Shared Ownership
Marketing No Comments

Hong Kong buyers dominating foreign homeownership in England & Wales

House hunters from Hong Kong have been found to be the most prolific overseas buyers operating in the nation’s residential market, accounting for over 13% of all foreign-owned homes in England and Wales, according to newly released market analysis.

London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Land Registry to ascertain the 50 most prominent foreign nations represented among individual residential property owners in England & Wales, and how many properties they own.

According to the data, buyers from the 50 most represented foreign nations among owners of homes in England & Wales combine to own 187,275 properties.

Hong Kong buyers most prominent nation

Buyers from Hong Kong own the largest proportion of these properties, with 24,759 homes representing 13.2% of the aforementioned total.

Contact us today to speak with a specialist Commercial Finance Broker to discuss how we can assist you.

Buyers from Singapore own 15,752 properties or 8.4% of the total; while buyers from the U.S. account for 6.4%.

Buyers from the UAE account for 5.7% of the total, while buyers from Ireland (5.3%), Malaysia (5.2%), China (4.6%), Australia (4.4%), Kuwait (4.3%), and France (3.7%) are also strongly represented on the national housing market.

Increase in foreign buyer numbers

These figures come after the total number of properties owned by buyers from the top 50 foreign nations increased by 3.8% between January 2022 and January 2023.

Ownership for Chinese buyers has increased the most in the past year, rising by 18.8% to own 8,736 properties.

Read about the UK Housing Market via our Specialist Residential & Buy to Let Division

Hong Kong nationals have increased their presence by 11.6% since 2022, and Israeli buyers have increased their footprint on the national housing market by 9.8%.

Significant increases have also been recorded among buyers from Gibraltar (6.7%), Austria (6.7%), Turkey (6.7%), Egypt (6.3%), Norway (5.1%), Germany (4.8%), and Sweden (4.7%).

Among the top 50 most represented nations in England & Wales’ housing market, three have actually seen their ownership proportion decline in the past year.

Buyers from Ireland now own -3.5% less property, buyers from Taiwan have reduced ownership by -3.3%, and Russian buyers now own -0.5% less property than they did at the start of 2022.

Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented:

“It’s no secret that England & Wales is a hugely attractive market for overseas property buyers, with London being a particularly desirable location. The stability of our property market offers reliably a profitable space for investment buyers, and our country, with its rich history and culture, has long held great appeal for people looking to buy outside of their home countries.

“Many experts believed that Brexit would result in there being fewer overseas owners as access to the EU was reduced and the anticipated economic struggles removed some of the profitability of investing in our great nation. Our exclusive research reveals that none of this has come to fruition and that, in fact, our market has only become more popular.

“While this popularity isn’t limited to one single nation, it’s certainly being driven by Hong Kong buyers who continue to be the most prominent foreign nations operating within our bricks and mortar market.

“This is certainly no new trend and Benham and Reeves has had a local Hong Kong office since 1995, helping those who are looking to purchase in England and Wales. However, it’s fair to say that our team of experts in Hong Kong have never been busier and we expect this to remain the case going forward.”

Source: Property Reporter

house prices
Marketing No Comments

Foreign homebuyers sheilded from rising property prices due to weakening pound

Despite house prices climbing considerably over the last year, buyers from overseas currently looking for UK property are saving huge sums due to the weaker pound with discounts as high as £40,000.

The latest research by lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, looked at current property market values and how they compare to this time last year, with the research showing that since February 2022, the average UK sold price has increased by 7.8% to £294,329 today.

Even in a slower London market, the average value of a home has increased by 4.8%, commanding £543,099 in current market conditions.

However, while domestic homebuyers have had to contend with the increasing cost of climbing the ladder, exchange rate fluctuations and a weakening British Pound compared to some currencies have presented an opportunity for foreign buyers to secure a saving.

