Property

The Property Market Continues to Recover

October 1, 2013 by Property

The state of the property market continues to recover and improve has been shown recently. The number of mortgages that are now being approved in Britain is up to its highest figure in over 5 years to 62,226 mortgages, the Bank of England have confirmed. This is significantly increased from the figure that was released for July and the highest number since February 2008. This shows us that the property market is continuing to recover from the slump that has been taking place over recent years and looks to point to a healthy property market once again. This is also shown by the number of re-mortgages increasing to the highest point since 2011. Read the full report below …

MORTGAGE approvals soared to a five-year high in August as the property market recovery goes from strength to strength, the Bank of England confirmed yesterday.

Lenders approved 62,226 mortgages – up from 60,914 in July and the highest since February 2008.

Remortgages approved also rose to 36,225 – the highest level since February 2011. [Original Source: here ]

Filed Under: Investors Club Tagged With: Property Market

Property Investment Help – Spotting Undervalued Properties

September 23, 2013 by Property

Spotting Undervalued Properties 2

If you are looking to invest in a property and want to ensure that the investment pays off, then it would be useful if you were able to spot properties which have been undervalued. This article will explain some of the aspects to look out for which will enable you to know when a property has been undervalued and will therefore save you money. When looking at a property that may be under valued, there are numerous things to consider. One is to not go purely on the look of the property. If it is really clean and tidy and could be moved in straight away, that does not necessarily mean that it is undervalued. The property may still need the same amount of work done on it as it would need for a property that is slightly more run down. So if you say a property that you know is worth a lot more than the general asking price, you could go straight in with an offer of the asking price or even a bit more. This will ensure that you obtain the property but you know after carrying out the required work, you could easily make a substantial profit. Read the full article below ….

Let me ask you a question.

Let’s say there are two identical houses, one has been lived in by an old lady who has kept it clean and tidy, it looks immaculate and you could live there if you needed to. The property is generally old-fashioned, all the ceilings have tiles and both bathroom and kitchen were replaced in the early 1980s. It has central heating installed and has hardwood and aluminium double glazing.

The second one has been neglected; it needs everything doing including kitchen and bathroom, all the ceilings have fallen in and it looks a complete mess. It has no heating or double glazing. [Original Source: here ]

Property Investment Help – Offer less than you want to pay

September 23, 2013 by Property

Offer less than you want to pay

If you are looking to invest in a property and want to ensure that the investment pays off, then you should make the first offer less than you are willing to pay. By putting in your first offer at 10% less, it enables room for you to be able to negotiate a lower price that you would be willing to pay and in turn save you a bit of money on your investment. If you offer the full asking price or a figure close to the asking price, it is more likely that you may end up paying more than you may have or possibly not be able to agree on a price for the property. But by offering a figure that is around 10% less than what you would be willing to pay initially, you could still increase the initial offer and the seller would still think that they have received a good deal for themselves. Read the full report below ….

Offer less than you want to pay

I have mentioned this rule many times so far, it’s a reflex for me now, I don’t even think about it.

This came from my training as an estate agent; they trained me to start high with our fees so the vendor feels they have won something. One day I thought ‘Will this work the other way round?’ so I decided to try it.

I went to see a young couple who were splitting up, they had been let down by a previous buyer and were very keen to get a deal done. The agent gave me some information and said they were looking for £85k; it was on for £95k. The negotiating process I take you through in this book is very powerful; also this rule forms part of the stages of that process. [Original Source: here ]

Filed Under: Investors Club Tagged With: Offer less than you want to pay, Property Investment Help

Property Investment Help – Adding value to a property

September 13, 2013 by Property

In order to make a property investment scheme successful there are a number of different aspects that you need to take into account. Here we will discuss some of the different ways you can add market value to your property so you are able to receive more for it in the future. When looking for a property to purchase, a point you can consider is to look at a slightly less expensive property and evaluate whether work can be carried out to enhance its market value. This could be from simply refurbishing the home or by creating an extra room from building work. If this is feasible, then you will be able to greatly increase the value of the home and therefore have a more valuable asset available to you if you wish to sell it on to make a profit. Read the full report below ….

Adding Value to a Property

Another way we have benefited from dealing is to spot properties where you can add value. Some of the best ones have been properties where very few alterations are needed, small changes in layout, also extensions, corner-sited, conversion-potential building plots.

When searching the net over a period of several weeks I noticed a studio flat. Now I have a phobia with studios as, when the market is poor, they don’t sell well and lenders get very nervous about them. I thought I would view this one as it was a little expensive but the market was strong at the time. But it had not sold over a period of months and also it was a period studio. I called the agent and asked if he knew when it was converted or how long the lease was (this would give me an indication as to how long was left on the lease). It had a 79-year lease so it was probably converted 20 years previously. I felt it was worth a view as some of the older conversions were very poorly laid-out, they were done on the cheap.

