UK Property holding firm

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Against expectations, house price growth picked up last month the latest house price index has revealed. Specifically, annual growth increased from 2.6% in December to 3.2% in January this year.

Expat UK property owners will be pleased to see these figures, confirming their investment is holding firm and growing through these challenging times.

The figures further revealed that there was no change in monthly growth, with a month-on-month increase of 0.6% recorded in both January and December. As a result, the average house price stood at £211,756 in January, up only slightly from £211,156 in December, but surpassing the previous high of £211,671 recorded in July 2017.

Given that house prices are still increasing, expat UK homeowners might find this a great time to consider re-mortgaging, taking advantage of both high house prices and decently low mortgage rates. It is predicted mortgage interest rates will rise by the end of the year so consideration towards a fixed deal may be a shrewd move.

The future

UK property is still without doubt a very good long-term investment as is has been over the last 50 years or so. There is no reason to suggest this will change in the next 50 years although growth may not be as rapid.

If you compare the performance of UK property over a general bank savings account there is just no comparison, property wins by a very long way.

With the continual shortage of quality property in the UK this situation alone should give expats confidence for what is to come.

Help?

If you are looking for a new or re-mortgage, please do make contact and one of our qualified advisers will be happy to assist.

 

Expat mortgage approvals increasing

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The last 12 months have seen a significant increase in expat approved mortgage applications against figures just issued for 2016. The increase shows how restrictions are being lifted as expat lenders compete for every single bit of business, this coupled with lower interest rates in real terms is indeed good news.

Lenders continue to hold down rates as the prospect of the Bank of England raising interest rates has fuelled fears of a rise. This is giving the borrower more confidence as the future looks bright even if small rises in interest rates are imminent.

Appropriate to re-mortgage?

Interest rates are most certainly in the borrower’s favor at present but there is always a lot of debate of how long these rates will last. All of this in mind it could be a very shrewd move to consider your own mortgage position. It is very common place for clients with a mortgage to just leave it as they are not aware of the savings that could be achieved with a re-mortgage.

There are many pros and cons to re-mortgaging all aspects need to be very carefully considered. It is not always best advice to re-mortgage to save money in the short term so please be sure to contact a professional adviser, they will give you an unbiased opinion of your situation.

If the time is right to change your current deal you might like to re-structure the borrowing you have in total. Mortgages offer much lower interest rates than store or credit cards, so equity in the property could be used to address this, again this is NOT always the best advice.

Like to know more?

Please feel free to contact one of our expert advisers for any assistance you may require. We look forward to being of assistance to you soon.

Expats should review their mortgage deal

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Now more than ever expats are looking for ways to reduce their monthly outgoings, one of the biggest expenses most people have every month is the mortgage payment.  As an expat there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment with poor exchange rates and the Brexit situation. It may be a very prudent move to review your current mortgage to establish if it is still the best deal for you, and you are not paying more than you need to.

This will not be the case for everybody, your current deal may well be very good, but it is most certainly worth checking as the wrong deal could be costing you thousands extra every year.

Expats have an excellent choice of mortgage deals currently available, so it’s a very good time to check you are not paying more than you need to.

If you decide to re-mortgage this may an opportune moment to review any expensive loans and credit cards you may have. It is likely the UK property has gained in value giving you a larger equity which could be used to reduce the expensive debt.

Reasons to re-mortgage

  • To save money.
  • Raise extra cash for a project you have planned.
  • Your current deal is ending soon
  • You want to pay more to clear the loan earlier and the lender will not permit this.

Reasons not to re-mortgage

  • You have a penalty on your current mortgage which makes it prohibitive.
  • You have had credit problems since taking out your current mortgage.
  • You currently have an advantageous rate which may be fixed.

Can we help?

If you would like to review your current expat mortgage do make contact and one of our fully qualified advisers will be happy to assist.

Excellent value for expats

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The UK housing market without doubt still offers remarkable value for money if you own a property or can afford to buy one. Anybody who owns a property in a good area of the UK over the last 10 years would have seen their investment grow substantially.

Traditionally the UK property market has always offered excellent value long term investment potential and there is no reason to believe this won’t continue well into the future.

At present with low inflation, strong wage growth, falling unemployment and very competitive mortgage deals on offer the housing market is likely to remain strong.

With expat mortgages being offered at such advantageous rates it seems like the right time to be considering the future. There are some very good fixed and tracker deals on offer to the expat with lenders competing for your business.

Mortgage providers are making it easier for expats to enter the UK market which is good news so please contact us for details of what is available.  

It’s very interesting to note that the Brexit vote seems to of had no effect on the expat market at all. Current figures show expats are taking out more mortgages than in any time gone by. Plus re-mortgages are hitting record levels.

What you will need to apply

–        Contact details

–        Property purchase details

–        Deposit available

–        Mortgage required

–        Certified proof of address

–        Certified ID (Passport)

–        Bank statements (Normally 3 months)

–        Wage slips (Normally 3 months)

–        Certified accounts if self-employed

The requirements vary from lender to lender and the above is just to give you a guide to help speed up the process.

Mortgage advice?

If you would like advice regarding an expat mortgage, please do make contact and one of our expert advisers will be pleased to help.