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Posts Tagged ‘Mortgage’

Should I Become a Home Owner or Rent?

December 9th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

Everyday, thousands of people ask themselves whether to buy or rent their home. There is no general answer to this question but we can provide some information as regards the benefits and drawbacks of both options in order for you to make a well thought decision. Renting A House Or An Apartment

Leasing is first and foremost an option for those who do not want or cannot be attached to a single location mainly due to their job. There are many companies that require their professional employees to travel from one place to another in order to provide their services in company’s offices located in different states.

IT employees, bank’s personnel, accountants and auditors are examples of a long list of professionals that usually cannot be attached to a single town and thus, have no reasons for acquiring a property. Moreover, the companies usually pay for rent in these cases so renting does not become an expense which is its main drawback.

Even if the leasing payments are on you, the amount of money you spend on the property’s maintenance is insignificant. The landlord is usually in charge of keeping everything fixed and working; only minor repairing and improvements may have to be faced by tenants. Becoming A Home-Owner

By becoming a home owner you will be adding a real estate asset to your possessions and thus, you will be able to use it as collateral when requesting a loan. This will ensure you will get lower interest rates whenever you need finance making your life a lot easier and improving your ability to save money.

Owning your home you have more liberty to decide home improvements, decoration and anything related to changes in your property. Tenants are too limited on this area and have no right to do home improvements without requesting the landlord authorization to do so.

If the property’s value increases, which usually happens, the homeowner’s money will not have lost value as it usually happens when inflation makes an appearance. Moreover, this increase on the property’s value becomes equity and let’s the homeowner to request a home equity loan providing cheap finance as opposed to unsecured loans which are the only option for tenants.

There are many tax advantages associated with home ownership and with mortgage loans, which are not available for tenants. However, there are also taxes that are only associated with home ownership which of course, tenants do not have to face. When it comes to government taxes and tolls it seems like advantages and drawbacks are equally distributed. Summing Up

Each option has its pros and cons, you need to see what your needs are and which option satisfies them. Even if you decide to rent, do not affect ignorance of the real estate and home loan markets as a great opportunity can present itself and you may let it pass. There is a time in life when everyone wants to have his own home, when you decide it’s time you’d better be prepared.

Buy A Real Estate Subdivision And Save A Fortune

December 1st, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

The first thing many people think of when they consider buying a house is to rush down to the latest subdivision and sign on the dotted line. That may be a good idea, and again there may be other possibilities that should be investigated.
The needs of all families are not the same.
Some people are better off in an apartment; others get along better in a house, but find it more to their liking to rent. Many people find ready-built houses in a tract or subdivision the exact choice to meet their needs. Some people are content to buy older houses that require extensive repairing and major remodeling to be livable, if they can get them cheaply enough, whereas other people find it more satisfactory to buy old houses that are in pretty fair condition needing only minor repairs and painting. In either case watch your step.
If all houses look about the same to you, if individuality is not a prime consideration in your thinking about houses, if you can be satisfied with a house in a new subdivision where the contractor is building them by the dozens or hundreds, you will probably get a better value there than anywhere else. You should get more for the money with less trouble over financing and other bothersome details. The house is complete.
All you need to do is to pay $100 a month for the rest of your life. You would pay the same for rent anyway, meanwhile accumulating a large bundle of worthless rent receipts. If you buy, you are gradually building up an equity in the house by your payments. Part of the payment goes for interest, taxes, and insurance, the rest for payment on the cost of the house.
The houses offered for sale in the various subdivisions vary greatly in quality. But still, the best values in houses are often found in subdivision or tract houses where companies build houses to sell on a mass production basis.
These builders have worked out the most economical ways of building, and, we hope, pass on part of these savings to the buyers. Since they have the financing already worked out, all you need is a small down payment. You have the advantage of living in a community where the houses are all of the same age and general quality of design and construction, even if that level is not of the highest.
If a tract house that suits you is near your work, or near where you want to live, it may be the best solution for you. As you shop around trying to find the best house offered for the money, don’t be taken in too readily by flashy advertising, high-pressure salesmanship, and low down payments.
Good buys can sometimes be found with small operators who build to sell, but only a few houses a year. There is more variation in quality among small builders, and it is well to check thoroughly, as some small builders are away above average, and some far below. You might get a very good buy from a small builder.
Buying an Older House
When a house owner is transferred to another place, he will often sell his house at a reasonable figure. But remember that you are getting a house that is not exactly new. If all it needs is painting and the price is low enough so you can afford to spend four or five hundred dollars on minor repairs and redecoration, it might be a good buy.
If a house is two or three years old, the defects such as settling of the foundation, shrinkage of the lumber, cracks in the plaster, and other evidences of poor workmanship or faulty construction will have had time to make themselves obvious to the most casual observer. You can thus rely with more confidence.
Maybe you can find an older house in the vicinity where you want to live that is well arranged, that is in good condition, needing only a few minor repairs plus a good paint job to make it as good as new. If you can get it cheap, it might be a good buy for you.
But the deepest pit you can fall into is to buy an old house expecting to remodel it completely: put on a new roof, change the doors and windows, move the partitions, level up the floors, put a new foundation under the house; and of course put in new
plumbing, new wiring and light fixtures, a new heating plant, new floors, new kitchen cabinets, new screens, and new steps on the porch or, worse yet, tear off the porch and build a new entrance.
Always use a mortgage calculator to help you find the best mortgage, this can help you save a small fortune over the months.