Filed Under: Investors Club Tagged With: Adding value to property, Property Investment Help

Property Investment Help – Ignore the asking price

September 13, 2013 by Property

In order to make a property investment scheme successful there are a number of different aspects that you need to take into account. Here we will discuss how the asking price is not always an accurate representation of how much you should be paying for the property. The initial asking price that is given is purely a rough figure of the property that is more often than not never met. So when you are considering to purchase a particular property, make sure you make your first offer well below the asking price. Also, during the negotiation process make sure you are firm with what you are willing to spend and do not budge from that figure. If you show signs of willingness to pay a bit more, then you are likely to pay a bigger figure then you would like and lose money long term. Read the full report below ….

Ignore the Asking Price

This rule has made me many hundreds of thousands of pounds and it’s something I think many investors find hard to do. I know that an asking price influences people’s decisions as they see it as the true value. Well it’s not, and please remember it’s an asking or starting price; it’s not where you start, it’s where you end up that’s important.

I remember a time when I was speaking to an agent and he mentioned a property that he was having a few problems with; the property had been kicked out on survey three times because of a structural crack. The vendor had it on the market for £210k. I was very interested by this as it had all the hallmarks of a deal. I went to view it and the cracking was slight and what I would have called ‘non-progressive’ as they say in the trade; in other words, it was not going anywhere. [Original Source: here ]

Filed Under: Property Buyer Tagged With: Property Investment, Property Investment Help

Useful tips for when you buy-to-let a property – Part 3

August 7, 2013 by Property

A lot of people on the housing market may look at the buy-to-let option and may think that is a sure investment that will make you money. But there are certain factors that need to be looked out for before deciding to go ahead with buying-to-let a property. This the final of the 3 part articles will run you through some useful tips and things to consider before buying a property to rent it out. This final part will show you tips 8 through to 10.

Tip Number 8 – Haggle over the price

The first thing to consider in this final part is to make sure that you haggle over the price and do not pay over the odds. You have an advantage over normal property buyers due to the fact that you are not relying on a sale to go through on the property chain to be able to make the purchase.

This means that you will have a greater chance of being able to negotiate a discounted price of the property as there is no risk of a sale falling through which could harm the negotiating process and this could be a useful asset to you when the negotiating process starts. When you are making your first offer, make sure it is significantly below the asking price and attempt to agree a price below it and make sure you are talked into overpaying for the property.

Tip Number 9 – Make sure you know the possible risks

The next thing to consider is to make sure you know every possible thing that could go wrong before you even think about making the assessment. You can go in and ask for advice from a specialist buy-to-let contractor or you could ask people you know who may have had prior experiences in buy-to-let properties.

Currently, house prices are on the decline and if this continues to do so, you need to make absolutely sure you will be able to carry on your investment. Also, there is always the possibility that the house you have purchased could become empty, even in the most popular areas of the country. If this was to happen, you need to know exactly how long you would be able to afford the property being empty before the investment wouldn’t be possible to continue anymore.

Tip Number 10 – Decide how involved you want to be

The final thing in this 3 part article to consider is deciding how involved you want to be in the buy-to-let process. Buying the property is the first step but you then must decide if you are going to be looking for a tenant yourself of if you are going to employ an agent to find the tenant to let the property for you.

If you would employ an agent to find the tenants to let your property then a management fee will need to be paid. But the agent would deal with any problems with the property that may arise and also bring a broad network of people such as electricians and plumbers for any work that may need to be done during the time of you owning the property.

You would be able to find the tenants to let your property yourself but you need to be aware of the time and effort that this would take and ensure that you would have the time and resources to be able to do this. You will need to be available for viewings, available to the tenants if any repairs are required and set up your own advertising letting people know that your property is available for let.

Video Discussion of Buying Properties to Let

That concludes this three part article. If you would like some more information on any other aspect on property buying and selling, then you can contact Private Property Buyer here http://www.privatepropertybuyer.net/

Filed Under: Property Buyer Tagged With: buy-to-let, Property Investors

Useful tips for when you buy-to-let a property – Part 2

August 7, 2013 by Property

A lot of people on the housing market may look at the buy-to-let option and may think that is a sure investment that will make you money. But there are certain factors that need to be looked out for before deciding to go ahead with buying-to-let a property. This the second of the 3 part articles will run you through some useful tips and things to consider before buying a property to rent it out. This second part will show you tips 5 through to 7.

Tip Number 5 – Consider who you want your tenants to be

The first thing you should consider from this second article is to think who your target tenants are going to be. Don’t think if the property would be somewhere where you would like to stay, instead think about if the type of people your tenants are going to be would like to live there.

So if you are going to be letting out to students, then you should ensure that the property is going to be easy to clean and maintain for them. Where as if you are going to letting out to a family, then you should ensure that the property will be virtually empty so they will be able to put their own stamp on the property to make it feel as it is their own home.

