If you’re thinking of investing in property you probably have lots of questions. This site gives you the free, expert advice on making a success of buy to let and let to buy that you need.
Between our guides, and our free mortgage advice service, we’ve got the answers you’re looking for.
I’m often asked by newbie landlords do I have any basic tips about investing in residential property. I respond by highlighting 3 essential aspects to making a landlord’s residential investment a success.
These I have called my three pillars of investment and they are: patience, research, timing.
Keep reading The 3 Pillars of Buy to Let Property Investment for UK Property InvestorsFor many people a property is more than a place to live. It is the start of a whole new lifestyle and better quality of life. What could be better than all of this being financed out of the rent paid by somebody else?
For most landlords a place to retire to is likely to be located on or near to the coast or in one of the ‘honey pot’ locations: the peaks, the lakes, the Cotswolds, the highlands, the Norfolk Broads.
I set out to find out how practical it might be for landlords to consider buying and renting out a property with the view that one day they would be able to retire and live in it.
Keep reading Buy to Retire Landlords – UK Landlords AdviceI read over the weekend about the very sorry affair of a novice female landlord. This newbie landlord’s problems began back in 2003 when she was enticed at a ‘property seminar’ by the promise of a ‘fast buck’ to invest in 4 ‘off plan’ buy-to-let properties. Now this poor landlord is facing financial ruin as one by one the buy-to-let mortgage companies have repossessed her buy-to-let investments.
Keep reading Landlords Hidden Negative Equity – UK Property Investment DebateThe Credit Crunch has been hitting the UK Mortgage Sector hard as many easy credit mortgage deals have been removed from the high street shelves in recent weeks. Despite central bank actions to ease financing terms and increase liquidity, this does not address the real issues of illiquid mortgage related bonds and expectations that the UK Housing Market will slump on the back of a surge in foreclosures.
Keep reading UK Housing Market Forecast 2008Many landlords have been watching the latest shenanigans on the world’s stock markets with bemusement and a certain amount of relief.
Whilst the FTSE 100 is now down over 10% in the last month the UK housing market seems to be quietly ticking upwards. Rightmove has just revealed that average house price inflation in England and Wales grew to 12.8% in August, up from 10.3% in early July.
So is there anything for landlords to worry about?
Keep reading UK Landlords Face the Credit Crunch - From the US Sub Prime DebacleThere are many factors which you have to take into account when deciding to take the plunge and go for a holiday buy to let. Perhaps the biggest factor which you have to give some consideration to is how you are going to get your mortgage for your holiday buy to let property.
Keep reading Factors To Take Into Consideration When Going For A Holiday Buy To LetAfter a series of five interest rate rises in eleven months buy to let lenders are still insisting that buy to let is a sound bet. Should consumers be viewing this as merely feel-good propaganda in a time of uncertainty, should there be a realisation of the bandwagon having passed by, and that it may well be too late, or does the great British love affair with property underpin the whole ideal?
Keep reading Does Buy To Let Still Add Up?The holiday buy to let business can be a very worthwhile investment and can bring in an income that maybe surpasses the earnings of your day time job, that is if you do it the right way. While there are many ways to go about getting holiday buy to let funding most of them should be considered the wrong way unless you are an expert when it comes to financial matters.
Keep reading Obtaining Holiday Buy to Let FundingOver the last decade, the mortgage market in Britain has been transformed by a continually increasing demand for buy-to-let mortgages. Buy-to-let mortgages are usually taken out by people who already own a UK property, but are seeking to a buy a property to rent out.
The Council of Mortgage lenders estimates that in 1998 - when the term ‘buy-to-let’ was first coined - there were only 28,000 people with buy-to-let mortgages in the UK. Today, however, it is estimated that around 850,000 people own buy-to-let mortgages - accounting for nine per cent of all UK mortgages.
Keep reading Demand For Buy-To-Let Mortgages Falls In March 2007The housing market has recently been experiencing a bit of a slow down. Although this might have come with a sigh of relief from the first-time buyers, it has left some of those thinking of investing in the Buy to Let market in a bit of a quandary. Is it the right time to invest in a Buy to Let property? Well, Buy to Let is certainly a big commitment and not one to be taken lightly, however if it is well researched and undertaken as a long-term investment, it is unlikely that the average Buy to Let investor will lose money. So what benefits could you reap from taking that step towards investing in the Buy to Let property market?
Keep reading The Benefits of Buy to Let InvestingTaking on a property in addition to your home can be a time consuming and complex matter. Before you become a landlord (or lady), make sure you’ve thought it through!