In February of last year, the average UK house price of £273,066 would have required a buyer from the United States of America to spend $369,459. Today, however, the higher average UK house price of £294,329 would see them spend just $355,079, a saving of $14,381 (3.9%) or £12,161, despite the increased value of UK bricks and mortar.

This saving is even higher in a more inflated London market, where purchasing at the current London average of £543,099 would require them to spend $655,195 versus the $700,993 they would have spent in February of last year, a difference of $45,799 or £38,730.

Contact us today to speak with a specialist Commercial Finance Broker to discuss how we can assist you.

Buyers from the UAE have also benefited to the same extent, saving -3.9% or AED 52,717 on their purchase, climbing to AED 167,986 (-6.5%) in London. That’s the equivalent of £12,142 saved on the average UK home or £38,690 on the average London home.

The UK continues to be a popular destination of choice for Hong Kong homebuyers and they too have seen the cost of purchasing a UK home fall, down by -3.3% when compared to this time last year, a saving of HK$95,145 or £10,254.

Again, in London, Hong Kong nationals are enjoying savings as high as 6% on the average cost of a home in the capital, reducing their purchase price by HK$325,801 or £35,111.

However, not all foreign buyers are benefiting to the same extent. The Euro has failed to provide a discount on the average UK house price, with European buyers paying 1.9% more today versus a year ago, while those looking to London are seeing a marginal saving (-0.9%).

Foreign buyers from China are paying the equivalent of £10,868 more today versus a year ago on the average UK home, With Japanese buyers also paying the equivalent of £5,391 more today.

Read about the UK Housing Market via our Specialist Residential & Buy to Let Division.

Marc von Grundherr, Director of Benham and Reeves, commented: “We’re yet to see any notable reduction in house prices and, in fact, the latest sold price figures show that they have continued to climb across both London and the UK as a whole. This demonstrates the tenacity of the property market even during times of economic uncertainty and highlights why so many foreign buyers look to the UK when investing in bricks and mortar.

“We’ve seen a steady stream of foreign interest returning to the market, particularly across London, pretty much since Covid travel restrictions were lifted. However, a weakening pound has enticed them to an even greater extent, as many are now enjoying a substantial discount when purchasing versus the price they would have paid a year ago when property values were lower.”

Source: Property Reporter

property
Marketing No Comments

Overseas buyers are flocking to London due to dollar strength, says agent

Carter Jonas predicts that 2023 will be an exceptional year for the prime central London (PCL) market following a recent spike in the number of cash buyers registering to purchase property in the heart of the capital.

Most recently, the Marylebone and Mayfair office has seen all cash buyers, many of whom are dollar buyers utilising the good exchange rates to purchase in prime central London, Next year is expected to continue on this trajectory, the estate agency says.

Carter Jonas predicts that the prime central London property market is set to out-perform the rest of London – and the country – in the coming months as overseas Dollar buyers from the US, Middle East and Asia flocking to the Capital to take advantage of the weak pound.

Contact us today to speak with a specialist Commercial Finance Broker to discuss how we can assist you

Samuel Richardson, head of sales at Carter Jonas in Marylebone and Mayfair, commented: “We are anticipating that 2023 will be a very good year for the prime London property market. At the end of September this year, UK property was 25% less expensive for these buyers than in June 2021 and this is a trend we expect to continue. 80% of those that purchased via our Marylebone office in prime central London in the last quarter of 2022 have been from overseas. 50% have been Dollar buyers, the majority from America, followed by those from the Middle East and Singapore. Interestingly, 90% of American buyers were Californian.

“The major prime central London boroughs will remain desirable investment locations next year. Mayfair, Marylebone, Kensington and Chelsea are set to outperform all London markets as these buyers are purchasing in cash for purely investment purposes.

“Areas such as southwest London will likely be more heavily impacted, as those who bought there in recent years will be affected by the rising interest rates. This could see a drop in property values, as many people may sell up.”

