<p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>“Man, 102, takes out 25-year mortgage.”This attention-grabbing headline in The Guardian draws readers into an article that details the growing trend for pensioners to jump on the buy to let gravy train. As housebuilders, it behoves us all to monitor these things and to consider whether we do enough to attract this category of new property investor – the private landlord who is old enough to be Private Godfrey’s father. So what can we learn from the article? It’s worth a read. </p> <p>The broker, based in Sevenoaks, is interviewed at some length. He is clearly pleased with the deal, under which the 102-year old pensioner will pay £958 per month until he is 127. To be fair though he recognises one of the potential weaknesses. “Obviously there is an element of risk,”he says. “An element of risk?” What can he mean? Does the perceived “risk” relate to the fact that there is a chance that Godfrey Senior might not fulfil his repayment obligations over the full mortgage period? I’ve had a quick lunchtime Google and I think that the broker has good reason to be …