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Embrace
A Changing Market And Always Keep Learning
There
is one thing you can definitely know for certain
with property investment and that is that
the market is constantly changing. Whether
that be a change in interest rates or other
market conditions there will always be changes
to embrace. However with change comes opportunity
and it is your job as a Property Investor
to profit regardless of what is ...
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What
to Look for in a Warehousing Provider
Warehousing can be an invaluable too for many
business owners. Those searching for industrial
units for rent right now have several options
available to them. Whether you need a warehousing
solution to store your goods, a manufacturing
facility to assemble new materials, or a distribution
plant to circulate your inventory around the
country, there are ... |
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Landlords
Insurance is a Cheap Essential
New landlords who are waiting out the property
market by renting out their homes should make
sure they have the appropriate insurance. This
is according to one comparison site, which notes
that landlord insurance can be bought for under
£100. There are warnings for Landlords
coming into the private rented sector ... |
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Considerations
When Looking to Invest in Commercial Property
There has been a big boom in house and flat
prices in recent years, with the introduction
of buy-to-let schemes increasing the number
of part-time landlords around too. However,
in many ways investing in commercial properties
can be a simpler, lower cost way to begin
investing ...
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Struggling
to Sell Your Home? Consider These Strategies
Selling a home can be an incredibly difficult
and arduous process, particularly if you’re
in financial trouble. Ultimately, all you’re
looking for is a fair price for your home but,
when such large amounts of money are at stake,
this can be difficult, with potential buyers
driving a hard bargain; especially in the current
property market where it can be ...
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How Will the Mortgage Market Fare in
2016
It has been almost seven years since the Bank
of England originally cut interest rates to
a record low of just 0.5%. Originally announced
back in 2009, it brought interest rates to their
lowest level in more than 300 years. With Northern
Rock becoming nationalised and many other banks
forced to be bailed out by the taxpayer ... |
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Three
Tips for a Quick House Sale
Selling your home can be an incredibly stressful
and nerve-wracking experience. So much hinges
on it: your next property, your finances, your
future, and perhaps even your ability to extend
your family. Although
it’s incredibly important to get the process
right from start to finish, there are often
complicating factors that can get in the way
... |
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You’ve
Got to Really WANT it - Progressive
Property
You
know what’s funny about personal finance?
That no matter how many times you’re
told to spend less, or create a wealth plan,
or save 10% or whatever else we hear all the
time, most of us still don’t do it.
And do you know why? Because we really don’t
WANT to change. Or at least put in enough
effort to make it possible (that’s why
people go gaga for get-rich-quick type schemes!
...
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Bringing
Vinyl Flooring Out of the [Bathroom] Closet
Time
was, not so long ago, that vinyl flooring was
very much the cheap, cheerful sister to the
far more glamourous and desirable wood-laminate
and stone tile floor. Until recently, people
often associated vinyl floors with that rather
naff bit of lino in their grandparents’
flat. Vinyl floors were only ever ...
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How
to Save Money with a Low-Maintenance Garden
We all want a lovely garden, but the reality
is that many of us don't have time to put the
work in, especially if we're the landlord of
a property for rent. Sometimes it seems the
only alternative to paying a fortune for a gardener
is to have the whole thing concreted over. That
would reduce the property's value, but fortunately
there's an alternative ...
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Preparing
Your holiday House for the Season
Spring is traditionally the time when many holiday
homes are opened up and prepared for the coming
summer season. Those considering buying a holiday
bolthole abroad, should bear in mind there is
actually more to it than meets the eye to ensure
a home is ‘holiday ready’, as expert
concierge, Nicole Remus, knows from her 15 years
in foreign property management. |
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Bring
the Outside In with Bifold Doors
Unlike a door opening
on the road, where the priority is privacy,
any door that leads out into the garden needs
to bring inside and outside together. The British
climate being what it is, garden doors have
to stay closed a fair amount of the time, so
they should offer a broad view of ...
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Student
Property: How to Invest Successfully
The
past few years have seen student property investments
experience a massive rise in popularity. They
have gone from a fringe asset class to a popular
worldwide market with a total value measured
in billions. Growth in the student property
investment market has ... |
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Finding
a Suitable Property in London amid the Frenetic
Markets
As we look back across the last year, we see
that UK property prices have seen unprecedented
levels of growth. This has been particularly
noticeable in the nation’s capital, where
already high prices rose even more. What compounds
this is that...
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Considering
Buying a Home Abroad?- What
to Bear in Mind Before Choosing a Dream Home
The media have widely reported a return to confidence
in overseas properties in many parts of the
world, especially with strong sterling rates
during 2014. For those who have decided that
2015 will be the year they seriously think about
buying abroad, there are many considerations
before ...
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How
Proximity to the London Underground Affects
Rental Prices in the Capital
For those who work in England’s capital
city, transport links have a major impact on
where they choose to live. One of London’s
biggest draws is the opportunities it presents,
such as higher average incomes and greater job
opportunities. City centre employment is one
of the major reasons that people immerse themselves
in the hustle and bustle of city life ...
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Why
International Properties Make Sense
International property
portfolios are not every landlord's idea of
an easy thing to manage. After all, it is
much harder to keep an eye on properties and
tenants when you are not in the same part
of town, let alone in another country. However,
as the
recent scramble among Russian investors for
UK housing stock has shown...
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Residential
or Student Property: Which is More Profitable?
Residential property is considered more-or-less
the standard buy-to-let option. However, as
a result of soaring demand recent years have
seen more and more investors opting for student
accommodation. There are various factors to
consider when choosing which approach to go
for, but what about ...
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Nationwide
Reveals October House Price Record
Major building society Nationwide has identified
a record high for UK house prices that was reached
in October. Last month saw the average price
of a UK property hit £189,333. The previous
month saw a drop in house prices, which fell
by 0.1% through September. Previous figures
from the Land Registry suggested ... |
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What
London’s Crossrail Could Mean for Homeowners
Over the coming years, London’s Crossrail
project will handle the flow of millions of
commuters going in and out of the city. The
project, which will cost around £15bn
and due to begin full operation in 2019, provides
an eighty-five mile, east-to-west route across
Greater London starting ...
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Is
Full Management the Future of Property Investment?
Many investors see property investment as
an attractive and potentially rewarding component
to a portfolio. While some take a more optimistic
or pessimistic view, this seems to sum up
the mainstream at present. But it looks like
the nature of property investment as we currently
know it could ...
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Should
You Rent or Buy Your Home?
Homeownership
is something which many people aspire to in
Western society, particularly once they reach
a certain age and maturity. Once people move
into their thirties and forties, they no longer
want to be answerable to some landlord. They
want something they can call their ... |
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Landlords
Insurance – What Do I Need to Know?
If
you’re considering renting out a property,
it’s essential that you have the right
insurance cover in case something goes wrong.
It’s common sense to cover your property
because there’s always the chance that
something will get broken or an unforeseen disaster,
like flooding, will arise. You will also ... |
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What
are My Responsibilities as a Landlord?
Renting
out a property can be a highly lucrative venture,
particularly in today’s market where
the majority of young professionals are living
in rented accommodation. If you’re fortunate
enough to have a property in Britain’s
capital, you’re in an excellent position
to make real money ...
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Why
More than 50% of UK Rental Tenants feel 'Ripped
Off'
A poll conducted recently in the UK has revealed
that a massive percentage of tenants feel
that they have been ripped off by private
landlords and letting agents. With more people
now renting privately than before, the worrying
results of the survey could have profound
implications for private landlords across
...
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Combining
Security and Profit With Commercial Property
Investments
Once,
commercial property investment was reserved
for those willing to pour larger sums into their
portfolio. Now, it is a much more open and accessible
market. Everything from car parks through self-storage
units up to hotels and business premises can
now be seen in a number of more modestly-budgeted
portfolios ... |
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High
Student Property Investment Levels Continuing
The
past two years have seen a rapid increase in
the level of investment in UK student properties.
According to recent data, this trend shows no
sign of ending. A report commissioned by Pinnacle
MC Global Network, which was titled Spotlight
on UK Student Housing, has concluded that ...
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Top
Regions to Rent in the UK -
Barbon Insurance
In 74% of cases in Britain, it works out cheaper
to buy property than to rent on a long-term
basis. Statistics indicate that buying remains
the better option and is cheaper than renting
in around three quarters of the locations studied,
with average monthly mortgage repayments 8%
lower ...
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Hottest
Property Areas to Invest in London - Wilfords
After six run-down garages in Fulham sold
for £700,000 it’s hard not to
think that any old place in London could be
a gold-mine. But the reality is that property
investors are more interested at what certain
areas in London have to offer than necessarily
the kind of property that they ...
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4
Ways to Avoid New Property Scams - QuickMoveConveyancing
With the property market hot, prices rising
and new lending rules being dished-out, many
people are looking for all the help they can
get to take the headache out of investing
in property. But beware of a quick fix. Seminars
and courses offering get-rich-quick schemes
and advice might be tempting but . ...
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Tips
for Investors on the New Mortgage Rules
- Housenetwork
The release of the Mortgage Market Review
(MMR) sent ripples through the property market
and warned investors and buyers of how they
should keep an extra close eye on their finances
to ensure affordability. The rules mark the
biggest change in mortgage lending for the
last decade and crack-down on the lenient
procedures that caused excessive ...
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Portfolio
Rescue Case Study - Matthew Moody 12/05/14
At Wealth Success Alliance we receive lots of
calls each month from property investors who
over the last five years purchased properties
that haven’t cash flowed in line with
expectations. In some cases, the investors bought
several properties through pitches from slick
sales people and never carried out the appropriate
research on them! 95% of ...
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Is
it More Profitable to Renovate and Sell On
or Buy to Let? - Prelet
When deciding to invest in property, a crucial
question that many people ask is whether to
flip houses by renovating and selling them
for a profit or buy property to rent it out
and become a landlord in the process. It really
depends on your financial situation and your
goals, as well as what ...
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Why
Students Make Great Tenants - Peter Scully
The student property market has a reputation
as one of the safest, most secure, yet most
profitable forms of investment. In spite of
this, many people are wary of taking students
as tenants. Indeed, many buy-to-let mortgages
include terms that do not allow student tenants.
But in truth, these reservations are usually
misplaced. Far from being a risk factor...
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What
gets you out of bed on a Monday morning?
- Mike Clarke
Is it… The need to earn money to pay the
bills or the willingness to achieve? For successful
people it is all about Motivation and Mindset.
Motivation is the driving factor behind the
choices we make in life, it affects our decision
making and determines the outcome of our choices,
which in turn helps to determine our success
rate. Let
me give you an example: I watched the ...
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Property
is a Game! - Matthew
Moody
There’s only one winner and one
loser in the property game – and that’s
you! Come
what may, your fortune or losses depend on how
YOU act NOW – not what John Smith down
the road thinks about where the property market
is going. In this article, I will share with
you about how many investors are going wrong
– and where the next opportunities may
be ... |
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Now
is the Time to Build your Own Home
In the midst of the struggling housing market,
there’s an army of self builders who
are busy building their way up the property
ladder. Some housing pundits say that there
has never been a better time to build your
own home, and self build specialist BuildStore,
is reporting a surge in self build land and
finance enquiries. Many people dream of building
their own home, and an estimated ......
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10
Tips to get your Property Rented
Having a property rented out is great –
so what can you do to ensure that it gets rented
out even faster? Of
course by enlisting the help of a good letting
agent such as Garabys in Wokingham should be
number one in your priorities – but before
someone comes to view the property, there are
certain things that you can do to make that
prospective new tenant feel ...
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Maintain
to Keep Your Insurers Happy
It is important to keep your property in a reasonable
condition. After all, your Landlords insurance
will expect you to do so and any claim could
be reduced or void if a lack of maintenance
contributes towards a loss taking place, or
being more severe than might otherwise be the
case. But there are other reasons why this is
important, not least of which is that well maintained
and attractive properties can attract rents
at the top end of the range for the type and
...
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Rent
to Own Overview - Shimon Rudich
There are two aspects to the scheme. Either
part can be used independently of the other
or used together. For simplicity, I have called
the components the ‘Front End Option’
and the ‘Back End Option’. If used
together this is often termed the ‘Sandwich
Option.’ The scheme is generating a lot
of interest from investors because it provides
an opportunity to make money ...
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How
to Turbocharge Your Success - Simon Zutshi
03/02/14
It never ceases to amaze me how many people
turn up to networking events to see what happens
rather than having a clear objective about
what they want to achieve from it. After all
if you have taken the time to attend a network
meeting surely you want to get a maximum return
on time invested? In this article I want to
explain how you can Turbocharge the results
you get when networking.
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Student
Property - A route to long term Financial
Freedom? - StudentDigz
We all know that without investing your money
in assets, you will always be exchanging your
time for money and who wants that? Especially
when the reality is that you may have to work
until you are 65 or even 70 just to be able
to fund your retirement. The state pension
is not what it used to be and people are growing
increasingly worried as to whether they will
able to ...
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How
Important is Mindset? - Simon Zutshi 13/01/14
I started investing in 1995 when I purchased
my first home and rented out two of the rooms
to friends to cover the cost of the mortgage.
I slowly built my property portfolio learning
the hard way, by trial and terror, making
lots of mistakes but somehow managed to struggle
through until I reached the point of financial
independence at the age of 32. I am still
learning and investing in myself which is
the best investment, even better than ...
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White
Label Sales Progression for Estate Agents CUTS
Fall Through Rates -
CompleteMySale 25/11/13
Why is it outsourcing your sales progression
can be good for customers as well as your business?
Sales Progression is an essential part of the
Estate Agent's sales process – each and
every sales needs to be carefully and efficiently
managed from the point a sale has been agreed,
right through ...
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Do
First-Time Buyers Ever Think Home Ownership
Is Possible? - Ascot Mortgages
The Government’s ‘Help
to Buy Scheme,’ which brought forward
plans to add to purchaser’s deposits from
January 2014 to October 2013, was met with much
interest. Eager first-time buyers, who felt
that they might be able to get on the housing
ladder, were quick to enquire. You can find
out if ...
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Is
the Property Boom Good News or a Disaster
Waiting to Happen? - Mike Clarke
As many successful property professionals
will tell you, NOW really is a fantastic time
to be investing in the UK property market,
Buy-To-Let mortgages and alternative finance
for property purchases are readily available
with more and more lenders entering the market.
