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Older Generation Making More Buy To Let Property Investments

The older generation are making more buy to let property investments, as they look to supplement or even replace pensions.

According to new research from Commercial Trust, the older generation showed a notable rise in the number of buy to let mortgage applications in 2018.

Commercial Trust saw older borrowers aged between 65 and 75 increase their share of buy to let mortgage applications by 5.43 per cent in 2018, compared to just a 0.03 per cent rise for 25-34 year-olds.

The buy to let broker also reported a 4 per cent increase in the proportion of buy to let purchases and remortgages from over 55s, who now account for 39 per cent of all buy to let activity.

For purchase only applications, older investors over 55 were responsible for 29.7 per cent of all business in 2018, an annual increase of 8 per cent.

Older buy to let mortgage applicants are being encouraged by a number of lenders, who have increased the maximum age permitted at both application and at the end of the mortgage term.

Santander now cater for older investors by recently increasing their maximum age at the end of the mortgage term criteria from 75 to 85 years old and the maximum mortgage term on its buy to let range from 25 years to 40 years.

Precise now has a maximum application age of 80 on a maximum term of 35 years, while The Mortgage Works sets no maximum age at term end for experienced landlords.

Chief executive at Commercial Trust, Andrew Turner, said: ‘Our look at the age demographics for 2018 buy to let mortgage activity, suggests that increasing numbers of older people are recognising the potential of buy to let investments.

‘Our data indicates that many people reaching retirement are choosing to invest in bricks and mortar and the rental market as a means to fund their retirement years.

‘Investing in property has the potential to deliver attractive rental yields and achieve capital growth, despite industry changes. I fully expect that the returns fair better than many other forms of investment.’

Source: Residential Landlord

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Best Yielding UK Buy To Let Property Investment Postcodes

The best yielding buy to let property investments are the utopia every investor looks for, and research by sales and letting agent Benham and Reeves highlights the best spots.

Being a London agent, Benham and Reeves have obviously included the capital when searching for the best buy to let areas for rental returns, but the north can offer better yielding places.

Top on the list came Liverpool’s L7 postcode. With an average price of just £105,000, the area offers an average rental yield of 10.7 per cent.

This was closely followed by the neighbouring L6 postcode where yields are currently 10.4 per cent. Middlesbrough, Manchester, Bradford, Sunderland, Newcastle, Sheffield and Nottingham were also home to some of the highest yielding postcodes.

When it came to the capital, the agent found the highest yielding postcode to be the E6 postcode in East London, along with IG11, which covers Barking. Both locations offer a rental yield of 5 per cent.

East London dominated the top 10 highest returns for buy to let postcodes, with Romford postcodes RM8, RM9 and RM10 also amongst the best with rental yields of 4.9 per cent.

With E15 and EN3 also in the top ten highest yielding London postcodes, N18, which straddles the North Circular, is one of the only postcodes outside of East London to make the list with a rental yield of 4.8 per cent, while SE28 was the only postcode south of the river to appear.

Unsurprisingly, director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, concentrated on the capital, saying: ‘The DNA of the London rental market is so complex that it pays to consider where to invest on the most granular level possible when looking at the buy to let market.

‘Of course, London’s more prime postcodes are always a safe bet, attracting investment due to their prestigious image and positioning. While we may have seen some decline in price growth due to political uncertainty, they remain very much in demand from a rental point of view and so far, those with the budget to buy there, a return isn’t hard to come by.’

He concluded: “They also offer better capital growth than London’s peripherals and for those not completely dependent on yield but preferring to opt for more long-term growth, inner London is still the go-to place to invest in the capital’s buy to let market.’

Source: Residential Landlord

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Overseas Property Investor Numbers Fall

The number of UK buy to let property investments let out by investors based overseas has more than halved in the last eight years.

The latest data released by Hamptons International has revealed that the percentage of overseas based landlords letting buy to let properties in the UK fell from 14.4 per cent in 2010 to just 5.8 per cent in the first 11 months of 2018 – the lowest level on record.

Every region in the UK has seen a fall in the proportion of homes let by an overseas landlord since 2010.

The largest drop has been seen in London which has gone from one in four (26 per cent) of homes let in London owned by an overseas based landlord in 2010, to just 10.5 per cent this year. A fall of 15.5 per cent.

In other parts of the UK, the proportion of overseas based landlords has fallen by 10 per cent in the South East since 2010, followed by the North East and East Midlands, both experiencing a drop of 6 per cent.

Outside the capital, Yorkshire & the Humber has the highest proportion of homes let by an overseas based landlord (6.7 per cent), but this region has only seen a 4 per cent fall in overseas based landlords since 2010.

Western Europeans make up the biggest group of overseas based landlords at 34 per cent, followed by Asian (20 per cent) and North American (13 per cent).

However, since 2010 the proportion of Western European based landlords has fallen by 2.1 per cent, compensated for by a pickup in Asian landlords (+2.1 per cent). Middle Eastern based landlords have also risen by 1.4 per cent since 2010 and now account for 11 per cent of overseas based landlords.

Head of Research at Hamptons International, Aneisha Beveridge, said: ‘The proportion of homes let by an overseas based landlord has more than halved since 2010. Sterling’s depreciation since 2016 undoubtedly makes it cheaper for international buyers to purchase property in Great Britain. However, the conversion of pounds back into local currency means additional costs which cut into an overseas landlords’ monthly income. This combined with a harsher tax regime for overseas investors is dissuading some international investors from entering the rental market.

‘Throughout this year rental growth has been sluggish averaging 1.5 per cent and only passing 2.0 per cent on two occasions. Affordability is not just an issue for those looking to buy a home, but impacts tenants paying rent too. And these affordability barriers will continue to keep a cap on rental growth in the future.’

Source: Residential Landlord

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Thousands Of Buy To Let Property Investments Sold

Almost 4,000 buy to let properties per month are being sold by property investors as part of the first recorded fall in the number of rental properties in 18 years.

New official figures from the Ministry of Housing report found that around 3,800 buy to let homes are being sold by landlords each month. This is due to changes in mortgage interest tax relief, which continue to have a negative effect on the buy to let market.

Landlords’ profits have been negatively affected by a plethora of tax and regulatory changes over the last few years. These changes range from the removal of the ‘wear and tear’ allowance for rental properties and the implementation of the 3 per cent Stamp Duty surcharge.

Chief executive of letting agent trade body ARLA Propertymark, David Cox, said: ‘The barrage of legislative changes landlords have faced over the past few years has meant the buy to let market is becoming increasingly unattractive to investors. Landlords are either hiking rents for tenants or choosing to exit the market altogether to avoid facing the increased costs incurred.’

The vast numbers of landlords leaving the buy to let market has lead to a chronic shortage of properties available to rent in certain parts of the country. The disparity is felt particularly acutely in London where rental demand is high.

CEO of Shojin Property Partners, Jatin Ondhia, commented: ‘As a result of the government’s increase in stamp duty, it is now much more costly to acquire a buy to let property. A £250,000 investment property will incur stamp duty of £10,000 compared to £2,500 for an owner occupier. Many landlords have seen their profits eroded by the increased burden of taxation and regulation. They are also facing poor buy to let yields especially in London for example, where they are between just 2-3 per cent, while nationwide the average yields are between 6-8 per cent.’

Source: Residential Landlord