At what point does exchange of contracts occur in residential conveyancing in Grangetown and am I required to be at the lawyers branch?
If you are round the corner to our conveyancing solicitors in Grangetown you are invited in to sign the paperwork. That being said, the lender approved solicitors we work with supply a national conveyancing service and provide as equally comprehensive and professional a job for you when communicating with you digitally. The executing of the contract is not the critical part. A signed contract is just a prerequisite for the solicitor to officially exchange at the appropriate time, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where a lengthy "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Grangetown)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.
I'm in the throws of viewing apartments in Grangetown and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it sensible to have my conveyancing practitioner on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a home loan with RBS.
It would be sensible to instigate your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the EA. As you are getting a mortgage with RBS, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the RBS conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
I have a mortgage with Santander for my property in Grangetown. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Santander?
You must advise Santander prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Santander’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Santander directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Santander conveyancing panel lawyer.
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Grangetown building society branch on various occasions and was advised it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Grangetown conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called to say that they would not lend in accordance with their specific requirements. Who do I believe?
Provided that the solicitor is on the mortgage company approved list, they must follow the CML Handbook conditions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company 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 remaining.
I am buying a new build house in Grangetown with a loan from Alliance & Leicester . The builders would not reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The estate agent told me not inform my lawyer about this side-deal as it may put at risk my loan with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.
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.
Should I be concerned that brokers that I am dealing with are suggesting an internet conveyancing firm rather than a local Grangetown conveyancing firm?
As with many service providers, often suggestions from relatives can be very helpful. Yet there are numerous parties with a vested interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies might all suggest conveyancers to appoint. Sometimes the lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but sometimes there may be a financial incentive behind the recommendation. You are free to select your own lawyer. However, bear in mind that some mortgage providers specify a panel list of conveyancers you have to use for the lender aspect of your home move.
Am I best advised to use a Grangetown conveyancing lawyer based in the vicinity that I am buying? An old friend can handle the conveyancing however they are based 300miles away.
The primary upside of using a high street Grangetown conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to sign documents, present your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local intelligence which is a bonus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust used your friend and the majority were content that must trump using an unknown Grangetown conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being based in the area.