How to save on your mortgage

As I’m sure you’re aware, for a lot of people, mortgages take up a big chunk of monthly bills. For the majority, family housing expenses occupy for than a quarter of their budget, so clearly saving money on your mortgage can only be a good thing.

Luckily, there are some actions that you can take to save money in this section of your family’s budget. Initially, double check the terms of your mortgage. It’s possible that you could qualify to refinance your mortgage at a lower interest rates, in the process saving hundreds a month.

Afterwards, review the mortgage note’s total payment term. You have to pay a greater amount of interest in the case of a longer payment term with smaller monthly payments. Discuss and make  the decision of whether or not saving monthly is a priority over saving money in the long term. Often families will choose a longer payment scheme so that more money is available on a monthly basis. Unless getting out of debt as quickly as possible is the goal, then a shorter mortgage note is often selected. Consider refinancing into a note with a longer or shorter term based on your decision. This can save you either hundreds every month, of thousands over the total length of the loan.

If you don’t think refinancing is the choice for you, there are still alternative ways to save. Look at how much monthly you are expected to pay into escrow. Often mortgage companies will overestimate expenses such as insurance and property taxes. Enquire about the possibility of an evaluation of the costs, which may then result in more monthly savings.

Research is key in saving money on your mortgage, but it is possible. So tread carefully and keep informed to maximise your chances of saving successfully.

If you have any further enquiries,  are interested in overseas mortgages or would like to take aout a mortgage abroad, get in touch with Conti - Mortages Overseas weither by exploring our website www.mortgagesoverseas.com or via telephone 08009700985

Alternatively, if you are looking in the UK and are confused by conveyancing prices and additional charges, visit us at www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk to help clarify you confusion and compare conveyancing prices to help you find the best deal for you with NO added costs. We operate remotely so can offer you the best prices on conveyancing for the highest quality conveyancing.

Global property market edges towards recovery

According to Jones Lang LaSalle’s latest report showed that the global property market is edging towards recovery. investment volumes climbed back up to $108 billion in the second quarter of 2012 after a dip in activity in the first quarter. This now means that capital markets are back on track to volumes of around $400 billion by the end of the year.

Global economic outlook weakened as euro strains re-emerged, while low growth in developed economies remains a drag on a strong real estate recovery. Corporate occupiers adopted a wait and see approach to expansion, with sale and leaseback activity increasing as corporate looked to release capital.

Leasing activity still remains lower than 2011 due to weak jobs growth despite having improved from the first quarter dip. As a result, gross leasing volumes across 2012 are expected to be 10% below 2011.
Global office vacancy rates are now the lowest since 2009 at 13.3%, while vacancy continues to decrease.

If you are tempted by the prospect of taking advantage of the overseas property market and are looking into investing in property overseas visit Conti Overseas Mortgages atwww.mortgagesoverseas.com
OR if you are looking for a home in the UK and need conveyancing? visit us at www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk for all your conveyancing solutions!!

How to be a Successful Overseas Property Buyer

Investing in property can sometimes be stressful and a bit of a hassle but as most will tell you, once you’ve achieved it you will feel a huge sense of satisfaction. Here are some helpful hints and tips to minimise the stress and to maximise the satisfaction.

Think ahead and make a decision on what questions you want to ask your possible estate agent. Enquire about essential information, facts and figures. For example; the quantity of houses they’ve sold in the past year, where they were in relation to the area you’re interested in etc. Decent agents will be more than happy to give you such information and talk you through it all. A not-so-decent agent will not, and this should ring alarm bells.

Get organised! It makes overseas property purchase a lot simpler. Get a notebook or a folder where you can keep any advice or information you gather. This will create an invaluable source of data that you can easily access for reference purposes.

Unfortunately, the reality is that you have to anticipate extra costs and fees when buying a property overseas. Most will consider relevant taxes, down payment, bank funds etc. when, in fact, costs such as improvement bonds, school taxes (if applicable) and other location specific charges may be included. Think logically and think laterally to best predict such additional fees.


