Be prepared in advance of applying for a mortgage.

When applying for finance, if you don’t appear on the electoral roll or don’t have any credit, some lenders may consider that you don’t exist, financially!  This has been a hurdle in the finance world for some time, more so now with the evolution of technology.  It seems that lenders only need to find the smallest of excuses to not agree a mortgage request.  Historically, lenders were often more amenable if an applicant could not be located on a credit search. Today, if you have no regular credit commitments or do not appear on the electoral roll at your current address, be prepared for a possible knock-back or at least the request for further proof of residency, etc.

The market has been pretty quiet this week, with only a few lenders making headlines and reducing rates. I suspect the market is still coming to terms with an unexpectedly buoyant August and preparing their offerings for a good run to the end of the year.  Rates generally are decreasing, and this makes it a good opportunity to review what’s available to you.

We are experiencing a large number of ‘complex prime’ enquiries lately. One example is for a property which is currently converted in to two properties, but where there is only one registered title.  Another example was of a full conversion of a barn into a dwelling.  One further - for tax purposes – where the customers were seeking to purchase a number of investment properties in a Limited Company name with their company structure designed purely to hold properties.  These are live examples which certainly have a lender home. They just need a bit of extra thought and the location of lenders who don’t fit the normal credit scoring mentality.

Finally, getting a mortgage through lenders in the current climates can still be challenging. One day it’s easy to get a case through, the next, it’s a nightmare!  So whatever you do, try to not give lenders any excuses to decline your application or refuse to lend to you. Try to pay bills on time, don’t miss payments where possible and, especially, not mortgage payments!  Any missed (or sometimes late) payments will be registered on your credit file and this is normally used as the basis of a decision whether to lend to you, or not!

Some great rates available in the Buy to Let sector

At the time of writing, there is some quite serious competition in the Buy to Let sector!  Our good friends at Foundation Homeloans have just launched a 5 year fixed rate, sub 3.50%, with a 2% lender arrangement fee.  This is a really impressive move by the lender.  Not only that, but with Buy to Let properties, the mortgage is usually based on the rental achievable.  Lenders calculations vary but generally working on a rental income of 125% at a ‘stress test’ rate of 5%.  Foundation's product works on 125% of the actual pay rate (if you are purchasing in a Limited Company name).  This makes a huge difference in the amount of mortgage loan achievable.  Maximum loan allowed on this product is 75% of the property value. 

With Buy to Lets, the minimum deposit can be as little as just 15%.  At this level, there are only a few products.  With a 20% deposit, the numb er of products increases substantially, as do the options with a 25% deposit, and so on.   And rates are now so low that there's actually not a huge gap between Buy to Let rates and normal Residential rates, as there used to be. 

As the new taxation changes are implemented, we are seeing a lot more people purchase properties in a Limited Company name.  This sounds complicated, but any good property accountant will be able to advise you at the early stages if this is more beneficial to you, rather than buying in a personal name.   The most important thing is to ensure any property investment versus outlay gives you the best return possible. 

Finally, it doesn't matter whether you an experience landlord, or this is your first time.  Property ownership can be complicated, so explore all the options and shop around.  There are a huge number of lenders available to you and all have competitive edges and good criteria options for the right customer.  Make sure you understand everything at the outset so you don't regret it later! Always seek professional advice.