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Expat Purchase of Buy-to-Let by an Expat in an EEA country – Case Study 

The Client: 

Our client lives in the Czech Republic. He has been living there circa 13 years where he is employed full time managing a school and also owns his residential property in the Czech Republic. In addition, the client owns another residential property in the UK which has no mortgage on it. The client earns the equivalent of £60k per annum in Czech Republic.  

The Scenario: 

The client wished to buy a Study Flat as a Buy-to-Let property in the UK. There are some difficulties with this situation. The first thing to consider is – will a studio flat be accepted? In this case, the studio is over 35sqm and in a block of flats under 5 stories. The other main problem is the country he lives in.  
 
Countries within the EEA are typically not considered by many lenders. Also, because he has been out of the UK for such a long period and doesn’t have a mortgage on his UK residential, he won’t have a great credit score here as he has no credit footprint as such. 

The Solution: 

Being a whole-of-market Broker, we have the knowledge to know that some lenders will allow studios, especially over 30sqm. There are also more lenders that will accept flats in blocks of 5 or under, so these two things together do give us options. There are a limited number of different lenders that are really good with EEA countries, even if the majority aren’t.  

This also happens to coincide with a sensible approach to providing credit for an expat if their reason for a low credit score is purely down to the fact they live outside the country. With all this in mind, we secured a lender with competitive rates that could lend.  

Discover our Buy to Let Mortgage Broker services. 

Summary: 

Experienced Mortgage Brokers are able to secure lending with extremely complicated setups and situations that would invariably be seen as undesirable to most lenders.   

Key things to consider for Expats: 

  • Some lenders will allow the purchase of studios as long as they are over a certain size, in a block of 5 stories or under. 
  • Some lenders will allow the Expat to live in an EEA country and purchase in the UK. 
  • Some lenders will take a sensible approach to low credit scores in the UK if the only reason for it, is simply that they do not live here and have much credit here. 

Summary:  

Whole of market Mortgage Brokers with CeMAP qualified Advisors are always able to look at creative ways in which to solve complex scenarios such as this.  

If you have any questions relating to Expat Buy to Let Mortgages, contact us today to speak directly with one of our CeMAP certified Mortgage Advisors. Call us today on  +44 1494 622 555. Alternatively, please complete this short online form one of our Advisors will call you right back.  

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Residential Purchase – Part Foreign National – Case Study 

The Clients: 

The clients were a married couple who had recently moved back to the UK to reside full time. The first applicant was British born, with the other being a Foreign National on a visa to reside in the UK. They were looking to purchase a residential home for themselves and their family.  

Discover our Expat Mortgage Broker services.  

The Scenario: 

The clients owned a residential property in Canada which they sold before moving to the UK. They were both in full time employment, however as they had been out of the country for a long period of time, they had been working hard to build up a good credit score to support their application.  

The Solution: 

Being a whole-of-market Broker, we had the knowledge to know that some lenders would consider a Foreign National on the application with no restrictions if the first applicant was British.  
 
The clients were looking at achieving 90% loan to value, which would not be possible with most lenders because of the status of the Foreign National. By using our expertise, we were however able to find a lender who would accept 90% loan to value and secured a formal Mortgage Offer within 2 weeks of submitting the full application. 

Summary: 

It is possible to get lending with no restrictions if you have a joint application with one British national and one Foreign National applying together.  

Key things to consider: 

  • Some lenders will accept foreign nationals with a British national. 
  • Some lenders will consider no loan to value restrictions with this setup. 
  • Some lenders will allow lending in this scenario once you have been in employment for 6 months. 
  • Some lenders will a low credit score due to not having built up credit, if one applicant has a high credit score. 

If you have any questions relating to Residential mortgages, contact us today to speak directly with one of our CeMAP certified Expat Mortgage Advisors. Call us today on +44 1494 622 555. Alternatively, please complete this short online form and one of our Advisors will call you right back.   

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Expat Residential Purchase for move back to the UK – Case Study 

The Client:  

Our clients had been living oversees for several years. They owned a portfolio of Buy to Let properties in the UK. The Husband was employed with an international company and the Wife was predominately a housewife. Due to family ties back in the UK wife and the children were looking to move back with husband following when possible.    

