My husband and I first contacted the FAC in June 2016, we were looking to move house and due to the fact I had been made bankrupt in 2012 we wanted to give ourselves the best possible chance of obtaining a mortgage. We were put in touch with Paul Cross who is a mortgage and protection adviser, from the very start we felt like we were in good hands. Paul talked us through the whole process and gathered the information needed, we were thrilled to learn that there was a good chance of getting a mortgage and we started the ball rolling. Over the next couple of weeks we supplied Paul with all the information he needed and he kept us fully up to date with the different products which might be available to us. There were quite a few issues with my credit report not being updated properly and Paul was brilliant at advising me how to get these entries changed, Paul also kept a close eye on any other potential issues and so many times found these and I was able to rectify them before they became a problem for us. We never had any lenders or products forced on us, we were always consulted as to which way was going to be best for us and we certainly had many options. Due to Pauls experience in this field he has built up some close relationships with different lenders, he has personal working relationship with the people who work for these lenders especially those who are open to customers with previous credit problems. Paul is able to phone up and have an open conversation with a real person about your personal circumstances, never once did we feel like we were just another client, we felt like someone was listening to our story and explained our position. We put our house up for sale and it sold very quickly, we found a beautiful house and put in an offer. Paul began the process of putting in an official mortgage application and we provided everything they asked for, due to Pauls earlier diligence all our credit reports and financial statements looked great and ready to go. I think I spoke to Paul almost everyday for a while and I was never made to feel like I was bothering him or asking stupid questions, when the mortgage company needed extra information and I would get a little frustrated Paul was amazing at explaining why and keeping me positive. When Paul took a family holiday we were left in the capable hands of Lewis Hammond a Senior Administrator, Lewis really was amazing, it was really obvious that he worked closely with Paul and was fully up to date with our case, Lewis also had a great relationship with the mortgage lender and spoke to them on our behalf a number of times always with a positive outcome. In September we hit a major snag which took all of us by surprise, during the final checks by the mortgage lender there was a flag which appeared on my name, due to data protection the mortgage lender could not discuss this with Paul or even ourselves, I had to obtain an official communication from a third party company explaining what the flag was which we were told would take 40 days to obtain. I must admit this almost tipped me over the edge, we were so close to being offered a mortgage and for this to happen was a major blow. This is when Paul and Lewis really came through, Paul was in constant communication with the underwriter Gemma at the mortgage company, he was in touch with me very regularly, he spoke with both sets of estate agents who were making the whole situation worse with pressure and constant phone calls and he also liaised with my solicitor. As the weeks went on I was losing hope this situation would ever be resolved, the buyers for our house were making noises that they might pull out and the house were buying was potentially going to be put back on the market. Throughout all of this negativity on my part Paul and Lewis never once gave up hope, they were so positive and always always at the end of the phone and believe me I have called them at all times of the day and night. Due to the great relationship Paul had with the underwriter I was able to speak to her directly, this was invaluable for both sides, it saved so much time and we were able to build up a relationship which you will see later really made a huge difference in the end. Finally I received the official paperwork and it transpired that I had been the victim of identity fraud 2 years ago and had a fraud marker placed against my name. I knew nothing about this, I was shock and upset, I didn't know how I was going to resolve this but as usual Paul and Lewis were on hand to advise me. I was able to clear my name and provide information asked for by the mortgage company. Due to having that personal interaction with the underwriter myself she believed in my innocence and took my case personally to the board of directors panel for approval, the underwriter was able to speak to them with a personal touch, she could talk to them about what type of people we were, our jobs, lifestyle and how this experience had effected us. When the panel asked for some more information she could come back to me directly and get this information quickly. I know that the underwriter stayed late at work and went way above what is normally expected for us which you would not get if you were to go in to a high street bank where nothing is personal. I don't think I have ever been so nervous. Paul and Lewis had done everything possible for us and all we could do was wait. Finally on the 28th October I received an email from Paul with the mortgage offer attached, I couldn't phone him for crying. All the months and hours of work had finally paid off. We moved in to our beautiful new house on Friday 18th November. We cannot put in to words how grateful we are to the finance advice centre and especially Paul and Lewis, they have changed our life, i didn't really dare to hope I could be a home owner after bankruptcy. The work that Paul and Lewis put in to our case was certainly above and beyond what is normal, I don't believe that had we gone with another company we would now be sat In our new house, I am sure another adviser would have given up a long time ago because it really was a very difficult case. We will forever be thankful we found Paul and Lewis and certainly we will be keeping in touch ready for our re-mortgage in the future. Thank you so much.