There are also plenty of property deals out
there just waiting for property investors
to snap ...
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Is
Investing In a HMO The Right Strategy For You?
- Matthew Moody 21/10/13
Not everybody should have a HMO in their portfolio.
If you shy away from hard work and getting hands-on
involved with your portfolio; then it may not
be for you – but keep reading for a solution
to this particular problem right at the very
end. For those of you who like to get involved
and want to add a high-yielding cashflow property
to your portfolio, then ... |
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NOW
Really Is The Time To Get Into Property!
- Mike Clarke 14/10/13
Are You Taking Action? With a general lack of
housing stock, rising UK residential property
prices and strong tenant demand for rental properties
generating decent rental yields, there really
is no better time to get into UK property investment!
Property investors are the driving force in
the UK property market right now, slowly but
steadily driving up the ...
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The
Fear of Finance! - Platinum Portfolio Builder
07/10/13
Since the economic crisis hit, property investors
across the UK have been filled with fear and
trepidation when broaching the subject of finance!
Investors
have faced dramatic changes regarding finance
since the carefree days of the early 2000’s,
when decisions were based on minimal information
and swung in favour of excessive lending to
the masses. Confidence in ...
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Resurgence
in Foreign Property Market - Abode2 30/09/13
As further proof of the resurgence in the foreign
property market, a brand new magazine, Abode2,
has just launched, specialising in the finest
resort homes and developments across the globe
for investment, lifestyle, rental and retirement
purposes. This is the first property publication
to launch since 2007. A surge of investment
interest has been stimulated ...
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Learn
How To Survive, Thrive And Profit In Property
- Reena Malra 16/09/13
Reena Malra has said that she always hears this
statement whenever she talks with other property
investors: "It’s easy to do what
you do when you have been doing it as long as
you have been" and Reena is aware that
they're right, but for her, it didn't start
that way! Reena, just like many other aspiring
property investors, had to face challenges and
...
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Now
is the Time to Get More Deals With Less Effort
- Simon Zutshi 09/09/13
One
of the quickest ways to find BMV deals is to
contact other investors who are already finding
motivated sellers and ask them if you can have
some of their leads that they are not interested
in or ones that they cannot convert. This is
one of the strategies I teach on my one day
“Property Investing Quick Start”
seminars, because it is a NO RISK method of
you obtaining leads immediately at NO ... |
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Could
Istanbul’s Investment Appeal Have Surpassed
Olympic Proportions? - SpotBlue
02/09/13
Being
announced as host of the 2020 Olympics on
7th September would be the icing on the cake
for Istanbul, in a year that has seen the
Turkish city’s prominence on the global
economic stage escalate, while neighbouring
Western nations have suffered financially
...
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Property
Over Pensons Any Day - Platinum Portfolio
Builder 27/08/13
If you don’t have an alternative to
a standard pension, your chances of a long
and luxurious retirement are pretty much scuppered.
In making such a bold statement, my intention
isn’t to set pulses racing with scaremongering,
it’s simply to highlight the fact that
the value of pensions is being eroded by time
and, on the whole, people are doing very little
about it.
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Multi-Let
Success - Peter Singh 19/08/13
Peter is one of the UK’s fast growing
authorities on Multi-Let Property Management
or Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO’s)
and yet he only started investing in property
in March 2012, last year. Initially
Peter had very little funds to start his property
investment career with and relied on claiming
back overpaid Payment Protection Insurance
(PPI) and ...
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The
Lifestyle that's Possible with HMO Properties
- Paul Preston 12/08/13
In a previous article we looked at an
HMO case study - one of my first HMO’s
that makes a clear profit (after all costs )
of over £1,000 per month. This month,
I’d like to share some insights into the
lifestyle that’s possible with HMO properties.
On this subject, the first thing I’ll
say is this: we are all different, we all want
different things and we all have different ...
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How
to Structure Property Instalment Contracts
- John Wilson 05/08/13
Would
you like to make a 5 figure monthly income
from the UK Property market…
In
this video John Wilson gives advice to a fellow
investor Graham, who emailed in to ask advice
on how to structure the sale of one of his
own properties on an instalment contract ...
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Fix
Repairs In Your Rented Property Or Else
...
ngu Homelettings
29/07/13
Fix repairs in your rented property or the Housing
Health and Safety Rating System Officer will
come to visit - you do not want that! If you
are a landlord who is not doing repairs at the
moment and they are essential I urge you to
think again! If you do not do an annual assessment
of your ...
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Pretend
You're Skint to Get an Infinite Return on
Your Cash - John Wilson 15/07
Picture
the scene. You've got a super motivated seller
who needs to sell their property. You've negotiated
a good discount and you've persuaded them
to let you take an option on the property.
But there's a problem. There's a good whack
of equity in the property. What do you do?
If ...
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HMO
Planning and Article 4 - Paul Preston 08/07/13
In this article, we’re focussing on planning.
I’ll be covering HMO Licensing in another
article, but I’d like to make this distinction
to start with – planning has noting to
do with licensing, and vice versa. Often, people
put ‘planning and licensing’ together,
and although it is important ...
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The
4 HMO Market Sectors - Paul Preston 01/07/13
In
this article, I'd like to cover the 4 main
HMO market sectors, all of which have their
own pros and cons, all of which can be very
profitable, but need different considerations
and approaches. I have also included a real
case study showing how HMO's can generate
a clear profit of £1,000 per month ...
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HMO's
What and Why - Paul Preston 24/06/13
In
this, the first of my series of articles about
HMO’s and Multi-Lets, I thought it was
best to start with the basics, so ‘exactly’
what is an HMO? HMO
stands for House in Multiple Occupation. In
essence it does what it say on the tin, it’s
one house with multiple different occupants
(i.e. un-related tenants)…..also known
as a HiMO (‘i’ for in), multi-let
or a house share ...
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Why
Aren’t I as Successful as I’d Like
in This Property Game? - Matthew Moody
Over the years, I’ve spoken with hundreds
maybe thousands of property investors and business
owners and if there is one thing that I’ve
learned; it’s the difference between success
and mediocrity is just 2 millimetres. If you
want to be successful in anything, you need
to follow a vision and dream. It can’t
be something you just go along with. You can't
simply meander ... |
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Terms
in a residential tenancy agreement: Part 2-
Netlawman 10/06/13
This is part two of an article that
discusses terms commonly found in residential
tenancy agreements. Tenants have the right
to quiet occupation. The tenancy agreement
should state that the landlord or an agent
(such as a tradesman) should be allowed to
enter the property if reasonable notice is
given in writing and the tenant consents.
It should also state that ...
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Terms
in a residential tenancy agreement: Part 1-
Netlawman 03/06/13
This is part one of a two part article that
discusses terms commonly found in residential
tenancy agreements. It does not seek to explain
every clause or paragraph that might appear,
but give an easy to digest overview of why a
term may be included. We dive straight in below.
The agreement should define clearly what is
being let. In a business property lease, this...
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Fraudulent
Mortgage Applications on the Rise
-
Experian 20/05/13
Finding
a competitive mortgage deal can be a real
challenge for many, but an increasing number
of Britons are choosing to use all-too desperate
options to get the deals they want, including
resorting to making fraudulent applications.
Experian has revealed that for the sixth year
running, mortgage application fraud rose in
2012 - this time by ...
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Voluntary
Lease Extensions from a Landlord's Perspective
- Katie Cohen 13/05/13
I tend to find that there are two types of
landlord client. The first are those landlords
that insist on a statutory notice being served
under section 42 of the Leasehold Reform,
Housing & Urban Development Act 1993 (“the
1993 Act”). This enables tenants to
extend their lease by 90 years in addition
to the unexpired term of their lease. In return
for a premium, the ...
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A
Beginners Guide to Leasehold Flats - Bernie
Wales 29/04/13
Whenever Bernie Wales attends property investor
networking events and he mentions he invests
in leasehold flats, people take a step back,
they take a sharp intake of breath and give
him a look as though he’s trodden in
something unpleasant. “Ooooh, I wouldn’t
do that. There’s no profit in it –
and any profit there might be is swallowed
up by exorbitant service charges. You must
be mad!”
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Property
Investment is Easier with Like Minded People!
by Mike Clarke - 22/04/13
There are times when property investing can
appear to be a lonely pursuit, as often close
friends and even family don’t always understand
or support the business practice of using property
as a means to financial freedom. It is often
said that property investors with a positive
mindset should surround themselves with like
minded people who do understand ...
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The
HMO Mystery - Why should the landlord be stuck
with paying utility bills?
- Arsh Ellahi 15/04/13
My
property companies are businesses, therefore
the more cash flow I can extract from a property,
the more profit my company makes, simple. Landlords
who share this vision often ask me how I manage
to get my tenants to pay the utilities bills
within my HMO’s. The answer is a straight
forward one ...
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Tax
Day and New Years Day (History Rewritten)
- Bobby Gill 15/04/13
Do you know why 6th April is Tax day? When did
the New Year actually start, 25th of March or
1st of January? And was Christmas Day more than
just a pagan/christian festival celebration,
as it also coincidentally marked the start of
the last Quarter of the Year? Did you know you
can celebrate the Feast of Easter celebration
again next month, as the ...
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The
Three HMO Rules - Jim Halliburton 25/03/13
Property investment is not difficult, I compare
it to used car dealing except the figures
are larger, the strategy is different and
it is much easier. Property is less complicated
than cars and the longer you keep property
the more valuable it becomes unlike cars which
usually depreciate. However, whilst you are
waiting for your property to increase in value,
you have to ...
|
|
How
to Design a Good Leaflet - Mark I'Anson
18/03/13
What makes a leaflet 'good'? What's going
to make people stop and read your flyer when
it comes through the door instead of throwing
it in the bin along with all the others that
come with it? It may not be something they're
actively looking for at that time but if it
grabs their attention they will at least read
it, and, if it then provokes interest or looks
like a solution to a ...
|
|
Is
Property Renovation the Route to Becoming a
Property Millionaire? 11/03/13
In recent years there has been significant media
attention on property renovation and the way
in which it can transform investors into property
millionaires. However, property is a huge investment,
and failure to plan the project carefully could
result in bankruptcy. When
investing in property, it is important to select
the property and the area in which the property
is ...
|
 |
Why
is Property Networking So Important to your
Success? - Simon Zutshi 04/03
Today I am a financially independent property
investor. The passive income from my properties
more than covers my lifestyle. I don’t
have to work. Instead I am fortunate enough
to be able to follow my passion which is speaking
and helping other people to become financially
independent through their property ....
|
 |
How
to Avoid Being Asset Rich and Cash Poor
- Bankruptcy Advice 18/02/13
No matter how much advice we are given throughout
our lives, it seems that many of us in the
UK continue to struggle to save our money.
Indeed, statistics put the average Brit`s
saving at 1500 little comfort in a financial
emergency. Many of these are home owners,
in particular property investors, with assets
aplenty. So what can be done to avoid falling
into the trap ...
|
 |
How
to Bring Back the Passion - Duane Alley
By this point, you’ve read a lot of causes
of burnout and many suggestions for combating
it. Are you still wondering why your head hurts
every time you think about working on your goal?
Sometimes
our goals seem fine. They’re measurable,
we put a timeline to them and they’re
things we really want (or, at the very least,
think we want). But still they’ve lost
their ...
|
 |
HMO
Regulations In A Nutshell - Matthew Moody
04/02/13
I get asked this question ALL the time so thought
I should really put down the laymans simple
guide to what the HMO regulations mean for you.
Since the Housing Act of 2004, all HMO's (Houses
of Multiple Occupation) have fallen under the
regulations of the act. The regulations cover
any investment property where two or more unrelated
people share - so even if you ... |
 |
DPS:
Things to Do To Ensure You Don’t Lose
a Deposit - NGU 28/01/13
As all Landlords should be aware, in
April 2007 it became Law that all Assured Shorthold
Tenancy deposits must be protected in a Government
authorised tenancy deposit scheme. There are
three schemes to choose from; the most used
probably being the free custodial scheme; the
DPS (Deposit Protection Scheme). Whilst it is
important to remember the key... |
 |
|
|
|
 |
Property
Investing Resolutions For 2013 - Progressive
Property 07/01/13
Let’s face it, as 2013 dawns up on us,
we’re all here for the same reason; to
learn about property investing from other investors
and to hopefully improve and grow our own property
business. (more info on exactly how to do that
at the end of this article…) |
|
Get
access to All of the pin meetings AND
join a great community who will help
and inspire all for one low monthly
price JOIN
THE pin ACADEMY NOW!
"Bringing
together the best in on-line and off-line
property networking and education in
the UK" |
|
|
|
2012
ARTICLES |
| DECEMBER
2012 |
|
How
to Get Moving - Duane Alley 31/12/12
Burnout Cause #4: You Don’t Know the Next
Step - Burnout can often come when you are so
overwhelmed with information, possibilities
and ideas that you have no idea where to go
next or how to get moving. It’s like planning
a holiday, but you’re not sure where you
want to go, when you want to leave or return,
how you want to get there, or what you want
to see along the way ...
|
 |
Landlord
Laughs 24/12/12
Just for fun at Christmas, here are some funnies
about us Landlords. These have come our way
from email and other sources and so we are unable
to credit an individual. We hope you enjoy them!
Can
you please tell me when our repairs are going
to be done as my wife is ...
|
|
99%
Of Joint Ventures Are A Waste Of Time! -
Matthew Moody 17/12/12
It’s the Missing 1% That Makes Millennia
Property A Force To Be Reckoned With! Every
day we talk to dozens of investors on the phone
– and every day we hear the same old stories,
the same fears, the same problems and often
the same excuses. But surely property can’t
be that difficult – isn’t everybody
making a ton of money? |
 |
Building
a Business is Like Writing a Story - John
Paul 10/12/12
The best ones have a start, a middle and an
end. The top writers always sit down and plan
the story long before they start writing. How’s
it going to start? Who are the main characters?
What’s the relationship between them?
