"We are delighted to have been awarded the prestigious Mortgage Introducer award for Best Buy-to-Let Lender. As No.1 buy-to-let lender in the UK by gross advances this is another great way of celebrating our success.
"We're proud of clinching this award, but there's no room for complacency. Our mortgage products and criteria are continually refined in order to ensure that our buy to let offerings remain market-leading. As we respond to brokers' feedback, we'll ensure that these products continue to meet the needs of a range of borrowers. A recent step change has seen the introduction of three levels of rental income cover which allows customers to tailor products to their needs, set at 125 per cent, 110 per cent and 100 per cent.
"Our service proposition, supported by forward thinking technology, is fundamental to our success in the market. We use technology in order to make brokers' lives easier. Recent enhancements to our comprehensive One Minute Mortgage online application system include multiple copy applications for buy-to-let, to save brokers from rekeying information several times. Through this system, brokers also benefit from emailed confirmation of offers. Additionally this year, when we became the first lender not to require a written customer signature, reducing completion times by days.
"Recently attention has been placed on the buy-to-let market with pundits regularly offering boom or bust theories. But it has undoubtedly thrived. Investors are looking to buy-to-let as part of building a balanced portfolio, and the current market conditions appear to support this established market in the future. A Mintel report just out predictsthe market will double by 2010.
"Continually rising house prices in today's market mean that the buy-to-let market will continue to help meet increasing housing demand. Research carried out by BM Solutions has shown that the demand for renting is increasingly driven by choice. The flexibility of renting often appeals to singletons or those willing to move for their career. Similarly, others prefer to rent in an area that they otherwise couldn't afford to buy in. With so many positives the future certainly looks bright for buy-to-let."
Ian Bradshaw of BM Solutions accepts the Best Provider of Buy-to-Let Mortgages Award from MI Editor Angela Faherty and Hal Cruttenden
