Do you work as hard as you can to pay your mortgage off or do you make your money for you?

The Telegraph recently ran an article stating that more mothers have gone back to work in the past two years than in the previous 15 years.  Suggesting that perhaps in the current economic climate more mothers need to return to work.

At Midas we work really hard to help our clients make their money work for them which does not necessarily mean them actually going to work. We have a client, who understands our philosophy of not paying their mortgage off, and using their money to make money.

Our client, Mrs F, has remortgaged her existing house and bought two more properties - one a holiday home in Devon (which she can also use for holidays) and the other a property in St Neots - 40mins to King’s Cross station in London.  The Devon property is now bringing in an 8 percent return, St Neots rents for £1,300 a month. 

The profit on these two properties covers the payments on her original property she remortgaged and covers the mortgages on the other two investments.  In addition to this she has an extra £700 a month income.   The question we ask those looking to change their lifestyle is “Do you want to work or start making your money work for you?” We all have one life and one chance; money makes money.

Ian Clark , MD 

http://www.midasestates.com

Where would people live without Property Investors?

Investors have been criticised in recent press, with calls that they are making money at the expense of their tenants.  Ian Clark comments on their importance:

“Investors have become extremely important in supplying the demand for rental accommodation.  There are many people who criticise Landlords for being greedy and for making money out of this industry but where would people live if there wasn’t this supply?

This is especially true for young people leaving home/University where they can rent fully furnished properties in superb locations without having to save for deposits and furniture etc.  Prices are, and have continued to rise for the last few years but what people conveniently forget is how far prices were driven down in 2006/7 when the market was saturated. Rents dropped by 30/40% in this period and I believe they are now at an acceptable level, most Landlords were losing money on a monthly basis during this period as rents were well below what they were paying in mortgages and service charges.

Property rentals are no different to any other consumer market therefore the supply and demand ratio will apply.”

For a free one to one consultation about your property investment queries please get in touch today.

www.midasestates.com

0117 9117590

Economic & Mortgage Market Review from The Nationwide

It’s always interesting to see the Nationwide’s Economic and Mortgage market Review – whilst it’s important to keep in mind that many other factors affect the economy and the housing market in particular, it can be a good indication of how things are going in general.

I have taken the main points from the October review to give you a snapshot of how things are looking as we move into 2014.

House purchase approvals continue to climb

This important if you’re interested in the housing market. I often remind people that their house is their home and that becoming overly concerned about its value is not particularly helpful.  However, anyone who’s been in the difficult position of negative equity will agree that it is important to be aware of any information on how the market is performing in order to inform them of their options. 

When making a decision to sell or buy, I always think that the more information the better.

The housing market in recent years has stagnated but this year has seen prices climb – if a little unsteadily to begin with. According to the review, house purchase approvals continued to climb with 66,700 cases in September compared to 63,400 in August. As this quarter is traditionally the quieter time for house sales, I watch with anticipation how things develop in the first quarter of 2014.

More on house prices 

The main points from Robert Gardner, Nationwide's Chief Economist, when asked to comment
were:

House prices increased by on average 1% during the first half of 2013, increasing to 5.8% in October.

Employment levels have been rising steadily but until recently had not had an impact on confidence levels in the housing market. During the last quarter, it is clear that consumer confidence is improving.

The economy in general is looking healthier – and this in its turn is having a beneficial effect on the housing market.


Rents in private sector hit record high

A survey by LSL Property found that rents in England and Wales have hit a record high of £757 a month, as a result of greater demand.
This is having a knock on effect with more Buy to Let landlords coming into the market as returns are looking more attractive. 
This also shows us that many are still unable to get on to the housing ladder for various reasons, one of which being lack of deposit.  The Government’s Help to Buy Scheme will hopefully assist many to make that first move.
Although the Help to Buy scheme does not come into force until January, lenders are reporting that there is a good deal of interest, which I am confident will give the housing market a much needed boost and enable those who may not have been able to move the vital hand up they need. This is already improving credit availability and there is certainly more choice when it comes to mortgages themselves.

