Anyone who's ever attempted to purchase a property knows that they're likely to face stiff competition from others. However, what they might not know is that this competition isn't solely limited to people living in the UK. Many of these may be in the form of expats who reside outside of the country. Why?Many expats are looking to cover their bases and make sure that they aren't left out in the cold should property prices take a dramatic rise. Many seek security in the form of property buy to let and of course somewhere to live, if and when they return home. This isn't a handful of people either; on the contrary this number is quite large.The most popular destinations for expats living abroad are Australia, the USA and Spain. At present Australia remains top with around 1,062,000 UK nationals living in the country. In addition, according to a report carried out by NatWest International, there are over 41 countries throughout the world which house over 10,000 UK expats, many of which have expressed an interest of returning to the UK at some point. Therefore it's clear that this isn't an isolated problem.Securing a UK mortgage while living abroadSecuring a UK based mortgage while living abroad has always been somewhat challenging, and now that some of the UK's largest banking institutions have pulled their expatriate mortgages, it is extremely challenging. The good news is that many mortgage lenders realise that they may have been somewhat hasty to pull their expatriate mortgage schemes, and a few are cautiously re-introducing them. The issue is that they don't exactly shout it from the rooftops. In fact, you probably won't be able to find any evidence of this type of mortgage on company websites. So the reality is that it's down to you to carry out some investigation. This being the case, you may want to seek the advice of an independent mortgage advisor like Capital Fortune who should be able to tell you which companies offer expat mortgages and more importantly at what rates. Failing this, just asking the question outright may give you the answers you need.General criteria for expat mortgagesAs with UK based people, mortgage companies need to see proof of earnings. If you're working for a multinational company then you stand a much better chance of securing a mortgage, but they will need to see payslips and accounts. However, even if you are self-employed, you still might be able to get a mortgage, on the proviso that accounts are thorough and are produced by a known international accountancy firm.The bottom line is that lenders may require more detailed information than those people who reside in the UK, and there will likely be more hurdles to clear. However, if you work for a long standing and reputable company, have a good credit rating and you have the sufficient deposit, then obtaining an ex-pat mortgage isn't as impossible as you might think.