The Times, Ask The Expert, Money Section

Our MD Adrian Anderson is the go-to "Ask the Expert- Mortgage Guru" for The Times, Money section, providing valuable insights into readers' most pressing mortgage questions.

A recent question was: I have two sons, aged 26 and 29, who both live in London. I am in a position to help them get on to the property ladder — what is the most efficient way to achieve this? Given the property prices in London, they need as much help as possible.

Read the key quotes below. For the full article, click here.

"For parents who have the money, there are several ways you can help contribute. One of the simplest ways is to give your child money for their deposit," says Adrian Anderson. "This can significantly reduce the amount they have to borrow and make it easier to get a mortgage.

"Family-focused mortgages.? Joint borrower, sole proprietor mortgages allow the child to buy a property in their own name and add the parent’s name to the mortgage; both incomes are taken into account when the lender decides how much can be borrowed."

"The Lifetime Isa is a tax-free savings account that could help your sons to buy their first home or to save for later in life. Savers aged between 18 and 40 can put away up to ￡4,000 each year until they are 50. The big plus is that the government adds a 25 per cent bonus, up to a maximum of ￡1,000 a year. Properties bought with the savings must cost no more than ￡450,000, which can be tricky in London. If you withdraw the money before the age of 60 for anything other than to buy a first home, you pay a 25 per cent penalty that effectively forfeits the bonus, and a little more on top."

"Halifax’s Family Boost mortgage allows a family member to put 10 per cent of the agreed property purchase price into a savings account, which is then locked away for three years to earn interest. It enables the first-time buyer to get a mortgage at 95 per cent to 100 per cent loan-to-value (LTV). The buyer or family member has to hold a Halifax Reward current account to apply."

"Nationwide’s Helping Hand mortgage allows first-time buyers to borrow up to 95 per cent LTV when taking out a five or ten-year fixed rate. Eligible first-time buyers can borrow up to 20 per cent more with this mortgage than a standard mortgage with Nationwide."