About me
Hello, I’m Dave Donovan. I’m a qualified Mortgage, Protection and Equity Release Adviser and have been in financial services for more than 45 years initially in banking, where I progressed to managing several branches before moving into the Financial Advice side of the industry. Latterly I spent 17 years with Legal
Hello, I’m Dave Donovan. I’m a qualified Mortgage, Protection and Equity Release Adviser and have been in financial services for more than 45 years initially in banking, where I progressed to managing several branches before moving into the Financial Advice side of the industry. Latterly I spent 17 years with Legal and General in a wide range of managerial roles before setting up my own advice business in 2017. I am supported by Blueprint Financial Solutions which is itself part of Quilter Financial Planning and together we benefit from its financial strength, security, buying power and access to expertise.
I aim to ensure our customers are at the heart of how I do business, that I give them appropriate products and services, and I put their protection above my own profits or income. I believe that my role is not only to help customers improve their financial position and achieve their goals but also to ensure they fully understand what they are buying and why and I take this view into the work I do with the Chartered Insurance Institute under their Education Champions initiative.
Outside of work I enjoy walking, studying history and travelling the UK to watch football matches and as part of my interest in football I sponsor two local clubs – Shrivenham FC and Blunsdon FC.
Services
Mortgages
Protection
Equity release
(including Forces Help to Buy)
First Time Buyers
We were all first-time buyers at some point, and it can be a scary place to find yourself! Therefore, you may need some guidance in making the right decision now – one that could save you thousands in interest payments.
Our role is to find you the most suitable and cost-effective deal, so you will have all the facts to make the right decision about what lender and mortgage type you choose and to guide you throughout the house buying process.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Home movers
If you already have a mortgage, what happens when you want to move to another property? Is it better to get a new loan or to use your existing one, perhaps increasing the size of your debt? We can help by offering a full review of your mortgage needs and advising on the best way forward.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Shared Ownership
With shared ownership, you buy between a quarter and three-quarters of a property but continue paying rent on then rest of it. You have the option to buy a bigger share in the property at a later date.
These schemes are aimed at people who do not earn enough to buy a home outright.
Most of the homes available are newly built, but some are properties being re-sold by housing associations.
All shared ownership homes in England are offered on a leasehold only basis.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Re-mortgages
If you are looking to find lower interest rates and better mortgage terms or to release some capital for expenses like home improvements, we can provide advice to ensure you get the best deal available! We will advise on any, perhaps unforeseen, expenses such as Early Repayment Charges and help the whole process run as smoothly as possible.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Adverse Credit
Mortgage advice for adverse credit from small blips to regular missed payments or even CCJ’s and Defaults. We can use our access to a range of lenders who only deal with brokers like us to find you a mortgage when you thought it impossible! No fee is payable unless we are successful in getting you the loan you need.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Buy to Let
You will need a buy-to-let mortgage if you intend to borrow to purchase a property that you want to rent out– traditional residential mortgages are only for those who intend to live in the property they are buying. Mortgage lenders do not accept rented properties on a standard residential mortgage. This is because they believe there is greater risk involved with buy-to-let lending than with standard residential lending.
If you are an accidental landlord, for example because you were unable to sell your home after moving in with your partner, then you will need to notify your mortgage lender about the change in circumstances. Some lenders may let you continue to use your residential mortgage for a while, but usually they will want you to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage immediately.
Some buy to lets are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
(including Forces Help to Buy)
Help to Buy (including Forces Help to Buy)
If you are a struggling first-time buyer trying to scrape together a deposit, there are a number of Government mortgage schemes that may be able to help you.
These include Help to Buy, Starter Homes, Social HomeBuy and shared ownership (see below). They may get you on the housing ladder quicker than you originally thought.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Debt Consolidation
A credit card here, a holiday loan there, new clothes on a store card, a new TV with monthly payments, it is all too easy to build up expensive debts. If they have different payment dates one could get missed, but debt consolidation lets you pay them all off with one low-rate loan that only requires a single payment every month.
Think carefully before securing your debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Right to buy
Under the current rules, you can apply to buy your council home if:
- It is your only, or main home.
- It is self-contained, i.e., you do not share any rooms (including kitchen, bathroom and toilet) with people outside your household.
- You are a secure tenant (there is a legal contract between you and the landlord).
- You have had a public sector landlord (e.g., a council, housing association or NHS trust) for three years (it does not have to be three years in a row).
- You have no legal issues with debt.
You can also make a joint application with someone who shares your tenancy, or up to three family members who have lived with you for the past 12 months (even if they do not share your tenancy).
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Holiday Lets
A holiday let loan is designed for landlords with properties they would like to let out on a short-term basis as holiday accommodation including using Airbnb. Holiday let mortgages are considered a specialist type of lending, so you won’t find one as easily as a standard mortgage. With some holiday rentals making more in a single week than a traditional long-term rental does in a month, becoming a holiday let landlord could earn you a healthy income. Most lenders will even allow you use the property yourself when not renting it out.
Some Holiday Let Mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Protection
Most of us protect our possessions but not our income, failing to provide for those dependent on it should it cease through death, sickness or unemployment.
The ‘Blunsdon way’ is to understand your worries and build a personal portfolio of policies, utilising your existing plans where possible, to give you peace of mind.
We know there is more to buying insurance than finding the cheapest quote and our tailored approach will make sure that you spend your money wisely on the right solutions.
We will guide you through ownership and trusts so that the money when its needed is in the right hands at the right time. And as your trusted adviser, when the time comes, we will provide support to those you have provided for.
- Types of insurance include:
- Term assurance
- Whole of life assurance
- Income protection and unemployment insurance
- Accident/sickness insurance
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Equity Release
Equity release is aimed at homeowners aged 55 and over. It allows you to take some of the value of your home as cash.
- The amount you can release is based on your age and the value of your home.
- The cash released is tax-free.
Equity release is:
- Lifetime mortgage: A lifetime mortgage is a loan secured against your home. You continue to own your home.
With equity release you continue to live in your home until the last surviving borrower dies or moves out of the home and into long-term care.
There may be cheaper ways to borrow money and at Blunsdon Mortgages we will help you understand if equity release is right for you and which product best suits your needs.
Think carefully before securing your debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Equity Release and Lifetime Mortgages plans will reduce the value of your estate and can affect your eligibility for means tested benefits.
Financial education delivered
by professionals
Our sessions are delivered by our network of Education Champions – professional members who are committed to giving something back to their local community. This is a fantastic way for you to give something back and help young people as they start their journey to adulthood and begin their careers. Education Champions will be able to access online training and support to use tried and tested collateral so that they can go to schools with the confidence that they can deliver genuine added value content to students.
My personal finance skills
Financial education workshops
An initial set of four financial education workshops have been created in collaboration with ‘Young Money’, a trusted financial education provider, supporting schools, colleges and universities for over 15 years. Workshops have been piloted in schools have received the financial education Quality Mark supported by Money Advice Service.
