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Lenders Finally Abandon UK Buy to Let Landlords

By Carlton Johnson

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 03May2008 Word count: 723 Viewed: 377 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Banks are making it almost impossible for new entrants to the buy to let market to obtain a financially viable mortgage. The credit crunch is hitting lenders hard and in response, they are hitting the buy to let landlord even harder. The number of mortgage products available has decreased by almost 75% since April 2007 and this decrease shows no sign of stopping there.

HBOS, who is the owner of a number of lenders including the Bank of Scotland and the Halifax, to name just two, has recently taken steps to effectively price itself out of the buy to let market. The other big lenders seem set to follow suit and "shut up shop," for all but the most risk free investments. They seem set to abandon the buy to let investor until the property market shows serious signs of turning around.

The rates that are being offered to UK buy to let landlords are becoming so unattractive that it is causing many to either seek a buyer for their portfolio or decide to hold and not consider buying any new property or refinancing their current portfolio until things get back to some form of stability.

Banks seem to have made a conscious decision to effectively price the novice or first time landlord totally out of the buy to let market. They are doing this by asking for larger deposits and changing rates to be so high that it makes it almost impossible for the first timer to see the value or profit in investing.

What are the options currently available to investors?

1. Many investors are now looking more seriously at buying overseas properties

2. Investors are holding onto their properties and not buying any more and not refinancing their current portfolio until the economic climate changes.

3. As an alternative to investing in buy to lets, investors are turning their hand to developing properties instead.

4. Investors are putting their money into other potentially lucrative investments; in particular some are trying their luck at venture capitalism.

5. Investors are having to travel further than their local community and really seek out the undervalued properties, that can still be found in certain parts of the UK. They are then getting themselves the best mortgage deal they can and sitting it out until the market turns around and they can refinance to a better rate and draw out some equity.

Is there any good news?

For the experienced UK buy to let landlord who has a surplus of cash, there are some great bargains to be had. There is less competition at the moment, which means that those investors that have the cash and the knowledge to weather this storm are in a very strong position.

Home owners that have to sell their home are finding it difficult to sell. Hence, the opportunity for investors to pick up many BMV properties that previously they where finding it difficult to get their hands on.

At the moment surveyors don't seem to have a grip on what the real current market value of property is and in certain situations this can open things up for the discerning investor to pick up a bargain.

Any property investor, including the first time investor, that is prepared to do double the work to find the bargain properties and then is prepared to live with perhaps a couple of years of higher mortgage rates, in a few years time when they refinance, will potentially see huge gains.

The bottom line is that while many analysts are predicting doom and gloom, there are always those landlords that will thrive in adversity.

The question all investors, new or old, have to currently ask themselves, is do they see opportunity or just a black hole in the current buy to let market place. If it is a black hole, then they are destined to find life difficult over the coming months; however, if it is opportunity, then they maybe amongst the few investors that thrive and actually love this kind of uncertain property market.

Lenders do seem to be abandoning the large majority of UK buy to let landlords; yet, what they are also doing, perhaps unintentionally, is separating the men from the boys, the strong from the weak, the experienced from the novices and the low risk investors from the gamblers.

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