Scenario:  

We needed to look for a lender who would accept anticipated income for the wife as she had secured a job for when she returned to the UK. The husband was still in a probation period within his new role which is a stumbling block for some lenders, even though he was working in the same field as he had done for many years. We would also require a lender who would look at the rental income received from their property portfolio in order to satisfy affordability criteria. 

Discover our Expat Mortgage Broker services.  

The Solution:   

As whole of market mortgage broker we were able to approach lenders and explain the clients’ scenario before placing a full application. We also had a time constraint as the seller was threatening to pull out of the deal if an offer was not produced in good time. We found a lender who was happy with the clients’ profile and were able to secure the offer so as the clients could come home to be with family here. 

Summary:   

Securing a residential in the UK when one of the parties is planning on staying abroad can cause concerns for lenders. As a whole of market mortgage broker and using our Advisors’ expertise we have the ability to search the market to find a suitable lender to help our clients when they have exhausted all other avenues. 

Please get in touch today with our dedicated team of Specialist Expat Mortgage Advisers for any Mortgage questions you might have. Call us now on +44 1494 622 555. Alternatively, you can also fill in this short online form we will get back to you straight away.  

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Expat Buy-to-Let Product Transfer – Case study 

The Client: 

The clients were a married British couple who emigrated to sunny Australia a few years ago.  The client had secured jobs as a GP and a local government officer and had since welcomed a child into the world since relocating.  The clients’ owned a Buy-to-let property in the UK which was coming to the end of its fixed term interest rate.   

Scenario: 

Given the rise in lenders standard variable rates in recent times, it was important we acted to secure a more attractive interest rate as quickly as possible.  Based on their status as expats, most lenders would not be able to lend to them.   

Discover our Expat Mortgage Broker services. 

The Solution:  

As whole of market mortgage broker we were able to compare a remortgage against a product transfer from their existing lender.  Based on a “true cost comparison” we were able to arrange a new deal for the client with their existing lender which they rolled on to when their existing fixed term deal ended.  This is known as a Product Transfer / Switch and something we do for zero cost for our clients, which includes managing the whole process on their behalf. 

Furthermore, if a better deal had subsequently become available before the end of their fixed term, we could have selected that alternative without any penalties.  This gives peace of mind that you are going to get the best deal available. 

Summary:  

Many Brits choose to emigrate at some point in their life and they often want to hold onto the property they have worked hard to acquire in the UK.  Whilst many lenders cannot lend to expats using a specialist mortgage advisor means you get sound advice and experience in dealing with expat mortgages. 

Please get in touch today with our dedicated team of Specialist Expat Mortgage Advisers for any Remortgage or Mortgage questions you might have. Call us now on +44 1494 622 555. Alternatively, you can also fill in this short online form and we will get back to you straight away. 

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Bridging Finance Exit – mixed use pub with 6 flats – Case Study

The Client: 

The application was put through in joint names for two Foreign Nationals. Both clients resided in the UK on working visas.  

The Scenario: 

The applicants had previously purchased a mixed-use pub/residential property on a Bridging loan. They had refurbed it and brought it up to a high spec. Pubs are difficult to finance generally, and the flats above are broken up in to 3 x 1 beds and 3 x studios of which some are under 30sqm. The pub was leased and achieving regular rent, and the flats had been let to an agent with guaranteed rental scheme on a 2-year agreement.  

The Solution: 

Being a whole-of-market Broker, we had the knowledge that some lenders will consider pubs up to a certain loan to value, typically 60%. We also understand that some lenders will accept flats smaller than the usual 30sqm rule, and on top of that will allow 2 year leases on a guaranteed rent scheme. We covered the exit off the Bridging loan and raised some extra capital on top which allowed the client to reinvest.  

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Summary: 

It is possible to get lending on extremely complicated setups and situations that would seen as undesirable to most lenders.   

Key things to consider for Expat / Foreign national income: 

  • Some lenders will accept Foreign Nationals. 
  • Some lenders will consider pubs up to a certain loan to value. 
  • Some lenders will allow lending on flats smaller than 30 sqm. 
  • Some lenders will accept 2 year leases direct to management companies/agents on a guaranteed rent scheme. 

If you have any questions about Bridging Finance or Expat / Foreign National mortgages, or would just like a Free Quotation then please call us now on +44 1494 622 555 today. Alternatively please fill in our online enquiry form now and one of our Commercial Finance Brokers will call you back. 