Personal Finance Choice: Rent Vs Buy

November 27th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

So you are considering the American Dream, home ownership. You hear from your friends that it is the greatest thing and there are so many benefits: building equity, tax deductions and the pride of your own white picket fence, but listen up if you are not careful the American Dream can quickly turn into a financial nightmare.

Buying a home, especially your first, is a very emotional process, whether it is because you grew up in a comfortable home and want to replicate the lifestyle of your family or you have just always dreamed of having those great amenities. It can be a great experience to purchase a home, but we must be careful, it is easy to get distracted by the glamour of owning and forgetting all of the baggage that comes with it.

So here are a few things to think of before you go any further.

The Down Payment – 0 Down – No Problem….NOT SO FAST!

Our recommendation is don’t buy unless you can afford to make at least a 10% down payment. Why? Simple: if you are not capable of saving for a 10% down payment, you are probably not ready for the fiduciary responsibility of owning a home.

The Monthly Payment – MORTGAGE ? RENT

Your mortgage payment is just the beginning of owning your house. For simplicity, let’s assume you are currently paying $1,100 a month in rent and are considering purchasing. You find this great house for $200,000, you can put 10% down, a $20,000 down-payment and qualify for a mortgage of $180,000. Using the Dynasty Partners mortgage calculator on a 30 year fixed mortgage of 6.2% it works out to be about $1,102.44 per month. Your first instinct would be: this is a silly why wouldn’t I buy a house? And you would be wrong.

You should probably budget at least 40% more then your base mortgage payment to get an accurate read on your monthly costs. Things you forgot include: property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, private mortgage insurance, maintenance expenses, closing costs, and possibly association dues if it is a townhouse, condo or special neighborhood. Assuming it is a single family house with no association dues, property taxes are 2% in your area, which is $4000 a year or $333/month, homeowners insurance $25 per $100,000, or $50 per month and since you have to pay PMI insurance because you made less then a 20% down-payment it will be another $90 or so a month. Last, but definitely not least, maintenance: you can no longer call your landlord when you’re cold and the heat won’t turn on. On average, I would budget $100/month in maintenance expenses for a reasonable safety net.

Add all of these costs up and you have an additional $573 per month, turning your $1,100 mortgage payment into an almost $1,700 cost of ownership.

Deceptive Benefits – BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TAX SAVINGS?

Let’s take another look at our $1,100 monthly mortgage. The total interest payments in the first year will be about $11,100. Your tax savings assuming you are in the 20% tax bracket (20 percent of $11,100) is $2,220 or about $185 a month. This does reduce your monthly payment, but does not even cover the additional property taxes that you are now paying as an owner. Your monthly payments might be reduced to $1,490 per month, which might not seem like a lot more then your $1,100 rent payment, but for some of you it can make a large difference in your lifestyle and comfort level. All of the extra costs should be factored in when you are deciding how much home you can really afford. You might need to come down a little in price. Every $10,000 you come down in the mortgage cost will reduce your monthly payment by about $52. We still think that buying a house is the best investment a family can make, but it takes diligence to ensure that you are not overextending yourself.