And of course, do they ride off into the sunset
together? You must also treat your business
like that. By planning a strategy and continually
revisiting ... |
| NOVEMBER
2012 |
 |
Treble
Your Conversion With Vendors
- Mark I'Anson 26/11/12
The cost of leads is quite high and the
conversion rate is quite low – I aim to
change that. We’ve sold property deals
for a few years now and the amount of deals
that ‘fall over’ is shocking. I
couldn’t put my finger on why, everyone
had a valid reason, every reason genuine –
and then it struck me what the problem was.
We might find out that the vendor won’t
pick up ... |
|
Are
HMO's Right for You? - Matthew Moody 19/11/12
Not everybody should have a HMO in their portfolio.
If you shy away from hard work and getting hands-on
involved with your portfolio; then it may not
be for you – but keep reading for a solution
to this particular problem right at the very
end. For those of you who like to get involved
and want to add a high-yielding cashflow property
to your portfolio, then NOW is the time to ... |
 |
Could
You Save a Packet on Your Business Rates?
- Eddisons 12/11/12
Running a business at any time can be difficult,
but it is especially so in the current economic
climate. Many start-up businesses are struggling
to make it beyond the critical first few years,
as they seek to establish themselves in the
market. Even those that have been around for
longer are finding things difficult and several
widely recognised names have ... |
 |
Getting
the Right Rent Guarantee Insurance - Critical
Illness 05/11/12
Whether you are a landlord of just one property
or you have a letting business, rent guarantee
insurance could save you money if a tenant fails
to pay their rent. However, with so many different
policies to pay out for, is it really worth
the money or should you risk being uninsured?
In today`s fragile economy nobody`s job is secure
and even your tenants ...
|
| OCTOBER
2012 |
 |
Unoccupied
Property Insurance - Simply Finance 29/10/12
If you are investing in property you will want
to make sure that your investment is as safe
as it can be. When a property becomes vacant
or is unoccupied there is a greater risk of
damage occurring. It is, therefore, vital to
ensure that you have adequate insurance protection
in place that will pay out a claim if you find
yourself in a position where you need to make
one ... |
 |
Self
Managing a Buy to Let - Turnkey Landlords
22/10/12
Buy to let property continues to be an extremely
popular investment in the UK. As shown by a
recent Paragon Mortgages survey, the vast majority
of buy to let landlords are reporting a stable
return on their investment, and many feel that
tenant demand is increasing. Though the shortage
of housing is affecting the availability of
both buy to let and residential ... |
 |
You've
Got to Have a WHY - Duane Alley 22/10/12
So
you feel like you’re making progress,
and you regularly take breaks to let your batteries
recharge, but you still feel a general malaise
and a lack of motivation. What’s up with
that? The
answer may lie in your end goal. You may think,
“I know why I’m working twelve-hour
days: I want to get my business off the ground.”
And to that, I respond: “Yeah, but…” |
 |
Universal
Credit: A Cloud of Uncertainty? -
NGU Homelettings
15/10/12
Over the last couple of
years we have tried to keep our landlords up
to date with the on-going changes to housing
benefits. In
late 2010 we started to publish articles about
the pending reductions in LHA that were to take
effect from April 2011 and in late 2011 we published
further articles about additional changes that
affected under 35’s from January 2012
...
|
 |
Lease
Options Are Like Tomatoes - Mark Jackson
08/10/12
Lease options are powerful tools for creating
financial freedom. What makes that statement
true? How does that affect you? Please read
on to find out more. Lease
options and tomatoes…
Tomatoes change with time. Green ones are toxic.
Red ones are not. Timing is key. Imagine being
able to harness that! You Joint Venture with
Time to transform something toxic into...
|
 |
Is
Buy to Let Still Good for ExPats? - Kate
Faulkner
Buy-to-let properties are an attractive source
of income for expat investors and looking in
your home country is a particularly alluring
prospect. A home back home provides a safety
net for Britons abroad, and a diverse portfolio
can also form part of your pension. Holiday
lettings often benefit from a coastal location,
but it's the capital that remains truly popular
for ... |
| SEPTEMBER
2012 |
 |
Furnishing
a Holiday Home - Fiona Fullerton 24/09/12
The difference between decorating a rental investment
and a holiday home investment is that where
a rental property must be very neutral to suit
all tastes, a holiday home can feel a lot more
like your own personal home and should have
a very comfy, lived-in, child-friendly ambience.
According to the holiday rental companies, the
very traditional, cosy cottages ... |
 |
Squatters
- Get Out OR Get Arrested! - Redstones 17/09/12
Squatting in somebody’s property or home
has been a criminal offence for a long time,
yet only where there was evidence of forced
entry, break in, burglary or criminal damage.
This meant that if squatters occupied vacant
or abandoned properties and were careful when
entering, perhaps via an open window, they weren’t
necessarily breaking the law as puzzling ... |
 |
How
to Stop Spinning Your Wheels - Duane Alley
17/09/12
There’s a reason that a hamster running
on a wheel inside a mesh cage has become western
civilization’s classic icon of a wasted,
purposeless life. Who wants to work so hard,
day after day, just to remain in the same place?
Unfortunately, this is how a lot of people feel
about their lives: That they work and work and
work – never making any progress or...
|
 |
Positive
Signs in UK Buy to Let - Alan Forsyth 03/09/12
Buy
to let has been getting some excellent press
recently and it is easy to see why more and
more individuals are turning to buy to let to
provide for their financial futures. Let’s
look at the key areas: Income Streams from Property
- Yields are up. While income levels have plateaued
in the UK, rents have continued to increase
across the country. The average rent paid ... |
 |
How
to Rent out a Spare Room on the UK’s Biggest
Property websites!
Thinking
about taking the plunge to rent out a spare
room, here are some of our top tips! Since the
start of the economic slowdown, more and more
home owners in the UK have opened their doors
to lodgers in the hope that the extra income
will help to maintain their mortgage payments
and ultimately keep a roof over their heads!
On the flip side of the coin ...
|
AUGUST
2012 |
 |
|
 |
Where
Can You Find The Cheapest Rental Properties?
- Lettingaproperty
With the ever increasing price of food, fuel
and household utilities the cost of living is
fast becoming a daily worry for many UK tenants.
More and more are looking to downsize to smaller
properties to save a few pounds on rent each
month or are even seeking out rental accommodation
further a field in the hope of lower rental
payments and cheaper living costs ... |
 |
Stop
Complaining And Do Something About It! -
John Paul 13/08/12
Ok so it’s a bit of a controversial title
but I feel its necessary. Since I’ve been
going to more and more networking events it
still amazes me as the amount of investors that
are sitting there feeling sorry for themselves
blaming the current economic climate, or the
banks, or the mortgage companies, or who ever
it may be that they are the reasons why they
cant invest or make money in property. |
 |
Tenant
Evictions and Arrears on the Increase -
Lettingaproperty.com 06/08/12
The number of court orders to evict tenants
is up 9% in the last year, and look set to rise
further. The number of tenants in severe rental
arrears is up by 13%. However, the impact of
tenants’ arrears has yet to filter through
to landlords, with total buy-to-let mortgage
arrears cases falling by 12% in the last year.
According to research by Templeton LPA, which
... |
|
How
to Stop Burnout - Duane Alley 06/08/12
Burnout is not something that fits into an easy
definition but you definitely know it when you
see it – or feel it! It’s
that general malaise that has you pulling the
covers over your head instead of leaping out
of bed. It’s
the sudden urge to head to the airport instead
of back to the office after lunch. It’s
the no-energy, no-motivation, no-dreams state
of mind ...
|
|
Is
a Tenancy Agreement Legally Binding if it is
Not in Writing?
- Lettingaproperty
What is the difference between written and verbal
tenancy agreements? We
are often asked this question by our landlords,
“Do I really need a written tenancy agreement,
as I know the tenants personally, could I not
just agree it verbally?” The simple answer
is yes, a verbal agreement is as legally binding
as a written agreement, however, we would never
advise you enter into one.
|
JULY
2012 |
 |
End
of Tenancy Cleaning - M & K Cleaning
30/07/12
Landlords across Britain often encounter problems
when tenants vacate a property, either suddenly
or at the scheduled end of a tenancy. The problem
is that not all tenants are clean, tidy and
respectful of the landlord`s property. Many
leave a mess, while others create hygiene problems.
Some even cause physical or structural damage
to the house or flat ... |
 |
Do
you need an HMO licence? - Lettingaproperty.com
23/07/12
House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is
a commonly used term in property letting. However,
few landlords really understand what it means
and whether it applies to their rental property.What
is an HMO?The term House in Multiple Occupation
refers to a rental property which falls into
one of the following categories ...
|
 |
|
 |
Top
Tips for Advertising your Property Online
- Lettingaproperty.com 16/07/12
When advertising a rental property online it
is imperative that it is done properly.You want
to show the full potential of that property
and to let prospective tenants know what makes
your property a cut above the rest. You need
your property to quite literally scream “Rent
me” and ...
|
 |
“Keep
on Trucking” - An Investors Success Story
- Progressive Property
How did you get into Property?
I got into Property by watching Sarah Beeny’s
shows on TV and seeing what they did. Something
came through the post from Inside Track. That
was a day in Birmingham back in 2006 and then
my wife Claire and I went on a two-day course.
It did give us a lot of knowledge and it pushed
us to go into Property. We met up with a couple
Jason and ... |
|
Do
You Need Landlord Insurance? - Lettingaproperty.com
09/07/12
Landlord’s Insurance is insurance cover
which safeguards the landlord against certain
financial losses sustained in connection with
his rental property. The short answer to the
question is yes, yes, yes! With the ever increasing
demand for rental property, landlords need to
safeguard their properties, and their rental
income, against any eventuality. A general policy
will include cover ... |
|
|
 |
Steps
to Take to Avoid Late Rent Payments - Lettingaproperty.com
02/07/12
The best way for landlords to protect themselves
is to avoid picking the wrong tenants in the
first place. Yes, it is true that anyone can
fall behind with rent – particularly amid
economic uncertainty. However, landlords can
potentially reduce their risk of being plagued
by tenants in arrears by carefully screening
their prospective suitors before handing over
any contracts. |
 |
Renting
Out Your Home During the Olympics? - Intasure.co.uk
02/07/12
Not
long now and London will host the Olympic and
Paralympic games and every hotel, bed and breakfast
and hostel is expected to be fully booked. Throughout
the duration of the Olympic Games places to
stay will be in high demand as spectators look
for a base that is close to the action. In response
to this many home owners in London are considering
renting out ... |
JUNE
2012 |
 |
What’s
Next – Credit Checking for Pets! -
Lettingaproperty.com 25/06/12
What is the UK’s most popular pet? According
to the pet food manufacturing association (PFMA),
there are currently over 22 million pets in
the UK within 46% of UK households. If your
answer to the above question was the Dog, you
would be forgiven to learn that you would be
wrong!
|
 |
Funding
a Renovation Project - Buildstore 25/06/12
Bringing a dilapidated property back to life
can be extremely rewarding, but arranging the
finance to purchase a property and fund the
renovation work needed can be challenging. BuildStore,
self build and renovation finance experts, explain
the options. With hundreds of thousands of empty
homes in the UK, there are plenty of opportunities
if you are looking to renovate or convert a
property ... |
 |
Scotland
Due to Launch first Tenancy Deposit Scheme
- Lettingaproperty.com 18/06/12
July 2nd will see the launch of Scotland’s
very first Tenancy Deposit Scheme requiring
all tenant deposits to be secured with a Government
approved custodial scheme. The regulations to
provide these deposit schemes became law in
Scotland on March 7th 2011. The schemes, which
will be assessed and ...
|
 |
How
to find a tradesman – Phil Spencer
18/06/12
Getting
the builders in can be a daunting prospect,
especially if it’s a large project. For
specialised jobs such as electrical repairs,
boilers and plumbing jobs I would always advise
calling in an experienced tradesman –
I have seen enough bodged DIY projects to know
that a specialist job requires a specialist!
There
are pros and cons to hiring a tradesman. The
obvious advantage is ...
|
 |
When
can a Landlord Forfeit the Lease on their Rental
Property? - Lettingaproperty.com 11/06/12
Sadly, there are tenants with common problems
for many landlords these days. Perhaps by failing
to make their rental payments or refusing to
repair damage caused to the property, which,
ultimately, brings about not only financial
loss for the landlord but also the issue of
how the landlord can remove ... |
 |
Top
Property Tips if You are Renting for the Long
Term - NGU
Homelettings
My brother Nigel and I own over 150 properties
and with over 500 properties under management
you can imagine we have seen quite a lot over
the years from tenants. What we thought was
best when we first started has definitely changed
as a result. The way we now develop our properties
and the properties that we manage for landlords
is now based upon these ... |
| MAY
2012 |
|
Landlords
Considering Student Rentals - Lettingaproperty.com
28/05/12
Letting out a property to students can be a
particularly lucrative area of the rental market
to get into and, with students on the increase,
it’s definitely worth thinking about.
If you are considering renting out your property
to students, then here are a few points to consider:
It goes without saying that, in order to attract
the interest of students seeking rental accommodation,
your ... |
|
HMO
for LHA Tenants - John Paul 28/05/12
For this latest article I have been asked to
talk about HMO’s. As many of you will
know my portfolio is quite diverse, I have LHA
tenants, HMO’s, Lease options, commercial
properties just to name a few, so we thought
it would be quite nice to tell you about a HMO
project a recently did and how it turned out
...
|
 |
How
a To-Let Board Can Help Let Out Your Property
- Lettingaproperty.com 21/05/12
Whichever method of advertising you choose to
let out your property, it makes good business
sense to boost your marketing campaign with
a To-Let Board. Word of mouth is a very powerful
tool and, with rental properties currently in
such high demand, if local people in your area
can see your property is on the ...
|
|
How
to Make Sure Your Claim is Completed in 14 Days
-
John Paul 21/05/12
How quickly should a claim for LHA be
paid? Once the Local Authority has received
all of the information and evidence it requires
from the Claimant, it must: Reach
a decision on the claim within 14 days or as
soon as reasonably practicable after that;
Notify
the persons affected ... |
 |
Living/Moving
Overseas and need to Let out your Property?
