Today's blog brings you 9 tips to help alleviate your foreign mortgage issues. Providing a glimmer of hope, no matter your current circumstance.
Acknowledge your problem. Burying your head in the sand or being unrealistic helps no one - especially you. To be able to solve your problem, you need to accept it. You need to know precisely what your current situation is and every aspect of it, and say to yourself: “Hi, my name is XXX, and my house in Spain is in negative equity."
Quantify your problem. Ok, let's explain, if you have a £100,000 shortfall on your property, you have to pay every penny back. However, do bear in mind that to make the problem disappear actually involves paying back c£140,000 - taking tax into consideration. Basically, you have to earn c£140,000 before tax to leave you with the £100,000 after-tax you need to pay your debt. Therefore, it is not a £100,000 problem, but a c£140,000 problem
Be realistic in terms of time and money. To manage your situation in the best way possible, be patient and understand that it will take longer than you think or want and that it will cost more than you hope.
Look at the emotional toll. Understand that resolving your property nightmare is not just about time and money, but also the emotional effect it can have on you and those around you. It will be stressful, so choose an approach with the best outcome and the least emotional cost. Do you really want to create a situation that potentially jeopardises your health, wellbeing, and relationships?
Don’t try to deal with your situation in isolation. Consider the bigger picture and your financial standing overall. Take into account how financially fragile you are. If you’re financially strained, don’t make silly decisions that only fuel your debt and escalate your situation even further. Evaluate all the risks and be sensible within your means.
Appoint the right advisors. Despite what you may think, you can’t do this on your own. It’s too much of a minefield without professional help. However, less able experts will use the persuasive power of numbers and impressive statistics to wow you.
Presentation is everything! If you do decide to go full steam ahead to resolve your issues alone, prepare well. Your presentation must have up-to-date financials and critical information – or it will end in disaster. This is where you need a company that is adept at compiling financials, untangling property situations, and fully explaining every stage. By presenting a realistic and clear case to the Banks, they are more likely to settle with.
Taking the problem to the lender. If you’ve tried in the past to resolve your situation and failed, it does not mean you will fail again. Suppose you did previously try to engage your lender for a resolution, it could be that, they didn’t have the enthusiasm or inclination to do so. They simply avoided it. However, when they have experts coming at them, they don’t have a choice!
Last, you need stamina and patience. Ok, not just a little bit but bucket loads of the stuff. This whole property resolution challenge is not for the faint-hearted. This is our official warning sign to you, without tons of stamina and patience, you will find the journey even tougher than it is!