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About us
  • What is Hownvestor?

    Hownvestor is a Belgian start-up offering an alternative solution for acquiring your home, by co-investing alongside you in your property.

  • Who is behind Hownvestor?

    Behind the concept of Hownvestor are two Belgian entrepreneurs, Thomas Palmblad and Patrick Van Overbroek, accompanied by a multidisciplinary team in finance and real estate.

  • Where is Hownvestor available?

    Hownvestor is currently available for real estate acquisitions in the main cities in Belgium.

  • How does Hownvestor make money?

    Hownvestor earns money on: one-off administrative fees equivalent to 1% of the property value (payable by the customer); rental income based on Hownvestor investment (payable by the customer); refinancing of Hownvestor's ownership share (payable by the buyer); income received from partnerships with real estate professionals (payable by the partners).

  • Is Hownvestor a bank, a loan, or a mortgage?

    Hownvestor is not a bank and certainly not a loan. We help you to get a loan by co-investing with you in your property. We are considered as a real estate investor and not as a finance company, a loan or credit institution.

Customers
  • For whom exactly is Hownvestor?

    If you are over 21, based in Belgium, have a job and a proven earning capacity…. In brief, Hownvestor is for people who do not want to wait to become a homeowner and for people who appraise the advantages of becoming owner. Some people also use Hownvestor because they want to keep some cash for a professional, or personal project. However in most of the cases, it is just because they don’t have the necessary savings to match the down payment requested by the banks

  • Why do our customers choose Hownvestor?

    There are no alternatives in home financing today other than paying it fully with own savings, or combined with a bank loan. In the latter option, you will have to bring at least 25% of the total acquisition price as a down payment. When you ask people why they are still renting, in 80% of the cases, they will tell that they don’t have the necessary funds to match that down payment. That is where we come into play and that is why people use Hownvestor.

Process
  • How is Hownvestor helping in getting my loan?

    As Hownvestor co-invests with you, we drastically increase your chances of obtaining a loan.

  • How does Hownvestor work concretely?

    Hownvestor acts as your home equity partner and co-operates with Tier 1 financial institutions in Belgium for the packaging of the mortgage and insurance. Working with Hownvestor is like taking the airport fastlane. We not only do help you to prepare and get your loan, but we also fasten that process as we are in close relationships with partnering financial institutions.

  • Is Hownvestor added to the title of property?

    Yes. As mentioned, we operate under a co-ownership model. We take a 25% adjustment on our percentage of ownership. Which means that if we invest 10% of the property price, we will have a 12,5% of ownership in it. But it is your property, you are free to do whatever you want with it, you can refurbish it, rent it, or sell it anytime.

  • How does the mark up on ownership work ?

    The mark-up is simple and transparent and materializes in an ownership adjustment percentage of 25%. For example, it means that if Hownvestor invests an amount equivalent to 10% of the purchase price, Hownvestor will own 12,5% of the property. The Hownvestor ownership stake can never exceed 30% of the property.

  • How is the property valued at exit?

    The property exit is always at market price. If necessary, the latter may be set by an independent expert.

  • Can I choose any apartment or home available in the market?

    All types of properties are generally available, as long as they are individual unit apartments, or houses. Even if we do not co invest into whole buildings, we still invest in secondary properties and investment properties. Because real-estate investment activities are perceived to carry more risk, they are subject to different underwriting criteria than investments in primary residences. To check if your secondary home, or investment property is eligible by Hownvestor, get pre-qualified today.

Qualification
  • How do I qualify for Hownvestor?

    Nothing is easier. Go on any page of the website, click on the “Become an owner” button and fill out the online form. Provide the proper documents and wait for an answer. It generally takes up to 48 hours to learn if you qualify for our service. Qualifying for Hownvestor doesn’t commit you.

  • Does qualifying for Hownvestor commit me in any way?

    Of course not. With Hownvestor, there are no strings attached and you can always back off anytime at no cost (until we make an offer) if you eventually don’t want to buy the property.

  • How long does the qualification process take?

    The pre-qualification process generally takes less than 2 minutes. You will then receive an email to further investigate if you are eligible for our service. In that respect, it can take from 24 hours up to 5 working days to have an answer. As fast and simple as that. Please be aware that those timelines could not always be met in the pre-launch phase of the business.

  • What information do I need to provide to qualify to Hownvestor?

    To fully qualify for Hownvestor, you will just have to give tangible evidence of the answers given in the pre-qualification phase. You will therefore need to provide the following documents: - Identification document (ID, proof of residence, etc.) - Financial documents (working contract, salary slips) - Rent documents (rent contract, rent payment track record). The same applies if you want to purchase with another person (husband, wife, etc.)

Finance
  • How shall I refinance my property?

    You can easily refinance it, either through your own savings, or third party financial support, or through a repackaging of your existing mortgage loan, or even through the sale of the property.

  • Who pays the loan, the property maintenance, taxes and insurance?

    You bear the repayment of your loan. Hownvestor, as co-owner, will pay its pro-rata of the insurance and property taxes. Small maintenance and refurbishment costs will be at your expense.

  • How much can Hownvestor invest in a property?

    Hownvestor can invest up to € 200,000. Hownvestor’s co-investment will depend on the following: 1. The property (type, location and price); 2. Your personal contribution; 3. Your financial profile.

  • How much does Hownvestor cost?

    You will pay a file opening fee equal to 1% of the property price, plus monthly rents during the period of joint ownership. These charges come in addition to your loan instalments. In the event of a buy back between co-owners, the transfer costs, which depend on the region where the property is located, are calculated on the basis of the market value of the property and are payable by the buyer.

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