I can't travel far from Dulwich. Can you please clarify why all Dulwich aren't automatically on all lender panels?

Before the recession most mortgage companies had an attitude to risk which is different from today. The Financial Services Authority in 2010 instigated a thematic review into property fraud which concluded: know the on your panel. Accordingly, mortgage companies have subsequently looked to extract more data from law firms about their operations and the staff employed by them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum number of transactions. Many law practices have been removed from lender panels even though they had an exemplary disciplinary record, no complaints and zero claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Many firms were never going to meet the criteria of volume of transactions the lenders insisted on.

My lawyer in Dulwich has never been on on the Conveyancing Panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the list of approved lawyers?

Your options are as follows:

1. Complete the purchase with your existing Dulwich lawyers but will need to use a lawyer on their list of acceptable firms. This will result in additional overall legal fees and result in delays.
2. Find a new lawyer to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are approved.
3. Try to convince your solicitor to try to join the panel

Is it necessary to pay for insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when buying a house in Dulwich?

Unless a prior acquisition of the premises took place after 12 October 2013 you may assume that conveyancing practitioners conducting conveyancing in Dulwich to remain encouraging a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.

I am purchasing my first flat in Dulwich benefiting from help to buy. The developers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The estate agent told me not reveal to my solicitor about this side-deal as it could affect my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Dulwich I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Dulwich for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term may be an issue. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.