No money down is market-driven solution allows you to buy property and finance up to 100% of your purchase. It became really popular with refinancing options and innovative new ways people are funding and financing their investment and property speculation efforts.
If you are considering debt consolidation strategies, mortgage refinancing, renovation loans and financing using the equity in your home or collateral in lieu of a deposit.
Here is a simplistic summary of how the no money down mortgage works:
- The mortgage represents the full 100% equity value or the property’s TOTAL appraised value
- If you have a solid credit standing and reputation, with no previous bankruptcies or late payments in the last two years, you qualify for this type of no money down financing option.
- Loan repayment is a non-issue, due to your own job stability and income security (two years being the minimum requirement and screening criteria)
That is the premise and details on the, no money down financing option for mortgages and property investment.
It’s important at this point to note however that there are marked differences in property investment lending and legislation in the US and that many strategies are far more acceptable there than elsewhere.
However, suitably behind the US market the No Money Down concepts only really started to take off in the UK in the early 2000s as the buy to let market took off.
The impetus for this was a combination of a worldwide property boom and mortgage backed securities leading to a massive influx of cash into the worldwide markets. Banks all over the world were falling over themselves to lend on property and new lenders sprouted up all over the place. Loan to values increased, rates dropped and investors piled into property. The result was lax lending and regulation however.
The typical No Money Down strategy used here in the UK was some form of instant refinancing and or vendor gifted deposit, as follows:-
Instant Refinancing
Property value £100,000
Agreed purchase price £75,000
Obtain a mortgage offer from a lender of 85% based upon the £100,000 valuation – the lender was informed this was a remortgage which technically it was so there was no harm in obtaining the valuation and offer based upon the true valuation of the property.
Bridging or cash was used to purchase the property at £75,000 and the lender would instantly release the £85,000 mortgage. The investor paid back the cash or bridging and pocketed £10,000 before costs.