When UK mortgage lender HBOS Plc went to market to raise capital, the outcome was a bust. The company sold only about 8% of the securities. In the end, HBOS's underwriters -- Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) and Dresdner Kleinwort Ltd. -- were stuck with $7.6 billion in unwanted paper.

In light of this, it's going to be tough for UK financial institutions to bolster their balance sheets. But there is an alternative: private equity.

In fact, it looks like The Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX) is taking a look at Paragon, a UK mortgage lender. It appears that Paragon is opening up its books to engage in some initial due diligence.

Of course, this is still nascent, and deals can easily fall apart, especially in tough markets. However, investors are certainly excited. In London trading, Paragon's shares spiked 23%.

Even so, the value of Paragon is still down 87% over the past year, so it should be no surprise that the private equity folks sense opportunity.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.