I have a confession to make: I'm a supercilious devil. I get a lot of emails from people enquiring about mortgage loans online I know are wasting my time. They've been to a dozen web sites, sent each one a one-line email saying "Help me give it to me NOW", sometimes adding "for free!". When you do give a (considered) reply, you hear nothing back.

The best ones are the out-and-out leeches. They'll call you up, asking detailed questions, say thanks very much, then take their mortgage loan online-related business(?) elsewhere (if they can bear to prise open their wallets at all). I used to wonder why mortgage loan online companies were sometimes so abrupt. No more. They have sales quotas, and after 2000 calls, the rep. gets to know a hot prospect, or a time-waster pretty quickly.

You need to cut to the chase when getting quotes for mortgage loan online. What you really need is the APR (Annualised Percentage Rate) for comparison purposes, which should be the interest rate PLUS associated fees for taking out the loan. Ask for a personalised illustration. Also look out for prepayment penalties; charges made if you pay back the mortgage loan online early. Then, hopefully, you can do a true cost comparison.

Work with the right mortgage loan online professionals. There are thousands about. People think they must choose and stick with them no matter what. This is not so. They work for you. If you are unhappy with one, fire them and get another.

Many mortgage loan online companies will offer or include buildings and contents insurance and/or Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance (MPPI). You may be able to get a better deal on insurance from someone, such as an independent broker, so don't be lazy; shop around for a bit.

Another trick I use is to type 'mortgage loan online forum' into a search engine, and see what comes up. If you find a lively forum, you can ask questions about the company you're keen on, or ask for other users' recommendations.

WARNING: Some touts for companies lurk in these forums; you may not get unbiased advice. Also, some posters are overly negative; they hate everyone! Or they are nitwits, or ignorant. Search thoroughly: you'll know the truth when you find it.

It's amazing how lazy some people can be. They know they've got a bad credit rating, they know what they've got to do to improve it: settle up with creditors, and get on to Experian, Equifax and CallCredit, and make sure black marks are removed, or ameliorated, but it just seems too much trouble. So instead they incur thousands of pounds in extra interest and charges on their mortgage loan online, all for want of a bit of bureaucratic persistence. Crazy!

So if I don't reply to your email, please don't get angry. It's because I can't help you. Some products on this site are only open to UK residents. Others are only available to 'First-world' countries; if you live in Texas, you're out. I'm basically a one man band.

TIP: Don't look for a property without being pre-approved for your mortgage loan online. You will have much more negotiating power with the company, and may be able to save thousands of pounds.

How to spot a dubious mortgage loan online company: If you can get to their offices, have a look around. What is your first impression? Lethargic or Dynamic? Obscure or Direct? Clean or Dirty? Don't let your greed for a mortgage loan online override your instincts. Your instincts are probably right.

Don't take on a mortgage loan online thinking "Well, I can always go bankrupt if I get into difficulties". This is folly. If you go bankrupt, it will be entered in the records of the County Court, and you will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to get credit of any kind in the future, except at heinous rates.

Also, the company you owe the money to will make an entry into your credit record. Credit referencing agencies make it their business to sift County Court records, to keep their databases up to date. You will have shown you can't be trusted to pay back a mortgage, therefore why should any lender, hire purchase company or credit card company take a chance on you?

As with so many other purchases in life, there's a price point below which you'll not be getting good quality mortgage loan online. See for yourself: get a few quotes from different mortgage loan online companies. Some can shave a half-percent here or there, but you may pay it back with fees, insurance or potential penalties later. Watch the small print.