- Lettingaproperty.com 14/05/12
It’s a well known fact that more and more
UK citizens are moving abroad, this could be
for a number of reasons including cheaper living
costs, higher paid employment or perhaps just
a change of scenery and warmer climes, but this
poses the problem of what to do with the property
they leave behind ... |
 |
False
start to Olympics - Julie Ford 14/05/12
Many of you may have heard the recent Radio4
programme reporting the increased trend of unscrupulous
landlords who are attempting to cash in on the
anticipated high rents that the Olympics is
hoped to bring. With less than 80 days until
the official opening ceremony, Landlords and
agents alike are getting excited about the chance
to cash in on the rental demand. Enquiries are
up ... |
|
The
Law Regarding Dilapidations - Lettingaproperty.com
08/05/12
Dilapidations are the repairs for which the
tenant is responsible for carrying out before
vacating their rented property. However, few
tenants living in rented accommodation will
be aware of the law regarding Dilapidations
or the possible compensation claims surrounding
them. It’s
always advisable, before signing a tenancy agreement,
for a prospective tenant to seek legal advice
... |
|
How
to Get LHA Paid Directly by the Local Authority
- John Paul 08/05/12
The biggest problem caused by the LHA Scheme
for Landlords, and the main reason why so many
Investors choose not to entertain LHA Tenants,
is that the Tenant is now being paid the initial
payment and Allowance, and they are not passing
it on to the Landlord – in other words
- they are spending the rent! Not all LHA Tenants
are like this, but the vast majority that we
have ... |
APRIL
2012 |
 |
UK
Online Letting Agents – What do they do?
- Lettingaproperty.com 30/04/12
Many articles have been written, videos published
and presentations made to the UK landlord on
what typical services an Online Letting Agent
provides. In case you missed any of the above
communications, the below article explains in
simple terms what they do. Online
letting agents are letting agents that work
for Private Landlords online. They generally
do not have a ‘shop fronts’ ...
|
 |
Grand
Designs or Delusions of Granduer? - Julie
Ford 30/04/12
With the TV programme Grand Designs now in its
13th Year it’s no surprise to learn that
over 14,000 people a year are opting to build
their own home, Yet our self-build industry
still lags behind much of the rest of the world,
with the opportunity to build your own home
seen as something only for a select wealthy
few. Last year some of the country’s largest
builders could not erect ... |
 |
Rental
Property on the Rise in London - Lettingaproperty.com
Research suggests that despite the current economic
climate, between the months of March 2011 and
March 2012, landlords with properties in central
London saw a 3.7% increase in their rental growth,
equating to an average rent of £2,430
per calendar month, with properties in the Covent
Garden area being ... |
 |
Is
Eviction Against Human Rights? - Sally Lawson
23/04/12
A social tenant Rebecca Powell, has just won
her case against Hounslow Council, in a ruling
by the supreme court, that she cannot be evicted
as it is against Article 8 in the European Convention
on Human Rights, to be evicted, even though
she was in £3500 worth of arrears. A further
case has recently been submitted to the appeal
court from a PRIVATE TENANT against an ...
|
|
Energy
Performance Certificate and Gas Safety Certificate
Requirements - lettingaproperty.com
Energy Performance Certificates or EPCs are
a compulsory requirement for all homes on the
property market, this includes rental properties
and, by law, a landlord is required to provide
his tenants with an EPC when they move into
the property in question. At present the property
owner is required to ...
|
 |
Top
10 Tips For Buying Overseas Property
-
Dave Lawrence 16/04/12
Buying
a property in another country can be both a
rewarding and an exciting prospect for many
property investors who have always dreamed of
owning their own piece of their favourite holiday
destination, but investors are warned not to
let their hearts rule their heads. It’s
crucial to seek the right advice and try not
to cut corners. The principles that property
investor should stick ... |
|
Know
Your Rights? Landlord & Tenant Responsibilities
- lettingaproperty.com
Do you know your rights whether you are a landlord
or tenant? When a tenant moves into rented accommodation
it can often be very confusing trying to establish
which aspects of that property come under their
responsibility and which aspects are the responsibility
of the landlord. More often than not even the
landlord isn’t fully aware of his responsibilities
and this can ...
|
 |
More
Information is NOT the Answer - Duane Alley
10/04/12
More and more people (services givers, information
professionals, teachers, trainers and coaches)
are entering the market or shifting focus to
offer business, money-wealth and financial programs.
They are selling the opportunity of the opportunity.
And it’s definitely needed ... |
|
Tenant
Referencing – It’s a ‘must
do’ for UK Landlords! - lettingaproperty.com
A
landlady with 8 years’ experience in
the lettings industry and 20 properties under
her belt, had her worst fears realised when
she let out a property in Seven Sisters, north
London, to four students. Although
the landlady had requested references from
the students she hadn’t had the new
tenants properly referenced and later found
out that the references she was given were
bogus ...
|
 |
Granny
Tax Budget Could Help Property Investors
- Mike Clarke
02/04/12
Last week saw the third coalition Government
budget, and again the focus was centred on UK
business growth. However, some of the extra
investment and tax reduction measures announced
by the Chancellor, George Osborne, could help
boost the UK property market and Buy To Let
investment in particular. The Chancellor of
the Exchequer made 10 statements that could
affect... |
| MARCH
2012 |
 |
2012
could prove to be a challenging year for the
PRS - Sally Lawson 26/03/12
The
Supply and demand over the last 5 years has
been somewhat of a rollercoaster, with a mass
influx of "accidental landlords hitting
the market in 2007" when the property market
crashed, followed by a reduction in housing
stock hitting the rental market due to lack
of mortgage funding availability shortly after,
which we are still suffering from today although
It is hoped that the
... |
 |
What
to Look for in Property Management Software
- Amer Siddiq 19/03/12
Property management is hard enough by itself
so choose the right software program to help
you. No more hand scribbled notes and mountains
of paper! Prices for property management software
can range from £100 to £10,000 (or
more), so don't buy more than you need and focus
on what you are really looking for ... |
 |
How
Can You Tell If A Property Can Be Used As a
HMO? Part 2- Matthew Moody 12/03/12
So, you've found a property which is near town,
near some local facilities, has some element
of off-road parking and looks fairly attractive
from the outside. So, you can now buy it? Right?
Wrong... What you need to do now is a thorough
evaluation of the inside and the more you do,
the quicker it will get for you ... |
|
LHA
- A Dirty Word? - John Paul 12/03/12
Seeing
a niche in the market regarding LHA, Castledene
Property Management set their target market
to landlords with DSS tenants and in only 3
years they now manage over 1000 properties,
with 900 of their tenants being on LHA. They
also get paid direct from the council, on over
97% of those tenants, so what... |
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How
to protect yourself from Property Theft and
Tenant Identity Fraud - Sally Lawson
05/03/12
In
times like these people will stop at nothing
to make a fast buck from the misery of others
and the property world is as attractive and
available to fraudsters as any others today.
Headlines were hit last year when Landlord Donna
Jeavons and her friend bought a house in good
faith through a reliable professional
... |
|
How
Can You Tell If A Property Can Be Used As a
HMO? Part 1 - Matthew Moody 05/03/12
This is an interesting one - and a question
I get asked ALL the time! There's basically
a couple of schools of thought on this and the
simple answer is - it all depends on how much
cashflow you want to make! Generally speaking;
when you convert a property into a HMO, you
normally include the bills as part of your rent.
Now given that bills can be as much as £130
per tenant per ...
|
| FEBRUARY
2012 |
 |
Is
Honesty the Best Policy? - Bobby Gill 27/02/12
Do
you tell people the truth in business, relationships
and in what you do? Do you offer guarantees
you don’t plan on providing or making
promises you know you can’t keep? When
you say you’ll do something or won’t
do something – it is your actions that
will speak louder than your words. Fakes and
liars usually get caught out eventually, so
why start that way? Do you have a hidden agenda
... |
 |
Defining an exit strategy - When is it time
to get out? - Dave Lawrence 20/02/12
Getting
out of repossession investing is as important
as getting in. After all, you do not want to
get stuck with a portfolio of liabilities. You
want to cash out on your investment as fast
as possible, which is the reason having an exit
strategy is important. Any
means by which an investor gets something out
of ... |
 |
Why
Do So Many Letting Agents Steer Clear Of HMOs?
- Sally Lawson
The
word on the town is...HMO (House of Multiple
Occupancy) properties are the lucrative way
to, not only make your property deals stack
up, but give you very high yields, compared
to standard lets. However, HMO management is
always a challenge, even at the best of times,
so for anyone deciding to enter this perceived
cash cow area of property lettings is very tempting
... |
 |
The
7 Forces of Achievement - Duane
Alley 13/02/12
We
are “achieving” all the time; in
fact, everything we accomplish (or don’t)
is an achievement of sorts. There was some action
or inaction that created the result as it stands.
So it stands to reason then we are very “successful”
at “achieving” exactly what we are
getting now. Why is it then that so many times
we’re NOT happy with our “achievements”
and we certainly DON’T see them as successes? |
 |
Tracking
Rental Payments with Rent Management Software
- Amer Siddiq
You
may invest a great deal of time in managing
a rental property. It is not easy to manage
your assets such as your property. Any error
committed can be a costly affair. As a professional
landlord, you must practice the habit of choosing
the right tenant for the right property. Collecting
the rent in full and on time, may be quite challenging
to you. Good rental property software can help
... |
| JANUARY
2012 |
 |
Top
4 Buy-to-Let Tips – Interview with Fiona
Fullerton 30/01/12
If
you’ve thought of investing in the buy-to-let
market, our ambassador Fiona Fullerton has got
plenty of advice for you. As a landlady with
flats and offices in London and Oxford, she
knows the ins and outs of the industry. Here
she answers some questions, that might shed
some further light on the situation ... |
 |
A
Few Ways to Make 100K from Property
- Progressive
Property 23/01/12
Our
challenge: to make £100,000 in property.
Is it easy? Not if you are starting out. But
it is simple to follow a proven system that
has succeeded before you. Will it require some
work? Yes. May you make some mistakes along
the way? Sure. But with a little dedication,
and armed with the right knowledge it is very
possible as this article demonstrates. So ...
|
 |
Fly
in Olympic Ointment for Londers - Julie
Ford 23/01/12
As the Olympics draws ever closer, more and
more homeowners are rubbing their hands together
in anticipation of the money they can potentially
make from renting out all or part of their home
to foreign tourists visiting for the Olympic
games. There is a plethora of websites popping
up specifically designed to help homeowners
make a killing during the month the event ...
|
|
Your
Property Predictions for 2012? - Progressive
Property 16/01/12
From 30K credit card debt
to 5M in income & 20M in assets in 4 years
- All this Will be Revealed:
• The Death of Mortgages & the Movement
of Seller Motivation
• New 2012 Strategies for Raising Other
People’s Money Without Banks?
• A Weird Property ‘Guru’
for 2012 You Didn’t Expect
• ‘While it’s stuck in Your
Head it’s Costing You Money’
• A New, Borderline-Legal, No Money Down
Multi-Let Income Strategy |
 |
Builders
Like Litigation are Best Avoided! Part 2
- Jim Halliburton 16/01/12
If you need a builder now instead of
waiting you will need to use your land lording
skills in selecting tenants to choosing builders
but not be so fussy. You will have to get involved
and manage them on a day to day basis after
all how many GCSE’s does a builder need?
Answer, None! Builders, without wishing to be
patronizing are often fairly simple people out
of their depth with things like quotes ... |
 |
2012
Market Update - Alan Forsyth 09/01/12
Hope you are well – and have had a good
2011! Here at Property Secrets we have had our
busiest year for 5 years, and sourced over 500
properties for clients – as w well as
increasing our own portfolios. So how do we
see 2012 for property investors? We end 2011
pretty strongly cconsidering the doom and gloom
all around us economically, with house prices,
according to Nationwide; ...
|
|
Builders
Like Litigation are Best Avoided! - Jim
Halliburton 09/01/12
In my experience there are no good builders
they all range from at the best, imperfect to
extortionists i.e. criminals. I would like to
be able to advise an investor to buy property
that does not need building work or is within
their DIY capability. If you do not have DIY
skills, learn it, it will save you far more
money that most people can earn working for
someone else. Having said that I ... |
| |
2011
ARTICLES |
DECEMBER 2011
|
 |
Countdown
to the Holidays – Time to Get MAD
- Duane
Alley 19/12/11
Imagine you are traveling on a super-highway
(your own personal business start-up or mega-growth
super-highway) and you have been traveling along
well so far. You’re probably at a good
speed coming into that end of year turn and
this is where the problem comes in – there’s
an EXIT RAMP up ahead. Since we were kids we
have been programmed to take it and so were
our parents and ... |
 |
The
Warren Buffett’s Investing Blueprint for
serious 'Contrarian' Investors Only -
Progressive
Property 12/12/11
Buffett,
at one time the richest man in the world, is
the richest, most successful and high profile
Investor living on the planet. So there's no
better way to build your investment rulebook
and blueprint that stands the test of time and
virtually guarantees wealth (provided you stick
to them of course) ... |
 |
Buy
to Let Caveat Emptor - Mike Clarke 05/12/11
Buy-To-Let investment in the UK is still unregulated,
and the Latin phrase ‘Caveat Emptor’
– “Let the Buyer Beware” is
a clear warning to anyone wanting to explore
the current popularity of BTL investment. Nobody
likes being ripped off, least of all property
investors who are looking for the services of
others. I keep reading headlines in the press,
online blogs, investment forum threads and trade
... |
NOVEMBER
2011
|
 |
How
and Where to Find Private Investors with money
to Invest in You -
Progressive Property 28/11/11
Following
on from last weeks article ...Before you rub
shoulders with millionaires, it is essential
to know what you are looking for exactly. If
you are looking for a chalk and cheese JV, or
a business partner, it is not just about finding
people with money. I have a whole host of content
on striking chalk and cheese JV's ...
|
 |
Housing
Benefit…. Are you ready for more changes?
- Julie Ford 21/11/11
In November 2010 the government announced the
controversial new cuts which were to be made
to housing benefit we saw this come into force
across the country from April this year. These
cuts saw thousands of households in receipt
of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) who pay rent
to a private landlord facing losses of more
than £50 a month. The decision was widely
criticised by homeless ...
|
|
How
to structure a JV deal to overcome private investors
objections & reduce their risk
-
Progressive Property 21/11/11
We
all know that finance is THE BIGGEST objection
for most people as to why they can't invest in
property. With finance getting tougher, Joint
Ventures is one of the best strategies to bypass
personal finance and continue to build a property
empire whilst others are scratching their heads
trying to get BM mortgages ... |
 |
Property
Renovations - Jeff Bell 14/11/11
We’ve
been investing in property since 2006, predominantly
in the BTS area in Lincoln. In this article
we’ll provide valuable content regarding
the overview process of marketing for opportunities
through to the sale of the refurbished property.
