Property Investment Articles:-


 

Buy To Let Info – Has the Bubble Burst?

Good Buy-to Let info is crucial if you’re considering investing in a property for the purpose of letting it out.

Buy-to-Let has been the real buzz-word in the UK property world since the mid 1990’s, but has the bubble now burst?

The truth is that there are very few places left in the UK where you can still make a good buy-to-let investment, because whilst property prices might have tripled in the last decade, monthly rentals certainly haven’t. And with so many buy-to-let purchases taking place over this period there has become a glut of rental properties and not enough renters. The margin for high capital growth has also narrowed, particularly in the current wavering market.

Many investors are now finding that their buy-to-lets are actually costing them more money than they’re making in rent, and this isn’t good for your bank account.

So, what buy-to-let info tips can I give you?

First, check out my main ‘Buy-to-Let’ page for a more detailed insight into the UK buy-to-let market over the last 10 years. As a start, this will give you a good background introduction to the world of buy-to-let and will help you to understand the real economics behind such an investment.

Once you’ve read this, you may be reaching the same conclusion as many wannabe property investors… maybe it’s time to invest outside of the UK!

If this is the conclusion you’ve reached, read my ‘Overseas’ page to learn more about buying property abroad in general, or scroll directly down to the buy-to-let info under ‘Rental Income / Capital Appreciation’.

If you’re still set on the idea of a UK based buy-to-let property, don’t worry, I can offer you all the help and advice you’ll need to make it a sure-fire investment. ‘Contact Me’ to find out how I can help you individually.

Finally, read my ‘Mortgages’ page for information about the various buy-to-let mortgage options and the ‘Management’ page to read all about the ups and downs of property management.

Where can you find the Best Bulgarian Property?

As an emerging market, finding the Best Bulgarian Property to invest in can prove to be quite a challenge.

Bulgaria is the latest addition to the EU and has a growing economy; add to this the natural beauty of this country and you’re on to a winner. But how do you decide which is the best Bulgarian property for you? Without impartial advice, knowing how to separate the good from the bad can be a tricky business, but that’s where I come in.

Bulgaria offers many opportunities for those looking for a holiday or retirement home – the Black Sea Coast is the real hotspot at the moment and offers beautiful sandy beaches and scenery, but it’s here that you can easily fall foul of an over-keen estate agent. If skiing is more your thing, Bulgaria has some growing ski resorts, but you can’t ski all year round! What do you do with your property for the rest of the year?

My aim is to help you make an informed decision on buying that best Bulgarian property. If you haven’t already done so, read my page on ‘Investing In Overseas Properties’ as this raises some key points which you may not have thought of, such as “Why do you want to invest abroad?” It may sound like a stupid question, but have you really thought through your motivations?

Perhaps the greatest opportunities in this rising market for the best Bulgarian property are rural and urban areas. You could almost buy a village property on your credit card they’re that cheap! Infrastructure here may not be quite up to what you’re used to, but if you’re in this for the long-term, hang in there and things will improve and you can watch your investment grow as they do!

City centres are for true property investors and Bulgaria is no different. Read my ‘Bulgaria Overseas Property’ page for more in-depth information about all of the opportunities available here, and if you still have questions please feel free to ‘Contact Me’.

Is Central Europe Investment Property A Good Buy or Goodbye?

The Central Europe investment property market is currently receiving a lot of interest and at the centre of this interest is Germany, in particular Berlin, the capital city.

You may have heard about this current hotspot for property investing and be considering a Central Europe investment property, but you need to know – is it a good buy?

I won’t disagree that certainly the rewards look good on paper... Berlin has a thriving economy and for the past decade has been undergoing much improvement. Since the Berlin Wall came down, the city has been doing all it can to attract both tourists and nationals back and has definitely succeeded in doing so – Berlin is now the 3^rd most visited destination in the EU. Property in Berlin is so ridiculously cheap for a capital city in the developed world that any investor would surely be laughing all the way to the bank. But how come property is this cheap, is there a catch?

You can read my opinion on this market by clicking through to my article on ‘Investment Property Berlin’.

The other option for a Central Europe investment property is to look at commercial properties rather than residential ones. If you’ve already read my article on Berlin residential investment properties (linked above) you will have discovered that this is a market which I’m not too comfortable with. Like so many other opportunities there are good points and bad points, but if you want my opinion, residential properties in Berlin are not a great investment at this time, however, ‘Germany’s commercial property market’ looks more promising.

The key to the Central Europe investment property market is not to jump in too quickly. It may look great on paper, but once you work out the initial costs and returns, maybe Eastern Europe provides the safer option. Read my ‘Overseas’ page to learn more about Eastern Europe and all your other overseas property investment options.

  

Commercial and Residential Property Investment – What are your options?

If you’re new to the world of commercial and residential property investment, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is ‘what are my options?’

Whilst there are no hard and fast rules with commercial and residential property investment, I’m here to give you help and advice, and most of all, to make sure that you’re aware of all the options available to you.

As somebody who is new to property investment you’ve probably already thought about the residential side of things… Buy-to-let is the most obvious, but have you done your research in this sector? Please read my ‘Buy-to-Let’ pages to hear an experts’ opinion on these investments.

You may have considered investing in residential property overseas, but as a novice in this area the thought of such an investment is probably a bit daunting. Currently, the best residential property investments are in overseas markets so you may like to have a look at my ‘Overseas’ page to read more about these new opportunities.

You may be of the opinion that commercial property investment is just for large businesses and people with millions of pounds to spare, and in one respect you’d be right! But, if you want to become a successful property investor, you need to consider investing in commercial property. For an introduction to the world of commercial property investment please read my ‘Commercial’ page. At the bottom of this page you’ll find links to three other articles which you should find very useful.

The point is that commercial property investment doesn’t just have to be for the big guys. Most of us don’t have access to hundreds of thousands of pounds and this doesn’t matter. Indirect commercial property investment is a great way into this market and I would be very happy to tell you more if you ‘Contact Me’.

So I’ve given you a few teasers as to your options for commercial and residential property investment, but please do read more by clicking through to the linked pages above.

Have you considered investing in Eastern European Property?

If you have considered investing in Eastern European property, good for you! If you haven’t, then maybe you should!

The Eastern European property market is an emerging market. This is the first good sign! By getting in early with an investment you always have the greatest margins for growth and therefore profit; that’s assuming you’re in this to make money, like me! True investors are in it for the money and they consider all investments to be business deals, as should you, but have you really considered your investment strategy? Read my page titled ‘Investment Property Strategy’ which will help you to consider what your investment goals are before jumping on the first deal you see.

Since the fall of Communism, the Eastern European property market has had only one way to go, and that’s up! Economies are improving every day, more and more properties are being built to meet the demands of the people and infrastructures are being improved too. These are all great points in favour of an investment in Eastern European property.

The other benefit with the Eastern European property market, is that we’re not just talking about one country; this is happening in ten different countries so the potential for investing is huge and the potential for saturation is very low at this time.

These are the countries you could be investing in: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, and more recently Bulgaria and Romania have joined the race too.

All these countries have a lot going for them, but to find out more about Bulgaria in particular you can read my ‘Bulgaria Overseas Property’ article. This article asks the question “Is the market hyped?” and gives you hints and tips as to what to look for, as well as links to numerous other pages which tell you everything you need to know about this attractive country.