Tag Archives for " property investment "

Be bold, be informed, be rewarded

There is no such thing as a catch-all “how to” guide to property investment. Every company, developer, agent, brokerage, mortgage adviser and financial advisor has a different take on how to make money in property.

There are, for me, two ways that an investor can grow a lucrative portfolio of properties – the management of this will be different for all people, as will be the structure. Capital growth or yield, retirement planning or school fees… who knows? It doesn’t matter, that is a personal choice. What does matter is the approach you take to property investing.

Be bold…

There will ALWAYS be uncertainty in the market. There will ALWAYS be a reason or excuse not to invest in property or at all: referendums, elections, commodity prices, geopolitics because your hairdresser told you not to! Whatever the excuse, you can sell it to yourself if you are looking to talk yourself out of it. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take these major factors into account but do so with care and don’t let it scare you off. Bricks and mortar go up in value, they aren’t making any more land (in this country) and the population is growing. It doesn’t take a genius to do the maths on that. When should you get involved? As soon as you can, buy a place for yourself, but if you can’t afford something big enough for your family, buy something to rent out and still get yourself in the game. Make sure you leverage sensibly to maximise your returns and if you can have someone else paying off your mortgage then even better. Never, ever over extend yourself no matter how tempting something sounds. If you can’t afford it, don’t do it. If you can, jump in!

Be informed…

I am NOT saying just jump in with both feet and not think about it. How to invest in property sensibly is not knowledge we are born with, even for those with innate good sense it is something you must make a point to learn. How do you learn? Read everything relevant you can get your hands on, read varying opinions and different arguments, listen to experts and listen to your friends who own property. Essentially become an expert in your own right, here’s the tricky part… don’t become arrogant and think you know it all. I have been in the property for 15 years and I still know I can gain from asking, questioning and debating with everyone in the market so I can keep on learning. There are companies and managers who can help you and guide you. Taking advice from someone who knows more about this than you will stand you in good stead. At the end of the day the decision to invest is always yours, but the more informed the decision, the better the dividend it will pay.

Be rewarded…

In whatever way your portfolio is managed, for whatever reason, you are building a portfolio, by being both bold and well informed you will be rewarded.

I won’t tell you who to invest with or how to invest, it’s not my place to. I work for Castlereach within a group of companies headed up by Brett Alegre Wood and the guys and girls here are tremendous, I respect them all and I trust them with my own portfolio and thereby the success of my future.

Check them out here www.gladfish.com and see if you like the sound of our formula for reward.

UK property investment high on the list of foreign investors

Investment interest in UK property is spreading out from London

International investors are an increasingly important piece of the UK property investment jigsaw. Not only in London but also in other major UK cities. In fact, news released in the last few days underscores the high regard in which international investors hold the UK for property investment. This doesn’t surprise us at Castlereach, where international investors make up a large part of our investor client base.

UK property investment – a safe haven for Chinese investors

As the Chinese economy is slowing, wealthy investors in China and Hong Kong are looking to foreign shores to invest more safely.

As reported in the South China Morning Post, wealthy investors from Hong Kong view the UK as one of the three top markets in the world for property investment, and in particular are targeting London, which has benefitted from ten years of property price growth that has outstripped the rest of the UK. In and around London, the property market is benefitting from a number factors, including strong population growth and the improving transport links into the city (for example, Crossrail is having a hugely positive effect on outlying commuter towns).

The government backed Northern Powerhouse scheme, and High Speed 2 are helping to spread this positivity surrounding UK property investment to regional cities including, Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool.

Middle East investors looking to the UK

Research led by YouGov has discovered that nearly two-thirds of the wealthiest investors from the UAE are expecting to buy property abroad this year, with London ranked as the joint top location with New York.

While a possible Brexit is a potential worry for foreign investors into the UK, with concerns over economic growth high on the investor’s agenda, a weakening pound is making UK property comparatively cheaper – it’s a two-edged sword that is overall positive for our bank of investors in the Far East and Middle East looking to benefit from the UK’s strong property investment fundamentals.

How we help property developers reach their targets quickly and more profitably

A property developer that works with us has the immediate benefit of an international reach, with marketing to target investors who are actively seeking UK property investment opportunities. We’ll handle tricky negotiations, too, saving the developer both time and money. The developer doesn’t have to take a crash course in the culture of the foreign investor, either: we’re well adjusted to our foreign investors’ cultural customs.

If you’d like to discuss a bespoke off-market strategy to reach a rapidly growing foreign investor bank with specific investment needs, give the team a call on +44 207 923 5680.

Live with Passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood