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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

BTL mortgages - current popular products


Max LTVInitial RateTermCompletion feeBooking feeIncentivesOverall Cost for Comparison
85%5.49% Discount2 Years2.5%£130.00No6.9% APR
85%5.79% Discount2 Years2%£130.00No6.9% APR
80%4.69% Discount2 Years2%£130.00No6.7% APR
75%3.74% Discount2 Years£1999£250.00No5.4% APR
75%4.99% FixedJan 31 20151%£0.00No5.4% APR
75%3.99% Tracker2 Years2.5%£0.00No5.3% APR
75%4.39% FixedMar 31 2016£995£0.00Free valuation and free legals for remortgages (properties valued up to £500,000).5.7% APR
70%4.25% Discount2 Years0%£199.00Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only.6% APR
65%3.99% FixedMar 31 2016£995£0.00Free valuation and free legals for remortgages (properties valued up to £500,000).5.6% APR
60%3.25% Discount2 Years£1750£250.00No5.3% APR




Tel: 029 2069 5446 

IMPORTANT! Due to current market conditions, lenders are withdrawing and replacing products with little or no notice. Please check our website regularly to see the most up-to-date products available.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgages.The Financial Services Authority does not regulate some forms of mortgage.



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Soggy buy-to-let properties

Damp is a fact of life for landlords at this time of year.  I know the rain has been particularly bad over the last few weeks and it does cause problems.  I've had several tenants contact me.  The main problems I find are:

1. Blocked gutters or leaking gutters causing water to gush and constantly wet an area of external brick work.  This results in damp occurring inside as the porous bricks allow water ingress over a period of time causing internal damp patches.

2. Drains and rising water table.  The constant rain has caused the water table to rise generally as the natural aquifers fill and leaks or inadequacies in the storm drains are exposed often resulting in problems with rising damp as water is absorbed through the superstructure of the building.

3. Condensation is the other major damp problem as tenants keep window tightly shut and crank up the heating.  The wonders of UPVC windows and our modern obsession with cleanliness (2 showers a day) mean there is no way for the high levels of moisture to escape resulting in condensation and then mould.

4. Expanding doors and windows that jam as a result of the absorption of increased humidity and moisture levels.

Landlord insurance - all risks
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Monday, November 26, 2012

RICS calls for crackdown of rogue letting agents

RICS are calling for a 'clamp down' on the lettings sector to help kick out unscrupulous rogue agents turning it, in there words, into "the property industry's Wild West".

RICS has declared the sector as having "a total lack of effective regulation".
A turn up for the books then, a trade body asking for further regulation.... funny that.

Rates to stay below 1% until 2018

Most landlords have borrowed heavily to purchase their buy-to-let property.  This means that mortgage charges are their biggest cost when it comes to financing their rental business dwarfing other costs such as insurance and maintenance.

Most landlords are rightly pretty obsessed with what is going to happen to the Base Rate.  Rates have been on the floor now for over 3 years and the latest predictions are that even a quarter percent rise to 0.75% will not happen until April 2014 at the earliest.  This gives landlords another year of record rental profits.  The projections are even pointing to the fact that the base rate will not get to 1% until 2018 at the earliest.  Unbelievable but fantastic if you are as I am with a large proportion of my mortgages on base rate trackers!

Have a look at what the experts are saying about interest rates.  A word of caution though.  Experts have been wrong before so bet your house on it...

Mortgage Finance - expert brokers
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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Property pension

A recent survey of landlords reveals that more than 80% of private landlords intend to us their property portfolio to fund their pension.

The Survey by BDRC Continental found that 4 out of 5 landlords interviewed intended to live off rental income or sell off their properties to fund their retirement years.

Mark Long, director at BDRC Continental, said: "Landlords consistently tell us that they see their property portfolio as forming a critical part of their pension provision for the future."

Property Hawk has been advocating for years the long-term benefits of residential property investment and it's use as part of an overall retirement plan.  We have also urged government to give this asset class the same tax advantages as other investment products held within personal pension schemes such as SIPPs.  So far to no avail!
 
