All posts by Malcolm Jones

We are all facing the prospect of rising mortgage rates...
Just over a year ago, the Bank Base rate was 0.1%. Since then, there have been 9 consecutive increases with the rate now at 3.5%.
It is predicted that the rate will increase by a further 0.5% this coming...

The Mortgage Market Maze...
To fix your mortgage rate or not. That is THE question of 2022, a year of uncertainty in the mortgage market.
Over the past 12 months the Bank Rate has increased 8 times, from 0.1% in November 2021 to...

Time to Re-Mortgage – Act Now...
It’s just over a week since the Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, presented his tax-cutting mini-budget, that kick-started a crisis of confidence in the markets. The tax cuts triggered a drop in the pound...

Refurbishment Buy to Let – A solution to EPC requirements...
The proposed new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations will mean that from 2025, landlords cannot rent their property on a new tenancy without an EPC rating of C or above. It is proposed that...

New Specialist Buy-to-Let Lender...
A New Specialist Lender has entered the BTL mortgage market called Quantum Mortgages.
With so many of the current lenders declining mortgage applications for properties that don’t fit their tick-box...

Maximise rental income and capital value with a Refurbishment...
A Refurbishment Buy to Let product helps landlords maximise rental yield by refurbishing a property whilst it is vacant.
This product brings together the flexibility of bridging finance with an exit to...

5 Year Fixed Rate BTL with no Early Repayment Charges...
The new range is available from 17th January on mortgages up to 80% loan-to-value (LTV). These benefits landlords who want increased flexibility when financing property.
The early repayment charge (ERC)...

Over-55’s turn their homes into cash as costs are driven down...
Low interest rates for equity release mortgages, coupled with rising house prices, have made it much more cost-effective for over-55s to release funds from their properties.
Many over 55s, who were going...

Act Now before rates rise – Don’t delay...
The Bank of England Base Rate is currently at an all-time low at 0.1% and this has led to mortgage rates being at all-time lows. Interest rates change over time, just over 30 years ago the Base Rate was...

Buy to Let Limited company criteria...
When setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for your Buy to Lets it is important to use the appropriate SIC Code. (A SIC code is a five-digit Standard Industrial Classification code. There are more...

How To Get a Bigger Loan on Low Yielding Rental Properties...
If a landlord wants to raise maximum finance on a property with a very low rental yield, the mortgage amount might well be restricted based on rental income. However, with “Top-Slicing” this...

A Smart Way To Pay For Tax and National Insurance Increases...
To ease the pressure on the NHS the Government is increasing National Insurance by 1.25%, which means that your contribution will actually increase by more than 10%. But how will you find the funds to...

Interest rates reduced on 80% LTV specialist Buy to Let mortgages...
Interest rates have recently been reduced on 80% LTV Buy to Let mortgages.
Below is a small selection of specialist BTL deals:
EPC Specials: if you have a property that is rated EPC A-C, benefit from...

Bridging Finance for Savvy Property Investors and Developers...
Bridging finance can best be described as relatively short-term loans, normally for periods of between one and eighteen months.
Today, the cost of bridging finance is at its lowest point ever.
Main uses...

Left-field niche BTL criteria now available...
Some of the more left-field niche Buy to Let criteria has become available again to the property investor market and can open up options where none were recently available.
These ‘niche’ criteria...

BTL Mortgage Rates fall as product choice continues to expand...
Buy to Let mortgage rates have been falling as product choice continues to expand with increased market competition from lenders.
However, as we have all found in the current exceptional climate, there...

Loan to Values Increased on Buy to let Mortgages...
The choice of products in the Buy-to-Let market is increasing for landlords, property investors and when purchasing in a Limited Company. These latest BTL mortgages include deals with no product fees,

Take the ‘Stress Test’ out of Buy to Let...
A new Buy-to-Let mortgage product with NO Stress Testing has been introduced to the market with all types of property and most borrowers accepted. Loan sizes must be in excess of £150k+ only
It has a...

Limited edition rate reduction for Portfolio Landlords...
A Limited-Edition buy-to-let range has now been launched to assist portfolio landlords (landlords with 4 or more properties) with both re-mortgages and new purchases.
For single-unit houses and flats,

Capital Home Loans (CHL) return to the market...
Capital Home Loans (CHL), you may remember them, the specialist buy-to-let lender is now lending again in England and Wales, through a select number of brokers. They are offering competitive rates and...

3 ways to get Generation Rent onto the property ladder...
I am sure we all have friends, and or family members, who are First-time buyers facing the challenges of getting onto the property ladder, not the least of which is finding the deposit. However, there...