Maslow Capital has introduced a new valuation route for residential bridging loans of up to £1 million, alongside title insurance designed to reduce legal delays on transactions in England and Wales.
The specialist lender has partnered with Westcor International to offer its Perfect Title insurance, providing cover against specified title risks on eligible bridging cases.
The arrangement also introduces an automated valuation model (AVM) option, allowing qualifying applications to receive an immediate indication of property value without waiting for a full surveyor’s valuation.
The AVM route combines automated valuation data with an asset manager inspection and Maslow Capital’s existing underwriting assessment. It is available for loans of up to £1 million, with maximum gross loan-to-values of 75% for purchases and 60% for refinances.
FIXED FEES AND AUCTION PURCHASES
Both open-market and auction purchases qualify for the new process, potentially reducing delays where borrowers must meet fixed completion deadlines.
Brokers will also have greater visibility of transaction costs, with legal fees calculated according to a fixed scale based on loan size. A single fee covers the automated valuation and asset manager inspection.
On purchase transactions, borrowers can undertake non-structural improvement works costing up to £150,000, provided these are funded from their own resources.
The Westcor title insurance is not restricted to applications using automated valuations. Eligible bridging cases supported by full valuations can also benefit from the cover.
All applications remain subject to Maslow Capital’s existing underwriting standards, legal due diligence and eligibility criteria.
Mark Posniak (pictured), managing director, short-term finance at Maslow Capital, says: “In bridging, the legal process is often where valuable time is lost. Brokers need a lender that can reduce that friction without compromising the protection of its security.
“Our partnership with Westcor International gives us a proven, insurance-backed way to achieve that. Our underwriting standards remain unchanged; what changes is how legal and valuation information is gathered and how specific risks are managed on suitable cases.
“We have deliberately made the title cover available on full valuation cases as well as those using our new AVM route, so the benefits are not limited to transactions using an automated valuation.
“Together, these enhancements give brokers a faster, simpler and more predictable process.”
Josh Astbury-Dennis, head of schemes at Westcor International, says: “Title insurance gives lenders an additional layer of protection by providing insurance cover against specified title risks, allowing legal due diligence to be focused where it matters most for each transaction.
“This can help bridging lenders move faster while maintaining robust risk controls.
“Maslow has been rigorous in defining where that cover applies and how it sits alongside its underwriting.
“For brokers, the result is a more efficient legal process with less potential for delay and improving the prospects of completing on time, particularly for auction purchases.”