Landlord insurance - professional rates

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Should I let to desperate tenants?

I'm having real problems letting a property at the moment.  Despite the place being advertised with two very good letting agents in different parts of town there has been no suitable takers.  I have just had one couple with child that are desperate to rent.  The letting agent maintaining that the couple are lovely (I've not met them so it's a difficult one to verify) I am concerned.  Why?  Well it turns out that the couple and child are currently living in a hotel.  They have moved from down south with the husband starting work whilst the wife is currently on maternity leave.  Now call me old fashioned but if I had a job offer you normally know several month in advance when you will be starting work and therefore will sort out a place to live in advance (especially if you have a child).  I'm not comfortable.  I don't understand the back story and that make me uneasy.  I like to have organised well ordered tenants not ones that appear to lead chaotic lives.  To me this spell trouble even if the tenants appear to be earning a decent wage.

Currently, I'm awaiting the reference and credit check but unless I get to the bottom of why they are staying in a hotel I'm not going to hand over the keys whatever the agents assurances are?  After all it will be me that is left trying to deal with the fall out if things go wrong.  What would you do?  I'd be interested in how other landlords would approach this dilemma.

Landlords insurance - expert brokers

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

East Midlands Property Owners Conference

East Midlands Property Owners (EMPO) is hosting the East Midlands Landlord Expo.

The FREE event will be held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham on March 19th 2013.  It's a  one day event aimed to improve housing standards in the private rental sector. 

Providing a  platform for landlords, letting agents and property investors across the East Midlands to exchange information, seek advice, network and improve on current service deals with exhibitor companies.

There will be over 40 exhibitor companies and local authorities providing advice.
A Graham Penny live property auction. 

Seminars covering
  • An Auctioneers Guide to Buying at Auction.
  • Current requirements for licensing.
  • Why tenant referencing is important.
  • How to deal with issues around tenancy deposit disputes.

Pre-register on the Expo website to receive a FREE ticket! 
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Financing Auction Property with a Bridging Finance Loan

The popularity of property shows such as ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ have inspired a generation of people to look at auctions as a means to finding their next property investment. In today’s economic climate, as many potential homeowners struggle to secure a deposit or mortgage, it is an ideal time to find a property bargain. One of the best ways of doing this is in a property auction. Property auctions rely on you making quick decisions and securing the best deal, and a bridging finance loan from specialist bridging loan providers such as Ascot  is one of the quickest ways of financing an auction property purchase.

A bridging finance loan is designed for a shorter period than a mortgage, often for any period ranging from a few weeks to a few years. It is designed to give you cash quickly, especially important if you have seen a property bargain in an auction. It provides the capital in the short term so that you can then arrange a mortgage to finance the borrowing over a longer term. This is perfect for those looking to grab a bargain in an auction, as properties are often snapped up by serious investors and property developers, especially with the buoyant rental market. In addition, when you buy a property from an auction, you often only have 14-28 days to complete the sale and pay for it, meaning that longer-term borrowing solutions are often more difficult to arrange quickly. Bridging finance loans are often repaid once the property is sold, or if a mortgage is taken out, meaning that there is no pressure to repay immediately as there might have been with a bank loan or credit card.  They can also be used if you currently own your own property, and have a mortgage, but are looking to add a buy to let investment to your property portfolio.

Bridging finance loans are especially useful when, for instance, you know that you will be hoping to purchase an auction property and that you will have a mortgage arranged a few weeks later. They should, generally, not be considered as a long-term borrowing solution because they can work out more expensive. Here at Ascot Mortgages, we can help you to find the best deal, one that does not have any early exit fees, so that you can pay the loan off in full when your mortgage is arranged. This type of loan has increased in popularity as the housing market has become increasingly depressed and means that there are often competitive deals to be had, which we at Ascot Mortgages can find for you.