Keep reading Buy to Let – The PitfallsWhen you are considering investing in a Buy to Let property you first need to decide what your rental income is likely to be, how much capital you intend to invest in the property and for how long you want to invest.
Keep reading Buy To Let - Becoming A Successful Landlord - How To Gain Top Profits From Your Rental PropertyBuy to let is an investment instrument gaining considerable interest because of the escalating costs of properties in the United Kingdom. It involves the purchase of a property with the purpose of renting it out. It has gained popularity among amateur landlords and investors alike because of the shrinking property purchase market. Many real estate experts are shifting to this market to service the growing demand for rented properties.
However, when considering property with a view to renting it out, remember that it is a long-term investment and that there may be times when it is left vacant. Be prepared to refurbish a property to some extent but avoid properties that need extensive repairs and renovation. Keep the purchase as impersonal and market-driven as possible.
Here are the positive and negative sides of purchasing for the purpose of the buy to let scheme…
Keep reading Guide On Buy To Let Investment PropertyAs the property market boom continues to become a mere memory, lenders have begun to tighten the criteria on buy-to-let mortgages for new-build properties. This is because the lenders are regarding premium priced new-build property as a riskier asset to lend on when compared to older property.
Since 2000, it seems like everyone was jumping into the property market thanks to healthy yields and rocketing prices. Although the boom is over, experts say property is still a sound investment.
Keep reading Buy-to-Let Investing Still PaysProperty investment first came into existence in the UK in the 1990s and has boomed considerably in recent years.
In the beginning buy-to-let mortgages were only available from several different lenders. Now that investing in property has become so popular there are now dozens of lenders offering hundreds of buy-to-let mortgages to property investors.
Several lenders who first brought buy-to-let mortgages to the public have combined with other established UK mortgage providers to comprise the Association of Rental Letting Agents, or the ARLA.
Keep reading The Buy-to-Let Mortgage ARLA PanelAs growth in the UK property market continues to confound expectations, the range of mortgages available to people has also expanded. First time buyers, for instance, look for different benefits from a mortgage than they did ten years ago. Similarly, there are more people requiring different types of mortgages, like bad credit mortgages and divorce mortgages.
Keep reading Buy-To-Let Mortgages Increased By 48 Percent In 2006For the past 3 years some commentators have been predicting the imminent collapse of the Buy to let sector. House prices are rising faster than both average earnings and now rents. The economic fundamentals behind the strength of the sector are starting to decline. However despite concerns there are some reasons to be optimistic.
Keep reading Prospects for the UK Buy to Let SectorYou’re lucky! The U.K. has one of the most competitive and flexible mortgage markets in the world. There is certainly no shortage of choice.
The careful planning of your financial strategy in terms of the type of mortgage you select is vital if you are to maximise your overall investment returns. For instance, don’t get locked into a 5 year fixed term mortgage with high redemption charges if you think there is any chance you may want to or need to sell within a couple of years. Research your mortgage options and have a clear ‘game plan’ for your investment if you want to optimise the financial returns. If you haven’t got the time or experience to do this use a mortgage broker.
Keep reading Buy to Let Mortgages Explained - UK LandlordsBuy-to-let property insurance, some times also known as residential property owners insurance, is needed if you own houses and/or flats to tenants – either on a short-term or long-term basis. Ordinarily you can buy cheap buy-to-let property insurance in the event that you rent five or less properties in the UK than is the case if you rent more than five properties, as in the case of the former you are seen as a small time landlord with a small business, whereas in the latter you are seen as a full blown property-owning company.
Keep reading Buy to Let Property InsuranceLetting your property to the wrong person can be an extremely costly mistake; lost rent, court fees, not to mention the wasted time and added stress. The good news is that most potential tenants are honest, decent people, and by following the simple tips in this guide you can go a long way towards filtering out the occasional undesirable applicant.
Keep reading 3 Simple Steps to Avoiding Bad Tenants© Copyright 2006 - 2007, All Rights Reserved.
We do our best to ensure that all the advice on this web site is accurate and up-to-date. However, your personal circumstances may mean that the general information we’ve provided doesn’t tell the whole story. With that in mind, please be sure that you always get some personal, professional advice before making any final decisions, particularly when it comes to things like your legal obligations, or taxation.
If you feel that any of the information on this site is inaccurate, or could perhaps be phrased a bit better, please let us know, so we can take a look at it.
Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
The overall cost for comparison is 7.1% APR. The actual rate available will depend upon your circumstances - ask for a personalised illustration. There may be a fee for the mortgage advice, the precise amount will depend on your circumstances, but we estimate it will be 1.5% of the loan amount, with a minimum fee of £500 added on to the loan.
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