Why YOU may be better off with oneA good percentage of our clients buy using a French mortgage. Surprised? then read Trevor Leggetts Top Tips above, and read on here for UCB, our national banking partner, to show you how. "In many instances acquiring a mortgage is a prime consideration when buying a property in France. You may think that organising your mortgage through your local bank is the easiest option, but it is definitely worthwhile considering your options in France before picking up the phone to your local bank manager. Taking out a mortgage can be stressful enough in your home country, let alone overseas, where you may not speak the language or know how the system works. The International team at UCB Mortgage are here to help, and will assist you at every stage of the process, offering friendly advice and guidance throughout. We understand that this will most likely be a new experience for you and will therefore take time to explain all the little differences between the French system and what you are used to in your home country. UCB (a subsidiary of the BNP Paribas Company) has designed a special service for English speaking customers in order to accompany you through your project in France, from the search for the best mortgage solution, to the payment of your last instalment. Here at our South West France Bordeaux office, Deborah, Caroline and Pierre are bilingual and bicultural mortgage advisers (Deborah and Caroline are British) and are on hand to help you at every stage of the process. We will guide you through your mortgage application, and will share with you our wealth of knowledge of the French purchasing procedure. All mortgage documentation is provided in English and French. We are also unique in that we send your formal mortgage offer out to you in English – With UCB you will not have to sign French mortgage offer that you don’t understand. It is a good time to finance property in France, prices are favourable and our interest rates are lower than countries outside the Euro zone. And with UCB, financing a property in France has never been easier ! Our interest rates vary according to the amount you borrow and the amount you put down. UCB Mortgage can finance up to 85% of the purchase price including estate agency fees for a capital repayment mortgage, and 80% of the net price for an interest only mortgage. This can also include any renovation costs quoted by French registered builders. UCB has a varied range of mortgage products – Interest only or capital repayment, variable rate, fixed rate and special 2 and 5 year fixed rates; the latter combines the security of a fixed rate with the flexibility of a variable rate. We can quote for them all, please don’t hesitate to ask, there is no obligation and it costs nothing ! We also provide post finance mortgages, equity release mortgages, renovation mortgages, refinancing – we can even refinance a UK, Irish or Dutch re-mortgage, replacing the home country borrowing with a Euro mortgage on lower European rates and with the security taken against the French property. In fact there are many more advantages to borrowing in France instead of your home country than you may initially realise: - attractive interest rates in France - You can keep the equity in your home country asset for a rainy day, it will be easier to release this money in a hurry if necessary - Euro currency mortgage - Protection against negative equity if exchange rates fluctuate - You are entitled to tax relief on interest paid if the property is rented To make your life easier, as part of the mortgage process, we can also help you open a bank account in France - without you having to come to France. Please ask us for further details. The international team in Bordeaux is prepared to go that extra mile for you. Our service will include liaising with your Notary and estate agent, and if necessary, constructors and builders. If you need a helping hand with anything, if we can help – we will. We would very much like to assist you with your project to purchase your dream home in France, so should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. " Deborah, Pierre and Caroline Left to Right : Deborah LEWIS Pierre PORTE Caroline HAMMANT UCB International Buyers - A BNP Paribas Company 48-50, cours du Chapeau Rouge B.P. 588 33003 BORDEAUX CEDEX Tél : 00 33 (0) 5 57 14 44 44 Fax : 00 33 (0) 5 57 14 44 45 Mobile : 00 33 (0) 6 08 46 59 20
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