Mortgages And Loans Portugal
Portugal is one of Europe's most exclusive holiday, retirement and leisure destinations. With an Interest Only mortgage, at the end of the lending term, the borrower still owes the same sum as was initially borrowed and so homeowners are strongly advised to make adequate provision to ensure they will be able to repay the outstanding balance at the end of the loan term.
With banks in Portugal now adopting greater caution following the recent Portugal property crash, most lenders now only offer home loans on a repayment basis - including both interest and payment towards the capital loan amount - with borrowing rates starting from around 6%. However, there are still some interest-only deals available.
As mentioned before the rates can be lower than in the UK, for example in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal the rates can start as low as 3.5%. In the less established markets like Bulgaria and other eastern European countries the rates can start Selling a property in Portugal at around 6%, whereas countries like Greece and Cyprus roughly fall half way between the two at 5%. The borrowing criteria are typically tougher than in the UK and you should expect to be able to borrow only around 70-80% of the property's value.
Loan amount must not exceed 80% of the mortgage valuation or purchase price (whichever is lower). You'll discover the key things to watch out for, what you'll need to have to hand and whether buying a property in Portugal is the right option for you. In the established property markets like France, Spain and to a lesser extent Portugal the lenders have become much more flexible when dealing with UK buyers.
As a result, property prices are still low compared to other areas of Portugal. All signs point to the current scenario continuing as is. In the latest survey of banks acting on the credit market, financial institutions predicted a slight increase in household demand for credit in the current quarter.
The current levels of residential loans are bolstered by the historically low level of the indexes used in loan contracts - which remain negative - but also by diminishing spreads charged by banks, which are aggressively increasing liquidity in the economy.
Simon Conn is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Cherry Mortgage & Finance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under number 730706 in respect of UK mortgage, insurance and consumer credit related activities only.
Portuguese banks are still offering loans but the spread" (which is what the bank charges its customers over and above the rate at which they lend to each other) has become very high and the credit checks and lending criteria have changed as well. Lending criteria - this usually depends on your financial position which is determined by your current income earnings, debts and employment history.
But it is clear that all sides have been locked in discussions over a weekend in which Left Bloc coordinator Catarina Martins lay down the challenge that it was high time banks that had received ‘thousands of millions' from the Portuguese economy did something in return.
