Posts Tagged ‘mortgage issues’

Our Trip to Paphos, Cyprus

This blog focuses on our recent trip to Paphos, Cyprus.

The year is 2021, well over 10 years since many of you reading this would have bought a holiday home in Cyprus.

Who would have thought that we would still be picking up the pieces from the 2008 recession? Who would have thought that we would be about to head into yet another global financial crisis in 2021?

(Thanks a bunch COVID-19!) So who in their right mind would have thought that such poor-quality loans designed to mislead the consumer could have had such long-lasting implications?

As part of our efforts to hold the banks accountable for their role in the 2008 foreign property crisis, we recently went on a trip to Paphos, Cyprus to take a look at some of the developments there.

During our visit, we paid a visit to:

Aphrodite Hills
Thalassa View Gardens
Coral Bay

You can check out the photos from our trip below.

Pathos, Cyprus, Aphrodite Hills and Thalassa View Gardens

If you are having a hard time trying to sell your property or pay off your foreign mortgage at Aphrodite Hills or Thalassa View Gardens please get in touch.

Many ex-pats in your position have tried to hold the banks accountable for this disaster. However, they haven’t had much luck. Unfortunately, Cypriot courts don’t seem to have too much sympathy.

Luckily for you, EU Property Solutions has regular contact with banks across Europe and has built strong relationships over the years.

This means that we are in a strong position to assist you in resolving these issues. Believe it or not, those working at the banks are people too. In many cases, they are happy to listen to reason.

We have helped hundreds of people in your position, you can take a look at our YouTube channel to hear testimonials from many of our satisfied clients.

For more information on our background and how we operate, you can download our free e-book here. You can also check out our blog, which we frequently update with the latest news related to the EU property market.

Together we can hold the big banks accountable.

Our Trip to Alicante

Welcome to our 4-part blog series! This blog focuses on our recent trip to Alicante.

For many of our clients, owning a holiday home in Alicante prior to 2008 was too good an opportunity to miss.

A beautiful Spanish port city just down the road from Benidorm and Murcia, what’s not to love? To make the idea more enticing, property prices were eye-wateringly affordable for your average British national making decent money.

It all seemed too good to be true. Unfortunately for many, it was, as we sit 13 years later still licking our wounds from the 2008 crisis.

Many ex-pat property owners now find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being in negative equity and under threat of repossession as they are unable to pay back the money they owe. The situation seems pretty bleak for many: they are in a hole unable to dig themselves out. Due to the sheer recklessness of the foreign banks pre-2008, it is also more difficult than ever to borrow money. How ironic…

It’s a classic David vs Goliath scenario. How can you stand a chance of defeating this beast? This is where we at EU Property Solutions come in.

As part of our fight against the big banks, we recently travelled to Alicante to check out some of the developments in the area.

During our time in Alicante, we visited developments such as:

Corvera Golf Resort
Hacienda Riquelme
Hacienda del Alamo
Polaris World Developments
Roda Golf

You can see some pictures from our trip below.

Corvera Golf Resort, Hacienda Riquelme, Hacienda de Alamo, Polaris World If you have unwanted property at any of these developments get in contact with us today!

EU Property solutions have helped hundreds of people in your situation. You can hear from many of our satisfied customers on our YouTube channel.

Don’t allow the banks to leave you holding the bag while they get off scot-free.

For more information on what we do and how we operate you can check out our Free E-book or our blog, which we regularly update with helpful tips for you in your fight.

Remember you are not in this alone in this, help is available to you.

9 Tips to Improve Your Foreign Mortgage Issues

Here at EU Property Solutions, we have used our 8 years of experience to compile our 9 tips to improve your foreign mortgage issue.

1) Acknowledge your problem.

Burying your head in the sand or being unrealistic helps nobody. To be able to solve your problem, you need to accept it. You need to know precisely what your current situation is and every aspect of it, and say to yourself: “Hi, my name is XXX, and my house in Spain is in negative equity.”

2) Quantify your problem.

Ok, let’s explain. If you have a £100,000 shortfall on your property, you have to pay every penny back. However, do bear in mind that to make the problem disappear actually involves paying back c£140,000 when adding tax to the equation. Basically, you have to earn c£140,000 before tax to leave you with the £100,000 after-tax you need to pay your debt. Therefore, it is not a £100,000 problem, but a c£140,000 problem!

3) Be realistic in terms of time and money.

To manage your situation in the best way possible, be patient and understand that it will take longer than you think or want and it will cost more than you hope.

4) Look at the emotional toll.

Understand that resolving your property nightmare is not just about time and money, but also the emotional effect it can have on you and those around you. It will be stressful, so choose an approach with the best outcome and the least emotional cost. Do you really want to create a situation that potentially jeopardises your health, wellbeing, and relationships?

5) Don’t try to deal with your situation in isolation.

Consider the bigger picture and your financial standing overall. Take into account how financially fragile you are. If you’re financially strained, don’t make silly decisions that only fuel your debt and escalate your situation even further. Evaluate all the risks and be sensible within your means.

6) Appoint the right advisors.

Despite what you may think, you can’t do this on your own. It’s too much of a minefield without professional help. However, less able experts will use the persuasive power of numbers and impressive statistics to wow you. At EU Property Solutions, we’ve 8 years of experience in resolving foreign mortgage issues. We know the facts, the truth, and can see through the bank deception!

