The news earlier this week from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) that the number of buy-to-let mortgages taken out last year was higher in the credit-crunch blighted second half than the roaring first six months may have surprised many. But it appears this has not been the only news indicating that the continued strength of buy-to-let is only too real.Commenting after the release of this news, Nick Clark, the managing director of the...more
Portugal has always been a popular destination for Britons wishing to purchase a holiday home abroad or to buy a place in the sun for their retirement. Pure investment purposes have also been behind such foreign property transactions, but according to one expert, it is the quality of life that is making Portuguese property investment such a lucrative option. Rhiannon Williamson of ShelterOffshore.com suggested "lifestyle buyers" are flocking to...more
Buy-to-let investment in the UK is set to go from strength to strength in 2008, it has been suggested by one industry commentator.Malcolm Harrison from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (Arla) has claimed that this year could be yet another healthy one in terms of returns for landlords. He highlighted two "important factors" that lead him to believe that landlords are set to continue enjoying strong returns. Rental demand is increasing all the time, according to Mr Harrison, who said the reasons behind this trend are "demographic". These factors include things such as more flexible working, increasing migration and rising divorce rates, which lead to more single households being created. Another factor highlighted by the Arla spokesperson is the fact that house prices - after an extended period of sharp rises - are softening. "Traditionally, every time you have house price softening you get increased rental demand," Mr Harrison said. His comments come after statistics by Birmingham Midshires showed buy-to-let investors enjoyed returns of 16.3 per cent in the 12 months leading up to December 2007. This was up from the 13.5 per cent they typically received in 2006. Last...more
Those who believe the Spanish market is past its best may be barking up the wrong tree. Not because there hasn't been a property market correction, not because there isn't a global credit crisis and not because many investors looking for new hotspots are looking away from the crowded, overdeveloped, been-there-done-that costas, but for another...more
If the talk of the property industry in the last year has been Cape Verde, the issue of how much property can be crammed onto those little volcanic islands in the sun may become an issue before too long.Or perhaps it won't. According to Simon Walker, sales director for real estate website Off Plan Property, this is exactly what will not happen to...more
Those looking at property investment in France will soon be aware that there are many possibilities, as the country is large and offers different attractions to suit numerous tastes. With Alpine ski property, the winelands, the glamour of Paris, the possibilities of commuting to London from northern France by Eurostar and the sun and sea of the Cote D'Azur there should be something to suit most.Yet France has not stopped there, according to Les Calvert, director of overseas investor portal Property-Abroad.com. He said that one area which has seen rapid growth was the Atlantic coast. While he was sure the new, faster Eurostar had "certainly had an impact in people travelling to and buying property in France," the Atlantic coast in particular had been a recent area of major growth, stimulated by the arrival of new, low-cost airlines. He said: "Areas that tend to be showing more interest than previously are Aquitaine property France on the Atlantic coast. The Mediterranean coast has always been popular, but now the Atlantic coast is becoming more popular." He added that this was similar to the way the Silver Coast had been growing recently in Portugal. Mr Calvert added: "You can get...more
In times of economic gloom, it often seems to be the north which suffers most, with recessions seeing many people in grim northern towns kicking their heels as the factories shut. Stereotyped as this image may be, it contained a kernel of truth, for...more
The property market in Spain has been a vexed area for investors recently. The end of the boom years, the credit crunch and recent demolitions of homes that breached planning regulations are all major hits from which some markets might not...more
The last week has brought back a little ambiguity to the property market among those looking for hard evidence of trends. First there were the figures from property portal Hometrack, which found that this month's house prices were down by 0.2 per...more
For those looking for evidence that the worldwide credit crunch is not quite so worldwide as some might think, the best place to look, it appears, may be across the channel, which, as a major hotspot for Britons looking at buying investment property,...more
One of the most notable features of Britain's strong economic performance has been the revitalisation of its regional cities. Not only have their economies improved, but so too have their appearances, with many prestigious new buildings being...more
Question: What is usually required for a down payment on a land loan?Answer: When looking for a land loan and trying to determine what you might need for a down payment you can typically expect a range between 20% to 40%. Each land lender has...more