The Market – Everyone’s Saying It’s A BUYERS MARKET…Not Yet.

It is true, we are currently facing the worst housing slump in two decades, which surprised individuals who were used to seeing extraordinary annual appreciation in their home values, but if we learned anything from the 2000 tech bubble; is that market slumps take time to recover. It was just recently that the S&P 500 stock index surpassed the levels it was in 2000. With rising inflation a scare it is likely that the fed will not lower interest rates, therefore putting continued pressure on the housing market, which signals that a turnaround won’t happen overnight. So when your realtor calls and explains the buyer’s market is due to high inventory levels, he better be signaling that sellers are willing to discount.

Dynasty Partners

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Some Information On Buy to Let Mortgages; Are They Right for You?

November 20th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

The government predicts an increase of more than 2 million UK households over the next 10 years, due mainly to an increase in EU immigrants and a trend of smaller households. This obviously leaves a good opportunity for would be buy to let landlords, especially with the better buy to let rates we are currently experiencing and the extra tenants wanting accommodation.

So, what are the requirements of buying to let? Well, the main requirement of a buy to let mortgage is that the rent value of the property can cover costs of purchasing and maintaining the household. This can include mortgage payments, letting agency fees, building maintenance, building insurance, advertising, accountancy fees, management charges and any other associated costs. For example, licenses will be required for houses with more than 3 stories and more than 5 occupants. In fact, a general requirement is that rent covers 130% of the mortgage payments.

For example, a £100,000 mortgage will require potential rent of £520 per month. This is calculated from an £80,000 mortgage (after a £20,000 deposit payment) with an assumed rate of 6%. This example would command mortgage payments of £400 per month, so add your 30% to this and you come to the previously stated £520 rent. This appears to be a fair assessment when you consider the possible periods of time without tenants on top of all the previously mentioned house costs.

Fortunately for you, Council Tax is the responsibility of the tenants once they are occupying the house. However, you will be responsible for a percentage of the area rate if the house is unoccupied for more than 6 months. This will be a smaller percentage if the house is unfurnished.

Once paying tenants are in place, you will need to inform HM Customs and Excise of your new source of income. Expect a fine of £100 if you’ve not spoken to them within a month. Once you are making money from the house then taxes of 22 to 40% will be charged on any profit. Remember this is profit and not rent received so be sure to subtract mortgage payments that don’t cover the part paying the principle (this does incur tax unfortunately), and other related outgoings from this amount.

So, with all this information at hand you have decided to go ahead and purchase your buy to let household. The next question is where to buy this house. Obviously, if you want to manage repairs and any other issues with the house yourself, it makes sense to purchase close to your home town. However, if you are using an agent then this isn’t so important and you can buy in one of the more profitable areas.

According to UCB home loans (these are the buy to let division of the Nationwide building society), the better performing areas for property investment are Colchester, Rugby, Peterborough, Swansea, Belfast and Glasgow. Also worth noting is that East London, having been less desirable of late, is now making a comeback due to the current regeneration of the area (London having secured the 2012 Olympic games).

If you decide to sell the property, then capital gains tax (CGT) will be payable, assuming the value of your household has increased. You do have an annual allowance of £8,800 (couples can both claim this amount) and Taper relief which allows for inflation. Taper relief is a discount of 5% after the 1st 2 years and continues to be applicable up to year 10.

With buy to let mortgages on the market for as little as 5% and more specialist buy to let lenders around, this really is a good time to consider this investment. I would suggest you search the internet to find yourself a good broker and get all the information to hand if you decide to go ahead.

Property Conveyance- I Want to Buy a House

November 19th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

I want to help myself in climbing the housing ladder- in this way I can enjoy the benefits of creating wealth and avoiding rental payments every month; in doing so I had to understand the concept of converyance.

