Common questions asked concerning the Habito Solicitor Panel from members of the public
I am getting a mortgage offer from Habito. I would like to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer. Does the Habito Conveyancing panel exclude Licensed Conveyancers
Habito’s approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders associated to the CML or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
We are due to exchange on the purchase a house but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have agreed compensation from the seller of £3k approx by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but my mortgage company Habito will not agree to this. Why was Habito even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the Habito conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform Habito of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to Habito then they would have to discontinue acting for you and Habito.
I see that you have a search directory listing solicitors on the Habito conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I appoint them for my house purchase?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Habito conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
I was supposed to move into my dream home last Thursday. My solicitor is on the Habito conveyancing panel but has moved offices in the past couple of months and had not advised Habito of their new address. Habito has locked down the release of mortgage funds until such time as their systems are up to date with the correct details.
This is a rare situation indeed. The majority of lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local Habito branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can assist.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Habito as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Habito conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Habito would not normally appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they did require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Habito panel
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Habito. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event if you are getting a mortgage with Habito you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Habito conveyancing panel.
At last I have had an offer on an apartment accepted, the seller does however have a dependent purchase. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties booked. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What should be my next step? At what point should I appy for the mortgage with Habito?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the Habito conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with Habito and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.