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Residential Purchase with Foreign Currency Income – Case Study

The Client:

The clients were husband and wife. The husband was the sole earner, and on a very good income. The difficulty arose with the currency he was paid in – Saudi Dirhams, as he was working for a Saudi company.

The Scenario:

The clients had saved a good deposit and had a very low credit card use, along with no bad credit or dependants. The main credit they had was a large car loan which had recently been arranged. The issue we were facing was that lenders who accept foreign income sometimes take a haircut (reduce affordability) to account for any potential future fluctuation in the currency exchange rate.

The Solution:

Being a whole-of-market Mortgage Broker, we have the knowledge to know that some lenders will accept foreign income for UK based residents to purchase a residential property in the UK. We approached these lenders to make sure we could cross reference the best deal with the lender that accepts the specific currency in question. They were happy with the case, and the affordability worked easily.

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Summary:

It is possible to use sole income that is earned through a company outside of the UK, in a foreign currency.

Key things to consider for foreign income:

  • Some lenders will accept foreign currency, it can vary lender to lender which currency they will accept.
  • Some lenders will apply a haircut to the amount to account for future changes.
  • Some lenders will allow you to live in the UK, but work for a foreign company.

Please get in touch today with our dedicated team of Specialist Mortgage Advisers for any Remortgage or Mortgage questions you might have. Call us now on +44 1494 622 555. Alternatively, you can also fill in this short online form and we will get back to you straight away.

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Expat Limited Company Buy to Let Remortgage – Case Study

The Client:

The client had a large portfolio of 17 properties. The properties were of mixed ownership comprising of personal name, Limited Company with his wife and Limited Company with his sister. Clients’ sister lives in Australia and although a Shareholder of the Limited Company, not an active Director.

The Scenario:

Two of the properties under the Limited Company entity with client’s sister as 50/50 Shareholder were coming to the end of their fixed rate, therefore required remortgaging. These were previously done through Commercial Finance Network on Expat mortgage basis, which required both applicants to be on the application. The task here was to find the best possible deal, in a difficult marketplace where Expat rates have increased a lot.

The Solution:

Being a whole-of-market Broker, we have the knowledge to know that some lenders have no overall portfolio limits and do not restrict ownership, loan to value or overall rental stress. We also are aware that there are lenders that will consider Limited Companies without taking shareholders into consideration, if they are not a Director. We therefore sourced the deal based on the UK applicant to see if we could bypass the Expat deals and secure a normal Limited Company buy to let deal exclusively for UK based clients.

The lender we found did exactly as we thought. They would only need the Director of the company to apply, disregarding any Shareholders in the background. This in turn gave us access to a far better deal than we would have been able to achieve if both shareholders were required on the application.

Discover our Expat Mortgage Broker services.

Summary:

It is possible to achieve something with lots of challenges and moving parts. It’s just about knowing the lenders and having experience with their criteria.

Key things to consider for portfolio landlord remortgage of properties with a UK Director/shareholder, and an Expat shareholder.

  • Some lenders have no restrictive limits on your existing portfolio
  • Some lenders are happy to lend to the director of the company only, and discount the shareholder
  • It is possible to get standard limited company buy to let rates for a complicated structure that involves an expat

Please get in touch today with our dedicated team of Specialist Mortgage Advisers for any Remortgage or Mortgage questions you might have. Call us now on +44 1494 622 555. Alternatively, you can also fill in this short online form and we will get back to you straight away.

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Expat Residential for family member in UK purchase – Case Study

The Client:

The client is a UK national who lives and works in Angola. She is on a fixed term contract for 3 years and has a good income with no bad credit.  

The Scenario:

The client was looking to purchase a second residential property in the UK for her Mother, who currently resides in Scotland. This can create multiple issues; one of which is that the client is in Angola and on a fixed term contract. It is also worth noting however, once the contract comes to an end, the client will remain employed with the same company back in the UK on a lower salary.

Another issue the client may face is looking for a second residential mortgage, the market for lenders who will lend on properties located in Scotland for an Expat is small and narrows our field of potential lenders and ensuring it works on affordability.

The Solution:

Being a whole-of-market Broker, we have the knowledge to know that some lenders will have more flexible affordability scoring for Expats than others. We managed to find a lender that was happy with the country of residence, but it’s always worth checking as some African countries are not. The lender accepted the second residential aspect and the fact it was in Scotland. We had to make sure the affordability would still work on the lower salary moving forward, which it did.