General Outlook

The British economy grew at its fastest pace for three years. Business and consumer confidence is growing.  It is good to see the Bank of England holding interest rates at 0.5%, but it is inevitable that this should rise in the next year or so.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lifted its UK growth projection which adds to the feeling of confidence in the UK economy, added to employment rates reaching a record high of 29.87 million.

The picture is definitely improving.  With retail sales flatlining, it is hoped that the general feeling of confidence will deliver stronger sales over Christmas.  As we move into Spring, we can realistically hope for a positive upward trend – and a busy housing market.

If you are thinking of moving or buying property, getting an agreement in principle is advantageous.

Give me a ring if you’d like to discuss your options

Phil Clark
www.bristolmortgagesonline.co.uk

08459002125

Property Guru Publication

Ian Clark our MD was recently featured in Property Guru publication based in Singapore.

Ian was commenting on the topic of guaranteed returns on your investment in property and whether buyers actually end up paying more.  Here is the article and a link to it.

http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-management-news/2013/6/35999/guaranteed-returns-all-you-need-to-know

The Pitfalls of Managing Properties to Corporate Clients

When asked recently by the Telegraph for comment on the pitfalls of corporate clients, Andy our  Director at Midas Lettings said:

“In my 15 years of experience corporate clients generally are difficult to deal with.  We find that they put any employee in and the properties get treated like hotels.  A professional couple or family are far more secure tenants and look after the properties better.

The worst client I ever had was corporate. The Director of the Company took on a property, trashed the place leaving an £8000 cleaning and replacement furniture bill. The Company then threw the weight of its legal department behind it and it was months before the landlord got any money back.

I do get landlords saying they want corporate clients as they are under the impression that they are perfect.  The problem is that a company will have a property for a year and put 30 different people in so wear and tear is high.”

The question to ask yourself is: when you stay in a hotel when do you ever worry about the condition you leave it in? If you regard it as your home even for 6-12 months you will invariably treat it with respect!

For a full breakdown of how we manage our properties have a look at our What We Do page on our website

Is Property Hot or Not Right Now for Investors?

I was asked by the South West Business Insider to provide a short piece on the property market and got a small mention so I thought I'd share it with you.

Click here to view the article.

The new VIP video is launched

Exciting times ahead - we have launched our new Midas VIP offering for high net worth individuals.
Providing bespoke solutions at entry level to land acquisition and joint ventures. From London apartments to prestige hotel purchases. 

Here is our short video explaining everything.

20 Things the Rich do Every Day

Do you think wealth is a formula? 

1. 70% of wealthy eat less than 300 junk food calories per day. 97% of poor people eat more than 300 junk food calories per day. 23% of wealthy gamble. 52% of poor people gamble. 

2. 80% of wealthy are focused on accomplishing some single goal. Only 12% of the poor do this. 

3. 76% of wealthy exercise aerobically 4 days a week. 23% of poor do this. 

4. 63% of wealthy listen to audio books during commute to work vs. 5% for poor people. 

5. 81% of wealthy maintain a to-do list vs. 19% for poor. 

6. 63% of wealthy parents make their children read 2 or more non-fiction books a month vs. 3% for poor. 

7. 70% of wealthy parents make their children volunteer 10 hours or more a month vs. 3% for poor. 

8. 80% of wealthy make hbd calls vs. 11% of poor 

9. 67% of wealthy write down their goals vs. 17% for poor 

10. 88% of wealthy read 30 minutes or more each day for education or career reasons vs 2% for poor. 

11. 6% of wealthy say what’s on their mind vs. 69% for poor. 

12. 79% of wealthy network 5 hours or more each month vs. 16% for poor. 

13. 67% of wealthy watch 1 hour or less of TV. every day vs. 23% for poor 

14. 6% of wealthy watch reality TV vs. 78% for poor. 

15. 44% of wealthy wake up 3 hours before work starts vs.3% for poor. 

16. 74% of wealthy teach good daily success habits to their children vs. 1% for poor. 