Online
- There are many different areas to
find property deals in this current climate
and with investors willing to work together
more than ... |
 |
Goals
Vs Outcomes - Duane Alley 14/11/11
So
many people I hear talking about or even teaching
anything in relation to achieving goals tend
to use these words "goals" and "outcomes"
interchangeably like they mean the same thing.
I am adamant they don't. When I'm working with
Clients or Students I talk about both goals
and outcomes as separate … |
 |
Military
to Jump Housing Queue - Julie Ford 07/11/11
Back in May of this year the government announced
that housing for military families would be
addressed under the Military Covenant this would
include plans to give military personnel priority
in the Governments FirstBuy scheme, where purchasers
receive equity loans from the government and
house builders, leaving them with a smaller
deposit to find ... |
 |
Lets
Party! - Steve Foley 07/11/11
I
have been asked to give a background on what
I do & have done – I’m surprised
that anyone would even be interested, however,
readers may be surprised at ‘where I’ve
been'! Last Tuesday - 1st November, I turned
into an OAP & so a reflective moment is
OK I guess – I’m always forward
looking to the next event or deadline that I
rarely have the luxury of time to contemplate
on, what has ... |
OCTOBER
2011 |
 |
Finding
the Deals - Fazal Ullah 31/10/11
Where
are they and who’s got the deals? Well,
let’s look at the people that fall into
the category of ‘desperate seller’.
Someone who has debts who may have put their
head in the sand. They may have letters coming
through the door or they may have the debt collection
companies chasing them. They may have phone
calls at ungodly hours during the night and
day or calls at work ... |
 |
Green
Living is Here - Julie Ford 24/10/11
The new coalition Governments coveted Green
Deal, which is an attempt to insulate British
homes and reduce energy usage and costs has
today, made it into the statute books as the
Energy Act 2011 and is now law, the Green deal
is set to be introduce in late 2012. The Green
Deal, as it will be known, will revolutionise
the energy efficiency of the nation’s
homes, it will allow energy... |
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Can
You Make HMOs Work on Your Own - Matthew
Moody 24/10/11
HMO’s can work well and HMO’s can
also crash and burn. My aim is to ensure that
you are one of the prior mentioned and that
you invest in HMO’s safely, wisely and
ethically. Buy
in the right location!
This is the first key point to cover –
get it wrong and you risk your entire investment.
I hear so many tales of investors who want to
run a HMO in a village or a rural area –
or worse yet are ...
|
 |
Is
Your Home Insurance Ready for the Winter Chill?
- Castle Cover 17/10/11
With winter well on its way, all homeowners
should make sure that their properties are covered
by home insurance before the changing weather
conditions cause any problems. Obtaining home
insurance from a reputable provider such as
Castle Cover is not enough, homeowners must
also make sure that their policy is sufficient
to cover any losses that they may incur ... |
 |
How
to Correctly Gift Property to Spouses -
Sara Laing 17/10/11
Property letting can generate a useful income
stream for a spouse who has little or no other
income to soak up the annual tax-free personal
income tax allowance (£7,475 for 2011/12).
However, property ownership needs to be arranged
correctly to gain the maximum tax advantage.
In
England and Wales property may be owned by a
couple as ‘joint tenants’ (where
each party holds an ...
|
|
Tenant
Deposits; accidental landlord still clueless
about law - Julie
Ford 10/10/11
When
the tenancy deposit scheme was introduced as
law on 6 April 2007, it stated that all deposits
taken by landlords, or their agents, from tenants
on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) must be
protected by a government-approved scheme, it
was very much a new concept often not fully
understood or backed by landlords and so the
media campaign followed, we were bombarded from
... |
 |
Property
Title Fraud Costs Land Registry £26 Million
In Compensation - Mike Clarke 10/10/11
The Land Registry is the UK Government department
that records Land & Property ownership in
England and Wales. Since 2006 it has been possible
to obtain land certificates online, since then
there has been a dramatic upsurge in criminals
taking out mortgages on property they do not
own, leaving the real ... |
 |
Is
it Really Possible to Recycle Your Cash in 2011?
- Matthew Moody 03/10/11
There have been a lot of doomsayers lately stating
that it’s not possible to legally leave
no money in a property deal. Well, you’d
probably be right if you are dealing in the
residential market. But what if there was a
way through a commercial bank to deal in both
the residential market and recycle your cash
again and again ...
|
| SEPTEMBER
2011 |
 |
Rogue
Landlords; Urban Myth or Letting Reality?
- Julie Ford
26/09/11
Since
Channel 4 aired the Dispatches episode highlighting
the appalling way some landlords run their properties,
the media have jumped on the rogue landlord
bandwagon with vengeance and the documentary
has certainly stirred up new calls for mandatory
licensing of landlords and letting agents. The
housing charity Shelter has published New research
revealing that rogue landlords are ... |
 |
Universal
Credits ... Err ...Make That Arrears - Mike
Clarke 26/09/11
With
3.4 million Private Rental Sector properties
in England, Private Rental Sector Landlords
and tenants are being warned to protect themselves
against scams. Landlords and Lettings Agents
are pushing rents ever higher with demand for
rented property exceeding supply, even though
the number of PRS properties ... |
 |
100%
Mortgages Are Back And Here To Stay? - Alan
Forsyth 19/09/11
There
were several headlines last week announcing
Aldermore bank’s new 100% mortgage launched
last week aimed at first time buyers. Aldermore
are one of the newer banks – only opening
in 2009, and we have found them pretty refreshing
to deal with. They are however taking no big
chances on this product ... |
 |
Repayment
v Interest Only - Bobby Gill 19/09/11
This
has always been a popular topic for property
investors. Should they keep their payments low
or high and build some more equity? Should they
pay off their debt as they go along or pay it
off at the end with the sale of their property?
There are a few options to consider but what
is best for you? Well only you know the answer
to that but let me first give you some facts
(or things I believe ... |
 |
Pension
v. HMO Properties? Where would you place the
money? - Matthew Moody
12/09/11
Everyone
reading this article is interested in their
present and future net worth; that’s why
we invest. The reason for choosing property
is that we all know, in time it delivers stable
solid growth and income. As the saying goes,
it’s as “safe as houses”.
The problem for many people though is they do
not have enough ...
|
 |
Beware
of Rental Scams - Mike Clarke 12/09/11
With
3.4 million Private Rental Sector properties
in England, Private Rental Sector Landlords
and tenants are being warned to protect themselves
against scams. Landlords and Lettings Agents
are pushing rents ever higher with demand for
rented property exceeding supply, even though
the number of PRS properties ...
|
 |
Riots
- The Real Cost for Landlords and Tenants
- Julie Ford 05/09/11
Exclusive!
With the recent, well publicised riots, London
has seen the worst arson and looting attacks
since 1985 in Tottenham, Walthamstow, Brixton,
Hackney, Peckham, Ealing, Croydon and Clapham
Junction, but the violence has not been confined
to the capital, spreading to Birmingham, Liverpool,
Nottingham and even Bristol. It is estimated
the riots have caused over £200millions
worth of ... |
 |
Advice
on Buy to Let - Alan Forsyth 05/09/11
Whenever I am asked what area of property investing
investors should go into, I almost always will
say go for buy to let and will relate it to
business. Many investors however still do not
buy the correct property to fit the criteria
they should look for. If you think of large
businesses and how they measure growth and performance
- they will continually talk about growing by
either opening ... |
| AUGUST
2011 |
 |
Buying
Fresh Air - Paul Gelder 30/08/11
Imagine if you bought a property and then realised
that the person you bought it from didn’t
own it and had never owned it! This type of
fraud is rapidly increasing and often targets
Landlords and other absent owners. The chances
of this happening to you are growing and growing.
This article will help you avoid becoming a
victim ... |
 |
Investing
In Your Property Success - Connect UK 22/08/11
Connect
UK is Britain’s leading organisation whose
expertise is sourcing properties with real value
in terms of yield and purchase price. With over
20 years property experience Connect-UK have
supplied some of the UK’s most successful
property investors by sourcing and supplying
their most lucrative property investments.
Literally
1000’s of property investors receive our
list of
investment ... |
 |
The
Quickening - Bobby Gill 22/08/11
Many of my Blog readers are property investors,
business owners and I share this with them (and
you) because I know they are also human beings
with heart and souls. You don’t have to
admit you believe the same but I know you do.
You
will find your approach to do business constantly
having to evolve and change to meet the needs
of the changing environment and marketplace.
It’s not time to just upgrade but as one
advert puts it, upgrade your upgrade! |
|
Using
Lease Options to Create Your Financial Freedom
- Mark Jackson 15/08/11
Lease options are powerful tools for creating
financial freedom. What makes that statement
true? How does that affect you? Please read
on to find out more ... Tomatoes change with
time. Green ones are toxic. Red ones are not.
Timing is key. Imagine being able to harness
that! ... |
 |
|
 |
Thinking
of Investing in a High Cashflowing HMO Part2
- Matthew Moody 08/08/11
Last month we took you through the planning
cycle of how we at Millennia Property turn a
single let dwelling into a high cash flowing
HMO. This month we will concentrate on how we
mange the physical work of turning the humble
three bed terraced house into the 6 bed HMO. |
 |
Fraudsters
Target UK Rental Market - Mike Clarke 08/08/11
UK landlords and tenants are becoming prime
targets for identity (ID) fraud as personal
mail posted through the door of rented property
is stolen and personal details are being used
for illegal purposes. Identity theft has become
rampant around the world and protecting yourself
is very important. If someone steals your identity
it can take months or even years to clear up
the financial mess they... |
 |
Stop
Fraudsters Selling Stolen Houses - Spike
Reddington 01/08/11
Most people can’t believe their ears whenever
Donna Jeavons tells her story.When
she mentioned it to me, I too couldn’t
believe it, so that’s why I felt compelled
to ask Donna about the scam and write this article.
Although Donna is dealing with a very stressful
situation, she’s determined to bring some
good out of her plight by launching a campaign
to raise public awareness and help stop this
happening ... |
|
Housing
Benefit, Local Housing Allowance and Welfare
Reform - Claire Turner
Over the last year the government has announced
significant changes to housing benefit (HB)
and local housing allowance (LHA). The government’s
own estimates show that the changes will result
in an annual reduction of £2,745 million
savings, made from reductions in housing benefit
payments. The impact of these changes to housing
benefit will affect private landlords and their
tenants across the UK. |
| JULY
2011 |
 |
Is
Your Below Market Value Property Search Structurally
Sound - Connect UK
There would seem many ways to seek out seemingly
fantastic below market value property deals
in today’s BMV market. However, who is
working with you to source the best real value
deals? And yes, we do literally mean ensuring
that the roof on your desired property is not
leaking or that the walls on your ‘bargain
buy’ are not crumbling away! Of course,
you will do your own due diligence ... |
|
Thinking
of Investing in a High Cashflowing HMO?
- Matthew Moody 25/07/11
Then this article is for you as over the next
few articles, the Millennia Property team will
show you how we convert properties that are
yielding 6% - 8% into 15%-20% high yielding
profitable HMOs. We will show you how we do
it and how we make sure everything is covered
– and the features that will give it that
‘wow’ factor… To make the
most from a HMO we at Millennia property aim
high ... |
 |
National
Achievers Congress Low Down - Bobby Gill
18/07/11
To be at the National Achievers Congress 2011
in London Excel was a great experience and a
privilege. Not having been to many events/seminars
in the last few months, this was one that I
did not want to miss.
With such World Class speakers and entrepreneurs
in one place, it was the MUST attend event of
the year! With such ‘Gurus’ in Peak
Performance to Billionaires and the Best of
the ... |
 |
Investing
During the Credit Crunch - Jim Vann 18/07/11
If you want to invest in property but are too
scared of the credit crunch, then you should
educate yourself more on the subject which will
help alleviate some of the fears and concerns
you are having. Even with all the bad news and
media coverage, there are a lot of people still
making money from property and in a bad market
it is the perfect time to buy property well
below market value ... |
 |
So
Will July be Your Month? - Alan
Forsyth 11/07/11
Well
that's the first half of 2011 completed! How
have you done overall? Have you hit your goals?
Were you 100% clear on your goals?? If you were
not, and had not written down your goals it’s
unlikely you will have achieved what you hoped
to. Anyone that is successful in life will have
clear goals and a clear idea of what they want
to achieve. Whether it is success in sport or
business, those that do ....
|
|
|
| JUNE
2011 |
|
 |
Making
Money in Property is Easy Just Like Losing Weight!-
Alan Forsyth 27/06/11
For many people that consistently make money
in property, or consistently keep their weight
at their ideal weight it seems easy. You
may not immediately see the correlation between
the two, but there is a similar pattern to success
in both. Both ways to succeed are relatively
straightforward and yet most people get it wrong.
If we take weight control first of all –
over half of all Brits ... |
 |
Illegal
Does Not Mean Wrong - Bobby Gill 27/06/11
I am sat here looking through some banking contracts
on a Sunday afternoon, traditionally a day of
rest, as I need to get back to them on a couple
of queries that they have not adequately answered.
The solicitors keep quoting legal B.S. - allowing
them to do pretty much what they want and do
not care what is RIGHT. Morally
the banks are as bankrupt as they were before
they took YOUR ... |
 |
Why
Choose a UK Property Instead of an Overseas
One - Ian Spencer 20/06/11
Investing in property has long been a rewarding
way to make money from an investment, with property
being able to offer both long and short term
financial rewards.
With so many aspects to property investment,
it is vital you consider everything before making
your purchase because the level of investment
needed to build a property portfolio will often
be quite substantial ... |
|
Are
Lease Options for Me? - Mike Clarke &
Mark Jackson 13/06/11
Many
property investors who are struggling to obtain
suitable finance are exploring the use of Lease
Options to gain control of property for a small
peppercorn fee and making arrangements for purchase
at a future date. A Buy Now, Pay Later method
of property investment. Lease
Options have in fact been around for many years,
proven to be a very effective investment method
popular in the ... |
 |
Laser
Focus or Scatter Gun Approach? - Matthew
Moody 13/06/11
This
month, I’m going to look at something
slightly different as I’ve found in our
own business over the last four or five years
that some of these tactics can really make the
difference between succeeding and coasting.
