I had intended to instruct a property lawyer in Cambridge for our house purchase. Our broker has since advised us that our mortgage company Accord Mortgages Ltd won't deal with them. Surely this is unduly restrictive?

A mortgage company may require a panel conveyancer act for it. You would be expected to meet the cost of this. Please make use of our directory service to find a solicitor to carry conveyancing in Cambridge on the Accord Mortgages Ltd approved list of solicitors.

We are buying a terrace house in Cambridge. The intention is to an extension at the rear at the property.Will the conveyancing process include enquiries to determine if these works were previously refused?

Your property lawyer should review the deeds as conveyancing in Cambridge can occasionally reveal restrictions in the title documents which restrict certain works or necessitated the permission of a 3rd party. Certain additions need local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.

My fiancee and I are at the point of looking at apartments in Cambridge and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a solicitor in place at this point? I intend to finance via a home loan with HSBC.

You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the EA. Given that you are seeking a mortgage with HSBC, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the HSBC conveyancing panel.

It is not clear whether my bank requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Cambridge building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Cambridge conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they refuse to lend based on their specific requirements. Who do I believe?

Your conveyancing practitioner has to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two conditions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

My wife and I own a 4 bedroom Georgian property in Cambridge. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Alliance & Leicester . I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Cambridge and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the conveyancing.

I'm purchasing my first flat in Cambridge benefiting from help to buy. The developers would not budge the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent told me not reveal to my conveyancer about the side-deal as it would affect my loan with Leeds Building Society. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Cambridge is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Cambridge are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Cambridge you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Cambridge may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.