UK property finance for North American investors.
For US and Canadian investors, family offices and funds buying into UK and European property: bridging, development and investment facilities, arranged with the two US-specific realities — FATCA and entity structure — handled from the first conversation, not discovered in underwriting.
By Dominic Whitecross, Co-Founder, HyLend.
Scope. We arrange non-regulated finance on investment and commercial property for corporate, SPV and investor borrowers. We do not arrange regulated mortgages on a home for your own occupation. HyLend Limited is a UK credit broker, not a lender.
US and Canadian investors in UK and European property
North American capital — private investors, family offices and funds — is a growing presence in UK and European property, drawn by pricing, currency moments and diversification. The financing mechanics are familiar territory for us, with two US-specific wrinkles worth knowing before you start.
US persons narrow the panel, they do not close it. FATCA reporting obligations mean some lenders decline US-person borrowers on principle; a meaningful part of the panel remains open. Knowing which lenders those are — before the application — is most of the value of a broker on these deals.
Diligence will feel familiar. UK and European lenders underwrite the asset, the income and the exit, much as a US commercial lender would — but security, valuation practice and completion mechanics differ by jurisdiction, especially in Scotland and continental Europe. We manage that translation.
Structures. A UK SPV is standard; US LLCs and LPs are accepted by parts of the panel with personal guarantees. Entity choice interacts with US tax treatment, so we work alongside your US advisers rather than around them.
Currency: the cost line most investors miss
Investing into sterling or euro assets from abroad, the exchange rate can move your returns more than the loan margin does — deposits, drawdowns and the eventual exit all cross currencies. We work closely with Total Currency Exchange, a UK currency specialist whose payment services are provided through FCA-authorised partners. Want an introduction? Tell us when you send the deal, or ask us directly. We do not provide currency advice; timing and hedging decisions remain yours with your FX provider.
North America investor FAQs
Can US citizens get UK property finance?
Yes. FATCA reporting means some lenders decline US persons, but a meaningful part of the panel remains open, and knowing which lenders those are before applying is most of the value we add on these deals.
Can I borrow through a US LLC?
Parts of the panel accept US LLCs and LPs with personal guarantees; a UK SPV is more widely accepted and often simpler. Entity choice interacts with US tax treatment, so we work with your US advisers on the structure before placing the deal.
Is the process similar to US commercial lending?
The underwriting logic is familiar — asset, income, exit — but security, valuation and completion mechanics differ by jurisdiction, particularly in Scotland and continental Europe. We manage that translation as part of arranging the deal.
Can Canadians access the same finance?
Yes, and without the FATCA complication, so the panel is wider. The same documentation and structure principles apply.
Valuations: what actually sets your loan and your timetable
Wherever you are based, the loan you receive is a percentage of a valuation figure chosen by the lender, and on UK commercial security that is often not market value but the same asset valued on the special assumption of a 90 or 180 day sale — typically 5% to 25% lower. Two lenders can quote an identical loan to value and offer materially different money.
The valuation type also sets the timetable, which matters when you are coordinating across time zones. Automated and desktop valuations return in minutes to 72 hours on standard UK residential security; a full Red Book valuation of a commercial or trading asset takes one to three weeks and will normally require physical access.
Neither decision can be changed once a lender is instructed, so both belong in the lender selection. The full valuations guide →