You may know this feeling. You’ve
got a to-do list for the day but its not got
the 5-10 items that most personal development
or work-time specialists will advise you to
do ... |
 |
The
Great Rip-Off:Tale of the Dead Donkey
- Bobby Gill 06/06/11
The Banking Crisis Explained: Young Thomas bought
a donkey from a farmer for £100. The farmer
agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.
The next day he drove up and said, 'Sorry son,
but I have some bad news. The donkey died.'
Thomas replied, 'Well then just give me my money
back.' The farmer said, 'Can't do that. I've
already spent it.' ... |
 |
Property
Prices Down, Running Costs Up – Who Wants
To Be A Landlord? - Mike Clarke
06/06/11
Landlords
are reporting a significant increase in demand
for rental property as many former home owners
are attempting to get off the property ladder
due to the increase in costs and stresses associated
with owning and running a family home.
Many former householders are seeking private
rental sector (PRS) properties to the trials
and tribulations of the current property market
... |
MAY 2011 |
 |
Tax
Freedom Day 2011
- Bobby Gill 30/05/11
When
do you stop working for the Government and start
to earn for yourself? Tax Freedom Day is the
first day of the year, when people in the country
have finally earned enough income to pay for
just their contribution of taxes. Remember taxation
is involuntary and enforced with civil and criminal
prosecution ... |
 |
Portfolio
Building - Alan Forsyth 30/05/11
The basic idea behind investing in buy to let,
is buying a property that you will be able to
rent out, to either get an income from or pay
off any borrowing taken out against the property
when you buy it, and then enjoy the mid-term
capital growth. So where are the best places
to invest in the UK for buy to let? Well as
with any investment, you are looking for the
strongest return on investment ... |
 |
Does
Shelter Think ALL Landlords are Rogues?
- Bobby Gill 23/05/11
"Scams involving Landlords". "Shelter
really do a good job showing 'Rogue' landlords
taking advantage of vulnerable (desperate) tenants".
With PR like this though, no wonder people think
landlords are out to take advantage of tenants
and are all unscrupulous. What kind of person
would want to rent a property like this anyway,
someone vulnerable or someone who didn't care
and found it acceptable? |
 |
Have
Your Tenants Got Green Fingers? - Dave Lawrence
23/05/11
As a landlord, when you let a property, you
hope that your tenants will treat your property
with care and respect ensuring that, at the
end of their tenancy, they return the property
to you in the same condition they found it in
when they arrived. You also assume that your
tenants will not undertake any kind of illegal
activity in the house. Unfortunately, this isn't
always the case ... |
 |
Setting
Up a Letting Agent Business Part 4 - John
Paul 16/05/11
One
of the most difficult aspects of running a business
is employing people. I have learnt some valuable
lessons over the last few years, unfortunately,
some of them the hard way. You can have all
the procedures, policies and systems in the
world but once you introduce people into it,
there’s always a chance things could go
wrong. Getting the right staff at the right
time in your business cycle is ... |
 |
If
You Can't Keep Up With The Pressures
- Mike Clarke 16/05/11
Owning and managing a property can be a tedious
affair. Though you may feel proud of owning
a property, the issues and matters related to
the property never seem to end … they
simply keep on accumulating! If you find property
management and its issues going out of your
hand, or you are unable to keep... |
 |
Why
Should I Invest in Student Accommodation?
- Alan Forsyth 09/05/11
With more students going to university and college
each year and an estimated 2.4 million students
in the UK, and a huge shortage of accommodation,
there is a huge opportunity to make large, passive
income from investing in high quality student
accommodation located in cities with prestigious
universities. Currently there is insufficient
supply of student accommodation, with only 23%
of ... |
 |
Who
is Willing to Accept Your Lease Option Offer?
- Mark Jackson 09/05/11
Lease options are powerful tools, but if you
can’t find the sellers willing to work
with you, and accept your option offer, you
won’t benefit from them. How can you find
sellers willing to accept your option offer?
What is the key? Motivated sellers are similar
to moths being drawn to a flame. What was once
appealing and attractive has now become a trap.
The emotional cost and energy spent ...
|
 |
Government
Uses Blackmail to Lower LHA Rents - Bobby
Gill 02/05/11
As well as lower DSS/LHA rents the Government
is now using blackmail to get landlords to reduce
their rents even further if they want to be
paid direct. LHA was the way forward for landlords
to get guaranteed rents but it seems as if the
Government is putting the brakes on that too
by making sure you are guaranteed much LESS!..
|
|
Setting
Up a Letting Agent Business Part 3 - John
Paul 02/05/11
The most underrated part of setting up
a letting agency is the training. Most people
I know think that lettings is easy and that
you can pick it up as you go along. Not many
people realise exactly how hard it actually
is, to keep up with all the legislation or best
practices etc. I can understand WHY people think
its easy and start up a letting agency. From
the outside it doesn't’t look particularly
... |
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| APRIL
2011 |
 |
Persistence
- Simon Zutshi 25/04/11
It is such a shame that many people give up,
often just before they get the success they
desire. Unfortunately, we live in a microwave
society where most people seem to crave instant
gratification. I have seen this so many times.
I meet investors who say they tried a particular
strategy and it did not work for them. On further
discussion, I usually find out that what actually
happened was that they “dabbled”
with the strategy, failed to get the results
as quickly as they ...
|
 |
Have
You Heard About Tax Liens?
In the USA the various different states charge
taxes to property and land owners for the provision
of services such as garbage collection and road
repairs. This is similar in the UK where local
authorities charge us “Council Tax”
for providing services. The HUGE difference
is that under US Law if this tax is unpaid then
the individual state can place a second charge
against the offender and this ... |
|
The
Seven Essential Elements of Option Agreements
- Mark Jackson 18/04/11
Options are versatile and powerful legal instruments
which are changing the way residential property
is bought, held and sold in the UK. Put simply,
options are written agreements that give the
holder choice or freedom. Depending on the wording
in the document, the owner gives exclusive freedom
to buy, use or sell the property, or a combination
of these freedoms. If the buyer chooses to ...
|
 |
White
Collar Crime - Bobby Gill 11/04/11
Coming to a home near you soon? Or actually
ask your friends and family because the white-collar
criminals are likely already operating in your
street lurking in the shadows! If
you've got such stories about UK Banks, then
write in and let us know - the last thing they
want is people discussing their crimes in public
even though they're spending the public's money
and harassing those very same people! "Robo-signed
documents, false affidavits and failure to notify
defendants are just a ...
|
 |
Networking
for Property Investors - Mike Clarke 11/04/11
There are currently over 60 property networking
events of various sizes organised around the
UK every month and there are new groups and
events to attend every week. Attending property
networking events gives new and experienced
investors, landlords and property professionals
the opportunity to meet and interact with like
minded people in a friendly and supportive atmosphere
... |
|
Setting
Up a Letting Agent Business Part 2 - John
Paul 04/04/11
The hardest part of any making any letting agent
a success is getting the all important landlords.
So how do you do it? How did we do it? How did
we go from no properties what so ever to over
1000 in 2 years? Why did we buck the trend,
and grow faster than any other letting agent
in the country? Well,
as I mentioned in the previous article we picked
a niche. Our niche was LHA, very few people
...
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|
| MARCH
2011 |
 |
Tell
Me Everything - Bobby Gill 28/03/11
Not only do the taxes you pay fund illegal wars,
murder and death - but so now do the contracts
that the Government use for clerical work. Below
is an article provided by a contributor at www.PeacNewsLog.info
on how you can fill in the details and stop
Lockheed Martin profiting from your particular
form. Remember to enclose the supplementary
form that they may have forgotten to enclose
...
|
 |
Got
Milk? -
Bobby Gill 21/03/11
Companies
(that also includes Governments, Police and
the Courts) only want to do business with you
if they can get money out of you - otherwise
they are not interested in what you have to
say or think. The bigger they get, the more
control they have and the lower your chances
of talking to a real human being. Human
beings are trying to communicate with one another
- but are trying to be stopped by those in control.
With Twitter and Google blocked in countries
where there ... |
 |
Hooray
for Scotland - Alan Forsyth 21/03/11
One of our favourite areas personally to invest
in, is Scotland! Why? The affordability is huge
- over 80% of my buy to let properties are in
parts of the country where prices are no more
than 4 times the average salaries (why would
I buy in areas where prices are 8-9 times the
salaries, when I get houses at half this price
and twice as affordable to the local market
in the UK?). This then makes the rental yields
twice as good generally ie around 8-10%! When
I buy for buy ...
|
 |
THINK...
It's Not Illegal Yet - Bobby Gill 14/03/11
Authority will have you think, what they want
you to think - and that everything is OK. You
can trust your Government, Banks, Police and
Courts as they are there for you - not themselves.
What a rude awakening everyone is in for (especially
those of you who are already nodding and about
to fall into a deeper sleep). WAKE UP! So
what happened? The Credit/Debt
Bubble and Bust - that's what!
|
 |
Is
It Safe to Buy Package Deals? - Simon Zutshi
14/03/11
This is a question that I am frequently being
asked as more and more people seem to be having
problems when buying packaged deals. The answer
is, as my friend and mentor, Dolf de Roos, would
say...It depends! In this article I have been
asked to share my views on how to minimise the
risks of buying deals from other investors!
My initial response is that it is always better
for you to learn how to invest in property yourself,
instead of relying on someone else to do it
for you... |
 |
Could
Your Home be Stolen? - Bobby Gill 07/03/11
Criminals are taking advantage of changes in
the law to transfer the ownership of land and
property to themselves. They are easily able
to do this because land certificates have been
abolished and all property titles in England
and Wales are published online. It is believed
the problem was “substantial” and
growing. By changing an owners’ address
for official correspondence, a fraudster can
take out a mortgage and even sell the property.
Anyone owning an interest in property ... |
 |
Finance
is the Holy Grail - Matthew Moody 07/03/11
Once upon a time, there was a bank. It was called
Mortgage Express. It decided that it would be
a great idea to get into the Buy To Let market
in a big way and launched BTL Mortgages in the
late nineties shortly after the Assured Shorthold
Tenancy was introduced. Investors flooded to
the market place and many companies joined the
band wagon. From
the mid-nineties through to the end of 2007,
both houses prices saw a huge surge in value
(typically £100,000 was added to the average
value of a house!) and finance was easy to get
hold of ...
|
| |
|
| February
2011 |
 |
Murphy's
Landlord Laws - Bobby Gill
Have any of the following ever happened to you?
This list could go on but I'm sure you get the
idea... (Yes, most of them are true!) Who'd
be crazy enough to want to be a Landlord?
*Tenants
have at least one relative get sick or die per
month, so they will just have to pay you later.
*If
a tenant attempts to replace the washer in a
tap, plan on replacing the taps and perhaps
all the plumbing in the building. *When the
heating breaks in mid-winter, it is always the
boiler...
|
|
Buying/Selling
a Short Lease Property - Can I Extend the Lease?
- Katie Cohen
The
Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development
Act 1993 (“the Act”) enables most
lessees in England and Wales to obtain a 90
year extension to the term of their lease so
long as they have owned their property for 2
years. The
process is initiated by the lessee serving a
Section 42 Notice (“the Notice”)
on ... |
 |
Who
let the PIGS Out? - Bobby Gill
What
the heck is happening in Europe and who's next...The
Global economy is a mess right now, Governments
want it one way, Banks another and the People...
well you just watch the News right now - they
have the final say! There's a lot of strange
energy around right now, I'm sure you've noticed
it even if you don't know what I mean - it appears
negative but it's change for the best ... |
 |
How
to Set Up Your Own Lead Generation System
- Richard Shepherd
If
you are into the lease option investment game
seriously you need to establish an effective
lead generation system to connect you with motivated
sellers who would benefit from selling their
house quickly or who would like the flexibility
that lease options offer over the traditional
forms of trade through estate agents. To establish
a successful lead generation system you must
first know your ... |
 |
Beware:
The Second Real Estate/ Property Collapse is
Coming - Bobby Gill
The
US and UK Banks have been illegally foreclosing
/ repossessing property, by not even checking
paperwork and worse still, by forging it - whilst
being bailed out by the Government with your
future as collateral. Is that right or fair?
How come the overpaid Bankers and their pretentious
solicitors fail to provide any copies of certified
contracts or documents when requested? Maybe
it's to hide fraud! And don't expect your MP
or elected representatives to help - as the
Government is busy enough trying to get money
out of you for it's past mistakes and new ...
|
 |
Attitude
is Everything - Simon Zutshi
This is a slightly different article than the
usual. Instead of talking about the latest investing
strategy I would like to share with your something
far more valuable. An understanding about yourself,
that could help to make you truly successful
(or not as you will see later depending on your
mindset attitude and beliefs). On 6th May, 1954
Roger Banister was the first person in history
to run a mile in under 4 minutes. Prior to this
nobody thought it was possible. Doctors said
that the ...
|
 |
How
Long Does it Take to Establish a Property as
Your 'Main Residence'?
One of the most frequently questions a tax adviser
gets asked is “how long do I have to live
in a property before HMRC will accept that it
is my “main residence” and thus
exempt from capital gains tax when I sell it?”
The question is fair but the answer is difficult...
My own opinion is that there is no minimum period
of time, and I give the example of someone who
moves to a new city to take up a job and ...
|
| |
|
| January
2011 |
|
The
Difference Between Buy to Let Insurance and
Landlord Insurance
There has been a question that is repeatedly
asked in the world of renters insurance for
a long time now and it is one that has an easy
answer but many people still don't seem to know
it. The question that I am talking about is
what is the difference between Landlord Insurance
and Buy to Let Insurance?
|
|
Setting
Up a Letting Agent Business by John Paul
Quite recently on the forums there have been
quite a few threads on setting up a letting
agent and to be honest it’s not as easy
as everyone might think. I thought that it would
be a good idea to write a mini series of articles
as how we set up our lettings group and the
mistakes we made, it will a full insight into
how we have grown to the size we are and also
what I would do different if given the chance
again. Anyone can set up a lettings agency but
it takes ... |
 |
Pay
Off Your Mortgage by Simon Zutshi
In just 10 years from now, how would you like
to have paid off your home mortgage in full
and have secured a strong pension? Most people
recognize that investing in property is one
of the best ways to build your long term wealth
for you and your family. Investing in property
is not a get rich quick scheme. You do need
to invest some time, money and effort but this
will be the best investment you will ever make.
