Category: Finance, Mortgages.
Mortgage brokers often advise those that can afford it, to invest in a second property.
But we re not talking about buy- to- let properties here where investors get a return on their money. It s all about the bricks and mortar apparently. We re talking of second homes. These are the very ones that are turning whole villages into miniature ghost towns. The ones that you see in quaint little villages that sit empty for ten months of the year. The 240, 000 second homes that were purchased last year are pushing up local property prices- pricing the locals out of the market.
Not only does this make it bad for the local residents but will these second home owners want to vacate to homes where there are no local facilities? If these homes are left empty for the majority of the year and there are too many in one place, it brings about a situation where schools and village shops close due to lack of business. To counteract this problem, mortgage brokers need to be aware that the government are about to bring a crackdown on the purchasing of second homes. Some villages have 50% of their properties owned by outsiders that are empty for a large proportion of the year. It is reported that they will be insisting that if the home is not the main residence of the owner, that permission to buy must be granted from the council in that area. It makes you wonder why mortgage brokers are not advising them to at least rent out these homes for part of the year- maybe as holiday homes or student accommodation. Mortgage brokers are very useful when it comes to securing a mortgage for an overseas property.
Second homes abroad are an option for those who find the new laws a problem. They can find you the best deal and are also a lot more knowledgeable about overseas property laws. However, this boom peaked, it would seem in 2007 and is now in decline. With the precarious property market and hikes in interest rates in the UK, many people have been looking at overseas properties to invest in. Despite many Polish people preferring to move to Britain, their own property market performed well. Many mortgage brokers would have been securing deals on Polish properties for their clients. House prices in Poland increased by a whopping 28% during the first half of last year- a good time to sell.
However, a shift in opinion caused a downturn in the latter half of the year- a problem for investors that bought at the height of prices. If you re looking for investment properties overseas, anywhere, in fact, the main thing to consider is how long you can afford to hang on to the property for. However, mortgage brokers will be fighting to get good deals on properties in Ireland as prices there fell by 7% last year. If it is a long term prospect, then you won t fail to make money. But for short term investments, this really is the time to be getting the best mortgage advice you can, as well as a good mortgage broker to secure you the best possible deal for the most return. House prices fluctuate all the time and if you wanted to sell, you could choose your moment.