Main image: house holds lifted upside-down a banker from the pockets of the banker so many money falls allegory of asking a mortgage
Why do HNWIs find it so hard to get a mortgage?
A recent study has shown that being very well off doesn't always guarantee access to the right finance, explains Alpa Bhakta...

Alpa joined Butterfield in 2011 to develop the UK property finance unit at the Private Bank in the UK and has since been promoted to Managing Director of Butterfield Mortgages Limited, and subsequently named CEO. She now manages a team of dedicated colleagues in servicing niche areas of the HNW mortgage industry. Prior to Butterfield, Alpa worked at BNP Paribas Fortis, where she headed up the private property finance team and was integral to launching and growing the lending portfolio from 1999. Previously she held positions with Credit Agricole Indosuez private bank and NatWest.
Mortgage approvals jump to highest number since 2009
95,126 mortgages were approved by the main high street banks in July 2019; the highest monthly total since July 2009
By PrimeResi
Budget 2020: The need-to-know for HNWIs & business owners
The Mishcon de Reya team has penned a handy summary of key policies and changes announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in the Budget 2020.
By PrimeResi
Mortgage market chills as lending numbers drop
September saw fewer home-mover, first-time buyer and buy-to-let mortgages agreed compared to the same month last year, says UK Finance
By PrimeResi
Companies in this article
Butterfield MortgagesMost read
Super-prime agent & social media star launches ‘game-changing’ property brokerage
One of London's best-known top-end agents has set up a 'forward-thinking' luxury property brokerage that 'understands the power of storytelling & digital influence in a new era of property.'
By PrimeResi
Super-prime developer lines up £225mn scheme in Notting Hill
Valouran continues to build pipeline of landmark projects, unveiling plans for a 'major play' on Westbourne Grove.
John D Wood & Co. recruits Knight Frank’s Kilgarriff to lead Central London Lettings
A senior KF operator has moved to a key role in Polly Ogden Duffy's team at JDW.
By PrimeResi
West End office building set for boutique luxury resi conversion
Dukelease & BST England have teamed up to transform a handsome period block on Hallam Street into six high-end apartments.
Dexters names new CEO
Estate agency's CFO & Deputy CEO Ash Kashyap steps up to the top job as Andy Shepherd retires.
By PrimeResi
‘The centre of gravity has shifted’: Ranking Europe’s top-performing luxury property markets through the last decade
Key trends revealed in long-term analysis of Knight Frank's Prime International Residential Index.
Foxtons’ sales revenue jumps 73% to hit a ten-year high
The high-profile agency had a 'very strong start to the year' as buyers scrambled to beat the stamp duty deadline.
In Pictures: ‘One of Ireland’s finest contemporary country houses’ seeks €8mn
Agents instructed on 111-acre estate with spectacular centrepiece & 'unrivalled waterside appeal'.
Dexters reports another 23% revenue jump
Income from the estate agency's lettings business rocketed by nearly a third last year.
By PrimeResi
Deal numbers pick up in Prime London but ‘uncertainty ahead’
There were some positive signs for the sales market last month, reports LonRes, but the top end is still struggling with rising supply and weaker demand.
LATEST ARTICLES
4 Charts: Exploring prime property buyers’ priorities in 2025
Savills' latest client survey reveals changes in how committed people are to moving home, as well as how top-end budgets have shifted, and how key concerns have evolved in the last year.
By PrimeResi
‘There are clear signs of renewed confidence across PCL’ as deal numbers climb
JLL recorded 13% more residential transactions in Prime Central London in Q1 this year compared to last.
By PrimeResi
Resi developers ‘pivot’ to grey-belt projects as planning reforms ‘ignite enthusiasm’
Surveys by both Savills & Knight Frank point to rising residential development activity this year, although land values dipped in Q1.
By PrimeResi
LeadingRE adds 11 new agencies in key international markets
Luxury property network's Q1 expansion includes new brokers in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Lebanon, France, Italy, El Salvador & the United States.
By PrimeResi
Salary Survey: What are UK property professionals earning in 2025 – and what do they really value?
New report reveals how salary structures & hiring trends are evolving in response to market conditions & new legislation.