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If it isn’t Written Down, it Didn’t Happen – The Evidence Is In The Communication
17/05
A few of you have talked about communication on here before, but today I wanted to talk about communication issues and the problems they can cause.
I had a landlord friend once who swore blind that the more effective form of communication he had with his tenants was on the phone. He felt it added a more personal touch to their relationship and that they respected him more for it. read on
Buy to Rent
I was recently asked about buy to rent and having thought about the conversation afterwards I was amazed at how indoctrinated into the jargon of the financial industry I have become. This was to the caller a simple mix of perfectly reasonable English e.g. I want to buy a property and rent it out. Buy to rent is just as much a perfectly reasonable a name as buy to let, but we have so much jargon in the industry it is easy to misunderstand someone and go off at a tangent.
Buy to rent could be confused with Rent to buy, however the latter is a scheme designed for tenants to rent a property with the intention of buying, whereas a buy to rent landlord may have no intention whatsoever of selling a property to his tenant. read on
Are you a property trader or investor?
The state of the housing markets has led to many property people changing strategy to avoid losing money on sales.
Property investors come in two types – buy to let investors and buy to sell traders. Both have a different set of rules to deal with the tax on selling a property.
Developer is a term that can fall in to either category as both refurbish homes. read on
Landlords urged to only deal with ‘safe’ letting agents
Letting agents are urging landlords to make sure they only do business with firms offering a money protection scheme.
Firms signed up to the SAFEagent scheme are highlighting that landlords and tenants risk losing thousands of pounds in rents and deposits if an agent outside a money protection scheme shuts.
The most recent firm to go bust in Canterbury owes landlords and tenants more than £410,000. read on
The Ultimate Guide to Attracting a Tenant with a Beautiful Lawn
16/05
As the sun begins to show its face, we’re all taking our first tentative steps around the garden and the majority of us will all be thinking the same thing; what a mess! If it makes you feel any better, you should know that we’re all in the same boat and, even though it will take some hard work and dedication, you can get your garden looking fresh and healthy in no time!
This helpful little article is going to focus on getting your lawns looking green, fresh and healthy, perfect for attracting a prospective tenant. A gorgeous lawn will not only complement the rest of the garden, but it will also provide them with a practical living space to enjoy the summer with their friends and family. It might just make the difference for that tenant too. read on
How to calculate the amount you can borrow on a buy to let mortgage
“How much can I borrow?” is a question I am asked on a daily basis and thought I would assist by creating a written reference point.
The first thing to bear in mind is that Lenders perceive a buy to let mortgage as a self funding commercial business proposition with the rental income covering the loan repayments. Buy to lets are an “off the shelf product” very similar to residential mortgages, but are not regulated under the FSA in the same way and do not normally require your personal income to cover the loan repayments. read on
Housing benefit rules breach disabled rights, says court
15/05
The government’s housing benefits policy is in disarray as judges have ruled a crucial test to confirm how big a house a tenant qualifies to rent discriminates against the disabled.
The housing benefit regulations, which came into force in April 2012, were criticised as flawed in the Court of Appeal because they do not allow benefit payments for an extra room if a disabled person has a carer or a disabled child cannot share a room with other children. read on
Third of Landlords Ready to Buy More Rental Homes
Nearly a third of landlords have plans to buy more rental property this year, according to specialist buy to let lender CHL Mortgages.
Landlord confidence is running high with just 1 in 10 aiming to sell property or leave buy to let, with 31% set to expand their portfolios, while the rest continue with business as usual. read on
Buy to Let remortgaging is now possible inside 6 months
14/05
Mortgage Trust will now consider remortgaging a property inside 6 months of the date of purchase, but only if there have been significant improvement works carried out which have enhanced the property’s value.
MPs urge ministers to open pensions to buy to let
Calls to boost buy to let by upgrading pensions to include residential property are gathering momentum in Parliament.
An influential select committee of MPs is urging the government to streamline pension and tax laws for landlords to stimulate investment in private rented housing. read on
