The Ups and Downs of Property Investing

The UK housing market has always fluctuated over the decades. The housing market is currently in a down turn but it will inevitably rise again one day soon. Property investors need to take advantage of the slump in the market. A downward turn should be viewed as a period of opportunity. Falling house prices can often mean diminished wealth, but there are also opportunities to be had.

When investing in property you must take a longer term view there are always peaks and troughs in the market it’s a case of riding out the waves and making the right investment decisions at the right time.

Over the past 25 years property prices have increased more than 8 times with wages only increasing 3 times making it more difficult for people to afford to buy a house. If you can afford to buy you will make money. Previous data shows that after a bust period things will always bounce back higher than they were at the previous boom time, proving a long term strategy is best.

UK rental market

The Buy to Let market is big business in Britain. High property prices in the UK force the young to stay in rented accommodation longer, before they try to get a foot on the property ladder.

At the other end of the spectrum people of retirement age are releasing equity in their home, having enjoyed huge profits from sharply rising property prices and moving back into rented accommodation again. This relieves them of the pressure of having to worry about property maintenance should something go wrong.

The history of the rental sector

In 1939 the rental market was at about 55%. During the 80’s this dropped to only around 7%. At the turn of the century there was a completely different picture with rental at a massive 90%!

The BTL market was revived by the Conservatives in 1988 with the introduction of the Assured Shorthold Tenancy. The Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) then created the buy to let mortgage which stimulated the industry.

Recently landlords have come up against some difficulties in the BTL market as house prices have doubled from 1997 to 2008 but rents have only risen 15%. Increasing government legislation is also affecting the market with some landlords being put off by all the red tape. Regardless of this, property investing is a safe investment opportunity provided the correct research is carried out.

Experts Say house prices are likely to fall another 10-20%

With falling house prices there are plenty of BMV deals on the market for people intereste in proeprty investment.

UK Millionaires Half due to slump in property

The number of millionaires in the UK has dropped by 50%. The recession is affecting everyone including the mega rich.

It has been reported that there are now 242,000 UK millionaires this is quite a drop from the peak in 2007 of 489,000. What is the main cause of this decline in millionaires? Well, it is the fall in the property market that has caused this.

Property prices have crashed over the last year which affects the wealth of homeowners. The drop has been high because a large number of millionaires were only just over the £1m mark after property prices rose sharply.

If you take falling house prices and the nose diving stock market this has had an impact on the millionaire’s pocket. Many of the UK’s millionaire club is made up of City Bankers who have forgone their bonuses.

The drop in millionaires’ further fuels the recession as the sale of luxury items has fallen. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) say it is unlikely the number of UK millionaires will rise again until 2011 when the property market recovers.

The slump in the property market may be bad news for homeowners but if you are a property investor and you have some budget available you could pick up a real bargain.

Britain and Buy to Let

The Buy to Let market has certainly changed over recent years. The current economic climate is certainly having an effect. The housing market is continuing to fall with daily media hype as to whether we are seeing green shoots or not.

The recession is causing a lot of accidental landlords, where people are renting out spare rooms in order to generate incremental revenue. Also some landlords are coming about because property that has come into their possession, either through investment or inheritance and is not selling. Letting the property out is often the only option without making a huge loss on the already falling prices.

Back in 2006 Buy to Let mortgages was one of the most searched for terms on the Internet as covered in several newspapers including the Daily Mail and The Mirror. This was at the height of the housing boom.

Sell your house fast for whatever reason

There are many reasons why you would need to sell your house fast.

Traditional estate agents are having a tough time at the moment. It can take months to sell a property on the open market. Sellers are holding back waiting for the right time to buy. First time buyers are taking a back seat waiting for the market to hit rock bottom. It can be very annoying waiting for buyers to view your property, especially if you need to sell your house fast.

Most people know that dressing your house, make simple cosmetic changes and keep your property clean and tidy during viewings will all increase the speed at which you sell your house. However, what a lot people don’t know is there are specialist estate agents that can help you sell your house fast.

If you need to sell your house fast you need to use a company that has buyers ready and waiting to buy property. A regular estate agent does not have buyers ready to buy when you need to sell.

There may be any number of reasons that you would need to sell your property fast it doesn’t matter you can use a company that specialises in selling property quickly. These companies have sellers lined up and waiting to purchase property which means that as soon as you need to sell there is a buyer waiting to buy your property.

