Black & White Bridging has added Aurora Baja and Toyin Ibrahim-Igbo to its newly formed asset management team, led by chief investment officer, David Tropp. The short-term finance provider said the new appointments will help it refine its lending and portfolio strategy and processes, as well as manage its risk appetite. Baja joins B&W from Simple Bridging UK, where she worked as an operations manager. Toyin brings almost 25 years of credit risk experience to the role, having worked in a number of credit and real estate positions. He joins from Alternative Bridging Corporation, where he spent nine years as an asset manager.

Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has updated its specialist mortgages proposition to apply standard buy-to-let (BTL) rates on qualifying semi-commercial loans. The change applies to cases over £5m where the commercial element makes up no more than 20% of the overall property. The move is designed to support brokers structuring mixed-use deals with limited commercial use, reflecting increased demand for residential-heavy investment properties.

Alternative Bridging Corporation has enhanced its commercial bridging proposition, introducing a more flexible offering to support a range of property transactions. As part of the update, the firm is now offering commercial bridging loans of up to 70% LTV, based on open market value with vacant possession. Alternative Bridging has also introduced stepped rates as part of its commercial bridging proposition, giving clients more control over how they manage costs across the term of the loans.

---