First Time Buyer (BTL)

First Time Buyer (BTL)

7:41 AM, 23rd January 2014, About 10 years ago 15

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Hello Mark,

I hope you are well and I will keep this short as I know you get asked a lot of questions.

I am a youngish guy, with no dependants. I have roughly £35k sat in the bank and am keen to getting into property investment. I would love to know if the following sounds like a valid strategy for getting started on my first purchase.

Start in Scotland:

Put £15k down on a £60k 1 bed flat ( there are a few ive seen in decent areas)

A £45k mortage on interest only (5%)  runs me £187 per month

Rental income of £450 per month

Gross yield of 9% p.a

Net yield after costs I get roughly 4.8-5%

Net cashflow is +£100 per month after costs

With that,Ii would have £20k in the bank, with property one earning me £100 per month and hopefully growing in value and rental yield over time. Even on my £15k, that £100 is equivalent of 8% interest pre tax.

I then save up more cash and invest another £15-20k in a property worth £60-80k and keep going from there?

I  am not too risk averse, so would like to build a portfolio reasonably quickly, but I am aware I need cash flow and a big chunk of savings to cover any unexpected costs and periods of vacancy. However, I figure starting with a small property is a good way to dip my toes into property and I can cover the mortgage even if I have no tenants in there for an extended period of time. First Time Buyer (BTL)

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

Scott


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Comments

Simone Gilks (Mortgage Adviser)

15:04 PM, 23rd January 2014, About 10 years ago

Funny thing is I have a client doing the same thing in Wales - the yields are so high Im amazed. But what I'm not too sure about is how saleable are they in the future. Its all very well getting these great income returns but it would be nice to think you will see a return on the capital.

CRYSTAL BALL? - well that would be nice, second that with making sure you enlist the help of a really good mortgage broker or specialist like my self and then a Letting Agent as they should have a very good idea on where to buy and what yields to expect.

I brought my first property for £11,000 back in the 80's.....now don't we all wish we had held on to them?

All the best and if you need any assistance or just plain old information please do let me know.

many thanks

Colin Childs

13:22 PM, 24th January 2014, About 10 years ago

Net cashflow is pretax.

Have you allowed sufficent slack for void periods?

Polly Nottingham

11:35 AM, 25th January 2014, About 10 years ago

"Net cashflow is +£100 per month after cost"

Interesting that no-one on this thread has mentioned the possible rise in interest rates...
Wouldn't a rise in interest rates drive a coach and horses through that cashflow ?

I'm in a similar position, only been in this game a few years and with 75% interest-only mortgages. My next priority is paying down my debt. Is that over-cautious or a sensible outlook ?

Polly

Fed Up Landlord

11:52 AM, 25th January 2014, About 10 years ago

Hi Polly. In this scenario 5% is a lot to pay with what is on offer mortgage wise in the market with rates as low as 2.99%. To wipe out the £100 cashflow then pay rate would need to hit over 7.5%. Which is not going to happen.......yet.

In terms of 75% mortgages. Mark will tell you, and I agree, that when you pay down that mortgage, that money is "lost" to you in the event that you need it. Just try and get that money out again if interest rates do go up and loans to values fall. Unless its an offset mortgage. I like a lot of landlords have been making good rental profits and have been banking it for a rainy interest rate increase day. The rule of thumb is that whatever your total mortgage liability is then 20% of that needs in an ideal world to be available as cash or a readily cashable asset. Now I know if you have a million on mortgages which is not unheard of, then you need 200K in cash or a readily cashable asset. Which is a lot of money. And temptation. But it does give the flexibility and peace of mind that whatever happens you have a lot of breathing space. Some investors use this money to buy a property well below market value, and then refinance it to get virtually the whole money back out, or indeed resell.

Some investors may feel uneasy with some of this but it is just one strategy. Some buy cash, some have low LTVs, some have high geared portfolios. Or a combination. It is just what suits you and your financial and personal circumstances.

Howard Reuben Cert CII (MP) CeRER

13:18 PM, 25th January 2014, About 10 years ago

Working with a professional whole of market mortgage broker who knows, understands and is experienced with Scottish conveyancing laws is crucial.

I strongly recommend speaking with a professional who has the right connections to help you to ensure a speedy and efficient transaction from start to finish. How many English mortgage brokers actually know the missives requirements for example?

If you visit my website and check out the Meet The Team page, you will see Stephen's details. He has worked for my Firm for the past 10 years and the vast majority of his work is in Scotland working with new and prolific BTL portfolio investors.

You can also visit our Testimonials page on our website too and see how highly is thought of by his Clients.

Hope this helps.

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