Our clients share their story... A dream of a second home which became reality more quickly than expected
Caroline and her husband had been dreaming of a second home in the mountains for a number of years. They did not foresee being able to make it happen so quickly, but things moved very quickly and support from Resolve allowed them to get through the experience calmly.
How did you hear about Resolve?
On a real estate search site while looking at what mortgage amount we would be able to get because we didn’t know what our borrowing capacity would be.
What convinced you to dig deeper?
Firstly, the fact that I didn’t have any information from my bank. They were aware of our desire to purchase real estate, but they expected that we would find a property before discussing it. We therefore didn’t know what the maximum amount we could be looking at was. Could I make an offer on a chalet in Verbier, or was it more like a garage? That’s why we wanted to know how much we could borrow.
We got in touch with other specialists in mortgage financing, but they were very busy. We had used them before during a prior project, but I didn’t have the patience to wait until they were available.
Resolve’s responsiveness and follow-up convinced us. I am very cautious about anything that could be a scam, because there are sadly a lot of them out there, but I quickly saw that the person was professional and knew what they were talking about. I also did a bit of research and, in my area, no-one had really turned to you. You are not very well known yet in Valais, but I saw Google reviews from Geneva which seemed credible and I got started.
Could you tell us a bit more about your project?
For a number of years, we had wanted to have a home in the mountains. We have spent weekends in various areas in order to try them out. We had visited properties, but there’s not much available at the moment and you have to be ready when the time comes because things move very quickly. We finally found a place we liked, in Champéry. We spent a weekend there in May 2022 and got the keys on 1 September 2022. It happened very quickly!
What was your experience with Resolve like?
Our advisor, Mr Moulin, was very responsive. He gave us confidence. The platform is exceptional! I really want to stress that. I am a fan and I even asked our trustee if they could do the same thing for all their documents. I love it! It’s easy to use, you can load documents, you know where you stand, you can get feedback... it’s almost like a game! It makes you want to do it, even though it’s not a very nice task.
It allowed us to see what we could do. We could also simulate things locally without needing to torture someone to try out all the possibilities!
Did you address topics other than the mortgage?
We compared direct and indirect amortisation and discussed it with Mr Rideau, the Resolve manager in Valais, to find a solution which suited us. We dug into it to find what worked for us because we didn’t want to pay more in indirect amortisation in order to have the insurance aspect on a property which is our third or fourth investment. We were able to discuss it with a great deal of openness and willingness on the part of our advisors. They were very professional and pleasant. I also met with the Financial Planning Department who will look over our situation in a more general manner.
Are you satisfied with your experience with Resolve?
It was a great experience because the people were more than just professional and knowledgeable about their subject, they were also human. We didn’t feel patronised. We interacted with friendly people.
This project was a dream for us. It will create wonderful memories for our children, who will learn to ski... we had other projects and were a bit nervous about this project because we didn’t expect to get it done this year, but the circumstances and the opportunity pushed us a bit. It was still quite a stressful year in that respect because we also had major works at home, major investments to improve our environmental impact. Despite everything, we were still able to able to have a calm experience and it was really great.
I remember my first purchase... I didn’t know what was happening, I didn’t know what to do. And, to be honest, I didn’t know any better this time despite having done it before. It’s complicated and there are a lot of steps. We were also very lucky because the seller was fantastic, as was the notary. We were very lucky with everything about the project.
How important is tailored support to you for a project like this?
We are very busy and we don’t necessarily have the time to do everything and remember everything. With two full-time jobs and young children, being well supported makes a big difference. In addition to very good service, we got a very good offer. We are winners in every respect!
I have received documents from the bank to look through, and perhaps I will request clarification from Mr Moulin. I feel confident, and the door isn’t closed just because the loan has been concluded. We hope to continue working with Resolve in the future.
That will be the case, since you have called on our Financial Planning service...
Yes, that will allow us to make the decisions which will give us the best chance of being in the position in which we want to be in 10-15 years or more.
If you would like to benefit from tailored support for your real estate project, please do not hesitate to contact one of our advisors.