Pharrya

Like many of you other folks, we're hopefully going to be jumping through hoops in search of getting a mortgage in the next few months.

Anyway, I've read on a number of threads in here about people getting an International Credit Check, prior to obtaining a mortgage.

The difference with me is I don't want one. My credit rating in the US is very likely to be better than the one I have in the Uk (I'm pretty sure). I don't actually have any debt in the UK now , I was just pretty slow in paying off the Barclaycard (to the point of getting letters from them saying 'Pay up now or we'll send round the bailiffs).

It'll be a joint mortgage between the wife and I, and I've been here just short of three years.

So my question is, will a lender automatically do an international credit check? or insist on one? or not bother....

Thanks in advance for any replies...

Pulaski

I think that the lender will only insist if either (i) you aren't putting down the "standard" 20%, or (ii) you don't have a US credit history.

From what you said I don't think that they'll ask for one; if you have 20% for a down payment I'm sure you'll be in the clear.

ladyofthelake

We had an international credit check done on us, even though we were putting down a 40% deposit. This was because we had no credit history, as we'd only been in the country for 3 months. You, however have been here for nearly 3 years and will have probably built up enough history to make it not necessary.

honeymommy

We got a mortgage here in the US with nothing down and a good interest rate taboot.... They didn't do an international credit check and we had only been here 3 yrs.... Was glad they didn't as our house back in UK was reposessed under a yr earlier due to the tennant not paying rent and wrecking house..... We didn't buy the house in the end as the job hubby would have move to was going to be obsolete 6 mths later, they didn't bother to tell us till we went into escrow!!!

I think sometimes here......... If you don't mention it they don't look into it if you know what I mean....

Someone I know had been here a yr bought a house and they never asked about status, history or anything.... he got a great rate.... he did put down a large sum so that probably made a difference....

Dufus

Well...

I bought a house 4 weeks after getting here and so of course with no credit history in the USA, we made the offer 2 days after getting here.

We signed the forms to consent to an International Credit Check, but they did not do one. Instead they asked me to contact people I had credit with in the UK and this was a complete pain to do, but I guess if there were people I knew would tell a sorry tale about me then I did not need to contact them.

I think most banks are not familiar with International Credit Checks, our realtor thought there was some issue with the UK Data Protection Act meaning that they did not pass on as much information as the USA folks wanted. Dunno if that is true or not.

We put down 30% - not sure that made any difference really though.

Good luck

dbj1000

We put down 10% (a "standard" mortgage can be 80/20 or 80/10/10 where the one of the 10%s is actually a second loan) after only 6 months here and didn't get an international credit check and did get an excellent interest rate...

...which all goes to show that no two people have the same experience over here, and nothing I tell you will help in your particular situation

...but at least it sometimes all turns out for the best!