Afin Bank expands underwriting team

Specialist lender Afin Bank has appointed Lisa Taylor as its newest underwriter.

Lisa joins from Pepper Money and brings almost 25 years of experience of the mortgage and specialist lending sector, including roles at Precise Mortgages and Ocean Finance.

All Afin’s mortgages are individually underwritten as the lender supports borrowers who can struggle to get a mortgage from mainstream lenders, such as high-net-worth customers, the self-employed and workers with non-standard incomes, as well as foreign nationals working in the UK on a valid work visa.

Lisa said: “More and more lenders are taking the automated route and that takes a lot of work away from skilled underwriters. With Afin, cases can be more complicated, so that gets your brain working, but it also gives you a sense of achievement when you can help a borrower.

“I also like the fact that Afin Bank is still fairly new, because that gives me the opportunity to bring my experience and contribute to building a lender that is really needed in the mortgage market right now.”

Swaraj Dada, head of credit for Afin Bank, added: “Lisa has a wealth of experience handling complex cases and specialist lending, making her a strong addition to our underwriting team. 

“We serve a broad and diverse customer base, from mainstream UK residents through to diaspora borrowers, supporting their needs whether they are first-time buyers, professionals, the self-employed or high-net-worth clients with more complex needs. That means we need an underwriting team that can provide the right level of expertise and support, whatever a borrower’s circumstances.”