AJ Bell has appointed Michael Sawh as senior portfolio manager at AJ Bell Investments.

Reporting to head of investment solutions, James Flintoft, Sawh will support portfolio management on the firm’s model portfolio service and multi-asset funds.

He joins the financial services firm after holding a range of investment management and research roles across single and multi-asset investment portfolios at Swiss Re, GAM, bfinance and SCM Private.

Recognise Bank has expanded its commercial term range with the launch of a five-year fixed rate option.

The new product is available for commercial investment and owner-occupier properties, with loans from £250,000 to £3m at up to 70% LTV.

The five-year product has been introduced Recognise Bank’s existing two-year fixed rate option.

Alternative Bridging Corporation has provided a £1.2m alternative overdraft facility, enabling a property developer to access flexible funding for the construction of two North West London houses.

The firm structured the facility against three buy-to-let investment properties at a blended LTV of 65%, allowing the borrower to draw funds as and when required, providing access to capital through the project without the need for the regular site inspections associated with conventional development finance.

The exit strategy is based on refinancing the two new properties once construction has been completed.

Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has supported a £5.335m refinance of a complex 45-flat residential portfolio in South Manchester, helping an experienced professional property investor secure a higher level of borrowing against the portfolio.

Before the application progressed, HTB and the broker worked through the key legal and funding considerations, giving the broker confidence that the proposed funding could could be delivered before he client incurred significant costs.

The case presented several legal and structural complexities, including trust structures affecting both the borrowing and ownership arrangements, an original acquisition completed without a deposit, the redemption of three first charges, 28 second charges across nine separate companies and existing vendor finance. TitleSolve indemnity insurance also formed part of the legal solution.

By addressing these issues before valuation and formal offer, HTB provided greater certainty for both broker and client, helping the transaction progress efficiently once legal work formally began. Despite the number of stakeholders and moving parts involved, the transaction completed in approximately six weeks.

Paragon Bank has refreshed its BTL mortgage range, with rates starting from 3.55%, and products available up to 80% LTV and across its core and tailored propositions.

The refreshed range spans two- and five-year options at 60%, 70%, 75% and 80% LTV for purchase and remortgage applications for individual and limited company landlords across England, Wales and Scotland.

Rates on its two-year single self-contained range start from 3.55% at 75% LTV on Paragon's green mortgage products with an EPC rating of A-C, while equivalent products with lower EPC ratings start from 3.60%. Selected products also include up to £1,000 in cashback, while application fees vary.

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