Are you considering investing in a buy to let property? If so, you may be wondering if buy to let mortgages are interest only. The answer is yes, most purchase-to-rent mortgages are interest only. This means that you pay the interest each month, but not the principal amount. At the end of the mortgage term, you will need to repay the original loan in full. BTL mortgages are also available on an amortization basis.
With this type of loan, you pay both the interest and a portion of the principal each month. Your monthly payments will be higher than with an interest-only mortgage, but you will be paying off the loan over time. This could be a good option if you want to reduce your debt over time. The big difference between purchase-to-rent mortgages and residential mortgages is that purchase-to-rent mortgages are primarily interest-only mortgages rather than repayment mortgages. This means that your repayments only help cover the interest on your mortgage and not the original amount of the loan; instead, you will have to repay them when the mortgage term ends.
It could be that you have the funds available to settle this directly or, alternatively, that you want to sell the property or apply for a new mortgage to pay what you owe. One thing to consider is the risk that the value of the property will decrease in the future, which means that you could owe more than what the property is worth when you sell it or re-mortgage it. This is why it's important to do your research and make sure that you understand all of the risks associated with buy to let investments. Some homeowners who buy to rent also take out amortization mortgages. With this type of loan, your monthly payments will be lower, which means that your profit margins for the rent received are higher than if your mortgage were on a repayment plan. However, it's important to remember that you will still need to repay the loan in full at the end of your term. Alternatively, you can extend the mortgage for a longer term if you don't want to sell the property.
Some lenders also allow repayable mortgage holders to overpay (within certain limits), which can save you money in interest over the life of the loan. When it comes to paying off the mortgage in full, it's very likely that the value of the property has increased. Some homeowners use rising home prices to free up capital from their properties by remortgaging, and then invest this money in new properties; this process is sometimes referred to as “leveraging”.If your main ambition as a homeowner is to reap the rewards of owning a property with BTL later on, when you expect home prices to have risen sharply, this could nullify the fact that the total cost of your loan will remain the same at the end of the mortgage term and you won't have paid any of the principal. All advisors who work with us are fully qualified to provide mortgage advice and work only for firms authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you want to buy a rental property and need a mortgage to do so, they can help you find a suitable lender and guide you through all aspects of applying for a purchase-to-rent mortgage. Once upon a time, there were also tax advantages to claiming mortgage interest when filing a tax return. However, these have been removed in recent years so it's no longer an incentive for taking out an interest-only BTL mortgage. If you decide to apply for an amortization mortgage for your purchase for rent, it's important to remember that your mortgage payments should be covered by your rental income, but there are other expenses you should consider and the loan criteria you'll need to meet.
Because these mortgages are considered to be more risky for the lender, they often also require you to pay a larger lump sum as a deposit. Pete's presence in the industry as the reference for finance specialists continues to grow, and he is quoted and writes regularly for local and national newspapers, as well as for trade publications, with a regular column in Mortgage Introducer and being LoveMoney's exclusive mortgage expert.
