Buy to Let Mortgages are loans specially designed for anyone who wishes to invest in the property market by buying one or more houses and renting them out to tenants. Buy to Let Mortgages differ from previous investment vehicles by specifically using the rental revenue as the main factor when determining the ability of the buyer to meet the monthly mortgage payments. Many high street banks and building societies now offer a buy to let mortgage product. The percentage which the buy to let lender is willing to lend is likely to be restricted by many lenders to 85% of the value of a property.

Buying Property

Buying property to let has become increasingly popular to the UK investor. Buy To Let mortgage lenders differ in approach. Buy-to-let borrowers do have to jump through some extra hoops to satisfy mortgage lenders. The term of a buy-to-let mortgage is likely to be somewhere in the region of 5 to 45 years. When buying to let it is important to know the market in which you will be trying to let your property.

Buy To Let Property

The more you are willing to do a property up, the higher the potential profits. There is the danger that the property could lie empty for long periods and the market could suffer a downturn. The advantage of a property close by is being able to keep an eye on it, but if you will be employing an agent anyway they should do that for you. One rule of thumb many buy-to-let investors apply is to factor in the property sitting empty for two months of the year this gives a substantial buffer. Finding the right property is key to the success of your long-term strategy.

Buy To Let Mortgages

Popular perception is that buy-to-let mortgages are hugely expensive and very restrictive. However, the interest rate available on a buy-to-let mortgage is generally not significantly higher than those on standard mortgages. Landlords also have a choice between interest only and repayment mortgages. To begin with, buy to let mortgage lenders do not use the applicants income solely as a basis of approval, instead they base their decision mostly upon the likely rental income that the property will achieve. Over the long term, though, both the capital value of the property and the rental income should go up, making buy-to-let a balanced investment. Usually, regular buy to let lenders will demand the rent to cover at least 125% of the monthly mortgage payments. However some specialist lenders are more relaxed and may only require 100% full coverage.

Buy to Let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Although buy to let property can make sound investment you must do your homework before you begin.