My intention is to jointly purchase a property costing £150,000. I would contribute £50,000, while my partner tales out a repayment mortgage for £100,000. I do not want any liability for the mortgage and do not want the others to be able to access my invested capital, but nor would my partner pay me rent or interest. I was investigating the possibility of the idea being put into action.

After researching in the Financial Times, I realized that I could contribute £50,000 to the purchase of a property without the need for you to charge interest or rent to the other contributor towards the house purchase. The property would be held as “tenants in common” (rather than as “joint tenants”), to enable you to control the passing on of your share on your death. I would also have to record your separate interests in the property by way of a declaration of trust, which should cover matters such as how decisions on the sale of the property are to be made.

It should also be possible for my partner to take out a mortgage in their name, but the lender will require that we give a joint charge over the property. If the property falls in value, my share could be at risk under the charge if the others don’t keep up on payments. Unless I guarantee the mortgage, I wouldn’t be liable for any interest payments, except in the event of default and repossession.

Realizing that my plan was feasible I decided to check with some of my other friends, who purchased a home with their partners as well. Two of my good friends selling their flat, and the intermediation of a solicitor would definitely be helpful.

My friend Javed and his girlfriend jointly own a second home, a London flat bought 8 years ago. Javed is a higher-rate taxpayer his partner is a standard-rate taxpayer. They are thinking of selling the flat and expect to make a profit of £150,000 between the both of them. Javed would like to transfer his half of the property on Fayola’s(his girlfriend) name. Their main concern was that if I his half of the property was transferred to his girlfriend shortly before selling, if it would it result in a significant reduction in our total CGT liability on the profit.

Francis Nation-Dixon, partner at Adams Remers solicitors, says you could transfer your half-share of the flat to your wife, either using a conveyance from both of you to her name, or by a Declaration of Trust passing the beneficial interest.

What does this really mean? Conveyancing is the legal transfer of property from one owner to another. The conveyancing process, if properly carried out by conveyancing solicitors, ensures that the purchaser actually owns all the property, land and rights that have been paid for. ?Selling Your House (conveyancing) i.e. the legal process involved in selling your house is relatively straightforward.

Taking this into consideration, I decided that I would implement my plan of purchasing Javed’s flat, which would now be in the ownership of his girlfriend, Fayola.

Finding The Best Time To Buy Your Own House

November 17th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

Renting should be thought of as the short-term solution to the housing problem. Let us not rush out and buy a house, and get stuck too permanently in one place. Don’t be in too big a hurry to buy.
Renting will provide a place to live, without too much capital investment, and will permit you to move without too much trouble, if necessary.
If you have moved to an entirely different part of the country, you should be careful not to buy until you have decided for sure that you intend to stay. It may also be better to rent for a year or two, until you discover what town or what part of town is best for you.
Sometimes a good house can be rented for a year, with an option to buy included in the contract. This gives you more time in which to make up your mind.
Buying a house is a large undertaking, which should be given plenty of thought and consideration. In the meantime, renting is obviously the thing to do. If you rent in the part of town where you think you might like to live, you can study the neighborhood to find out whether it is just the district you want or not. When you have decided exactly where you want to live, it is time to begin thinking of buying or building.
Buying a House
It is too bad to get a house bought and then decide to move. But it is equally unfortunate to postpone buying too long. Rent money is lost and cannot be recovered. If you are reasonably sure that you are permanently located, that is for five years or more, then it is time to begin to think about buying or building a good permanent home.
Perhaps the ideal way to get a suit of clothes would be to find a good tailor, have him take your measurements, and help select a suitable fabric; then let him make the suit. But most of us go to the places where they sell ready-made suits and buy them di¬rectly. This saves time and is usually less expensive, though admittedly the fit is often not perfect, and the tailoring somewhat less than might be desired.
It is a good deal the same way in getting a house. You can hire a good architect to design you a house and find a reputable contractor to build it, or you can buy a house ready made. The ready-made house may not fit your family as well as the custom-built house, but it may be a pretty fair fit, and you can live very happily in it.
A tailor-made house will probably cost more than a ready-made one, but whether it will be worth more will depend upon the wisdom of the designer, the skill of the builder, and the cooperation of the owner.
In this present chapter we shall consider only the proposition of buying a house already built. In a later chapter we can go into the problem of actually building your own house.
It costs something to keep a roof over your head, any way you do it. It is one of the expenses of living just as food and clothing are.
The question to decide is how to get the most satisfactory roof with the least expenditure of time and energy.
The ownership of a home is now within the reach of any person who has the determination to go out and get one. It may take time and it will certainly take effort, but it is greatly worth while.
The satisfaction of having a place of your very own, a fortress from which you can defy the cruel world, a headquarters for your living, a place where the landlord does not tell you what to do, and particularly what not to do; these are some of the Why do you want a new house? Are you tired of renting, or has your family outgrown the present house? Or are you in the wrong neighborhood? Or is the house getting obsolete? How much do you want a new house? Enough to spend the best years of your life paying for it?
Why should a person own his house?
Because he does not like to have a landlord come and collect a big price every month for the privilege of living in his rundown old house; because the payments he makes on his own house gradually give him an equity in the place; because it saves the necessity of moving so often.
In a rented house a person can’t make any changes without permission and then he doesn’t want to make them anyway, as he may have to move soon,
If you want to buy a house it is well worth using a free mortgage calculator to save you money on your mortgage.
rewards of owning your own home.

