Dutton Gregory Solicitors to offer discount rate conveyancing to first-time buyers
National law firm Dutton Gregory Solicitors will discount its conveyancing fees by 10% for first-time buyers, timed to coincide with new product launches from Leeds Building Society and Skipton Building Society.
Leeds Building Society has become the first UK mortgage provider to partner with Experian Boost, which will help applicants demonstrate credit-worthiness when applying for a mortgage. Experian Boost takes into consideration Council Tax payments, Netflix, and Amazon accounts for credit score calculations, which is ideal for those with little or no unsecured liabilities.
Skipton Building Society’s new 100% loan to value (LTV) offering is called a Track Record Mortgage. This is only eligible for first-time buyers who can evidence a track record of rental payments. The mortgage product is designed for people stuck in the ‘rent trap’ of having considerable outgoings – including rent – and therefore find it very hard to save.
Dutton Gregory services clients across the UK from six branches in Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey, and London, as well as a recently-launched office in the heart of Liverpool city centre.
Paul Sams, Head of Property at Dutton Gregory Solicitors, said:
“For the overall health of the UK property market, it is very pleasing to see two high street mortgage providers broaden their offerings to specifically cater to first-time buyers with little or no deposit.
“We will be showing our support for first-time buyers by discounting our conveyancing fees to them by 10%.
“For 10 years, the Government’s Help to Buy initiative assisted first-time buyers to access the property market with only a 5% deposit.
“The scheme granted over 375,000 interest-free equity loans for the purchase of new-build properties, with the typical purchase price being £273,000.
“First-time buyer products from Leeds and Skipton Building Societies are available for new and existing homes, although not for newly-built apartments.
“While Help to Buy was structured to enable purchasers to stretch their buying power, the new 100% loan to value product will really help those stuck in the rental trap to get a foot on the ladder.”
The key criterion for Skipton Building Society’s 100% LTV Track Record Mortgage is that each applicant must be a first-time buyer aged 21 or over. The same people who are renting now (and have been for the last 12 months) must be the same people on the mortgage. Applicants must have proof of having paid rent for at least 12 months in a row, within the last 18 months. They must also have 12 months’ experience of paying all household bills within the last 18 months. Each applicant will have no missed payments on debts/credit commitments in the last six months. The monthly mortgage payment must be equal to or lower than the average of the last six months’ rental cost. The deposit must be less than 5%, and the maximum loan size is £600,000.
Alex Gregory-Chialton and Paul Sams
Alex Gregory-Chialton, Office and Business Development Manager for Dutton Gregory’s Liverpool office, said:
“We are currently working with a number of letting agents who have tenants in rental properties that are – or going – up for sale.
“While our Landlord and Tenant team is advising the landlord, the new first-time buyer mortgage products and our discount on conveyancing costs could help some of those tenants to buy their first home.
“I am a qualified mortgage adviser – although I no longer advise – and am able to empathise with the huge number of introducers who do handle mortgage work for the clients we help.
“We are fortunate at Dutton Gregory to be able to work with such a wide-ranging group of people nationwide.
“The industry average for completing a property transaction is currently months, while the conveyancing for a new-build home handled by Dutton Gregory from contract to exchange typically takes 25 days.”
Paul Sams has just launched his latest book ‘A Practical Guide to New-Build Conveyancing’, co-written with colleague Rebecca East, to assist those working in the new homes industry to achieve a greater understanding of the conveyancing process.
Hampshire-headquartered Dutton Gregory Solicitors is a full-service legal firm for private and corporate clients. The multi-award-winning practice has offices in Bournemouth, Chandler’s Ford, Poole, Liverpool, London, Winchester, and Woking.
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