Read about the UK Housing Market via our Specialist Residential & Buy to Let Division

Richardson added: “I am almost certain that prime central London will outperform all other London areas in 2023. Despite there still being high demand and lack of supply, the soaring rental market will see the return of the investor as they take advantage of better rental yields. Savvy investors are also taking advantage of discounts from developers who are selling remaining units in new build developments and are happy to discount to cash buyers.

“Buyer demographics are varied from international and domestic professionals buying pied-a-terres in convenient, high traffic areas, to those purchasing short-term investments or properties for children whilst studying in London. We’re also seeing many families looking for a more permanent and long-term abode. These buyers are spending anywhere from £800,000 to upwards of £70m.

“If the dollar remains strong, I believe that prime central London will outperform the rest of London next year. The reason for this is due to high demand and a soaring rental market which will appeal to investors taking advantage of the good exchange rates.”

By Marc Da Silva

Source: Property Industry Eye

property
Marketing No Comments

Brokers see uptick in expat mortgages as Covid regulations soften – analysis

Brokers have reported an increase in expat mortgage enquiries over the past few months as borders reopen and Covid restrictions are rolled back, with expectations for the market will grow more in the near future.

Anthony Rose, co-chief executive of LDNfinance said it had seen a “healthy increase” in expat mortgage enquiries, and said when it compared increasing enquiries against timelines it could be attributed to post-Covid borders opening up with looser restrictions on international travel.

Daniel Yorke, managing director at Expat Mortgages UK which is specialist division of Commercial Finance Network, said it had seen a “gradual increase over the past 12 months” but this had become more pronounced over the past three months.

Contact us today to discuss Expat Mortgages and how we can assist you.

Chris Sykes, associate director and mortgage consultant at Private Finance, added that expat enquiries had fallen during the pandemic due to travel restrictions, but there had been an “uptick” in such enquiries in recent weeks.

According to figures from Knowledge Bank, expat residential searches increased by seven per cent from 2020 to 2021, and 16 per cent for buy-to-let (BTL) searches over the same period.

Matthew Corker, operations director at Knowledge Bank said it had 24 categories covering various criteria and it had been growing them as expats looking for UK properties had risen.

Corker said: “While the growth has been steady in residential searches, there has been a significant increase in ex-pats look for BTL properties. Partially driving this interest is the volatility in the stock market, coupled with UK house prices exceeding all growth expectations.

“Lenders are also reacting to this trend and there have been more and more adding products for expat borrowers. With house prices and rents looking set to keep increasing, we anticipate this growth to continue in 2022.”

Primis’ figures for Q4 also show that expat lending, which includes residential, BTL borrowers and foreign income lending, grew in Q4. This was partially attributed to the return of high loan to value (LTV) BTL mortgages for expats and a softening of criteria to apply for these products.

Yorke said there were multiple factors in the increase in enquiries, which included Covid-19 becoming more normalised, interest rates staying “exceptionally low”, Brexit leading expats to return to the UK and the UK property market’s strong growth and activity.

Sykes said he believed the growth in enquiries was due to the UK’s “light touch approach to Covid” in terms of restrictions, which meant it was the “least restrictive place in Europe”.

Rose added: “Most of our enquiries have been expats returning to the UK looking to buy, or they’re refinancing their existing UK properties. However, we have also noticed that the end of the stamp duty holiday and strong property market post-Covid has played a vital role in clients obtaining expat mortgages for BTL properties.”

Challenges of lender choice and case complexity

Rose said one of the biggest challenges for brokers in sourcing expat lenders was the number offering suitable products.

He explained: “It’s a small, niche space which can involve placing square peg clients in round holes. Often, expats have bespoke circumstances that require providers to have a flexible approach to lending.

“A classic example is intended date of return home; some lenders require a specific date whereas others need some ballpark timelines. Naturally these times can change so it’s difficult for clients to pinpoint precisely. Lenders need to be mindful of this.”

Sykes said another issue was the “very manual process” to find a lender for an expat mortgage.

He said lenders needed to consider more factors such as what country the client is a resident in, what country they are domicile and pay tax in and what currency they are paid in.

