Mortgage Options To Buy A House In Portugal

Portugal is one of Europe's most exclusive holiday, retirement and leisure destinations. The financial crisis of 2007 left the Portuguese economy reeling and property prices collapsed by more than 30%. Based on your profile, we can present the financial products that the different banks have for mortgage loans and, from those, you can choose the best one for you.

The Bank will satisfy itself that an applicant is in a financial position to be able to meet the conditions of the loan which will be based on affordability". Currently the Banks affordability criteria is calculated on 30% of the client's income (total earnings after tax must service the new borrowing and any existing borrowing elsewhere).

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.

Fixed-rate mortgages are available from some lenders and the fixed-rate period can range from one to 30 years. Holiday home mortgages are available for private non-resident property buyers, who are not Portuguese residents. Fixed rate mortgages can be a great way to plan ahead or work to a budget.

Mortgage rates in Portugal have been dropping consistently since the first quarter of 2014, when they averaged 3.37%. The BPI Mortgage Loan Solutions offer several variable and fixed rate options. You should also know that the maximum loan-to-value mortgage in Portugal for non-residents is between 60% to 70% of the purchase price.

Once you've selected your dream Portuguese property and have either an accepted offer or have a sales contract in place with the seller, you can bring the remaining documents to your mortgage lender and follow an application process that is similar to much of Europe.

Alternatively, fixed rates are available at 4.1% for up to 5 years based on loan to value ratios of up to 70%. Whether you are looking to own a home or a business in the sun, the mortgage requirements in Portugal are similar to the process in France or Spain - and the property prices can be competitive.

The prevailing environment of low-interest rates continues to support compliance with mortgage payments. Property prices in parts of Portugal may be relatively cheap - certainly compared to the UK - but are currently increasing rapidly. If you rent out your property in Portugal, you may offset the interest you pay on a mortgage for the property against the rental income for tax purposes.

Specialist international mortgage broker is reporting the arrival of another new lender on the Portuguese property market, which follows closely on the news that OECD research Real Estate Financing in portugal published in 2013 suggested property in Portugal was undervalued by between 5pc and 10pc, when price ratios for rents and wages were compared with the long-term average.