There are two main types of bridging loan, the ‘closed bridge’ and ‘open bridge.’ The first option is generally for people who have already exchanged on their property, but the ‘open bridge’ is especially suitable to those who are looking to buy a second property, perhaps through an auction. Buying a property through an auction, either as a home or an investment, can be a brilliant thing to do; it can let you grab a bargain, free up money to make the property your own, or provide a source of extra income that may increase in value. Bridging loans can be the ideal solution to this, but because of the choice available.

For more information please contact www.ascotbridgingfinance.co.uk a part of the Ascot Mortgages Groups www.ascotmortgages.co.uk 

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HM Revenue to target SE landlords

Landlords in the South East are one of the groups to be targeted by the tax authorities according to reports in the Guardian. HMRC has previously 'announced' that it will employ cutting edge tools such as "web robot" software to search the internet for people and companies and their affairs.  A so called task force is reportedly to be established and is likely to use it's investigators to glean information from other government departments and sources such as letting adverts and university accommodation departments.

To find out how landlords can reduce their tax liabilities have a look at our recent articles.

To put things into context though the Revenue often announces these headline grabbing purges of the great 'under taxed' but rarely has the extra resources to back up the headlines. The threat of 'cyber spooking' is probably a bit like their version of the TV detector van.  (How does that work?).  Having said that it's probably a prompt for landlords to starting getting their financial house in order ready for the self assessment tax deadline of the 31st of January.

Landlord insurance - professional rates
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

BTL mortgages - most popular

Max LTVInitial RateTermCompletion feeBooking feeIncentivesOverall Cost for Comparison
85%5.49% Discount2 Years2.5%£130.00No6.9% APR
85%5.79% Discount2 Years2%£130.00No6.9% APR
80%4.79% FixedNov 30 2014 3.5%£199.00Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only.6.4% APR
80%4.69% Discount2 Years2%£130.00No6.7% APR
80%5.19% Discount2 Years2%£130.00No6.8% APR
75%3.74% Discount2 Years£1999£250.00No5.4% APR
75%3.25% Fixed2 Years3%£250.00No5.3% APR
75%4.99% FixedJan 31 2015 1%£0.00No5.4% APR
70%4.25% Discount2 Years0%£199.00Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only.6% APR
60%3.25% Discount2 Years£1750£250.00No5.3% APR
 

IMPORTANT! Due to current market conditions, lenders are withdrawing and replacing products with little or no notice. Please check our website regularly to see the most up-to-date products available.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgages.The Financial Services Authority does not regulate some forms of mortgage.

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Southern Landlords Assoc lose judicial review

The Southern Landlords Association has failed to overturn a proposed selective licensing scheme by Thanet District Council in Kent.  The SLA  tried to overturn the proposal via a judicial review at the High Court.

Now, following the High Court ruling, Thanet District Council in Kent will go ahead and introduce selective licensing in two of its wards, Margate Central and Cliftonville West.


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Plight of the accidental landlord

The Daily Mail try to garner some sympathy for the plight of accidental landlords in this article, listing the costs and trials involved with letting out property.

I don't think it will change public opinion, everyone loves to hate a landlord, accidental or not.
 
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Rich landlords could help the homeless

A new property fund has been launched to in the words of it's founder Daniel Brewer  "deliver real social impact by helping individuals build their resilience to prevent a return to homelessness, progress towards being work-ready and building confidence to eventually move into fully independent private tenancies – all social impacts that will be measured,"

The Real Lettings Property Fund is looking to raise £15m to £20m to start with. This first round of funding will be used to buy up to 100 one- and two-bedroom flats in London in the first year that will let out via its subsidiary company.

The fund will generate an annual income of about 4% including charges, plus a share of the capital growth – expected to be about 3% a year – when  sold. Investors' money will be tied up for seven years, with an optional extra year.

One stumbling block is the minimum £500,000 investment required but the fund is hoping to reduce this on further funding rounds.

Read more in the Guardian

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Monday, November 19, 2012

Owner occupation rates drop to lowest since 1998

A new bit of research from the campaign group HOA reports that owner occupation in the UK has dropped to it's lowest level since 1998.

There stats say that it peaked at 69.7% in the UK in 2002, falling to a current 64.7% which it reckons to be the 17th highest among the 27 EU countries, lower than Bulgaria, Ireland, Italy and Romania.

Discounted landlord insurance here

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Chancellor set to change tax on REITs

George Osborne is set to allow real estate investment trusts (Reits) to invest in each other on a more tax-efficient basis by changing  the current tax treatment of the listed property vehicles so that investing in other Reits will enjoy the same tax freedom as investing in physical buildings.

Read article in the FT Times
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A Plumber, A Plumber My Kingdom.....

For a Plumber!

I know it's a shameless play on Shakespeare Richard III but the sentiments are very real.

The temperature drops and immediately it brings to light issues with your tenants central heating which they either have been hiding from you or only become apparent when the heating become a regular feature.

After my own central heating issue and a leak it's highlighted to me how difficult it is to track down a decent, affordable and reliable plumber.  My regular plumber of several years has disappeared from view, leaving me in the unenviable position of having a few plumbing and heating issues but no one to fix it.  How then do you find a decent plumber?  Ideally, I would go on personal recommendation but my regular contacts have been unable to provide me details of somebody they can recommend.  So for me it was straight to the internet and Yell.  The service now has pretty much moved online with the added bonus that you do get Trip Advisor style reviews which can be helpful (you obviously have to use your own discretion as to the genuine ones).  I like to employ a local strategy when trying to get hold of a good plumber.  Think like them.  Most plumbers don't like doing the annoying the fiddly jobs that most landlords need them for.  This is because - they have to travel a long way and it might only be 30 mins work which they can't charge much for but takes up half of their day.  So if you can get a plumber that is round the corner from your buy-to-let, they are often more than happy to pop in on the way back from a full days fitting of a new boiler or bathroom.  One thing that I did find on my search that the good ones are often booked up until Christmas.  Where this is the case get them to recommend somebody.  That's what I did and now my leaky washer has been fixed and the heating system on another is back up and running (faulty room digistat).

GOOD LUCK!

Do I need boiler insurance?
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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Rents hit Autumn high

The leaves may be falling but there is no sign of the usual fall off in rental levels appearing quite yet.

Rents are up 0.5% over the last month and have continued to surge past the £620 level for the first time according to figures from the Rentindex.

Another rent tracking service provided by LSL property services also indicates that on a national basis rents continue to increase, with typical average rents standing at £744 continuing a series of seven consecutive months of rises.  However, the increases are not even across the country, with rents in the capital London continuing to surge ( up 0.9 % on Septembers level ) whilst other areas such as the East Midlands were reporting falls.

Experienced landlords will know that rental levels will start to tail off in November and seasonally tend to start to pick up again from March onwards.

Landlord insurance - expert brokers

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

BTL landlords evade 550 million in tax

Yes apparently, UK landlords are accused of evading over half a billion in tax during the 2009-10 tax year by estimates by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

With the total tax paid on rental property during that period been £1.8 billion, the unpaid estimate is  more than 23 per cent.

A spokesperson for the HMRC said: “Lettings are a key area where we are losing money.” and continued to confirm that the HMRC were refocusing their  attention to evasion on buy-to-let  “This is an area where people try to cheat us.”

A “taskforce” launched in May to try and target the “highest-risk cases” of tax evasion by landlords in London, East Anglia, Leeds, York was expected to recover only £17 million in unpaid tax.
The spokesman introduced the idea of the HMRC offering a a ‘tax amnesty’ as part of a further strategy next year for those landlords ready to settle unpaid liabilities. Tax inspectors are also looking to use the   Land Registry records to help identify potential evaders.

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Terraced houses hold highest yields

Average rents have stayed strong so far during 2012 as tenant demand remains high, and the average monthly income was again over £1000 a month during quarter three. However, there is always a wide variation in rental income depending on property and tenant type. According to the Index, student tenants provide the highest rental yields for tenant type (often from HMO properties) with an average yield of 8.23%.

