London is a diverse and cosmopolitan city, which attracts investment from all over the world. And often, this isn’t only for buy to let purposes: many foreign nationals are keen to buy property in the UK simply to use as a base when visiting the country.
However, securing mortgages for foreign nationals who don’t have strong ties to the UK is a difficult and sometimes frustrating process. Access to the right sort of private lender can help, as this case study demonstrates.
Looking to complete a high-value property purchase in the UK? As well as mortgage finance, you’ll also need to seek out the appropriate insurance. Our guide Maximising your borrowing as an expat or foreign national can point you in the right direction.
The client:
In this case, the client was a foreign national looking to buy a residential property for him and his family to stay in during their visits to London. The property in question was a luxurious apartment valued at several million pounds, and the client was hoping to arrange a mortgage at roughly 85% loan to value (LTV).
Mortgages for foreign nationals are complicated enough – but this particular client was from the Middle East, meaning lenders perceived this as a higher risk application, requiring extra due diligence. Since the client also had complex income structure, he decided the best course of action was to use a specialist mortgage broker.
The solution:
We regularly deal with clients from the Middle East and can confidently place this sort of case with appropriate lenders. We approached a private bank which specialises in foreign national clients, and worked closely with them to create an understanding of the client’s situation.
As a result, this lender was able to offer the client their desired mortgage on a two-year tracker rate over a 20-year term. This was an ideal resolution for the client, who was able to proceed with their purchase.
The case in brief:
- Residential purchase in London for Middle Eastern client
- Multi-million pound property at 70% LTV
- Two-year tracker rate
- Specialist private bank