To ensure that you’re in the best possible position before buying, ask your estate agent for a checklist. Many will have pre-made checklists specifically designed for buying a house. Getting your hands on multiple versions of checklists from a couple of different agents means that you’ll be covered for basically all possible scenarios.

If you are planning on investing in a foreclosed home, it’s important that you make arrangements for repairs to happen. In quite a lot of cases, homes that are foreclosed have been left empty for a while before hitting the market, so it’s likely that they’ve been neglected on the upkeep front. They are likely to require HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) system installation and you should be aware of the possibility of pests.

Be prepared to be a bit flexible. You may fall in love with a house but the location may not be great, or vice versa, you need to be aware of your budget. So be ready to search in another area or maybe try looking at a different type of home.

Establish clear long term and short term goals for yourself. If these goals aren’t met, search for another property. After all this is an investment and if it doesn’t meet your objectives, the investment’s unlikely to pay off.

Don’t place your purchase solely on one factor e.g. the view. You may love it, but if it’s subjective, others may not agree with you so you may end up missing out if you decide to sell the house in future. Try to ensure the property has multiple good points rather than just one. If you love it, go for it but try not to pay too much.
I’m sure you’ve already heard this but... Location, location, location! Location should be very high up on your priorities list. E.g. if you are investing in overseas property to set up a shop, if the location isn’t right you won’t get the customers.

Consider the asking price of the house when deciding upon your initial offer. If you have an accommodating seller, it’ll be simple to determine a final purchasing price that you are content with.

Get ready for some remodelling and some repair work, this way you get the most value from your property. seeing your investment’s value increase is incredibly satisfying and if you do it right, its value could increase beyond what you originally invested in it!.

Hopefully this has given you a little bit of an insight into the fact that buying property overseas isn’t as complex as it initially seems. The research stage could get confusing, but it will be worth it in the long term.
If you have any questions about investing abroad, buying a property overseas or taking out a mortgage abroad, get in touch with Conti - Mortgages Overseas either by exploring our website (www.mortgagesoverseas.com or via telephone 08009700985

or if you are relocating within the UK and need conveyancing but want to find the best deal for you? then come and compare conveyancing prices with us at www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk

Low house prices in Italy will stay low

According to one of the latest reports from Nomisma, Italian house prices are expected to drop again in 2012 due to the persistent recession and ongoing issues in the Eurozone. New Government plans are also predicted to help keep prices low for the foreseeable future.

The report expects the quantity of house sales to be at its lowest since 2000. It is thought that purchases may drop down to 529,306 (reduction of 12%). This estimate is based on the fact that the number of Italian property sales in the first quarter of this year dropped by about 20%. The same report demonstrates that the cost of a new house fell by 1.8% in the beginning of this year, and when compared to 2008, prices in the biggest Italian cities have fallen by 11%.

Nomisma has said.“The deteriorating economic context, coupled with more selective borrowing conditions and the widespread expectations of a wider depreciation than already recorded are the main reasons for the new halt to the real estate market.”

Bloomberg has predicted that the Italian economy may decrease by up to 2.4% this year, and that home sales are expected to fall further ‘amid rising unemployment and Prime Minister Mario Monti’s austerity measures weighing on consumer demand’

It was revealed by a Finance Ministry agency that, in June, the Italian property market posted its largest drop since the beginning of data collection in 2004  A new housing levy, marking the reappearance of tax on primary residences after four years, ‘won’t be an incentive for the market’ in coming months, stated the Agenzia del Territorio.

If you are interested in the Italian property market, would like to take advantage of Italy’s low housing prices or are interested in taking out an Italian mortgage, get in touch with Conti - Mortgages Overseas by exploring our website (www.mortgagesoverseas.com) or via telephone 08009700985

OR if you are looking for a home in the UK and need conveyancing? visit us at www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk for all your conveyancing solutions!!