17. 84% of wealthy believe good habits create opportunity luck vs. 4% for poor. 

18. 76% of wealthy believe bad habits create detrimental luck vs. 9% for poor. 

19. 86% of wealthy believe in life-long educational self-improvement vs. 5% for poor. 

20. 86% of wealthy love to read vs. 26% for poor.

We'd welcome your views on this thread.

It was inspired by a post by Randy Schrum who is in a Linkedin Group Wealth Partners.

Take a look and see what has become a very interesting conversation.

What do you think?

5 Reasons why LEVERAGE is the KEY to Success in Property Investment

1. YOUR ASSET PURCHASE: The way you buy property as an asset by using a deposit rather than the full value is known as gearing which means you are buying an asset often worth 5 times more than the deposit. Which means 5% growth of the asset is worth considerably more than 5% growth of a similar investment where 100% of your money IS the investment. For example £50,000 deposit will buy a property worth £250,000 using 20% as the deposit requirement - so 5% growth represents £12,500. Compare this with £50,000 in a bond which @5% represents £2500. A property therefore is leveraging your money and gaining the investor 5 times more return.

2. YOUR MORTGAGE RESEARCH: An independent mortgage broker has expertise , experience and tools which allow them to research the whole of market to find you the best deals. They are not tied to a product like a bank adviser and are not going to hoodwink you with loss-leading headline rates like the internet comparison sites. Instead they are going to understand your goals, find the best deals on the market and succeed in your application - cutting down all the hassle, time and give you peace of mind. This is leveraging all of those years of experience they have, their established relationships with the major lenders to get applications through successfully and also by gaining access to their software which analyses the market place, providing instant access to the optimum products. If you don't have the time or experience - then why bother trying to do this on your own? How do you think you would compare to the experts trying this on your own?

3. YOUR ANNUAL COSTS: Getting advice from a chartered accountant will help you mitigate your tax liabilities. Again by leverage their expertise you will be spared the sweat of keeping up to date with budget and legislation changes affecting your liabilities and allowances. They will help you keep good books ready for your tax return and they will also produce your personal tax return saving you money and keeping you legal. This kind of leverage gives you your time back, some of your money back and most importantly, peace of mind.

4. YOUR BUY PRICE: You can turn a decent profit from day one with your property purchase - so use a property sourcing agent who can demonstrate a genuine discount to market value - you should make sure they are a reputable agent with a track record and plenty of happy customers to provide testimonials. The agent should provide a RICS valuation, at least 3 comparables and evidence of a purchase of a similar property. If you are looking at a new build in a block then you should be told how many have been sold to other investors, because on completion, you cant be competing with other landlords to find your tenants. You can therefore leverage the sourcing agents time and experience to find you a good property and lock you in a profit from day one.

5. YOUR RENTS ACHIEVED: Finding good tenants quickly can be done by leveraging multiple agents in the property area. Their combined tenant databases will ensure you are getting blanket coverage when they market your property. You should tell them you are instructing multiple agents so they compete with one another and keep them hungry for business.

So there are 5 reasons why leverage is going to help you succeed in property and give you more money, more spare time and more peace of mind knowing the asset, the expert advice and the mutli-agent method will increase your chances of success.

I hope you found this blog useful and informative. Please feel free to contact any one of our team for some free advice on your property issues.

Until Next Time

Robin

www.midasestates.com

10 Frequently Asked Questions and 10 Should Ask questions of #Buytolet #Investment‏

We get asked an awful lot of questions here at the Midas Estates office and at our Property School events - so I thought I'd put electronic pen to paper to catalogue our top 10 Frequently Asked Questions , but also what our team think should be the top 10 Asked Questions. If you have different questions of your own then please comment below and we'll respond right here on this blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 FAQs

1. How much of a deposit is required to secure a new build buy to let these days?

2. What’s the property market like these days?

3. What sort of properties do you recommend and why?

4. Where do you recommend to buy these days?

5. Do I have to have an income to get a buy to let property? 

6. What’s the minimum sort of investment to get started these days?

7. Can a parent gift a deposit for a buy to let investment?

8. What is the maximum age for a buy to let investment?

9. Wont the property market run out of steam?

10. Will legislation change to make property investment difficult? 

Answers

1. 10% for 2^nd hand buildings 20% for new build – though better mortgage rates are achieved the higher the deposit value

2. The market is strong in some areas – especially an area where a growth story is emerging – like Hayes Harlingdon because of the unloved area getting a makeover and being at the heart of the cross rail 2018 project which will ensure new jobs and commuter business coming through the town.

