News
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New UK Buy To Let Rules Will Impact Expat Property Buyers – 2017
Key Facts For Expat Buyers in 2017: – New expat buy to lending affordability thresholds introduced from January 1st 2017 – But many expat buy to let projects will still pass the new tests New rules on UK buy to let lending introduced by the UK’s Prudential Regulation Authority, part…
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UK rent rises continue to outstrip inflation, expat buy to let remains popular
UK rents are continuing to rise at an above inflation rate, suggesting expat buy to let investing remains an attractive option Average rents paid by tenants across Great Britain rose by 2.4 per cent in the 12 months to July 2016, according to the Office for National Statistics. Rents grew…
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UK Stamp Duty hike not as harsh as first feared for expat property buyers
Expat property buyers will not always have to pay higher UK stamp duty, thinks expat mortgage broker The new UK Stamp Duty surcharge adding an extra 3% tax for many UK buy to let property investors, which took effect from 1 April 2016, might not be as harsh for typical…
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Do I qualify for expat or international mortgages?
Find out if you qualify for an expat or international mortgage If you are one of the four million plus UK nationals who have lived abroad for more than year, there is a good chance you will have found out how hard it is to qualify for UK expat or…
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Brexit need not harm the expat mortgage market, thinks Offshoreonline
With bookmakers Paddy Power offering odds of 3 to 1 this week that the vote to remain in the EU could be in the range of 45% to 50%, the odds look close. Should expats be worried? For those looking to take out an expat mortgage to buy a house…
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UK stamp duty changes, capital gains tax changes will impact expat buy to let investors, so start planning your checklist now
UK stamp duty changes for buy to lets from April 2016 With the new UK tax year less than two months away, expats need to get their housing and going abroad checklists in order and stay on top of the new UK property taxes announced in 2015. Top of the…
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Booming London property rents continue to attract expat buy to let landlords
Expat buy to let landlords profit from strong UK rental market A recent report by estate agents Martin and Co, who have 25 offices in the London area, suggests rentals in the capital are continuing to boom, with demand exceeding supply. The number of tenants registered for each property…
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New UK Stamp Duty Won’t Dent Appeal of Buy To Let Mortgages For Non UK Residents
As stock market volatility continues, expats might be well advised to stick with UK buy to lets… Expats invested in major stock markets such as the UK FTSE, the Dow Jones in the USA or in Europe, the Dax will have seen largely static average investment returns over the past…
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QE spells heaven for overseas property buyers in Europe
One week into the new European Central Bank’s $1 trillion quantitative easing programme and some of the effects are already visible. Whilst the dollar has stood firm, the euro has weakened significantly against both sterling and the US dollar. These changes will benefit international mortgage buyers of European property paid…
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Thinking about buying a house in 2015? For expats, the signs are good
Expats paid in US dollars and currencies linked to the US dollar are sitting pretty when it comes to planning their 2015 property purchases in the UK and Europe. Over the last 12 months, as the US economy has recovered and the Eurozone slumped, currencies have moved to reflect these…
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UK property prices on the up in 2015 good news for expat buyers
Expatriate and overseas buyers eyeing the UK property market will be encouraged by three of the latest forecasts for UK property prices in 2015 from property specialists Savills, Knight Frank and a poll of 20 experts carried out by Reuters. The average rate of growth for the UK is forecast…
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UK Stamp Duty changes – the winners and losers
Property commentators in the UK believe a majority of homes located in places such as the London commuter belt and some of its cheaper boroughs will be significant winners, following the changes to UK Stamp Duty Land Tax announced by the UK chancellor George Osborne in the 2014 Autumn Statement.…
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French expat euro mortgage rates fall again
Long term fixed rate euro mortgages to buy a new home or releasing equity have fallen again, reflecting the ultra-low level of Euribor, the European Central Bank reference rate. Fixed rate euro mortgage loans for periods of 15 years or more have dropped by 0.1% and are now available from…
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New house price index to make life easier for French euro mortgage house buyers
The French real estate market has traditionally been very high on the list of priorities for both UK residents and expatriates abroad wishing to invest in holiday or retirement homes. With French expat euro mortgages relatively easy to come by for the average foreign buyer, buying in France is a…
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New Spanish government figures point to gentle housing market recovery
Figures released by the Housing Department within the Ministry of Public Works show that expats living in Spain spent 36% more on property in the first half of the year than they did in the same period last year. According to the same source, foreign residents buying homes in…
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Buyers forced out of London by spiralling property prices have helped fuel a 10% annual rise in asking prices in the south-east – a rate that has now outstripped inflation in the capital.
Asking prices in the south-east of the UK are 10% higher than they were a year ago, said Rightmove, compared with a rise of 9.6% in London. This makes the region the strongest performing in the country over the last 12 months. “The ripple effect of buyers priced out of…
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UK student loans – plan now for flexibility
With applications due to UCAS for the majority of UK university courses in mid January 2015, expat parents will probably be well advanced with planning their child’s next educational step and will have a firm view of first choice course and university. Less clear will be the impact financially of…
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Landlords enjoying “record income from letting
Landlords in England are witnessing a booming rental market, with earnings from rental payments in excess of £32 billion per year. Research by Direct Line for Business shows that London landlords collect the largest proportion of private rental income in England at £14 billion per year, more than the north…
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French euro mortgage rates fall again
International mortgage specialist Offshoreonline.org is reporting a further fall in French euro mortgage rates, with variable rates now available to borrowers from just 2.30%. This latest cut follows a reduction in interest rates by the European Central Bank. The French mortgage market has traditionally enjoyed a wider choice of product…
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Mortgage lending up as UK house prices settle
Gross mortgage lending increased by 7% in July to hit its highest monthly figure in almost six years, but international and UK mortgage lenders said pressures on budgets could start to dampen housing market activity. Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) showed that a total of £19.1bn was…