Remember when apartments were flats

Remember the chatter about 'Property Hotspots'. Times have changed. Now the talk should be more about 'Property Dropspots'. Avoiding the places that are going to do the worst over the next twenty years. It could be a very long list.

However, the Telegraph are more upbeat, and have shared various estate agent tips on finding the next property hotspot in this article. Mainly fluff about doing your homework, and asking Waitrose and Starbucks where they were looking to open next.

I'd question the judgement of one their experts, saying "Bristol’s city centre has become desirable since its tired shopping centre was replaced by the glitzy Cabot Circus". 

'Glitzy?'

Now I don't want to sound like a 'Property Tosspot',  but - Have they been? I have. To me it was just like any other generic city centre shopping mall. Drossy and dirty. With the usual crowd of open mouthed zombies swaying past the generic chains, killing time before they could nip to Pizza Hut for the 'as much as you can eat buffet'. It wouldn't be the reason you'd move to Bristol, unless you were suffering an addiction to Zara. In which case it would be handy. 

Next we'll be re- packaging IKEA as 'artisan', or Poundland as 'boutique', or the Job Centre as a 'social hub'. That reminds me, remember when apartments were flats. Obviously that didn't sound 'glitzy' enough.

Landlord insurance - professional rates on portfolios 

Mobile version of the free property management software

The new mobile pages of our free property management software Property Manager 3 are allowing users the access and input data from their account using the mobile screen friendly icons.

Currently it covers the the areas of PM3 which we thought would be most  useful to  landlords whilst away from their computer,  and the one we thought would work on the smaller screen:

The current pages available are -

• Contact details for tenants and others
• Ticking off rents as they are received
• Entering meter readings
• Notes and tasks
• Tax return figures

Let us know if there are any other specific pages that you would find useful to be added to the mobile pages, either here or via the feedback button on the mobile version.

Login in to your Property Manager 3 mobile version here mhawk.co.uk via your phone's internet browser.

Most Popular BTL Mortgages

Max LTV	Initial Rate	Term	Completion fee	Booking fee	Incentives	Overall Cost for Comparison
85%	4.99% Fixed	2 Years	2.5%	£130.00	No	6.8% APR
85%	5.99% Discount	2 Years	2.5%	£130.00	No	7% APR
80%	4.59% Discount	2 Years	2.5%	£130.00	No	6.7% APR
80%	4.99% Fixed	Feb 28 2015	£1800	£199.00	Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only.	6.1% APR
75%	2.99% Discount	2 Years	£2495	£250.00	No	5.2% APR
75%	3.49% Fixed	2 Years	£995	£250.00	No	5.3% APR
75%	4.09% Fixed	May 31 2016	£995	£0.00	Free valuation and free legals for remortgages (properties valued up to £500,000).	5.6% APR
70%	4.25% Discount	2 Years	0%	£199.00	Free valuation up to £335 for purchases and remortgages and free legals on remortgages only.	6% APR
65%	3.79% Fixed	May 31 2016	£995	£0.00	Free valuation and free legals for remortgages (properties valued up to £500,000).	5.6% APR
60%	2.85% Discount	2 Years	£2495	£250.00	No	5.2% APR

Search the whole BTL mortgage market free
 
Email: info@propertyhawkbtlmortgages.co.uk 

Tel: 029 2069 5446

Landlords are not an ethical investment

The Guardian readership continue to detest Buy to let landlords.

One 'ethical investor' is looking to find a Building Society that doesn't lend to landlords.

Does that mean we will soon be offered ethical investment products that exclude investing in businesses involved in alcohol, tobacco, pornography, nuclear energy, animal testing and rental property?

Read the Guardian post here 


Discounted Landlord insurance - trusted brokers

Green deal - landlords need to get cosy

The Green Deal targets are something that landlords can't continue to ignore. A rental properties that  scores poorly in energy efficiency ratings will not be able to be let out from 2018, and any tenants will be able to start 'demanding' improvements in insulation that are deemed "reasonable,"  from 2016.

With one in ten rental properties not meeting the current target this could impact of hundreds of thousands of properties. With the legislation stopping landlords from letting a  property that only achieves either of the two lowest energy efficiency ratings, F and G, after April 2018. This, according to a recent English Housing Survey, equates to 11.4pc of the rental stock.

The targets will only become more stringent as time goes on, so investors might need to start to budget for any improvements.

Read more in the Telegraph

Landlord insurance - portfolio rates available

Green Deal Warning To Landlords

The Telegraph warns that one in ten buy-to-let properties will be unlettable in 5 years time unless landlords improve the energy efficiency of their investment properties.

The legislation is part of the 'green deal' recently introduced by the government as a way to encourage landlords to make energy improvements within their properties.  As I have recently discussed many landlords remain unconvinced by the so called attractions of the 'green deal'.  The sting in the tail remains.  Those properties which have the two lowest energy ratings will not be able to let out their properties by 2018.

Again, this brings to the fore the unfairness being exercised by government against private landlords.  Will home owners be prevented from living in drafty old mansions?  I think not.  Will housing associations or councils come under the same controls?

To read the full article follow the link.

Landlord insurance - trusted brokers