Phenomena of International Real Estate

November 12th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

Dubai… A great place to live and property investment!

The Dubai Properties and Real Estate Blog is a resource center for international property investors. Being the commercial hub of the Arab world, Dubai saw property boom since 2002 when the government had permitted foreigners to invest in Dubai properties in order to boost Dubai and as well as the whole UAE real estate market.. For a few years now, some have been saying that the Dubai property bubble was about to burst and that a property crash was just around the corner. Yet, prices kept increasing and such doom mongering proved unfounded. The Dubai property market is unique in many ways, and as such doesn’t follow the general rules of other property markets around the globe and other Middle East property markets. The current rate of return on UAE property investments is in the region of 10 – 15 percent per annum, with this rate expected to continue for the foreseeable future, and rental yields in excess of 10% are further evidence of strength in the property market. The growth in the tourism industry of Dubai has been phenomenal with the 3.4 million visitors in 2001 expected to rise to over 6 million in 2010 – from a standing start the area is becoming a magnet for overseas visitors. Many of Dubai’s property developments set out to emulate the most prestigious residential addresses in the world. However, the less glamorous middle-income gulf or Middle East real estate market is increasingly drawing the attention of savvy investors. Dubai Properties is one of the biggest and has said it will deliver 5,000 units to the freehold market in 2008 which is not nearly enough to meet surging demand. Abu Dhabi property market will not deliver a single new real estate unit this year, and deliveries will only start late in 2009, and that creates additional demand in Dubai.

The Mediterranean island of Malta has recorded the strongest growth in property prices from countries in the European Union, and recent news could help see property inflation in double figures for the next few years. Malta is not only a tax efficient location with beautiful costal properties for sale or rental, but its warm climate, beautiful sea and days full of sun will help you relax and retire in a friendly and safe environment for Mediterranean property investment. Sustained property inflation at levels seen in Malta are rarely seen in other countries, but new economic activity on the island could see property demand at good levels for some years to come. The introduction of low cost flights to Malta from the UK will open up the possibility of more international real estate investors looking at the island for holiday homes that could be used for long weekends, and the Malta hotels industry could reap the benefits of the 3 and 4-day tourist seeing the island as a viable place to visit. After some years of wondering how Malta property market would fit into the modern world, property agents, hotel owners and the Malta holidays industry are beginning to see the future with some optimism.

Due to the gains in housing equity in the past 20 years, more people have been seeking to invest in housing, rather than other forms of investment. In the UK there has been a rise in the number of private buy to let investors. Similar to an increase in the buy to let sector, there has also been an increase in demand for houses from oversees property buyers. This has had a significant effect in boosting real estate demand, especially in London. In terms of land mass the UK is an incredibly small country yet it attracts amongst the highest levels of immigration in the world. the supply of property is always restricted in the UK and that exaggerates price swings and ensures a recovery. Those more patient buyers from Arabia will find themselves well rewarded.

