Home loan for non-residents: "The intermediary helped me negotiate with the banks"

Of American origin, Kristen carried out her home buying process with mortgage credit in Portugal, without speaking the language and starting in "dreamy mode," she confesses.

Your first step was to search for properties on Idealista, to understand what options were available in the market, the prices, and the locations. You ended up starting the process with "a small real estate agency recommended by a friend", which you felt was the perfect fit for you. This is because you say the agency "took time to understand" what you were looking for, sending online house listings in order to save time on the houses they were actually going to visit.

In terms of mortgage credit, Kristen admits that hiring a credit intermediary was essential. This intermediary helped her gather tax statements, both from Portugal and the United States, and her green receipts, to prove her financial ability to repay the loan. "My situation is different from people with a work contract," she confesses, but the intermediary didn't hesitate to help.  

Thanks to the existing digital convenience, nowadays, it was possible to send all the documentation online, "securely, through WeTransfer", without needing "to translate or pay for translation", says the American.

But the process of hiring a home loan is not simple. And it was here that the role of the intermediary was relevant: "The credit intermediary helped me understand the entire home loan process, and negotiate with the banks to ensure the best conditions."  

Kristen points out that, probably, she could ask for simulations by herself, "but when buying a house time is crucial." "I lost a few apartments for not being fast enough, and the credit intermediary helps with that, because he quickly advances with several simulations, without me having to waste time with each bank individually," she warns.

So, now the owner affirms to recommend these services to friends who also want to buy a property in Portugal with a mortgage. Since everyone around her claimed not to believe "how easy the process was." "I found the apartment, got my housing loan approved, made an offer for a property, signed the CPCV (Promissory Contract of Purchase and Sale), and finalized the deed, all within just one month," and therefore, "would not do anything differently," she concludes.

If you want to proceed with these processes, know that the real estate agency Casa no Minuto can find the right property for you, and the Poupança no Minuto provides a free, fast and assertive credit intermediation service. With our agents, you ensure personalized service and the key to your property in Portugal in the shortest time possible.