Carrying on from the point of people wanting to make the property their own, you should not be afraid to let them make their own changes to the property. If the tenants are comfortable in the property then they are more likely to want to stay there over a longer period of time and therefore your buy-to-let property is less likely to be empty over a period of time and therefore lose you money on your investment.

Tip Number 6 – Make sure you are not over ambitious

The next thing you should consider is to make sure you are not too over ambitious with the properties you are looking to buy-to-let. Make sure you consider the yield of the property before going ahead with the purchase.

To work out the yield of a property you need to look at 2 different factors. These are the annual rent you will be receiving from the property used as a percentage against the purchase price of the buy-to-let property. Once you work this out make a critical judgement on whether the asking purchase price of the property is affordable for you.

The rent that you receive should be the prominent source of the return you will be receiving. Also, if you can get a rental return that is quite a bit bigger than the mortgage repayments that you will have to be paying then make sure you start saving some of that money up for an emergency fund in case the steady flow of rent you are returning slows down or stops.

Tip Number 7 – Think about going for a property further away or renovating the property first

The final part of this article that you should consider is to think about whether the area that you yourself is living in is the best place to purchase a property for letting out to tenants. If you think that a location a bit further away from where you live would be more suitable then don’t be afraid to further your range. You may think that you would want a property that was close to you so you are more easily able to keep an eye on the condition of the property but you will be employing an agent when you buy-to-let a property and they can do that for you if you live too far away.

You can also consider buying a property that needs renovation. This could be useful to you as the purchase asking price would be quite a bit lower than a fully furbished property. If you do buy a property that needs renovation, you could perform what needs to be improved and therefore increase the value of your investment.

But if you were to do this make sure that the purchase asking price is low enough for you to be able to cover the refurbishment of the property and the over-run on costs and still have enough for a bit of a profit to be made.

Video Discussion of Buying Properties to Let

See part 3 of the article [here….]

For further information on property buying and selling, then you can contact Private Property Buyer here http://www.privatepropertybuyer.net/

Filed Under: Property Buyer Tagged With: buy-to-let, Property Investors

Useful tips for when you buy-to-let a property – Part 1

August 6, 2013 by Property

A lot of people on the housing market may look at the buy-to-let option and may think that is a sure investment that will make you money. But there are certain factors that need to be looked out for before deciding to go ahead with buying-to-let a property. The next 3 articles will run you through ten useful tips that will help you decide whether buying-to-let a property will be a worthwhile investment for you. This article will cover the first 4 tips, with the 2 corresponding articles featuring three more tips for you to consider.

Tip Number 1 – Researching the Market

The first thing to consider before going ahead with buying a property to let is you need to research the market. This is even more important if you are new to the buy-to-let market. You should ensure that you are sure of the potential risks that go with the buy-to-let market as well as the possible benefits. It could be useful if you know someone that has previous experience in buying-to-let to ask them as many questions as you can so you can gain a better understanding of the market.

You also need to be certain that this is the type of investment you want. Make sure that you have researched other investment options thoroughly and then you can make a better educated decision on whether buy-to-let is right for you.

Tip Number 2 – Consider the area

The second thing you need to consider is the area of the property you are looking to let out. It isn’t always the most expensive area that would be the most likely place that people would want to live. The most promising areas could also depend on factors such as transport and schools.

People who are looking to rent a property will want their lives to be made as easy for themselves as possible. So this means that whether the area you are buying to rent a property has good schools for young families or whether the area has effective public transport will have more bearing on whether people would be likely to want to rent the property you have purchased.

Tip Number 3 – Make sure you know all of the costs involved

The third factor to consider is to make sure you know all of the costs that will be involved in the buy-to-let process. Before going ahead with the purchase sit down and work out all of the costs that will be involved with the property and work out how much rent you will be likely to receive.

When going over the costs, ensure you look at the mortgage repayments that there would be with the property. You would usually want the rent that you will be getting to cover 125% of the mortgage repayments to ensure that the investment would be worthwhile.

You should be very clinical in your judgement once you have worked out the mortgage rates and the rent you would be likely to get. Consider some extenuating circumstances that may occur as well. For example would you be able to still survive if the property has no current tenants staying there for a couple of months.

Tip Number 4 – Make sure you get the best mortgage possible

The final factor to consider in this first part is to make sure you go around different mortgage lenders before asking for a mortgage. Don’t just go into the first bank you come across and sign up for their mortgage.

Make sure you shop around numerous different mortgage lenders and check out all of their different rates of repayments and interest. Also look at previous years rates of different mortgage providers to see if the rates are likely to change to get an idea to see which lenders are consistent.

Consider using a specialist buy-to-let mortgage provider as well as they will be able to give you more detailed advice that will specifically relate to you. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice as well, as even though you may have asked a provider for advice you are under no obligation to agree to their mortgage.