Discover our Expat Mortgage Broker services.

Summary:

Trying to purchase a second residential home as an expat can be difficult depending on the country you reside in, and fitting affordability calculations that expat lenders use. However, there are options. The country the property is being purchased in also comes into it.

Key things to consider for Expat Residential Mortgages when you’re an Expat and already own another property:

  • Income and affordability
  • Country of residence
  • Country of purchase
  • Will the lender even allow a second residential?
  • Any changes to future income that might affect it

If you are an Expat or Foreign National and seeking some preliminary free mortgage advice, call our experienced Expat Mortgage Broker Team today on +44 1494 622 555. Alternatively please complete this short online form and one of our Advisors will call you right back.

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Expat Buy to Let Remortgage – Case Study

The Client
A UK National who had relocated to Australia 4 Years ago. They were existing homeowners and had secured full time employment since moving overseas.

The Scenario
The client was wanting to remortgage their former residential address in the UK onto an Expat Buy to Let Mortgage. The existing UK residential mortgage had been on consent to let however the lender was no longer willing to keep the mortgage running due to the client now being permanently based overseas.
Many lenders who offer Expat Buy to Let Mortgages require the borrower to be employed by a multi-national company, which was not however the case for the individual. The client had advised their preference was to secure a 5 Year fixed rate.

Contact us today to discuss Expat Mortgages and how we can assist you.

The Solution
After reviewing the current mortgage market to see who was offering the best 5 Year fixed rates for Expat Buy to Let Mortgages, we referred the client’s circumstances onto the lender who at the time, offered the cheapest rate. Their standard criteria were as per above, where employed applicants ideally needed to be employed by multi-national companies, however due to the client working in a respected profession, they were able to accept his employment and subsequently provide a longer term mortgage with a highly competitive 5 Year fixed interest rate.

Summary
Since Brexit, securing Expat Mortgages has certainly become a more difficult task, often Brokers will read the stated criteria and disregard lenders if their clients do not “fit” 100%. That is why it is important to use a Specialist Expat Mortgage Broker, who have Advisers with vast experience in the Expat mortgage market who are on hand to find the best solution for your Expat mortgage enquiry and will go the extra mile to ensure you are getting the very best advice for even the most complex scenarios.

If you are an Expat or Foreign National, with or without a clean credit history and seeking an Expat Remortgage or new Expat Mortgage, or just some preliminary free mortgage advice, call our experienced Expat Mortgage Broker Team today on +44 1494 622 555. Alternatively please complete this short online form and one of our Advisors will call you right back.

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Expat First Time Buyer with Adverse Credit – Case Study

The Client
The clients are both Expats currently based in the UAE, working full time and looking to purchase their first home back in the UK in which they would reside in for 1/3 of the Year.

The Scenario
Following our free assessment of their current personal and financial circumstances, it was made clear one of the applicants had some adverse credit on multiple credit accounts within the last 6 years. This added an additional layer of complexity that our whole of market experienced brokers would need to find a solution for. Combining this with their Expat status meant that the number of lending options were limited. However, as a result of the second applicant having a perfect clean credit history it helped the situation, as well as the clients’ having a healthy 20% deposit.

Contact us today to discuss Expat Mortgages and how we can assist you.

The Solution
Having discussed the case directly with multiple Expat Residential Mortgage Lenders, two Lenders came back with the best options for the client. One of the Lenders advised however that an application / offer would be subject to the individual underwriter’s own discretion and therefore it presented a risk of potential decline and delay for our clients.

Therefore, the second lender was chosen due to both the clients fitting well on their standard criteria. A Decision in Principle (DIP) was secured within 24 hours and two weeks later our clients had an offer accepted on their dream first home; which we were able to secure a highly competitive interest rate with an 80% Loan to Value (LTV).

Summary
Clients with adverse credit usually believe that it will be difficult to obtain a mortgage, however working with a Specialist Expat Mortgage Broker, our Mortgage Advisers have many years of experience finding solutions for complex scenarios including Expats & Foreign Nationals, as well as those with adverse credit. Our clients are regularly surprised at how competitive the mortgage interest rates we are able to secure them are.

Therefore, if you are an Expat or Foreign National with or without a clean credit history, call our Mortgage Adviser Team today on +44 1494 622 555 to find your dream home today. Alternatively please fill in this short online form and a member of the team will call you right back.