One of best things about property is that ... |
 |
Become
Financially Free Through HMO Property Investment
- Matthew Moody
If you want to leave your job, improve your
cashflow or just be comfortable knowing that
every month you’ll be making a ton more
money than ANY other property strategy out
there, then follow my simple plan and start
making money the smart way.
1) Determine how much money you need
to cover all of your living expenses and any
other luxuries you must have ...
|
 |
Would
you Rather Buy in the UK or Ireland? - Alan
Florsyth
When we look at the current situation in Ireland
and the lack of flexibility the country has
in terms of reorganising their economy, it shows
how relatively fortunate we are in the UK that
we have not joined the Euro. The fact that the
Bank of England firstly is independent, but
more importantly can decide on interest rates
has made a significant difference in the UK...
|
 |
Going,
Going, Gone - Khalid Rashid
Surelock provides the key to property auction
success. Birmingham property firm now offers
valuable auction benefits and a ‘fast
and certain’ sale for their clients. Khalid
Rashid is always looking to give his local clients
the most comprehensive and professional service
possible from Surelock Homes Limited, his well-established
property management and lettings firm is based
in Small Heath, Birmingham. With a solid background
as a Chartered Surveyor ... |
 |
Manage
the Information and Influences You Have
- Alan Florsyth
What do I mean by this? Especially in a market
downturn the media will really make a big thing
out of any negative information without often
fully understanding it or analysing it - as
long as it gives them a powerful headline! A
recent example is.... The media have generated
headlines with the latest news from Nationwide
with Sky News amongst others reporting that
property ...
|
|
One-Stop
Landlord Support
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA)
is a subscription-based campaigning organisation
providing a range of documents, guides, services
and professional advice to landlords and letting
agents in England and Wales. In
recent times the RLA has grown in significance
and importance. In addition to providing valuable
services to members, it has a voice at local
and national government levels. The RLA’s
key functions are: Campaigning for fair, reasonable
legislation ...
|
|
2010
ARTICLES |
| December
2010 |
|
Beware
the Perils of Investing Overseas
What the glossy sales brochure
doesn’t tell you and
what the developer hopes you
won’t find out…
A true account of the perils
and pitfalls that one of our
readers encountered when buying
investment properties overseas
and how you can avoid falling
into the same traps…
You
name it and it’s probably
happened to me in the past
6 years. I’ve been there,
seen it and got several blood-stained
T-shirts ’s ...
|
 |
Weather
the Storm
The Coalition Government has
made it clear that Britain
is entering a new era of austerity
which is likely to affect
the spending and saving behaviour
of millions of people. However,
a little ingenuity can go
a long way towards protecting
you from the worst of it.
In his June budget, the Chancellor,
George Osborne, announced
a package of spending cuts
and tax rises designed to
trim public borrowing by £40
billion a year with tax payers
are being asked to make sacrifices
worth ... |
 |
Landlord
Titters!
Just for fun at Christmas, here
are some funnies about us Landlords
...
Will
you please send a man to look
at my water, it is a funny colour
and not fit to drink.
The
toilet seat is cracked: where
do I stand?
"I
can't pay my rent as my BMW
is in the shop, and I cannot
afford to pay for both."
"I am sure I paid you --
YOU must have lost it."
... |
 |
Why
Property Management Software
is a Business Essential
- Amer Siddiq
You
may be facing difficulties
managing your multi rental
units. It’s the same
for all professional landlords
when they’re starting
out, the focus is on ‘property’.
Little do they realize about
the effectiveness of a software
tool for UK property management.
Be warned though, failing
to see the bigger picture
and failing to properly manage
your property portfolio may
lead to problems. Therefore,
it ...
|
 |
Recession-Proof
Cashflow Strategies -
Matthew Moody
In
today’s market with
capital values plummeting
and costs seemingly doubling
over night, it is crucial
that you implement cashflow
strategies into your portfolio.
But what is cashflow and how
does it impact me? At its
very basic, cashflow is the
money that you have left after
all of your income has come
in and all of your expenses
have gone out. It can be very
easy to overlook when things
are ... |
 |
Christmas
Cheer and Tenants - Alan
Forsyth
As we get close to the end
of the year and Christmas,
and we think about buying
gifts for our loved ones,
I have been asked by a few
investors do I send cards
or presents to my tenants.
My thoughts on my relationship
with my tenants are: I want
to keep a respectful distance
generally with them, but also
treat ...
|
 |
Turbo
Charge Your Success! -
Simon Zutshi
It never ceases to amaze me
how many people turn up to
networking events to see what
happens rather than having
a clear objective about what
they want to achieve from
it. After all if you have
taken the time to attend a
network meeting surely you
want to get a maximum return
on time invested? In this
article I want to explain
how you can Turbo Charge the
results you get when networking. |
 |
How
to Find UK Property Using
Google Maps and Streetview
Google Maps has been upgraded
to include a new layer of
results covering “hundreds
of thousands” of properties
for sale or rent in the UK.
Replicating a service that
has been available in Australia,
the site allows users to freely
view or upload links to UK
properties for sale and see
the results on a map. .. |
 |
Beyond
Lease Options - Richard
Shepherd
The last two years have seen
the advent of lease options
in the UK residential property
market. Investors are extremely
excited by having another
tool in their arsenal that
they can use to acquire and
profit from property. But
let’s take a moment
to reflect on what they are:-
An option agreement gives
you, the investor a right
to buy the property over a
specific period of time. You
can buy it if ... |
 |
Attracting
and keeping tenants through
good property maintenance
Aside
from the property, we have
found that a good relationship
with Tenants is the key to
a smooth-running tenancy.
It is important that the Tenants
should feel comfortable in
their temporary home, and
that they are receiving value
for their money. Therefore
a well maintained property
in a good decorative order
will go towards this, whilst
also achieving a higher rental
figure. Tenants are ...
|
 |
A
Guide to Finding Who Owns
an Empty Property - Rick
Mobbs
Finding empty property is
a good way to buy below market
value property. The property
is often in poor condition
and ripe for development.
The owners may not be bothered
with it, they may have forgotten
about it, died or moved abroad.
They may sell to you at a
low cost as the least hassle
way of disposing of it ... |
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|
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| November
2010 |
 |
Managing
your Property with a Private
Limited Company
Many
property companies, apart
from very small concerns,
are increasingly becoming
limited liability ('limited'
for short') companies. This
has several implications so
far as property development
is concerned. Firstly, a limited
company has a legal identity
of its own, ie. it is a 'person'
in its own right. It can own
property in its own name.
It can sue or be sued. It
has a tax liability and similarly
may benefit from certain tax
advantages. |
 |
Building
a Business -
John Paul
Building a business is like
writing a story, the best
ones have a start, a middle
and an end. The top writers
always sit down and plan the
story long before they start
writing. How’s it going
to start? Who are the main
characters? What’s the
relationship between them?
and of course do they ride
of into the sunset together?
|
 |
How
to Decide on your Letting
Price
In renting
your property, the asking
price is critical in attracting
potential tenants. Too low
and you could lose hundreds
of pounds, too high and nobody
comes to view. It is easy
to simply re-advertise an
existing rental property at
the same price as the last
tenant was paying. However
tempting this may be, it is
best to look at your price
again, and with the Internet
we do not need a traditional
... |
 |
Systems,
Systems, Systems -
John Paul
Pretty much everyone who knows
me, know I’m a huge
fan of systemising businesses.
Every business im involved
in, whether it is property
management, construction or
investment is systemised as
much as possible. Why? The
answer is simple, to make
it run easier for all concerned.
Now that does not mean we
don’t have problems
and make mistakes, of course
we do we are all human, but
...
|
| |
|
|
Things
Every Landlord Should Know
Whilst you
know might be aware of many of these
points, here is just a reminder
of some key facts, based on the
questions we get asked most frequently
by landlords. Mortgage
- If your property is mortgaged,
you should obtain your mortgagee's
written consent to the letting.
They may require additional clauses
in the tenancy agreement. Leaseholds
- If you are a leaseholder, you
should check the terms of your lease,
and obtain the necessary written
consent before letting. |
| |
What
to do with a Pub with NO Beer!
In the last
few weeks I have probably had over
500 pubs pass through my email box,
with ever increasing price reductions
and tinted with a whiff of desperation.
This has prompted some active discussion
in the office and yes, down the
pub, if this glut in the market
offers any opportunity for residential
rental investors. I know a couple
of colleagues who have looked at
buying a pub with a view .... |
| |
Get
Paid 3 Times in the Deal!
If you'd like
to have the right to purchase a
property or even a piece of vacant
land at some point in the future,
but pay a price you determine today,
you need to seriously consider using
the pure option. The option agreement
is really a very simple document
that spells out in explicit detail
the terms under which you could
purchase a property. The beauty
of the option is that you can decide
today how much you're willing to
pay for a property without having
to pay for it or .... |
| |
| October
2010 |
| |
The
Comprehensive Spending Review could
spell trouble for landlords
The
stereotype of a businessperson landlord
would say they favour low taxes,
smaller government spending and
minimal interference from the state
and we have some sympathy with that
caricature. And with today’s
Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR),
we have seen the biggest reduction
in government expenditure since
the Second World War and it pays
to be at least a little circumspect
... |
| |
The
Six Points That Define an Entrepreneur
Property can
sometimes demand both an entrepreneurial
mind and the necessary skill set
to enable the shrewd investor to
maximise the return they had calculated
from each investment property. To
succeed with investment requires
the development of the right inner
drive and level of determination,
creative and innovative ways of
thinking and being a bit of a risk
taker. |
| |
How
will future house prices go?
We keep hearing
about a double dip, and concerns
over house values. I actually look
at how resilient house prices in
the UK are. Unemployment has increased
by 50% over the last 3 years, credit
has been slashed, and yet house
prices are only down around 10%
from their peak! |
| |
Have
We Really Never Had It So Good
The
property press over the last week
or two has been full of stories
about how buy-to-let landlords have
never had it so good. Tenant demand
is at an all time high, BTL lenders
have returned to the marketplace,
and the collapse of house prices
has to be good news for property
investors. Doesn’t it? ...
|
| |
Property
Investor or Entrepreneur?
When
I first started my journey into
property in 2007/ 8 it was as a
sideline to the demanding day to
day commercial cleaning business
I had set up with my wife 6 years
previously. We worked long hours,
covered many hundreds of miles around
the North West every week and had
to deal with clients who expected
excellent service, high standards
of workmanship and attention to
detail. We worked hard .. |
| |
Refurbishing
Commercial Property
The
old RAFA club was a derelict and
disused working mans club in Easington.
It had stood empty for about 12
years and was a well known congregation
point for the local chavs and a
bone of contention for the local
residents, which happen to be mostly
of retirement age in the immediate
area. The local residents had been
trying for years to get something
done about it, it was tired looking
to say ... |
| |
The
Biggest UK Entrepreneurs Event of
the Year!
With high profile
members and guest speakers, the Northern
Entrepreneurs Super Conference is
all about connecting with the right
people. Creating connections with
key players in the industry. It's
about making yourself known in the
marketplace as the best person to
do business with .... |
| |
Energy-efficient
Landlords Save on Tax!
With tenants
now being given an EPC when they
rent a new home, landlords need
to start considering the energy
efficiency of their rental property.
Though it’s probably not yet
at the top of a tenant’s shopping
list, faced with two equally nice
properties, energy efficiency can
clinch you the deal. Heating your
home .... |
| |
Action
Plans Achieve Results!
If you want
to source your own properties, you
need to plan your marketing and
negotiations. You can't expect home
sellers to knock on your door and
just offer their property to you!
People who plan and prepare have
a much higher chance of success
so here is a 10 point action plan
to remind you of what needs .... |
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So,
you think you’re a salesperson?
As a private
landlord, you wear many hats. One
day, you’ll need the skills
of an amateur psychologist, the
next you could be a painter and
decorator. A good working knowledge
of the law, the tax system and accounting
won’t go amiss either. But
you’re also a salesperson,
selling the idea of your property
to potential tenants. It’s
not always a responsibility that
landlords relish but it is essential. |
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Home
Repairs Provide Peace of Mind to
Landlords
As a landlord,
one of the key issues in ensuring
satisfied tenants is keeping the
fixtures, fittings and most importantly,
electrical appliances in your properties
in proper working order. A good
relationship with your tenants is
of the utmost importance to any
landlord, and therefore it is crucial
that the appliances you provide
are maintained and function to the
correct standard .... |
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| September
2010 |
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What
Should the Government be doing about
the Private Rental Sector?
If any private
residential landlords were hanging
on for a Conservative-led Government
to radically overhaul housing policy
and ignite a bonfire of red tape,
they will have realised by now that
they’re going to be disappointed.
Several months into this new government
have shown that whilst a coalition
government is a novelty, it isn’t
necessarily radical or fast-moving.
Economic matters, and a zeal for
cuts and austerity, have dominated
the headlines ..... |
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Getting
the Best from Letting Agents
The relationship that landlords
have with their letting agents is
critical. There are good letting
agents, some average agents and
many poor agents. Getting the right
agent will make the difference between
a successful or a stressful investment.
But how do you find a good agent,
manage that relationship and make
it work .... |
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Shelter
Launches Campaign Against "Rogue
Landlords"
Homeless
charity Shelter has launched a campaign
against what it’s calling
“Rogue Landlords” –
and is claiming that they’re
far from being a minority. The charity
has published a report stating that
90% of surveyed environmental health
officers (EHOs) “who deal
directly with private renters had
encountered landlords .... |
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What
are French Leasebacks?
Well, it is
where you the Investor buy the freehold
of an off-plan property outright,
so you own the property. As with
all new properties, the purchase
price includes VAT, however with
a Leaseback property the VAT is
refunded back to you. As VAT in
France is 19.6%, this either replaces,
or significantly reduces .... |
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Do
I Really Need to Count the Teaspoons?