Wealthy French residents flee leaving behind a fantastic choice of property in France

The selection of luxurious high end homes in France has greatly increased due to the recent french presidential election. It has been reported by the Daily Telegraph that lots of french families are ‘fleeing a proposed new tax rate of 75 per cent on all earnings over one million euros’ (around £780,000).This means that quite a few fantastic french properties are now making their way onto the french property market, suggesting that now could be a good time to invest in high end french property.

One of the top overseas estate agents has revealed that its french sector has sold over 100 properties valued at at least 1.7 million euros within the past couple of months (A significant increase when compared to the same time period last year)

"The result of the presidential election has had a real impact on our sales. Now a large number of wealthy French families are leaving the country as a direct result of the proposals of the new government.” Says Alexander Kraft, head of Sotheby's Realty in France.

"These properties are then bought up by foreign investors looking for a stable real estate market like France to invest in.”

"It shows the high-end property market is holding up very well, even in these difficult times."

If you have an interest in the french property market, are interested in buying a house in France or would like to take out a french mortgage, please get in touch with Conti - Mortgages Overseas via our website (www.mortgagesoverseas.com )

or if you are relocating within the UK and need conveyancing but want to find the best deal for you? then come and compare conveyancing prices with us at www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk

Invest in your happiness: Buy a house!

The Office of National Statistics has declared that owning a home makes you happier based upon its first national subjective well being report. Many of the entries are not surprising e.g. just under half of people not in employment scored themselves as less than 7 (almost twice the amount of people with work) whereas having a partner gave more scores of 9 or 10 when compared to those who are divorced, widowed or single.

80% of adults that owned a home ranked themselves with a medium to high level of happiness which is quite a lot more than the 68% that don’t. Suggesting that some forms of  happiness can be derived from getting involved with property, despite the recession.

This aspect of the report depicts a British desire to own a home as many Britons aspire to buy property, yet despite general belief, the world wide economic crisis may actually help achieve this dream.

In recent times the pound has steadily been growing in strength, so when compared with the euro this month, buyers interested in European property have been getting the more for their money then they have been for the past 4 years, especially in countries with prices that have drastically fallen e.g. Spain.

"These factors, together with historically low interest rates, are making it more affordable to buy in Spain right now," says Clare Nessling, Director of Conti - Overseas Mortgages, which has seen enquiries for Spanish mortgages increase by a third in May and June this year. "And signs that the market is improving are starting to lift the confidence of prospective buyers."

If you want to find out more about investing in overseas property or taking out an overseas mortgage, get in touch with Conti, via our website (www.mortgagesoverseas.com ) or by telephone 08009700985

or if you are relocating within the UK and need conveyancing but want to find the best deal for you? then come and compare conveyancing prices with us at www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk

Is it the ideal time to invest in Australia?

Have you always fancied relocating down under? Has the prospect of purchasing a home in Australia crossed your mind on multiple occasions? Is there something about the idea of living in Oz that you find particularly appealing?

If so, a top news organisation has reported that thanks to a combination of several  factors, the summer of 2012  is presenting ‘perfect conditions’ for investing in Australian property. News.com.au has stated that, due to poor auction sales, a huge choice of available homes and reductions in interest rates, a larger proportion of Australia is transforming into a ‘buyer’s market’.

An increasing number of ‘bargain suburbs’ are appearing across Australia, the latest Commonwealth Bank Home Buyer Index (in conjunction with RP data) has revealed.

Tim Lawless, national research director for RP data has mentioned that there are more than 300,000 properties in Australia for sale and that, right now, the market is favouring buyers and investors in Australian mortgages. “It really does suggest there are a lot of properties that are for sale at the moment.  Stock levels remain high across each of the capital cities so prospective buyers have a good range of housing options to choose from.''

The Commonwealth bank - Australia’s most prominent home lender, provided information to calculate the index where the number of properties available for sale were compared to the demand for home loans.

