Making sense of a puzzling property market
There’s something about October that makes you take a closer look at what’s lurking beneath the surface, and there’s plenty to examine in the mortgage and property market right now.
Welcome to the October edition of Mortgage & Property Investment Magazine. This month we go behind the headline figures, from technology changing how properties are valued to widening regional differences and a growing number of borrowers whose income does not fit neatly into traditional lending models. For brokers and property professionals, understanding what is driving the market could matter just as much as watching the numbers themselves.
Where technology meets expertise
In our lead piece this month, Paula Matthews, Strategic Relationship Director at Westmarq, looks at how technology is changing the way residential property is valued, and why greater automation does not mean professional expertise is becoming less important.
With automated valuation models (AVMs), desktop valuations and increasingly sophisticated property data playing a bigger role, the ability to identify cases that require greater scrutiny is becoming just as important as processing straightforward ones.
A market that looks very different from one region to another
Our second feature turns from how properties are assessed to where the opportunities may lie, and the increasingly divergent picture across the UK property market.
Jennifer Lawler, Director of Operations at Elite Realty Invest, examines the differences between regional markets, looking at house prices, rents and local economic conditions, and what these mean for property investors.
When the borrower does not fit the traditional income profile
Our final piece addresses a growing challenge for brokers: borrowers whose income does not fit neatly into the traditional mortgage model.
Paul Adams, Sales Director at Pepper Money, explores the rise of self-employment, second jobs, portfolio careers and multiple income streams, and what this means for borrowers who fall outside traditional lending criteria.
For brokers, more varied income profiles create an important role for specialist lenders, particularly where mainstream lending models may struggle to capture the full picture.
IFA Talk Mortgage & Property special | The conveyancing conversation
In the latest Mortgage & Property special episode of IFA Talk, we look beyond the mortgage itself to the conveyancing journey.
We speak to Harpal Singh, Founder and CEO of conveybuddy, about fees, panel management, communication and how mortgage advisers and conveyancers can work more effectively together.
Keeping pace with a changing market
So, as we head further into October, there is plenty to keep an eye on and perhaps a few unexpected turns along the way. Hopefully more treats than tricks! This month’s edition looks at some of the changes shaping the market and the opportunities they may create for brokers and property professionals.
We hope you enjoy this latest edition of Mortgage & Property Investment Magazine.
Meg Bratley
Social Media and Content Manager
Mortgage & Property Investment Magazine