If you let
furnished or part-furnished property,
an inventory is now an essential
document to protect you, and your
tenant, from lengthy and potentially
expensive arguments further down
the line. Once upon a time, landlords
could choose not to bother with
an inventory, or to keep them exceedingly
brief: we once saw one for a bedsit
that read, in its entirety, "bed;
table; chair". But not any
more..... |
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Optimum
Rental Income
Renting out
a property is an endeavour worth taking
time and effort over if you want to
benefit from the long term plus points.
From making the property as appealing
as possible to finding the right tenant,
there are several factors you will
need to take care of before you can
be sure you are earning an optimum
.... |
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What
Benefit is there in Social Tenants?
One of the
questions we hear from tenants most
often is where can I find a landlord
who'll let to tenants on housing
benefit? As many as one in ten renters
may be receiving benefit, so when
these tenants represent such a huge
proportion of the market, why do
so many landlords state "no
DSS" in their adverts –
and are they right to do so? For
some, it's because they have no
choice .... |
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Buying
a Letting Agent Business
I had known
the owners for a good few years
from when I used to trawl the estate
agents for looking for property
deals, as they also own a chain
of Estate Agents. They had a great
reputation of being ethical and
professional and so did their letting
agent business ..... |
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| August
2010 |
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What
first impression does your property
make?
By Upad.co.uk. In the world of property
advertising, bad first impressions
don't just last; they will ensure
that second impressions are never
made. If you’re advertising
your own property, make sure you
can compete with the professionals.
When a tenant performs a search
on a lettings site, the results
appear in a list with only .... |
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Tips
for Novice Investors
By Jim Halliburton.
Cash Flow - I was tempted to make
this the only tip, perhaps because
when I was writing it I was going
through one of my regular cash flow
crises, so important is it. Unless
you can pay the interest and bills
in operating your business then
you will go bust. It is essential
that you have sufficient reserves
to ensure any expected contingency
can be met. Three months running
costs would be ....
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Using
the Internet to Enhance your Property
Business
By
Upad.co.uk. 92%
of tenant searches start online.
It’s astonishing how quickly
internet searches have come to dominate
the lettings industry. Online advertising
is no longer a luxury. It’s
no longer an add-on from your favourite
high street lettings agent. It’s
the future of lettings and the best
way to find a tenant. But right
now ..... |
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Does
it Stack Up?
One of the
main benefits of investing in property
is the significant capital gain
you can make as your property rises
in value over the long term. However,
to benefit from the gain you need
to make sure you can afford to hold
the property in the meantime. Ideally
you don’t want to have to
support your property portfolio.
Quite the opposite in fact! Your
portfolio should support you financially
.... |
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Picture
Perfect
By
Upad.co.uk. Did
you know that rental ads with pictures
get four times as many enquiries
as those without? If you want to
avoid the dreaded void and let your
property quickly, there's no doubt
that photographs are key. Tenants
have told us that the living room
is what they most want to see: unsurprising,
as it's the room they'll spend the
most time in awake. Next most important
is the garden. Even if it's just
a small terrace, outside space really
adds to the rentability .... |
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Day
to Day Marketing
By Raymond
Moore, Nutcrackerclinic.com. If
you want to source your own properties,
you need to market yourself and
your services. You cant expect a
flood of would be home sellers to
bang on your door or your phone
to ring red hot without you letting
your intended audience know of your
existance. Here is list of marketing
essentials and a few tricks .... |
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Are
you Missing Out on Professional
Tenants?
By Upad.co.uk. Recently a tenant
asked; Did we have any flats with
a room suitable for a home office?
She’s a single professional
web designer who mostly works from
home: she wants a reception room
to relax, plus of course a bedroom
– and another room that’s
just for work. We started wondering
how a landlord would advertise that
sort of property: two bedrooms,
or two receptions? And then we realised
the obvious: the landlord should
really be calling it a property
with a home office! |
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A
Brief History of YPN
Up until 2 years ago I had been
merrily buying a few properties
all No Money Down and renting them
out for a modest monthly profit.
In April 2008 the party ended, the
credit crunch hit and NMD largely
went the way of the dodo. I had
been attending a few networking
events for a while and my business
partner and I realised there were
going to be quite a few people out
there like us who were going to
be scratching their heads and wondering
what to next .... |
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How
to Keep your Tenants Happy! - 10
Top Tips
By Upad.co.uk. Filling a void property
quickly is important, but an even
easier way to keep your property
portfolio earning you money is to
keep the tenants you’ve already
got. In the UK, the average tenancy
lasts for just 16 months; in London,
that figure’s down to just
under 12 months. Such a fast turnover
is expensive for landlords; not
only do you have the potential to
lose rent between tenancies .... |
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Instant
Cashflow with BMV Deal Packaging
It can be an endless struggle in
the early days of your investing
career trying to build relationships
with estate agents, hoping they
will give you first shout on the
juicy 25%+ BMV deals that every
Investor wants nowadays, or having
to pay a sourcing fee from anywhere
between £1000 - £5000
depending on how good a deal is.
A common expression used among experienced
Property Investors .... |
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| JULY
2010 |
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Avoid
the Voids - EXCLUSIVE! From
our Site Sponsor
Here are Upad’s top ten tips
on marketing your property like
a professional and minimising void
periods. UK landlords lose nearly
£4billion every year because
their rental property is standing
empty. And it’s not just loss
of rent that hits their pockets:
mortgages, service charges and utility
bills still all have to be paid.
If you want to make a success of
buy-to-let ... |
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Dont
Wait to Buy Land - Buy Land and
Wait
The property market took a major
hit during the recession and many
investors saw the value of their
portfolios drop month by month as
values plummeted and banks almost
completely closed their doors to
new lending. Now all the signs are
there that it’s heading for
recovery. However it wasn’t
doom and gloom for all property
investors as those who invested
in land saw values go up significantly..... |
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10
Tips for Investing in Commercial
Property
If you are looking to buy commercial
property for the first time, then
it is essential to educate yourself
on how to maximise the potential
you get for your investment. Lots
of businesses fail because they
make the wrong decisions early on,
and making a poor property decision
can see you left in a hole of debt... |
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What
are the Key Qualities to Look for
in a Buy to Let?
Alan Florsyth says this may seem
an obvious question with obvious
answers, but it is well worth reminding
ourselves of the key things to be
looking for when choosing a buy
to let property. What would you
put at the top of the list? High
rental yield? Or price secured below
surveyed value? Or low ratio between
house prices and income? Low Supply
of similar properties? Or clear
exit strategy? Or within 5 minutes
of your home? Finance available,
and borrowing rates? .... |
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Win
the Buy to Let Battle
Any businesses are ventured into
for the sake of making a profit.
This is why a feasibility study
is made essential before any investments
are made. Whether it is a buy to
let investment or any other real
estate deals one gets into, the
end goal is always focused on the
whole venture being lucrative and
financially successful. Although
there is a great similarity between
buying a home and renting it out,
there is also a large difference
between the two.... |
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How
to Side-step the Finance Drought
Over the last couple of years, BTL
investors have found that short-term
refurbishment loans have all but
dried up. Now, the finance drought
looks set to end as a revolutionary
new funding product helps BTL investors
to once again finance perfectly
profitable BTL and BTS (buy to sell)
opportunities…If you’re
a buy to let property investor,
you’ll no doubt have noticed
that finance isn’t as easy
to come by as it once was. As a
result, if you’re anything
like me ......... |
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Developing
for Profit
If you're
new to property development and
are trying to make cash by either
selling or renting then you actually
want to do some analysis particularly
during this economic climate. Location,
location, location as the TV show
says is terribly vital particularly
if this is your first property development.
You need to have a good plan about
the house market in the area you
are thinking of buying. |
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| JUNE
2010 |
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LHA
and Budget Reforms 2010 EXCLUSIVE!
John Paul
gives us his opinions. The LHA has
obviously been a target for reform
in the budget and in my opinion
about time. The following are the
major changes, some good and some
bad:From April 2011:
Local Housing Allowance levels will
be restricted to the 4 bedroom rate;
The 5 bedroom rate is scrapped,
so landlords with larger properties
will be affected;
A
new upper limit will be introduced
for each property size, with upper
limits set at:..... |
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HMO
Secrets EXCLUSIVE!
Matthew Moody
tells us that the secret that most
HMO property investors know is that
the cashflow at the end of the month
is double, triple or even quadruple
the returns from a single let property.Taking
a property and sub-dividing it into
rooms means that instead of one
income source, you can take advantage
of multiple income sources from
one house!.... |
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Cashflow
Strategies
Rob Moore
and Mark Homer explain that given
the choice, we'd all use other people's
money [OPM] to invest or do No Deposit
Down Deals and generate income Now
as well as building assets for the
future. But the reality in property
used to be that you'd only really
make decent income if you bought
& waited for capital appreciation..... |
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Money
in the Bank?
Anyone over
the age of 30 will tell you that
in order to have money for retirement,
be that early or at the current
age limit of 70 (yes that’s
right 70!), we have to start putting
money away in savings accounts or
invest it so that we will have something
to live on when we decide to give
up working and retire. There is
currently a problem with that -
interest rates! |
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Christinas
Rant 3 - Did you use your Vote?
EXCLUSIVE!
Christina
Hine questions whether a new Government
will actually reverse any of the
recent inane legislation fired at
the Private Landlords? Everything
I have ever heard the Lib Dems talk
about shouts higher taxes, higher
taxes!.......... |
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Are
you a LHA Expert?
John
Paul tells us that the word expert,
tends to mean you know everything
about your chosen subject and we
are always learning and trying to
improve ourselves as people and
businessmen. The reason I get called
the expert, I think, is that what
I do works and I regularly take
on the Local council and their decisions
and win..... |
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Will
your Portfolio Deliver What YOU
Want?
Kate Faulker
questions - Most people just decide
‘I’ve got a bit of cash’
and then ‘I’ll buy a
property’. Then you’ll
say, ‘I’ve put my money
into property for my pension’
or ‘I’m leaving the
kids a property portfolio’.
If this is you, have you actually
worked out what your portfolio is
worth and whether it will deliver
what you want eg a pension? |
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The
Benefits of Selling or Renting Online
Millions of
people hit the Internet for information.
Internet, an international medium,
has contributed to rising property
prices by enabling even the smallest,
cheapest properties to be advertised
globally at low cost, therefore
vastly increasing the number of
potential buyers. |
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Auctions
- Grab Property on the Cheap
Did you know
that every year thousands of UK
properties are sold at significantly
below market value? The majority
of these properties are released
through property auctions where
regular savings of between 10% to
40% are available to market value. |
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| MAY
2010 |
Is
the Credit Crunch Over?
Alan
Forsyth has this opinion - Last
week, a massive step was taken with
a lender going back towards the
higher LTV lending, with an 80%
LTV product for buy to let. This
is yet further evidence that the
mortgage market continues to recover
and with 2 lenders due to enter
the market over the next few weeks,
the future for buy to let investors
is bright!
...... |
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How
to Make Sure Your LHA Claim is Paid
in 14 Days
John Paul tells us that once the
Local Authority has received all
of the information and evidence
it requires from the Claimant, it
must: Reach a decision on the claim
within 14 days or as soon as reasonably
practicable after that..... |
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Lease
Options - Good Catch or Red Herring?!
People
often send us deals dressed up as
“tremendous” and lined
up as “a great catch”,
enticing and exciting to part with
precious £££s ...
But... you know what...? Mark &
Wendy do |
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Property
Network Meetings are a Waste of
Time!
Is
this what you think? Then think
again…..Edwina Silver tells
us that attending a number of property
networking meetings being run up
and down the country, can significantly
affect your wealth. |
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Christina's
Rant Part 2!
Christina
Hine is back having a good rant
about the Landlords’ Forum
at her local councils’ offices...
'I should have been suspicious when
I saw there was a high attendance
of local Landlords, which is in
itself unusual' ... |
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Current
Trends in the UK Rental Market
Buy to let
property owners have been hit hard
during the recession. due to withdrawal
of a number of BTL products which
severely increased the cost of borrowing. |
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| April
2010 |
A
Rant Letter to an MP
Christina Hine
shares her frustration ".....increasingly
I have begun to feel discriminated
against, stigmatised, penalised and
categorized as a potential criminal
just for being a Landlord......"
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LHA
Facts - Dont run a mile!
John Paul explaines that the mention
of Local Housing Allowance should
not make Landlords run a mile and
that LHA is an opportunity to increase
cash flow and produce rental yields
that we haven’t seen for years,
all you have to do is embrace it. |
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A
Small Step for You, a huge leap for
your bank balance!
Lyndon Forshaw
tells us that for many BTL and land
investors, developing for profit is
a natural progression and that the
potential profits can be truly staggering... |
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March 2010
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Is
Commercial Commercial?
Barry Danser gives us his thoughts
on shops and flats
|
Commercial
Property - To buy or not to buy?
Tony Newham helps us decide |
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February 2010
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HMO
Tax Issues
Arthur Kemp explains how HMOs have
tax advantages
|
HMO
Funding
Ian Flemming
tells us where to get funding for
purchasing HMO properties |
HMO
Hitch Hikers Guide
Claire Elliot explains how to achieve
high yields with less risk and high
occupancy and some simple facts
|
Top
5 Tips for Beginner Options Investors
Mark Jackson and Wendy Patten let
us have their top tips |
NMD
Sinner or Saint
John Paul gives his thoughts on
NMD |
Networking
Tips by Christina
Christina Hine, Founder of the Stansted
Property Meet give us her tips |
Should
I Use a Sourcing Company?
John Paul shares
his insights |
January
2010 |
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Why
is Property Networking so Important
to your Success Simon
Zutshi shares with us his views on
why we should attend Networking meetings
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Networking
in Scotland
Andrew
McInnes tells us about Networking
in Scotland |
Property
Options in Brief
Mark Jackson
explains why the expressions “Purchase
Option” “Lease Option,”
and “Sandwich Option”
are set to become familiar to investors,
landlords and potential home-owners
as the global credit crisis continues.
Options are versatile and powerful
legal instruments which are changing
the way residential property is bought,
held and sold in the UK. |
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FEATURED
SUPPLIERS |
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FEATURED
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