News

With the arrival of the third national lockdown, and following weeks of campaigning from the property industry, it is looking increasingly likely that there could be an extension to the SDLT holiday, avoiding a cliff edge end to the tax reduction at the end of March.

At the ASTL, we have collaborated with our colleagues at FIBA, to call for an extension to the deadline, and we haven’t been alone. Both IMLA and AMI have also spoken publicly about the need for an extension, as have many specialist lenders, and so it will come as welcome news if measures are taken to avoid a hard end to the window.
Read more

Bridging completions were £2.88bn in 2020, down from £3.99bn in 2019, but applications grew by more than 11% on the previous year.

This is according to the latest figures compiled by auditors from data provided by members of the Association of Short-Term Lenders. The data shows that completions in 2020 fell by 27.9% on 2019 and that bridging loan books dropped to £4.48bn, a decrease of 2.5% on the previous year. The value of applications in 2020 increased to £25.82bn, up from £23.19bn in 2019.
Read more

Bridging applications hit their highest ever level in Q3 2020, and completions rose by more than 40% as the market bounced back from the impact of the first lockdown.

This is according to the latest figures compiled by auditors from data provided by members of the Association of Short-Term Lenders. The data shows that applications totalled £7.6bn in Q3 2020, representing an increase of 39.1% over the previous quarter and an increase of 25.7% on the same period in 2019.
Read more

I had originally written this article prior to the very sad news of the passing of Benson Hersch, who was my predecessor as CEO of the ASTL, a good friend and colleague. I titled the article “Finding strength in adversity” and, if anything that title holds more truth today than it did at the time of first writing.

On behalf of the Board, I can say that Benson is the reason why the ASTL is where it is today. He took the reins of the membership and transformed it into an association that was more representative of the industry, with a clear purpose to improve standards and encourage sustainable growth of the sector. Read more

Bridging finance is designed to provide borrowers with a short-term lending solution until they are able to secure an exit, either through refinancing or sale of the property. But what if things don’t go according to plan and the intended exit is no longer possible when the term of the bridging loan expires?

This year, more than any other, has taught us that even the most robust of plans can be blown out of the water through unforeseen circumstances and the with the door slammed shut on potential exit routes. So, what options does a client have?
Read more

The average completion time for a bridging loan in Q3 of this year was 52, up from 50 days in Q2, and a surprisingly long period for a type of finance that is known for delivering solutions at pace.

This can be very frustrating for brokers and customers, and at the ASTL we endeavour to encourage all lenders to progress cases with speed wherever possible, but also with the highest possible levels of diligence.
Read more

Nivo has become the latest professional organisation to join the Association of Short Term Lenders (ASTL) as an associate member.

FinTech, Nivo, designed its technology solution to meet the needs of specialist lending. Within its convenient messaging network, Nivo simplifies information gathering and checks using a range of fintech tools like biometric identity verification, open banking, advanced e-signing and instant filesharing. It then makes it much easier to progress deals quickly, through seamless data and file transfer and instant messaging with intermediaries.
Read more

Bridgeshield has become the latest professional organisation to join the Association of Short Term Lenders (ASTL) as an associate member.

Bridgeshield Asset Management provides lenders with a broad range of solutions, from property risk assessment at origination, through to Asset Management and LPA Receivership solutions for when things don’t work out as expected.
Read more

Bridging completions were £470m in Q2 2020, down 56% on Q4 2019, but applications rose slightly in the same period.

This is according to the latest figures compiled by auditors from data provided by members of the Association of Short-Term Lenders (ASTL). The data shows that applications increased by just over 1% in Q2 2020, compared to Q4 2019, while loan books showed a small decrease but remain at £4.5bn. Average LTVs increased slightly in Q2 2020 compare to Q4 2019, but continue to remain at sub 60%.
Read more