Should You Rent Or Buy An Apartment?

November 7th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

There is no vantage point like the apartment next door for keeping track of the neighbors.
When they come and go; who comes and goes with them, and at what awful hours, and what disgraceful things they do.
Of course, it is well to remember that when you look in a goldfish bowl, the fish also look at you.
All kidding aside, for families where both the husband and wife have steady, full-time jobs in business or industry, where they both work so hard that they don’t have time or energy enough left to keep up a house, they are surely better off in an apartment, as it does save work and responsibility.
If a house is just a place to sleep, a place in which to eat a hurried breakfast, and a starting point from which to rush off to work, a place to return to after a late show, to tumble into bed, and to get a little sleep before another hurried breakfast, then off to the rat race again for another day, and a repetition of the same routine, then do not buy or build a house.
By all means rent an apartment; it will save you work and worry and will fit your needs much better.
One way to get luxury living without having to own and service all the features yourself is to buy an apartment in a group where the apartments are individually owned, but the swimming pool, tenni3 courts, barbecue, and other recreational facilities are owned cooperatively by the group of people living in the apartments.
An individual family might find it too expensive to maintain a swimming pool, for one or two uses a week, but it wouldn’t cost too much, in either money or effort for a group of fifty people to keep up a pool.
Renting a House
But an apartment house is obviously not the place for a family with children. It is a poor emotional climate for them, when they must always be quiet so as not to disturb the neighbors, and when they have little opportunity to get outdoors and run and exercise, and shout as they ought to be able to do.
If they must always be afraid of getting in someone’s hair, how can they grow up normally and naturally? Life can be so much more interesting for them if they can be in a place where there are trees to climb, pets to love and care for, and where they can feel that these things belong to them. A public park helps, but it is not nearly as good as a place of their own.
If you think an apartment is not the best place for you to live, perhaps you can find a house to rent. This also has its advantages and disadvantages. You are not tied quite so securely to one place.
If you are not too sure how long you will be in a place, or are subject to sudden transfers by the policy or caprice of your company, or if you are the type that takes sudden notions to quit and try your luck somewhere else, then you should rent, and not try to buy or build a house.
Renting also has the advantage of relieving you of some of the responsibilities that go with owning a home. When the roof leaks, just call up the landlord and ask him to take care of it. If you need paint or repairs, let him look after it, and pay the bill.
When the tax collector comes around, it is not your problem. You do not need to worry about depreciation. If your family outgrows a house, you can move into a larger one without too much trouble and expense.
It is well to remember that money paid out in rent is gone completely. If you had bought the house ten years ago, and had made rent-like payments for ten years, you would have accumulated a considerable equity in the house, and you would also have benefited from the large increase in property values during that same period. Buying a house gives you something to sell when the time comes to move.
There is not much point in having a house and land, if you do not find pleasure and enjoyment in taking care of it.
If the yard is so large as to be a burden to either the husband or the wife, then they would be better off without quite so much. As long as maintaining a house and garden can be fun, all is well, but what future is there in having to work yourself to death in order to live in fine surroundings which you do not have time to appreciate?
Enough is enough. There are two extremes to avoid a spacious house and wide-spreading lawns, or a tiny house and no lawn or garden. Let’s not overdo it either way.
If you would rather buy than rent make sure you use a mortgage calculator to get the best mortgage available.

Renting Out Your Property – New Landlords

October 28th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London 1 comment

