Learning from experience

Basic fundamentals of a buy to let property investment strategy

This is a general overview of the roots of my buy to let property investment strategy. Many of the chapters below will not make sense unless you read them in order, this being the starting point. read this chapter 

Property Research made Easy

People selling properties earn commission – “trust but verify”. There are several websites where you can complete your research from your own PC before making a purchase decision. This article explains how. read this chapter

Interest only vs repayment mortgages

Have you ever wondered why most buy to let property investors opt for interest only as opposed to repayment mortgages? read this chapter

Balancing high gearing risks with high liquidity

High gearing effectively means borrowing as much as possible. In this article I will explain the pro’s and cons of high gearing and how to minimise risk. read this chapter

Calculating rental yields and returns

My Landlords Calculator allows you to analyse returns and other important numbers relating to any residential investment property deal with ease. read this chapter

Buying property below market value and associated due diligence

We all love a bargain don’t we, especially a property which is being sold below market value. However, just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it’s a good investment. read this chapter

My first buy to let property investment

We all have to start somewhere, for me it was just before interest rates soared to 15% as we entered the late 80’s and early 90’s property crash. This is the story of how and why I survived and went on to build my property portfolio. read this chapter

Finding perfect tenants and minimising risk

In the 25 years my family have been landlords we have only had to go to Court twice to seek possession, this is despite having granted over 1,000 tenancies. We have not had one single tenancy deposit dispute referred to arbitration or the small claims courts. read this chapter

Landlord Tax

My landlord tax strategy is based upon the intended outcome, NOT income. I suspect your core tax strategy isn’t much different to mine, i.e. make as much money as possible and pay as little tax as legally possible, but how?. read this chapter

Capital Gains Tax on a property you have lived in

Would you like to know how a £100,000 taxable capital gain can be structured to create a zero tax liability? read this chapter

Financing beyond retirement age

Most landlords believe that if/when they reach the age of 75 they will have to sell at least some of their properties to pay off all remaining mortgage balances. However, that needn’t be true. read this chapter

Landlords life insurance strategy and calculator

I created my landlords life insurance strategy and built a calculator to work out the minimum amount of life cover necessary to enable my family to retain my property portfolio when my final day of reckoning arrives. read this chapter

10 tips for landlords before it’s too late

Know when to stop investing and start living – Learn to delegate and empower. Review your portfolio and your financial position regularly – Stay informed – Succession planning and much more. read this chapter

One to one consultancy with Mark Alexander

My fees are £150 per hour plus VAT. All meetings are held at my home in mid Norfolk . I also offer a session from 11am to 3pm at a reduced rate of £500 plus VAT for the four hour slot, including a working lunch.

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Being a Landlord can be a lonely business – is something bugging you?

The more properties you own, the more problems you encounter. Unless you mix regularly with other landlords it is difficult to know who to talk to about challenges what to do for the best isn’t it? read this chapter