7) Presentation is everything!

If you do decide to go full steam ahead to resolve your issues alone, prepare well. Your presentation must have up-to-date financials and critical information or it will end in disaster. This is where we at EU Property Solutions come in. We are adept at compiling financials, untangling property situations, and fully explaining every stage. By presenting a realistic and clear case to the Banks, they are more likely to settle with us.

8) Taking the problem to the lender.

If you’ve tried in the past to resolve your situation and failed, it does not mean you will fail again. Suppose you did previously try to engage your lender for a resolution, it could be that they didn’t have the enthusiasm or inclination to do so. They simply avoided it. However, when they have experts, like EU Property Solutions, coming at them, they don’t have a choice!

9) Last, you need stamina and patience.

Ok, not just a little bit but bucket loads of the stuff. This whole property resolution challenge is not for the faint-hearted. This is our official warning sign to you, without tons of stamina and patience, you will find the journey even tougher than it is!

If you or anyone you know is looking to improve their foreign mortgage issue, get in touch with our team at [email protected] or call us on 0044 330 124 1230!

Don’t forget to check out our YouTube page for the most up-to-date information & advice from our team. Click HERE to watch.

Did you buy foreign property pre-2008?

It could be believed that 2005 – 2008 was a prosperous and positive time; with the Economic Boom and thousands of Brits and Irish, finally being able to afford the dream purchase of a ‘luxury’ holiday home in places like Spain or Cyprus.

At EU Property Solutions we see this experience in a different way. It was a time where the ‘buying frenzy’ was encouraged by duplicitous bankers, promoters, and developers.

For buyers, funds were easy to access both at home and abroad; non-status mortgages were two a penny, and credit checks didn’t even factor into the equation. With little to no barriers stopping the purchase of ‘too good to be true places’; it was only a matter of time before the foundations of this property boom literally crumbled underneath us all.

It was no wonder that in the autumn of 2008 when the world stopped turning and the financial crisis hit. These properties built on financial sand in the years before, suddenly sank quickly into Negative Equity; leaving people stuck with unwanted debt.

Countries including Cyprus and Spain were savagely hit as the whole banking industry was shored up by their State Banks. The collapse of the financial sector, and many of its long-established institutions, started a domino effect, leaving those at the end of the chain the main losers.

Those who dared to live the holiday home dream have now, unfortunately, become victims of the Economic Boom. Their once refreshing holiday cocktail soon left a bitter lingering aftertaste that is still being paying for to this day.

If the above sounds familiar and you have found yourself stuck with a Foreign Property in Negative Equity, our specialist team are here to take your call today!

We have published our first ever eBook ‘Foreign Property Mortgage Nightmare – 2006+ and all that..’

This book is not looking in any way to compound the pain of foreign property debt or ‘rub it in,’ but it seeks to explain the works that we undertake and what we have learned over the past ten years in this field.

Click here to download your FREE copy of our eBook!

Spanish Mortgage Relief – Mark Stucklin

We recently had a great write-up from Mark Stucklin – a Barcelona-based Spanish property market analyst, and author of the ‘Spanish Property Doctor’ column in the Sunday Times (2005 – 2008) on the Coronavirus Crisis and the downhill effect.

Spanish mortgage relief for borrowers falling victim to the coronavirus crash.

I’ve had enquiries about the mortgage repayment moratorium that the Spanish Government introduced for people struggling with mortgages due to coronavirus.

The scope of the moratorium is understandably limited to residents struggling to pay the mortgage on their main home.

Non-resident and holiday-home owners don’t qualify for relief, but anyone in those groups now struggling to pay a mortgage in Spain will find some advice at the bottom of this article.

The mortgage repayment relief was approved by royal decree in March as part of economic measures worth 200 billion Euros.

The first thing to note is that this moratorium only applies to residents of Spain so ones struggling with their main home.

Don’t expect any relief if you can’t pay the mortgage on your holiday home:

because tourist rental bookings have collapsed, or
you lost your job back home.

If that’s your situation, skip to the bottom of the article and receive some advice.

Borrowers who qualify for relief can apply for a temporary and interest-free mortgage repayment holiday or deferment.

An application can be submitted up to 15 days or so after the decree has expired.

Some sources report this deadline for applications as currently standing on the 3rd of May.

Spanish mortgage moratorium requirements

Borrowers who can demonstrate they have lost their job or seen their income slashed by 40% or more
Family income in the month prior to requesting mortgage payment relief was no higher than three times the IPREM household income reference point,
Mortgage repayment plus expenses and monthly utility costs greater than or equal to 35% of net household income.
Mortgage repayments as a percentage of household income have increased by at least 1.3 as a result of the Coronavirus.

You have to apply for this mortgage relief with your lender providing:

Proof of unemployment and business distress,
Your Family Book to accredit household members and dependents,
Homeownership documents including the nota simple land registry filing,
Deeds of sale and mortgage deeds, and
A debtor’s declaration of responsibility in compliance with the requirements of this decree

Non-resident and second-home owners in financial distress

If you find yourself in financial distress as a non-resident or second-home owner due to this crisis you may see yourself miss your Spanish mortgage repayments.

You need to get hold of the situation quickly and start talking to your lender about the options.

If you feel you need professional help from experts who know how to negotiate with banks and get you the best outcome, get in touch with financial distress and negative equity experts EU Property Solutions to discuss your case.