Glad to be here with you.
Today, we are going to talk "Buy-To-Let". What is "Buy-to-Let"? It's a very popular type of Real Estate Investment in the United Kingdom (the "UK"), where a property is purchased solely for the purpose of renting it out. This is similar to our version, which is a non-owner-occupied property (which oftentimes can refer to "Rent to Own"). So, now that we tied this in with some familiar terms from this side of the Pond, let's discuss how popular this investment has become.
"For many buy-to-let looks an attractive income investment in a time of low rates and stock market volatility. Lower house prices, rising rents and improving mortgage deals are tempting investors once more", says Simon Lambert in his article, "Ten tips for buy-to-let". We will return to his tips shortly.
In terms of had figures, David Whittaker, managing director of buy-to-let specialist Mortgages For Business, recently commented in an article ("Buy-to-let lending 'propping up' mortgage market") on the UKs' LandlordToday website, and said that that the increases in both new mortgage and remortgage approvals could have been largely driven by property investors. "Whilst buy-to-let lending to individuals has been lumped in with the total figures, we all know that it’s most likely the professional investors who are making hay while the sun shines", says Whittaker, who adds that "the likelihood is that the lending market is being propped up by the residential investment sector particularly with so much uncertainty surrounding the economy and first-time buyers largely locked out the of market.”
In the same article, David Brown, commercial director of LSL Property Services, agreed, and commented that "demand for buy-to-let has been a key driving force behind the improved lending picture".
Not just for Real Estate Investors
This surge in Buy-to-Let is not isolated to just the Real Estate Investors. In a different, yet aptly titled article on the same UK LandlordToday website ("Build to rent is 'next big thing', says UK's biggest landlord"), it stated that "Developers are to be encouraged to build new housing estates where all the properties will be for rent, not sale". The article says that this would "mark a fundamental shift in the structure of the UK housing market", and that "Institutions and property companies would own, and trade, these ‘build to rent’ developments". The idea has been floated after research by Grainger, the country’s largest listed residential landlord, highlighted the huge shift in public opinion over home ownership versus renting, and the Grainger chief executive, Andrew Cunningham, was quoted in the same article that "build to rent will be the ‘next big thing’".
Now, back to those 10 tips from the article written by Lambert, to which he refers as "the ten essential things to consider for a successful buy-to-let investment". The list includes the following; Research the market, Choose a promising area, Do the math, Shop around, Think about your target tenant, Don't be over ambitious, Consider looking further afield, Haggle over price, Know the pitfalls, Consider how hands-on you want to be. Great tips!
This is a big thing in the UK. One of the LandlordToday articles stated that "The Government is taking the issue seriously, looking at how to encourage Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in the residential sector". This is sure to deepen the market for Buy-to-Let in the UK, and the demand for Buy-to-Let in the UK should only continue to increase.
What do you think this means for the United States? Should we be pushing the Fed to get more involved in this? It looks like they are on the right path when discussing doing something similar with the Foreclosure homes and REOs. What are your thoughts?
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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com
TAGS: #buytolet #realestateinvestment #UK #foreclosure #REO #renttoown #risingrents #residential #mortgagemarket #London #England #buildtorent #developer