3. We recommend new build because with the right negotiation a profit can be achieved from day one with the minimum of fuss. Any run down property or older property will need more care and investment sooner than a new build with 10 year guarantees being offered on a lot of the fixtures. Its also a lot less hassle with new build because no initial works are required other than the snagging before completion. Flats are often the most lucrative and smaller properties are easier to rent. We always find out how many in a block – anything below 14 is open to housing association and is also easier to control the management company.

4. We recommend the following places in the South West and London – Coastal Devon and Cornwall, Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham, the Cotswolds, Oxford, Hayes & Harlingdon, Lewisham, Blackheath, Muswell Hill and Highgate.

5. Not necessarily – although some lenders want to see evidence of income to secure a buy to let mortgage – there are still some that are purely interested in the rental potential of the property. They will expect to know what type of property it is and how many are in a block. Large numbers are often harder to secure borrowing on as they are deemed higher risk due to increased competition on the rents.

6. For around £25k you can buy a property in the UK that will cash-flow , i.e. generate a monthly profit and discounts be available and be located in a growth area – your objectives of growth first and yield second will usually demand that the properties are in a good location – for instance a 1 bed studio on the water in Bristol will need about 22k deposit.

7. Yes it is possible for a parent to gift the deposit for their children to buy an investment property.

8. The maximum age lenders allow to own a buy to let mortgage is 85 surprisingly so there is no real barrier to entry into the buy to let market.

9. The UK population is projected at 63.5 million by 2013, 65.6 million by 2018 , 67.8 million, 69.8 million by 2026, 71.6 million by 2033 , Rented sector – provides to 4.3 million houses, That figure is expected to grow by 20% in next 5 years. We are under supplied by over 500,000 properties nationwide at the moment and building is too slow to meet the current projections so the supply and demand picture is very strong. We have low interest rates, very motivated vendors – therefore best prices and very high rents at the moment. There are 8 applicants for every one tenancy on average in the UK and that’s just the average. In high demand areas you are looking more at 15-20 applicants. In fact tenants are gazumping each other with higher rent offers just to secure the property.

10. Ask yourself you are the biggest landlords in the country? The Lords? They make the law – and can you see them changing the law to penalise themselves? The current fiscal policy is quite predictable at the moment – increase the money supply with quantitive easing to reduce the national debt. If you water down the purchasing power of the pound – you reduce the proportional size of your debts. This affect is replicated with any mortgage debt you hold reducing its proportional size. But the result of this policy is inflation. The consumer price index which is often banded at between 4-5% is supposed to be a measure of the inflationary pressures on consumer items like electrical goods, but it doesn’t take into account items like food, energy and fuel – which have all raced away with inflation in recent years. Commodity prices have risen steadily as a result of the increase in money supply – and this means that things like sand, cement and building materials, the things that go into property construction will rise. Property investors are therefore well placed in such times as their asset price rises and the proportional size of their debt reduces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      10 SAQs

1. How do you vet a letting agent?

2. How do you do due diligence on a valuation to make sure it’s a genuine one?

3. How do you find a good location for investment?

4. How do you protect against unforeseen circumstances – like boilers breaking down, interest rate rises, competition on rents in the area?

