an offer. Central Bank limits of four times income for first-time buyers and 3.5 times for movers are applied, with a 10% minimum deposit.
What we handle
First-time buyers
Approval in principle, Help to Buy, the First Home Scheme, and what the deposit actually needs to be.
Moving home
Trading up, bridging the gap between selling and buying, and whether an existing rate can travel with you.
Switching
The most overlooked money in Irish personal finance. Rates move and most people never look again after drawdown.
Self-build
Staged drawdowns, valuations at each stage, and lenders who actually do this well.
Self-employed and contractors
Two or three years of accounts, add-backs, and the lenders who understand a company director’s real income.
Buy-to-let
Higher deposits, rental stress-testing and different rate structures.
Equity release and later-life lending
Freeing up money from a home you want to stay in, for home improvements, helping family, or clearing other debt.
The Budget, explained in the time it takes to drive home.
Budget measures are confusing and the headlines rarely show the full picture. We go through what actually changed for individuals and for businesses, and what it means for the year ahead. Available all year, not just on the night.
- Understand the real impact. Income tax, PRSI, USC, pensions and the supports for business owners, in plain terms.
- Listen whenever it suits. Under twenty minutes, at your desk, in the car or at home. No sign-up.
- The full summary alongside it. Our written Budget summary and flipbook sit on the same page.
What Budget {{ budgetYear }} means for you and your business
Finnegan Maguire Financial Advisors · 20 min
Find out what you can actually borrow.
No charge to you for mortgage advice. We look across the market, work out your real ceiling and handle the application end to end.
Book a first meetingThe supports, and the traps
Three State supports are worth real money if you use them in the right order. Five ordinary mistakes cost people mortgages every week.
The supports available
They interact with each other and with your deposit in ways that are not obvious. Getting the order right can be worth tens of thousands.
What to watch out for
From first conversation to keys
We work out what is possible
Income, existing debts, deposit, and any wrinkles like contract work or a recent job change. You get a realistic borrowing figure before you fall in love with a house.
We place it with the right lender
Not the one with the best headline rate, the one most likely to say yes to your situation on sensible terms. Then we prepare the application and chase it through.
We sort the protection too
Mortgage protection is a condition of drawdown, and life cover and income protection are worth looking at while you are at it. One conversation, not three.
Questions we get asked
What does it cost me?
Normally nothing for the mortgage advice itself. We are paid a commission by the lender on drawdown, which does not increase your rate or your repayments. Where a fee applies to a particular case, we tell you before you commit and it is set out in our terms of business.
Can you get me a better rate than my own bank?
Sometimes, and sometimes your own bank is genuinely the best option, in which case we will tell you. The larger value is usually in placing you with a lender whose credit policy fits you, and in getting the application approved at all.
I am self-employed. Is it much harder?
It is more paperwork, not necessarily harder. Lenders generally want two to three years of certified accounts and your tax clearance. What varies enormously is how each lender treats retained profits, add-backs and directors' salary. Choosing the right lender matters far more here than for a PAYE applicant.
How much deposit do I actually need?
10% of the purchase price for a first-time buyer or a mover, plus your costs: stamp duty at 1% for most homes, legal fees, valuation and a survey. Help to Buy can cover a large part of the deposit on a new build.
Should I fix or go variable?
It depends on how long you plan to stay, whether you might overpay, and how much certainty you want in your monthly budget. Fixing buys certainty and limits flexibility, because breaking a fixed rate early can carry a cost. There is no universally right answer and anyone who gives you one has not asked enough questions.
Is it worth switching?
Very often. Check the switcher calculator first for a rough number. If the saving looks meaningful, we will do the full comparison including any fees, cashback and break costs, and tell you plainly if it is not worth the effort.
Pick a date and time that suits you.
No sales pitch, just a conversation about what you can borrow, which lender suits you and what it would cost. You will get a written summary either way.