Terraced houses provide the highest rental yields for property type at 7.28%. Students in terraced houses on average provide a rental yield of 8.34%. Given that the average rental yield overall was 6.60%, landlords may look to the student segment of the rental market to maximise their returns.


FREE BTL MORTGAGE SEARCH TOOL
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

More People Turning to Equity Release Instead of Traditional Pension

Pensions are something of a political ‘hot potato,’ with an ageing population, the baby boomers of the post-war period, now becoming pensioners, the state is struggling to cope. As the Government seeks to get the country out of the financial crisis of 2008, savings rates are also pushed down, as inflation rises, leaving many pensioners worried that they cannot finance the growing cost of living on the back of their pensions. So, if you are in this position, is there anything else that you can do to try and make your financial position more comfortable?

One of the largest assets that homeowners who are also pensioners have is their property. For many retired pensioners, they are ‘asset rich’ and ‘cash poor’, as the largest chunk of their lifetime earnings has gone in to purchasing and maintaining a property. So whilst it is a great positive to own your home at retirement, it also holds a rather dormant value, especially if you have ruled out selling up.

Equity Release can be considered as a halve way house, it’s not selling up, but it is not struggling on either. Considering the value of many homes these days, it can be very frustrating indeed for our retired pensioners who have houses worth half a million pounds (some of them) yet they have to choose between “heating or eating” if you are in this situation, it is important that you do not delay assessing you financial situation as it is important to your health and your families peace of mind that you are not going without the basic living essentials. Even if you are not certain what financial changes to make or plan it is important that you discuss them with a qualified adviser, be that an Equity Release Adviser at Ascot , or your local CAB may be able to offer some advice.

The reason why so many pensions are seeking to release equity is purely down to the practical situation they are finding themselves in – their pensions are not providing the amount they were expecting and the cost of living is rising dramatically. Many did not plan, or wanted to plan to downsize, and so have ruled that out as an option. Equity release is therefore considered the best option and it means that you do not have to take out bank loans or credit cards and be hit with heavy interest charges or get into debt. Releasing equity in a property potentially funds much more than a pension would; it gives you a chance to really see your inheritance in action, perhaps funding weddings and university fees for family, for example. It also means that you can remain in the home that they love and be able to enjoy living there, as money has been freed up. However, before taking out any equity release scheme, which are geared for over 55s, it is important to seek impartial advice. Ascot Mortgages can help you with this; providing a free initial consultation means that you can be sure that you are making the best deal for you, with no obligations.

Equity release can often be a more attractive proposition than relying on a pension. As the age at which you can claim your pension rises, then there is the real prospect that you are faced with working for longer. Also, the state pension is not keeping pace with the rising cost of living, due to inflation, meaning that the money that you receive is often eaten up in bigger bills and costs. Finally, for those with a private pension, the falling annuity rates means that the amount that people with private pensions were expecting to receive is often less, meaning that even for those who have budgeted, there is a monthly deficit between income and expenditure.

Whatever your circumstance, it is important to talk to your family before making any big decisions. Retirement is the period when you look for enjoy life, taking time to follow hobbies and meet friends that may have been difficult when you were working full time. It is meant to be a time of relaxation, when you are not worrying about paying the bills. Therefore, if you are finding that your pension is not providing you with enough to live on, then give Ascot Mortgages a call. As market leaders, they are knowledgeable and helpful, meaning that you get the best advice with no pressure or obligation.

For more information please contact Ascot Equity Release:-
http://www.ascotequityrelease.co.uk 

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Rent free property for DIY nuts

A landlord is offering a three-bedroom rent free to a tenant who is prepared to do renovation work on a wrecked rental property. The Darlington rental property had been trashed by thieves, has holes in the walls and the previous tenant had let her cat mess on the floors and burned down the garage.
The landlords are ready to pay to have it rewired and to cover the costs of materials whilst the handy tenant would be expected to carry out the refurbishment.