5. How do you negotiate the best price?

6. Should I instruct a tax specialist?

7. How do you minimize void periods?

8. What are some of the misjudgements made by landlords?

9. How can I best protect my assets from a delinquent tenant? 

10. What is a good overall strategy for property investment in a nutshell? 

     Answers

1. We email 30-40 agents and wait for a response on a rental property – if they don’t come back within 2 days – bin them. For the rest – ask them about their service – their attention to detail and hunger for business will show. We look for credit, employers and landlords references being taken. We look for the use of all the major property portals for marketing the properties. We also look for flexibility on the finder’s fee – to negotiate this fee down – we promise more on the basis that we are an investment company.

2. We always ask for a Royal Institute Chartered Surveyors evaluation report and a comparable from the market to show the price achieved in the market against the surveyors report. Once this is known we can now be clear on our negotiation on price and know we have a genuine discount being offered. We ask how many have been sold to other investors because if the number is too high , on completion we will have to compete with other landlords marketing their properties to let. Smaller properties of under 14 units make the management company easier to manage and the service charges will be less for things like security and shared amenity maintenance.

3. We look for good quality universities and schools , tourism hot spots and centres of employment to ensure large demand for rentals and we especially like beside the water as this is prime – so riverside, dockside, lakeside and seaside properties all achieve a premium over properties further inland. We also look for a growth story – so news of an insurgence of investment in the area – like the Crossrail 2018 or the Olympics for instance heralds new demand and investment potential. We make sure the transport links are good – like motorways, rail links or airports. We spend time in nearby cafes , restaurants and bars by day and night to see what kind of clientele frequent them. These are the future tenants of the prospective property and you should be looking for respectful, civilized people. We ask parents at the schools – “what’s it like to live here” and we also find out where the local housing association houses are. We also go to planning permission websites to check for up and coming changes in the landscape – the last thing you need is a by-pass to come right through your investment community spoiling the views – so it pays to find out 1^st.

4. We make use of something called a buffer which is a nest egg set aside to protect against those unforeseen circumstances which it they occur in quick succession across a portfolio can wipe an investor out. This can take the form of a drawdown facility on the mortgage or the use of a high interest account – but we say as a rule of thumb you should have about 5k for every 200k of property invested. Larger portfolios require larger buffers and its essential to keep this topped up using your rental income and ensure that should the worst happen on all your properties you can ride the storms.

5. Developers will be open to negotiation at the beginning and the end of the development; at the beginning because after securing some reservations for the first few they can go to the bank for lending to start the project and at the end they are already thinking of moving on and they are most motivated. Before you start your negotiation, see an independent mortgage broker and get your finance in place – and this means getting approval for your lending figure. Tell the developer you have finance in place and that you can go to exchange in 4 weeks. This will differentiate you from the average customer who will be buying to live and can string them along for 12 weeks and then bail out of the sale for innocuous reasons like a leaky tap. You should check the valuation is genuine by seeking a RICS evaluation and a comparable – check also that you are not competing with lots of other investors on completion for tenants. Once you know this information ask for a discount.

6. Yes – a good accountant should understand the principles of property investment and some are property specialists. Their advice will position you for the mitigation of tax – because you are liable to personal gains on your monthly income and for capital gains on the sale of your properties should you wish to dispose of one in the future. They will be extremely helpful in keeping you appraised of budgetary or legislation changes and they will keep your books in good order. We use some fantastic cloud based software which is open to our landlords to download their annual statements which contain all the income and outgoings on each property. Ask your lettings agent whether they use LettMC or similar software and can allow you to login to your account. This will take the stress out of submitting your annual tax return and keep your books as straight forward as possible.

7. We never allow a contract to expire in a dead time like Xmas and New Year so in June and July we only sign 8,10 or 12 month tenancies so that tenancy end date comes out in the spring – which is a much better time to have a property on the market. We also insist on a 2 month notice period on all tenancies – this means that there is more chance to market the property and serve notice if the tenant wont accept an increase in rents and process an incoming tenant in time for the end date , making the handover as smooth as possible. Using this method our void periods are kept to a matter of days rather than weeks. We also utilize multiple agents to do the tenant find and tell them about each other so that there is competition and they are therefore hungry for the business –this ensures your tenants are found quickly.

