expat mortgages favicon

Who needs an expat mortgage? 

/in /by

If you wish to buy a property in the UK and live abroad you need an expat mortgage.

Britons living abroad, either temporarily or permanently, will need to obtain a mortgage from a lender that has chosen to lend to expats.

Typically, expats are looking to invest in buy-to-let property whilst living overseas, perhaps to provide an income in retirement or even to live in upon their return.

Whilst fluctuating exchange rates can, at times, provide a good opportunity for investors, it is also true to say that many expats earn better salaries abroad than they would do here in the UK. A lower cost of living means they have more disposable income and want to invest in UK property.

Value for money

The UK property market still offers really good value for money if you own a property or can afford to buy one. Anybody who has owned 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 good value long term investment potential and there is no reason to believe this will not continue long into the future. The only unknown factor is what will happen after Brexit has concluded and how any deal will affect the housing market.

Sound investment?

As years gone by the UK offers long term profitability and there really is no reasons why this should not continue for many more to come.

Mortgage advice?

If you need assistance with a mortgage then call our expert independent advisers who are waiting to help.

 

expat mortgages favicon

Best returns for Expats!

/in /by

Eight out of ten of Britain’s hot shot fund managers – in charge of active UK investment funds – would have been better off simply investing in bricks and mortar, according to a recent financial survey.

That’s despite the strong rises seen in the stock market over the past year, with the FTSE 100 ending 2020 at over 7000 points.

Analysis revealed that only 30% of fund managers (95 out of a total of 239) have beaten average house price growth of 26% since Dec 2013, across 100 major UK towns and cities.

Long-term a better bet

The housing market has also outperformed stocks over the last 20 years. Since 1996, the average property went up in value 304% while the FTSE All Share gained 270%. Top performers over the last two decades were Brighton and Hove on 510% beating London on 485% which was followed by Watford on 460%.

Over the past few years’ bricks and mortar has once again proved itself to be an investment to rival them all, capable of significantly outperforming the riskier forays of stock market speculators.

Active fund managers use vast amounts of in-depth research to find hidden value in companies, but just by sitting on their properties, homeowners and residential property investors have beaten most of the very best investment minds in the UK.

Can we help?

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

 

expat mortgages favicon

Plenty to please Expats! Best investment option by far!

/in /by

The average price of a house in the UK now stands at £230,700, some 30% above the market peak seen in 2007, the house price index has revealed. 

On a yearly basis house price growth was up 5.4% year-on-year in June, more than double the 2.2% year-on-year price growth seen 12 months ago.

The data shows that prices are being propped up, in part at least, by a chronic undersupply of properties coming to market.

There has been a 25% fall in the volume of homes for sale in the first half of the year when compared to the same period last year. Supply has failed to keep pace with demand since January 2021.

Transaction volumes however remain strong – up 22% on the average levels seen in 2020.

That said, buyer demand dipped 9% in the first half of July after the initial stamp duty holiday ended, but overall remains elevated – up 80% compared to the average for this time of year in the more ‘normal’ market conditions in 2017-19.

Price growth is expected to edge upwards to 6% in the coming months before easing back towards the end of the year as the impact of the extended stamp duty holiday unwinds and the economic landscape becomes more challenging.

A number of factors will continue the elevated demand for houses through to the end of Q4, including ongoing buyer preference for more space.

expat mortgages favicon

What about the expat mortgage market after Brexit?

/in /by

The market so far has been largely unmoved by Brexit. Lenders have continued to drop interest rates across the board since last summer which indicates a lack of concern currently.

There seems to still be a large appetite for banks to lend. The rates are very competitive and there are still plenty of high loan-to-value mortgages available to consumers.

If anything is to bring this to halt then it would be the Bank of England base rate rising. If the bank were to raise rates from 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent, the impact would be greater than just a rise in mortgage repayment, because inevitably confidence will take a hit. Yet so far, there have not been any firm indications that this is the way the Bank of England wants things to go.

If you are an expat with a mortgaged property in the UK now is a great time to lock in a new deal for the next few years and make the most of the low rates on offer.

Expats re-mortgaging to secure the future

Expat re-mortgaging levels have soared to an eight-year high in September as borrowers take advantage of lower monthly repayments the latest figures have revealed.

The value of re-mortgaging fell due to a drop in the average loan size, but with overall mortgage activity down it still accounted for two-fifths of total lending in June this year.

Expats who have not reviewed their current mortgage deal recently would be well advised to do so as rates are expected to rise in the future.

Help required?

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