Novel idea or is it that the landlords have given up? I'm not sure what to think.

Read more here

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BTL Mortgages Most Popular

Max LTVInitial RateTermCompletion feeBooking feeIncentivesOverall Cost for Comparison
85%5.49% Discount2 Years2.5%£130.00No6.9% APR
85%6.19% Discount3 Years2%£130.00No7% APR
80%4.79% FixedNov 30 2014 3.5%£199.00Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only.6.4% APR
80%4.69% Discount2 Years2%£130.00No6.7% APR
80%5.19% Discount2 Years2%£130.00No6.8% APR
75%3.74% Discount2 Years£1999£250.00No5.4% APR
75%3.25% Fixed2 Years3%£250.00No5.3% APR
75%4.29% FixedNov 30 2014 1%£0.00No5.1% APR
70%4.25% Discount2 Years0%£199.00Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only.6% APR
60%3.25% Discount2 Years£1750£250.00No5.3% APR

IMPORTANT! Due to current market conditions, lenders are withdrawing and replacing products with little or no notice. Please check our website regularly to see the most up-to-date products available.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgages.The Financial Services Authority does not regulate some forms of mortgage.

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Average LTV continues to increase

Average LTV on BTL property graph

As the buy-to-let mortgage market has expanded more lenders are now offering higher loan-to-value (LTV) products. There is a wide range of rates available up to 80% LTV and Kent Reliance still offers 85% LTV mortgages in its core range and for HMOs, limited companies and student lets.

The provision of higher LTV finance has, unsurprisingly, resulted in a noticeable rise in the average LTV for buy-to-let loan offers received by Property Hawk Mortgages during quarter three (72.63% compared with 67.30% in the previous quarter).



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Former Silk Mill - 10% Gross Yield

Do you fancy owning your own  former silk mill. How about this property located in Elland, West Yorkshire.

The investment property consists of 91 two bedroom apartments, 69 are subject to ASTs, 12 are vacant and the 10 remaining were sold off on long leases and now produce a ground rent of £2,500.

The current passing rent is  £475,200 per annum.  The Estimated Rental Value is £565,000, which refelects a 10.27% Gross Initial Yield.

For more details contact:

James Wilson
+44 (0)113 236 6679
james.wilson@allsop.co.uk




Mortgage Finance - over 400 products
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Buy-to-let lending increases

Buy-to-let lending increased 8% in the third quarter over the proceeding quarter according to Council of Mortgage Lenders data.

The number of loans advanced in the 3 months to the end of September to 34,400 from 33,600 in the previous quarter.

Buy-to-let activity is recovering from a low base after the credit crunch.  Buy-to-let lending this year is likely to be only a third of it's level in 2007.

The average loan to value (LTV) available to borrowers remained at 75% and the average rental cover remains at 125%.

Mortgage Search

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Long list of positives for BTL

A variety of recent surveys are compiled in this Guardian article which paints a very positive outlook for BTL investors.
  • BTL lending figures are up according to CML figures
  • BTL investors happy to rely on rents as pensions according to NLA
  • Brokers reporting easing lending criteria according to Paragon
  • Rents hit record high according to LSL
  • Strong rental forecasts from Savills
 .........the list goes on in the Guardian article here


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Lenders look to relax restraints on long term tenancies

The FT reports on tenants looking for more security from their rental property could find it easier to lock into a longer-term tenancy in the near future, after leading lenders said they were reassessing rules that currently prevent private landlords from offering them.

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BTL mortgage rate trends Q3 2012



Andy Young, chief executive of Property Hawk Mortgages comments on BTL mortgages in Q3 2012:


“In terms of the type of product that landlords are choosing, there still appears to be a clear preference for variable rates over fixed rates. During Q3 2012, 60% of buy-to-let applications received by Property Hawk Mortgages were for variable rates compared with 40% for fixed rates. The average fixed rate chosen during this period fell from 5.06% to 4.88% and the average variable rate rose from 4.10% to 4.40%.

“With variable rates still cheaper than fixed rate products, more landlords are opting for lower initial rates, which may reflect a growing consensus that interest rates will continue to remain low for some time to come. The increase in the average variable rate can be attributed to the availability of higher LTV products which are also priced higher."


“In terms of the split between purchases and remortgages, it was absolutely even during Q3 with 50% of applications received for each type. This demonstrates the keen appetite amongst landlords looking to take advantage of the excellent remortgage deals available to release equity from their existing properties, and those looking to expand their portfolios with the purchase of additional properties."



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FREE Inventory and Masterclass

A residential inventory is vital for landlords to protect their buy-to-let property and also ensure that they stand a good chance of winning any disputes with a tenant at the end of the tenancy.

To find out how to create a meaningful residential inventory that will stand up to scrutiny follow the link.

Landlords can create an inventory using the FREE property manager software.

We now have additional features that enable landlords to create a copy of their inventory where they had a number of similar properties with different addresses

Free property management software, Free tenancy agreements
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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Courts take tough line on deposit information (s.213 notice)

The Court of Appeal has taken a hard line this week against a landlord following a 'minor' error by them in omitting to provide the tenant the prescribed information under tenancy deposit law.  In the case Ayannuga v Swindell the upper court has ruled that prescribed information was of real importance in that it told them how they could recover their money and they could dispute deductions without taking legal action.  The court ruled that the landlord failure to comply with the Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007 meant that they had to pay back the tenants deposit in full along with three times the deposit.

Our View

This case has undoubtedly raises the legal importance of issuing the Prescribed Information.  Property Hawk has always been clear on the need to give your tenants a section 213 notice as part of taking a tenancy deposit.  To find out about a section 213 notice and how to obtain one follow the links.

Landlord insurance - trusted brokers
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Thursday, November 08, 2012

Over 400 buy-to-let mortgage products

At Property Hawk Mortgages, we now have over 400 buy-to-let mortgage schemes available, providing a comprehensive range of products to suit a wide variety of situations. These include purchases, remortgages, HMOs, limited companies, light refurbishments, new builds, expats, first time landlords and more. These positive developments are good news for existing landlords looking to develop their portfolios or those considering buy-to-let investment for the first time.
Property Hawk Mortgages - whole market search
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Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Over 50% off - apartments

What a difference 5 years make.  You thought that house prices have been fairly stable in the UK since the crash in 2008.  Not if you were one of those unfortunate buy-to-let investors who were suckered into buying an over inflated apartment in a jazzy named development on the edge of a city centre.  Take for instance the Picture Works in Nottingham.  Back in 2008 two bed apartments were being advertised at £175,000 and spacious 1 bed for £135,000.

Most of them are now on the market with Allsop but you can now buy them with a group discount of over 50%.  The asking price for the block of largely unsold block of 114 apartments is offers over £7 million, less than half of the around £20 million the developer Lace Market Properties was hoping to make from selling them individually at the peak of the boom.

Bargain - real value?

A bargain?  With a Gross Investment Yield of almost 13% even with the considerable management costs at this price it looks good value.  It's a sign of the time that now it's not about value but about those that can raise the cash and obtain the loans to secure the value.  Details are as follows:


A Freehold residential investment opportunity comprising 128 apartments and 2 commercial units.
Investment Considerations
    •    114 unsold apartments (46 x 1 Bed, 63 x 2 Bed and 5 x 3 Beds)  subject to 106 AST’s and 8 Vacant
    •    14 apartments sold off on long leases producing a ground rent income of £3,500 pa.
    •    Total current rent reserved - £888,720 – GIY 12.7%
    •    A total of 3,057 sq.ft of ground floor commercial space
    •    87 remaining car parking spaces
    •    Estimated Rental Value  - £946,320 – GIY 13.5%

Price:  Offers in excess of £7,000,000

Sales details:

Michael Gorman
+44 (0)113 236 6683
michael.gorman@allsop.co.uk

William Shoebotham
+44 (0)207 344 2659
william.shoebotham@allsop.co.uk

Buy-to-let finance - access the market
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Tuesday, November 06, 2012

BTL mortgage most popular


Max LTVInitial RateTermCompletion feeBooking feeIncentivesOverall Cost for Comparison
85%5.49% Discount2 Years2.5%£130.00No6.9% APR
85%6.19% Discount3 Years2%£130.00No7% APR
80%4.79% FixedNov 30 2014 3.5%£199.00Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only.6.4% APR
80%4.69% Discount2 Years2%£130.00No6.7% APR
80%5.19% Discount2 Years2%£130.00No6.8% APR
75%3.74% Discount2 Years£1999£250.00No5.4% APR
75%3.25% Fixed2 Years3%£250.00No5.3% APR
75%4.29% FixedNov 30 2014 1%£0.00No5.1% APR
70%4.25% Discount2 Years0%£199.00Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only.6% APR
60%3.25% Discount2 Years£1750£250.00No5.3% APR



IMPORTANT! Due to current market conditions, lenders are withdrawing and replacing products with little or no notice. Please check our website regularly to see the most up-to-date products available.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgages.The Financial Services Authority does not regulate some forms of mortgage.



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Monday, November 05, 2012

Grand in your hand

A new scheme by urban regeneration specialist Urban Splash the developer of the iconic Fort Dunlop Building in Birmingham will give landlords a grand in their hand if they refer somebody who makes a purchase of one of their properties.

I've admired Urban Splash's work for some time and their latest redevelopment in Sheffield of the listed Park Hill flats with stunning views over Sheffield.

Urban Splash operate an incentive scheme where if you refer somebody who buy's one of their properties you are eligible to receive a grand in commission. Generous? I've no idea on how good they are at honouring this commitment so any feedback from people who have tried it would be interesting.

The area in which the flats are located in 'not the best' as you would expect.  But the apartments are incredibly spacious and starting at less than a hundred grand would I'm sure rent well although with over 800 apartments in the block you could be up with a fair bit of competition from other investors.  Landlords that do consider investing will have to look carefully at the service charges before committing to purchase. 
 
Buy-to-let finance - search market

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Saturday, November 03, 2012

BTL mortgage market

The buy-to-let mortgage market has improved considerably this year and the number of products available to landlords has increased. This has led to greater competition between lenders resulting in some excellent deals being offered.

Lenders have also started providing special deals to landlords which are available exclusively through selected brokers only. These products are often highly competitive, designed for specific customer lending requirements and may only be offered for a limited time. The provider of Property Hawk Mortgages has been chosen by a number of lenders to distribute this type of targeted product and currently has a range of special deals on offer. These include buy-to-let mortgages with Hinckley & Rugby Building Society, Leeds Building Society, Accord Mortgages, Kent Reliance and Skipton Building Society.

Special deals available via Property Hawk Mortgages in October:
•    Hinckley & Rugby BS - 3.74% 2 year discount up to 75% LTV with a £1999 completion fee and no early repayment charges (5.40% APR)

•    Accord Mortgages – 3.49% BBR tracker until 30/09/2014 up to 75% LTV with a 2% completion fee and £500 cashback (6.00% APR)

•    Skipton Building Society -  4.29% fixed rate until 30/11/2014 up to 75% LTV with a 1% completion fee and a free valuation and no legal fees for remortgages (for properties valued up to £500,000) (5.10% APR)

•    Kent Reliance - 5.49% 2 year discount up to 85% LTV with a 2.50% completion fee (6.90% APR)

•    Leeds BS - 4.25% 2 year discount up to 70% LTV with no completion fee. Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only. (6.00% APR)

Further details of these products can be found using the Property Hawk Mortgages free online mortgage finder.



IMPORTANT! Due to current market conditions, lenders are withdrawing and replacing products with little or no notice. Please check our website regularly to see the most up-to-date products available.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgages.The Financial Services Authority does not regulate some forms of mortgage.

Bookmark and Share