8. According to a recent survey – 44% of landlords invest within 15 miles of their home. This is a mistake if the property is not in a good growth area. If you use a good management company you will hardly ever have to visit your property. 43% of landlords only use one agent to get a rent appraisal. 3 or more should be your minimum – because your 1^st and only one could give you a low appraisal and you may miss out on higher rents. We take an average of the higher half or 20-30 agents in the area to give us an achievable figure. The number one factor influencing a landlords decision to choose a letting agent is proximity to their office. This is a mistake – it has to be the location of the property because the agent with the best database of prospective tenants will be in the vicinity of the property and not your office. 65% of landlords would accept a renewal from a good tenant rather than accept a new tenant on a higher rent. This is a big mistake because good tenants are well behaved because they know they are on a good deal – they know the market rent and will never volunteer that their rent is too low. We had a landlord who said – “but he sends me a Xmas card every year and always pays on time” when offered another £120 per month more on the rent. We said “We will send you a Christmas card every year if you gave us £120 per month!! – would you give your sister or brother £120 for nothing? No , well why are you giving £120 to a total stranger?!”

9. The best way of protecting yourself is to ensure the tenant signs an insurance policy guaranteeing the rent if they fall out of work or become made redundant. As soon as their rent becomes one month in arrears, the policy then kicks in and your rent is paid. We also include £50k legal cover , so if the tenant becomes really difficult and you need to serve a section 8 eviction – your legal fees are paid and all damages are covered. We insist all our landlords have this insurance in place because the bigger the portfolio , the higher the likelihood this situation will occur – no-one is immune and it can be devastating when it happens with bills mounting up into the £1000s.

10. Buy into a growth story in a good location by the water or in central areas where there is good rental demand. Negotiate a good price at the right time. Hold your properties until you have enough equity to refinance, and use this amount to buy your next property. Top up your buffer each time so you are covered for the risk. Diversify your portfolio in more than one location. Use the professionals: property sourcer, mortgage broker, accountant and lettings agents to do the work for you and don’t cut any corners. Above all enjoy your portfolio and start with the end in mind.

We hope you found this blog post useful - thanks for your interest.

Until next week

Robin

www.midasestates.com

 

What makes the perfect location for an investment property?

Doing your homework on your investment property location will make such a difference in your success so I thought I would share some of the things we look for and some of the due diligence we do to assess the quality of the location.

1. Near good transport links - motorways, ring roads, train links, key bus routes are all attractions for commuters.
2. Near the water - seaside, lakeside, riverside or dockside properties always fetch a premium in rentals and resale value as they are prime location - you can't build any nearer the water so they will always hold their value.
3. Near centres of commerce - its essential that there is a good micro-economy in the the area and large offices, business centres, shopping malls will always bring more demand for your property
4. Near tourist attractions - for obvious reasons the demand will increase again if you have tourist attractions in the area.
5. Near good universities, colleges or schools - families choose their rental properties with their children's education central in their decision making process so if you can find a location close to a good school this will be really good for rental demand and capital growth.

Things to watch out for:
Here are a few things we would recommend to look out for in your location.

1. No eye sores- we have heard of investors buying property without even viewing the site - this is obviously a mistake - what if there is a dirty great viaduct in front of it?!

2. Go to the pubs and restaurants during the day and the night and ask the people there - what is it like to live here - ask them about the development you are interested in and if they know anything about them.

3. Go to the schools and ask the parents what it the school is like.

4. Lastly we would recommend you do some research into the area for any investment into the infrastructure. For instance we did some research into Hayes Harlington see below 

which is going to be at the inception of the Crossrail 2018 project route - there is also over £450 million being spent on developing the town centre - (the old EMI vinyl factory is being converted into flats, there'll be a new leisure centre and restaurants and coffee shops. 

So a growth story emerging. Getting in early will definitely bring capital growth and increased rental demand.

So those are just some of the things we look for in a property location ; we hope you found this useful.

Until next time

Robin

www.midasestates.com

Are Buy-to-let Seminars a rip off?

We got asked by the Sunday Telegraph editor recently "Are Buy to Let seminars a rip off? and what kind of things can you learn from them?"