The credit crunch and subsequent sinking of the property market has brought reluctant landlords into the letting arena. Here is a guide of what you need to know as a new landlord.
If you can’t sell your house or if you don’t want to sell it at a rock bottom price (especially if you’re not buying somewhere else) then you may have to become a landlord. This scenario is not uncommon for those whose employment relocates or those who have new commitments outside their home area.
The tricky start is that you already have a property to rent. Professional landlords buy a property having researched the local area and know what their target tenants are: students near a university, professionals near the city, etc. However, as your starting point is your property you will need to research what tenants are likely to be attracted to your house and then mould your property accordingly.
Contact your mortgage provider to check whether you need to switch to a buy-to-let loan or whether you can continue with your current mortgage. You will also need to notify your insurers who will need to change the policy.
Remember that you will need to cater for periods when your property is empty and you are not receiving the rental income to cover the mortgage. To cover void periods you will need to have an income of around 125% of your mortgage payments. This figure also needs to cover gas and electricity safety certificates, repairs and maintenance.
You may need to be flexible on the rental payments – it’s better to have good tenants at a slightly lower rate, rather than an empty property, or tenants that say they’ll pay but then don’t pay.
If you are redecorating your property to rent out, make it neutral, do not personalise it. You need to prepare your property to be run as a business. In your mind, change the word “home” for “property”. It will help you become detached from your old home and help you run your property cost effectively.
If you are adding or changing fixtures do it properly and use good quality materials. People don’t want to live in shabby accommodation and remember that you are competing for a good tenant. Good tenants want good accommodation. The better quality fixtures will also last longer and so lower your maintenance costs.
When you choose tenants and if you are not using a letting agency you should vet your tenants (or pay for the service through the National Landlords Association). Be sure to get references from tenants and check them.
Always treat tenants and potential tenants with respect: get back to their enquiries quickly and politely, repair what needs repairing. Maintaining a good relationship with tenants is a business solution and makes the whole process less stressful and easier to manage. In turn, however, do not let your tenants pay rent late – you need to have clear boundaries and once they’ve paid their rent late once, it could easily happen again.
If you don’t want to manage the property, then consider using a lettings agency which will cost you around 10-15% of the rental income. However, if you do this, make sure you keep an eye on the agency and check that they are doing their job in getting back to the tenants as you would like them to. Check what the contracted tie in is, as if you’re unhappy with their service, you might then want to do the job yourself and do it according to your own standards.
You need to know the rules and regulations regarding health and safety, insurance and tax. For tax you may need to use an accountant for the first year or so to know what you can and can’t claim for.
The key to renting out your home is to view your property as the tool for business. Look after it and attract and maintain good tenants. Do your homework, be prepared to put some time and energy into the business and make it work.

Buy With The Federal Housing Administration And Save

October 27th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

One of the more significant benefits of buying a home with an FHA loan in today’s real estate market is the incredibly low prices for which many homes are now selling. It isn’t hard to find houses in the Phoenix metro and other areas of Arizona that were previously selling for $400,000 – $500,000, now priced at $300,000 and under. With homes prices being offered at such low costs, it could potentially be more expensive to rent than to buy. Renting may seem like the only viable choice you have when it comes to your living arrangements, but that might not be your sole option anymore. With homes priced so low in Arizona’s current real estate market, the dream of buying your own home could come true more quickly than you realize. Buying your own home can help you build equity, increase your credit score, and acquire better financial standing overall. Renting does not allow you to build any type of equity to your name and may do substantially less to help your credit score and financial standing than buying can. Banks and other financial officials often view homeowners as being more financially stable and responsible than those who rent and have never owned their own property. If you want to be recognized by your potential lenders as a responsible and stable person, worthy to be offered other loans and incentives for the things you need, you should consider buying now while the real estate market continues to favor new buyers. Rental payments are usually more expensive than regular mortgage payments unless you sacrifice quality for quantity. For example, in today’s market you may be able to find a beautiful, four-bedroom, three-bath home to buy that, on average, may require $1,000 rent each month for the mortgage. In order to only pay $1,000 per month for a rental property however, you would likely have to sacrifice one or more of the bedrooms, as well as one of the bathrooms in the home. Renting a four-bedroom, three-bath home, would likely increase your payments to $1,500 per month. When you pay rent, you pay the mortgage and accumulating interest, just as you would a home you bought yourself. But when renting, you also pay additional funds each month to give your landlord incentive to keep renting. Buying a home entails repaying your lender with an accumulated interest; renting a home also requires that, plus some extra for your landlord. Is it really worth it to pay extra for a rental property when you won’t even be able to claim it as your own once the mortgage has been entirely paid? Will you even know when that happens? Likely not, because you will always be paying payments to your landlord, regardless of whether any of that amount is being paid toward the mortgage.