Nick Marr of HomesGoFast.com said “These figures show that it is now the perfect time to buy property in Australia.  There have been modest gains in house prices over the last quarter but with a wide choice of homes to choose from, buyers are increasingly in a position to drive a hard bargain.”

So if you are interested in investing in Australian property, buying a house in Australia or taking out an Australian mortgage, get in touch with Conti - Mortgages Overseas by exploring our  website ( www.mortgagesoverseas.com)  or via telephone on 08009700985

alternatively, if you are moving elsewhere in the UK and are in need of conveyancing for your new property. visit us to compare conveyancing prices to find the best quality conveyancing for the best prices in your area!! www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

Conti - Mortgages Overseas

I have never heard of Conti, are you safe to deal with?

Conti is the UK's leading independent overseas mortgage specialist and over the last 14 years has arranged thousands of mortgages for satisfied customers. As we are a mortgage broker, we are bringing applicants and lenders together, therefore your mortgage and property are with that lender, not Conti.

Can I rent the property?

Most lenders we work with do allow the rental of a property they are mortgaging. Certain conditions may apply and can vary by lender

How do I get good Legal Advice?

Conti works closely with 2 excellent law firms that specialise in the legal matters related to purchasing overseas. You can find their details on the Other Services page of our website to contact them directly and independently from Conti

How long will I have to wait to find out how much I can borrow?

Conti offers a free 'decision in principle' service, where you can find out how much of a mortgage is generally available to you. This service can be accessed via the website (click here) and takes no more than a few days

Are there ways I can use my UK property to fund the purchase?

At Conti we believe there are significant benefits in having a mortgage through a lender based in that country. However we often have clients who reduce the size of their required mortgage by putting down a larger deposit. This can be facilitated by using the UK property to raise money against. Conti can certainly assist you with this and can find more details on the Other Services page of our website

How long does it take to arrange a mortgage?

This can vary significantly by country and mortgage lender but broadly Conti is able to process the application within a week, subject to the applicant being able to provide all the details we need. It is then submitted to the lender for approval

How do I apply for a mortgage?

Simply click here or call 08009700985

What are the advantages in taking out an overseas mortgage as against raising equity on a property in the UK?

The main advantage of taking out an overseas mortgage is the lender will carry out checks on the property such as an independent valuation. The lender will also ensure clients have clear title and the property is registered in the clients' name upon completion.
Raising equity on a property in the UK may seem straightforward but buying an overseas property in 'cash' could present problems for the buyer if they do not ensure independent checks are carried out on the property. Sadly, all too often we hear of cash buyers where the heart rules the head and basic checks are overlooked, leaving them with a raft of problems such as boundary and title issues. Some may have bought a place in the sun but have had their fingers well and truly burned during the process.

Is it better to buy in the local currency or in Sterling?

Generally it's recommended to take out a mortgage in the same currency as you earn where available. However, if the intention is to rent out the property it may be beneficial to take out a mortgage in the local currency to avoid currency fluctuation costs.

What additional costs above the purchase price should I allow for?

This does depend on the country however it's usually best practice to allow for additional costs such as Legal fees, local or government purchase taxes, arrangement fees, surveyors costs, title searches and deed amendments etc. We generally suggest our clients allow an additional 10-15% on top of the purchase price to allow for these 'extras'

How much do you charge for your services?

Once you are happy with the quotation and wish to proceed we charge an administration fee of £95 for French mortgage cases and £145 for the rest of the world. We then earn commission from the lender that funds the remainder of our costs for processing and submitting the application. In some instances the lender either does not pay a commission or only pays a reduced amount. In these instances we do charge you a completion fee. Clients are always made aware of this at the quotation stage

How will I know how my mortgage is progressing?

A dedicated adviser will handle your mortgage application and will provide regular updates. You can also track the progress of your mortgage online at your own convenience.