The trouble with many property investment seminars is that often, a participant will absorb the material and gain the knowledge, but lack the confidence to follow through. The sales tactics from one such company are also very aggressive - offering a FREE open evening - which is actually an up-sell for a £1000 - £5000 course.

One of our contacts has worked for a company like this - and noticed that candidates would attend a weekend workshop , go on a sourcing mission with a mentor, only to be left to decide about the deal later on after the event; and without confidence this left them feeling isolated and more importantly without a property investment.

We're also aware of another well known company offering ways to buy property with none of your own money - using credit cards and bridging loans! Not something we would recommend to anyone without iron discipline and lots of confidence, especially without a mentor.

Our advice would be to find a good sourcing agent, mortgage broker, lawyer, letting agent and use their combined experience to help you. This will save you the seminar fees and leverage the experts experience.

My last blog "6 mistakes made by property investors and how to avoid them" explained how easy it is to make mistakes without knowledge, experience and confidence so its worth gather some of all 3 with the help of those around you. 

We offer Free Property Schools giving away our secrets without expecting to be paid for it and have all the experts under one roof so investors can decide whether they want to go it alone with the knowledge or come and work with us.

Until next time - wishing you every success

Robin

www.midasestates.com

Top 6 mistakes made by property investors and how to avoid them

I'd like to pay tribute to Kirsty Dunphey whose very articulate blog titled 

"Six mistakes to avoid making when buying investment property"

outlines the following mistakes investors make and I'd like to respond to the Midas Estates methodology on exactly how to address those common mistakes.

1. Borrowing an amount that's going to stress you financially to repay.
We always make recommendations where the rental income is at least 125% of the borrowing and all our investors have a financial buffer ( a nest egg) of at least £3k per property to cover all eventualities like:

a. mortgage rate increases
b. repairs
c. need to drop the rents in the event of increased competition
d. a void in the rents

2. Not having appropriate insurance
Our clients always have landlords insurance which automatically pays the rent if the tenant becomes unemployed , redundant or a delinquent rent payer and covers up to £50,000 legal cover just in case a section 8 eviction order is to be served. We also offer an emergency policy for all those call-outs to cover damage repair for things like leaks and burns.

3. Having a property manager who doesn't wait for the right tenants
Our lettings team always carry out 3 types of referencing on the tenants for our landlords - credit reference, landlord reference and employers reference which means we always get better tenants - if any of these checks does not come back positively then they are rejected.

4. Worse still – managing the property yourself
At Midas we have a dedicated manager who acts as a broker between the landlord and multiple agents in all locations to secure the same level of service UK wide. This reduces the risk, increases the income and ensures the landlord gets the same experience no matter where their properties are.

5. Don't listen to the sales agent
Our clients have come to know that their sourcing and negotiation is done for them and to trust the expertise of the team - we go the extra mile and visit all our sites and do extensive due diligence and get the best prices on properties that promise the most capital growth and high rental potential.

6. Buying a property and becoming a property investor if you're not mentally prepared for it.
At Midas the attitude to the investment is considered very carefully - we wont work with anyone who is too nervous or not prepared to work with our disciplined arrangements - We cant cut corners, skip important steps or be impatient to achieve the results we do - so sometimes we are tough with the client when they are looking to deviate from the methodology.

Take Ian Summers (click here for his testimonial video), a paramedic from Cheltenham, who was so nervous about the property market and starting his portfolio that we told him "you are too nervous" and we held him back for 2 years until we thought he was ready. You can't be getting the jitters every 5 minutes due to press headlines and the media. It's a long term plan.

We also had a client who decided it would be a good idea to spend some of her buffer on a holiday and so when it came to client review - with the rental accounts shared, we said "you have 6 months to put this money back or else we will resign you as a client". It's so important to have discipline with your portfolio and keep your buffer in place for those storms which will inevitably come.

Thanks for visiting our blog and do feel free to contact us with any of your thoughts or questions - we'd love to hear from you

Robin Campbell
www.midasestates.com