Knowledge Bank

'Maximum age at end of term' enters top five BTL search terms




‘Maximum age at end of term’ was the fifth most-searched term in the BTL market for the first time ever, revealed the Knowledge Bank criteria tracker data for December.

According to the criteria specialist, this may be the result of older investors looking to the BTL market as a part of their retirement planning, as the stock market remains relatively volatile and house prices continue to rise.

‘First time landlord’ and ‘lending to limited companies’ were the top two searches for BTL, followed by ‘requirement to be a homeowner’ in the third place.

In the bridging market, ‘regulated bridging’ continued to dominate broker searches, with December marking the seventh time in the previous eight months that it has occupied the top spot.

The specialist explained that this might be due to buyers still outnumbering sellers, thus leading to some using bridging loans to purchase a property before theirs has sold.

‘Maximum LTV’ was the second most popular search for bridging in December, followed by ‘minimum loan amount’, ‘heavy refurbishment’ and ‘second-charge loan’.

Meanwhile in the commercial sector, the most searched term remained ‘semi-commercial properties’.

‘Maximum LTV’ and ‘minimum loan amount’ were also in demand for this market, placing second and third, respectively.

Matthew Corker, operations director at Knowledge Bank (pictured above), said: “While BTL properties can require more hands on work than other investment opportunities, older borrowers are looking to invest in rental properties as house prices continue to rise. 

"Competition for rental properties is still fierce and with rents potentially set to continue rising, more and more older borrowers may turn to the BTL market as part of their retirement plans.

“Searches in the bridging sector were predominantly for regulated loans, as despite the end of the stamp duty holiday, buyers are still under pressure as sellers now have a choice of bids. 

“Those that have already agreed a bridging loan are therefore well-placed as they can move regardless of when their property sells.”  

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