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approved by Mortgage Express
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Mortgage Express list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
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How does my firm apply to be on the Mortgage Express Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Mortgage Express Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Mortgage Express Conveyancing Panel
Common questions asked concerning the Mortgage Express (No 2) Solicitor Panel
For what reasons would a law firm be excluded from the Mortgage Express (No 2) approved conveyancing panel?
A survey recently commissioned by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority found that three quarters of law firms had been removed from a lender panel. The most common reasons in order are :
- lack of transactions
- the lawyer is a sole practitioner
- as part of the HSBC panel reduction
- regulatory contact by SRA
- accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by Mortgage Express (No 2)
My god-son is buying a new build apartment with a home loan from Mortgage Express (No 2). His conveyancer has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?
The form is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested.
The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.
The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
I see that you have a search directory listing solicitors on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I instruct them for my own conveyancing?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
My conveyancers in London have advised me that no longer have my conveyancing file. At the time of my purchase I took out a mortgage with Mortgage Express (No 2). Is it case that being on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel they need to have retained the file for a number of years?
It very much depends from lender to lender but many of the Terms and Conditions of Conveyancing Panel Appointment require the file to be held for a period of 6 years. That being said we have not seen a copy of the Mortgage Express (No 2) Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting Mortgage Express (No 2) directly.
Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Mortgage Express (No 2). Solicitors have been instructed? What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Mortgage Express (No 2)?
There is no definitive answer here. Have Mortgage Express (No 2) conducted the survey? Have you advised Mortgage Express (No 2) as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel? sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued
My husband and I are spending time viewing houses and now considering a potential offer. Is it best to have a conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I I am planning to take a mortgage with Mortgage Express (No 2)
It would be sensible to have your start your search soon rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with Mortgage Express (No 2) , ask your prospective lawyers check they are on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a solicitor having checked that they are on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
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I've read lots of mortgage guides,I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my solicitor - who is on the Mortgage Express (No 2) conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Mortgage Express (No 2) will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Mortgage Express (No 2) will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey.
You may wish to consider appointing your own surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
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Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Mortgage Express (No 2) you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.