For any further information on buying a property abroad, taking out an overseas mortgage or general help and advice, please do get in touch with Conti - Mortgages Overseas either by our website (www.mortgagesoverseas.com) or by telephone 08009700985

or if you are relocating within the UK and need conveyancing but want to find the best deal for you? then come and compare conveyancing prices with us at www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk

Expats: Handy hints and tips for moving abroad

If you want to buy a house abroad and think that an international money transfer would be the best way to fund it it would be worth reviewing the rules for import and export of your possessions.

Everyone has those items that hold huge sentimental value, be it a wedding video, family photo albums, a toy rabbit or a penny you found on the floor the day you won the lottery (I wish). So you should try to be aware of the sometime strict rules that  accompany the process of moving all your things abroad. It always pays off to be as informed as you possibly can.

For example, the transport of vehicles is often tightly regulated. You need to check on the age of car, whether it complies with local maintenance and emission standards among other things to ensure that you can import your vehicle with minimal hassle.

Pretty much all countries will have a list of forbidden objects that will vary from place to place so it’s worth double checking with a relocation expert early on and putting in a little bit of time and effort into research, as you never know what may be considered dangerous in another country. Another mistake people often make is with electrical items. There’s a possibility that your electronic goods won’t work abroad if there’s a significant difference in power or voltage.

It may seem obvious ( some people do forget!), but you should also ensure that any important documents, e.g. your passport, are in a secure yet accessible location. As it would be a pain to remember that your passport is hidden away with your china at the other end of the moving vehicle buried beneath 2 tonnes of old clothes, books, furniture and cuddly toys.

Clare Nessling, director of the UK’s leading overseas mortgage specialist, Conti endorses the use of meticulous planning when moving overseas. Since, with the economic recession, investors making the most out of low property prices overseas may be caught out and have their dream move postponed if they haven’t followed protocol to the letter. However, with common sense, helpful advice, support and a bit of expert knowledge, there’s no reason why moving to your dream home abroad can’t be an efficient experience with minimal hassle.

If you’re planning on moving abroad, buying a home overseas or are thinking about taking out an overseas mortgage, get in touch with Conti - Mortgages Overseas by exploring our website (www.mortgagesoverseas.com )


OR if you are looking for a home in the UK and need conveyancing? visit us at www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk for all your conveyancing solutions!!

Live like the world’s most successful Olympian

Michael Phelps has recently become the world's most decorated Olympian of all time, yet unfortunately he still hasn't yet medalled in the property market.

In February earlier this year, Phelps put his 4,000 square-foot apartment on the US property market, giving property buyers Worldwide the chance to live in luxury like an Olympian for a mere $1.42m - at a discounted rate from the original price that he purchased the property for of $1.69m.

The apartment condo is situated in Baltimore's famous Inner Harbor and boasts three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a picturesque views of the marina from its top floor balcony as well as access to the building's indoor pool where Phelps could practise his strokes. The new lucky owner of this wonderful property could utilise the hot tub on the roof terrace to perhaps perfect their treading water skills.

While since 2007, when originally purchasing the property, Phelps’ tally of gold medals has increased, unfortunately the American economy took a turn for the worst, leaving the 28 year old swimmer swimming against the property current. Even after reducing the value of his home significantly, Phelps has struggled to find a buyer.

However, now is the perfect opportunity for someone to make a splash in the US property market. The demand for American homes is increasing from overseas, so we may see a few Olympic-enthusiast investors to be dashing to the harbour-side.

Would you take the dive? If you fancy taking advantage of the American property market and would like to look into purchasing a property in USA, visit us at Conti- Overseas Mortgages to help you on your way.

Alternatively, if you are looking in the UK and are confused by conveyancing prices and additional charges, visit us at www.helpfulconveyancing.co.uk to help clarify you confusion and compare conveyancing prices to help you find the best deal for you with NO added costs. We operate remotely so can offer you the best prices on conveyancing for the highest quality conveyancing.