Company Profile

Investment & Portfolio Management; Property Sales; Insurance; Mortgages and
Foreign Exchange

It's only reasonable that you would like to know a little more about our background and experience.

Somerset Group International (SGI) has been helping clients to buy international property and arrange mortgages since 2001. Initially we only operated in France, but over the years we have expanded to also include the UK, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, South Africa, Mauritius and the Caribbean.

We will soon be launching services for Germany, Canada, and the USA.

Our Clients

From the beginning, our clients were introduced to us by mortgage brokers, financial advisers, private bankers and international estate agents.

Professionals who would not want to jeopardise their relationship with their clients. SGI was established on a reputation of providing excellent levels of service and often getting the job done when no one else could.

Running the Business

In terms of the day to day running of our business, we deal directly with all clients, helping you to find the investment property that you are looking for, and ensuring that your mortgage is structured correctly. Our independent mortgage consultants will help you to complete the application form and collect the supporting documentation. Once the application is complete we then DHL (courier) everything to the bank, in a form that is quick to check and can be passed to the underwriters for processing.

Mortgage products vary from country to country, and finding the "best deal" is not just a case of comparing interest rates. For example, in Europe the attractive interest rates quoted by the banks often only last for 3 - 6 months, before they jump up. You should also consider early repayment penalties, 3% is quite common. If life insurance is required the cost can vary enormously from one bank to another as some banks also include disability insurance. The service you will receive from Somerset Mortgages is based on years of experience to help you to avoid these and other pitfalls.

The majority of clients are introduced to us through professional connections, but an increasing number of clients now contact us directly either through "word of mouth" or via our websites. Should you wish to contact us we would be more than happy to discuss your requirements.

A Summary of Our Services

• We specialise in helping individuals to create and manage international property portfolios, buy second homes and emigrate overseas.
• We are fully independent international mortgage consultants.
• We provide free initial decisions in principle and mortgage quotes.
• We will help you to "pre-qualify" for a mortgage, so you have peace of mind.
• We will help you with the paperwork and its presentation to the bank.
• We will courier your application to the bank.
• We will monitor your application and provide progress reports, by email or phone.
• We can assist you with finding specialist property insurance, life assurance, international medical insurance, foreign exchange, financial advice, legal advice and tax advice.

Somerset FX
SomersetFX is an online foreign exchange dealership. Once you have registered online, you can transfer money overseas at anytime of the day. 2010 will see the launch of the SomersetFX Travel Card. The card will be a Mastercard pre-paid debit card. Lets say you're going to America, you could transfer (online) say £500 into US$ onto your SomersetFX Travel Card, at a better exchange rate than you could get from your bank. More About Somerset FX

French Leaseback
At the moment our main focus is on French Leaseback properties, as these offer outstanding value with interest rates at such low levels. In early 2010 we'll be helping clients to invest into property in Germany and Mauritius, which are very different markets, but both offer relatively low risk and long term growth. In 2011, we expect the property market in Spain to bottom out and plan to launch a number of projects in key investment areas. More About French Leaseback