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More homeowners take second mortgages

Homeowners are utilising second mortgages to raise money to invest in buy-to-let properties, home improvements, and to consolidate debt, according to a new survey.

A second mortgage allows you to use any equity you have in your home as security against another loan. It means you will have two mortgages on your home. Equity is the percentage of your property owned outright by you, which is the value of the home minus any mortgage owed on it.

Knowledge Bank holds the largest database of up-to-date mortgage lending criteria in the UK and its monthly criteria index shows the terms that brokers are searching for. These may well be reflected in mortgage completions in two or three months’ time.

Capital raising featured in three of the top five most searched terms in the second mortgage market in March. The reasons for this capital raising varied greatly however.

The second highest-searched term was ‘capital raising to purchase a buy-to-let’, which follows the trend of investors looking to purchase rental properties as the stock market remains volatile and demand for rental property soars.

‘Capital raising for home improvements’ was fourth on the list. This is potentially due to homeowners looking to renovate, add an extension, or build an office in the garden, possibly as a result of extended periods working from home.

Brokers were also searching for ‘capital raising for debt consolidation’, number five on the most searched for terms. This suggests there are clients looking to secure unsecured debts against their home to bring all their debts into one place and/or take advantage of the lower interest rate they are likely to pay.

The variety of searches in the second mortgage market appear to be a reflection of the wider economic situation in the UK.

Since the start of the pandemic there has been a split, with those in stable employment able to save and invest due to the lack of opportunities to go on holiday or take advantage of hospitality venues; whereas those who have been hit hardest, have struggled financially and needed to secure debt.

In the residential market, as the Chancellor announced an extension to the job support scheme ‘furloughed workers’ was the most searched term for the third month in a row.

Throughout 2021, there has also been consistent interest in ‘Income multiple used for affordability assessment’, and this continued in March. This suggests despite the return of 95 per cent loan to value (LTV) mortgages, home-owners are still looking to maximise the amount they can borrow.

For the first time this year however, there was a search in the top five for lenders who would offer a mortgage to people with ‘defaults – satisfied in the last three years’. This highlights that historic debts held by some of the UK’s population is not a new problem.

Demonstrating the continued interest in the buy-to-let sector, ‘first-time landlords’ was the top criterion searched by intermediaries for the second consecutive month. ‘Lending to limited companies’ featured in the top five terms searched, and has been a constant since July 2018.

This is due to changes set out by the Government in the 2017 Budget, including a reduction in the amount of tax relief available for interest on buy-to-let mortgages for individuals. This policy is continuing to change the landscape of the buy-to-let market.

Jackie Prior, Mander Hadley’s Head of Residential Conveyancing, said: “It’s worth remembering that specific regulations apply to let properties and there are specific legal responsibilities as a landlord which have their own financial implications. Properties bought subject to existing tenancies can also be problematic if you are not aware of the legal ramifications.

“Our experienced and helpful team of property experts will be happy to advise you on these issues.”

For help and advice on matters relating to mortgages and purchasing additional residential properties, please contact us.