Why would I opt for a quick sale? There are many reasons that could force you to sell your house fast including bereavement, divorce, money worries; job relocation, the list goes on. Instead of worrying about selling your home in these times a quick house sale can allow you to concentrate on the more important things in life.

Sell and Rent Back

The recession is causing many people to lose their jobs. This is resulting in a fall in income leading to many homeowners not being able to keep up with their mortgage payments. Sell and Rent Back is a viable option for homeowners in difficulty.

Do not feel ashamed that things have got so bad. The current economy is affecting us all. Britain has experienced deflation for the first time in 50 years. The number of repossessions is sharply on the rise. There is no need to become another statistic.  The Sell and Rent Back option allows you to remain in your own home. No-one need ever know that you have got into financial difficulty.

What is Sell and Rent Back?

Sell and Rent Back is when you sell your home for between 70-80% of the market value. You pay the fees and costs of selling the property and then rent back your home.

How does Sell and Rent Back Help?

Sell and Rent Back enables you to use your cash settlement to pay off the mortgage and any debts you may have. You can wipe the slate clean and start again.

Why Sell and Rent Back?

You may wonder why anyone would sell a house at below market value but the harsh reality is if your debts are spiralling out of control and you face repossession this is a good way to get back to financial freedom.

When facing repossession speed is of the essence by putting your house for sale on the open market this could take weeks or even months. Sell and Rent Back has the advantage of a quick turnaround.

Sell and Rent Back allows complete discretion as opposed to repossession or bankruptcy, which could be traumatic for your children particularly if you have to move and they have to change schools.

When seeking a Sell and Rent Back company make sure that you check the level of security offered by the long-term tenancy agreement and rental agreements. Reputable firms will have policies in place to protect both buyer and seller.

HBOS are throwing a life line to homeowners in negative equity

Some homeowners whose existing mortgage deals are coming to an end are finding that the loan on their home is more than what the property is worth. Typically in this scenario a homeowner would revert to a standard variable rate (SVR) mortgage. With a downward spiralling market homeowners are finding themselves in negative equity and are unable to remortgage.

The negative equity phenomenon is a problem and you may decide that the best way out of the situation is to sell your house fast and downsize to a more affordable property.

However the Halifax and the Bank of Scotland think they may have come with an alternative answer to help homeowners the introduction of a 120% remortgage. At the moment HBOS are the only lender offering options to homeowners in negative equity.

What does this mean for HBOS mortgage customers?

The introduction if the 120% remortgage means homeowners in negative can get a fixed rate mortgage without moving to a standard variable rate mortgage. You may be wondering what the problem with this is when interest rates are only 0.5%. Well at the moment nothing, but rates are likely to rise again fairly quickly next year. This means some customers will find their rates increasing out of control.

It would be good if other lenders followed suit.  Often consumers who have a higher loan to value are left with little or no options.

Accidental Landlords Face Fines

The poor housing market is bringing a lot of accidental landlords onto the market. What is an accidental landlord? This is someone who has entered the letting market by chance,  and they know let a property that they had previously lived in, inherited, or one that had been purchased for another family member who has since moved on. Surprisingly enough this is how roughly half the landlord population become to be letting their property. With a stagnant property market homes are not shifting fast and often the best option is to let .

If you cannot sell your home you may be forced to rent it out to recoup some of your costs. The problem is that accidental landlords are not always aware of the  regulations involved in letting out a property and can face fines if they let a property that does not comply with letting regulations.

Regulations relating to gas and electricity, fire safety, Energy Performance Certificates and tenancy deposit protection are all areas in which an accidental landlord may not be aware.

To prevent having to deal with these problems contact us and sell your house fast for cash. Property Cashpoint have a pool of property investors looking to purchase your home.

New Home Information Pack

As of yesterday you now must have a Home Information Pack (HIP) if you wish to sell your home. A HIP can cost anywhere between £300 and £500. This will mean that there is more paperwork needed when looking to sell your home which could potentially increase sale times. In a slumped market will an initiative like this really help?

The new HIP pack on the other hand could eventually make it quicker to sell your home. Often a house will fall through because the seller later finds out information that effects their decision to buy. If all information is available to sellers from the start it could help you to sell a house quickly.

What does the new Home Information Pack rules mean for sellers?

The new rules mean you cannot put your house on the market until the HIP has been completed. This will slow down the sales market as it takes between 3 – 5 days for the information for a HIP to be returned. Many are calling for the government to suspend these new rules until the market recovers. What do you think?