Sykes added that some lenders needed borrowers to be employed at a “blue chip company” earning £50,000 or more, whereas others were more flexible on earning structure.

He also noted that along with the added complexity, some brokers would not have relationships in place with international and expat lenders to source the most competitive expat mortgage deal.

“If you don’t know who you are asking to narrow down these products then you cannot quote the most competitive deal,” Sykes said.

Yorke said on the biggest challenges were the increase in interest rates and LTV reductions which made it harder for expats to borrow money.

He added: “Complicated income structures make it harder for clients to be able to secure funding, or at least at the level they would ideally hope for. We overcome this by working closely with our clients to help educate them and make aware of exactly what documents & figures the lenders will need for an application.”

Discover our Expat Mortgage Broker services.

Expat mortgage market expected to grow post-pandemic

Sykes said that expat enquiries had fallen during the pandemic due to travel restrictions but it “remains to be seen” if there would be a return to pre-pandemic levels or if there is a “great deal of pent-up demand” after two years of restrictions in the UK and globally.

However, he added: “We do now see this as an area that we expect to grow post-pandemic, especially as London returns to life and with prices having stagnated in the capital, this could be an attractive time for expat buyers and importantly investors.”

Yorke said Expat Mortgages UK received over 20 expat mortgage leads per week and it planned to double this volume in the next six months and double it again in the last six months of the year.

He continued that it was a growing market as expat mortgages tended to have high value properties and loan values. He also said expat mortgages encouraged a deeper relationship with the client and there was less competition in the market.

Sykes said the average size of an expat case was usually higher than a normal first-time buyer case due to the increased complexity.

Rose said despite the lengthy and complex process of an expat mortgage the “job satisfaction” advisers got from completing these mortgages made it “worth the time and effort”.

He added: “Each client has a unique story to tell which keeps our job interesting and exciting. In delivering an excellent service, we can also benefit from the referrals we receive off the back of them.”

He also noted that clients who used LDNfinance for an expat mortgage were more likely to return when it came to remortgage their UK residence when they returned home.

By Anna Sagar

Source: Mortgage Solutions

Stamp Duty
Marketing No Comments

Government unveils plans for 1% Stamp Duty surcharge on overseas property buyers

The Government has finally announced how an extra Stamp Duty surcharge on foreign investors would work.

The idea was first proposed by Prime Minister Theresa May at the Conservative Party conference last October and then mentioned in the Budget later that month, but a consultation has only just been released.

The charge would add an extra 1% to the existing rates for both standard and additional residential purchases in England and Northern Ireland.

It would apply to non-UK residents, which the consultation defines as anyone who has spent fewer than 183 days in any part of the UK – including Scotland and Wales – in the 12 months prior to the transaction completing.

Overseas buyers will be able to apply for a refund if they spend 183 days or more in the UK in the 12 months following day of transaction.

The charge will also apply to companies based overseas as well as UK limited companies under the direct or indirect control of one or more non-UK resident persons.

It will also apply to joint purchases where at least one party is a non-UK resident.

The Government said it is considering exemptions for those who work for the Crown, Armed Forces or Civil Service to support those based overseas.

Additionally, first-time buyers who are non-UK residents will still get to use some of the Stamp Duty relief up to £300,000, but will have to pay 1%.

The consultation said: “The Government believes that introducing an Stamp Duty surcharge of 1% on non-UK resident purchasers of residential property in England and Northern Ireland will help to control house price inflation, thereby assisting residents in getting on to the housing ladder in line with the Government’s wider objectives on home ownership.”

Mel Stride, financial secretary to the Treasury, said: “The UK is and will remain an open and dynamic economy, but some evidence shows that non-UK resident buyers of UK property could be inflating house prices.

“A 1% surcharge could help more people own their own homes in the future, and its proceeds will go towards tackling rough sleeping, boosting our plan to halve the numbers of rough sleepers by 2022.”

The consultation closes on May 6.

Source: Property Industry Eye