This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Nadia & Tony...
Ask Rob & Rob – Buy gradually, or go all-in? PLUS: Should I only invest in nice places?
Another two answers from The Robs this week, and another two informative answers!
ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!
Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.
Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).
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This week our friend Pete Matthew is back, guiding us through alternative ways to get exposure to property – without owning it directly.
We discuss different types of "collective investment" vehicles (such as REITs, OIECs and a whole bunch of other acronyms) as well as investments that track property rather than holding it, such as ETFs. During our chat we get to the bottom of:
If you enjoyed this episode, please check out more of Pete's fine work at Meaningful Money
This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Simon...
Asks Rob & Rob – Should I overpay my mortgage? PLUS: Joceline asks how should I approach estate agents?
Another two answers from The Robs this week, and these would definitely feature in a property FAQ list.
This week's episode is just a quick update, but wow are we excited:
The Property Hub website has been completely re-built!
In this short episode we explain:
Normal service will be resumed next week, when Pete Matthew returns for an in-depth exploration of different ways to get exposure to property...
Ahmed & Drew - My tenant has left me, what should I do? PLUS: Using crowdfunding to buy property...
Hear what Rob & Rob have to say in this weeks episode.
There was plenty to talk about, so take a listen and see what you think!
This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Bjorn...
Asks Rob & Rob – How much of my net worth should be in property?
Grab your passport and join us as we head off around the world of property investment, investigating whether you should be hopping on a plane instead of into a car to research your next acquisition.
We look into:
If you'd like to learn more, we've also got a huge feature on investing overseas in the next issue of the Property Hub Magazine – with more detail on the areas we mention, plus other countries tipped by overseas investment experts.
This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Mike...
Asks Rob & Rob – Should I never sell a property?
This week we're lucky enough to be joined by Pete Matthew from the Meaningful Money podcast, who talks us through how to set up your personal finances for property investment.
Having Pete on the show allowed us to cover some topics that we've not devoted enough attention to in the past, including:
If you need more Pete in your life – and frankly, who doesn't – make sure you're subscribed to Meaningful Money
Thank you to Matt Chan for pointing us towards Mubert – a site that generates sounds designed to help you concentrate.
We've covered similar in the past, but it's always worth checking out another – and if you're going to be looking into insurance policies and bank account comparison tables, you'll need all the help you can get...
The northern powerhouse powers on – as Theresa May confirms that it's not going to be scrapped along with the chancellor who coined it!
Buzzword or not, investing and looking at policy to rebalance the economy geographically makes nothing but sense – and is good news for anyone with investments anywhere near the areas that are set to benefit.
The first Thursday of the month is almost upon us, which can only mean one thing: MEETUPS!
Again there are more than 30 across the country – and if you're in London, you can attend the launch of our brand new Waterloo meetup.
View the full list and book your place here
What other steps have you taken to secure your personal finances?
Any other questions you'd like Pete to answer for us?
We’d love to know, so join the discussion in The Property Hub!
Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.
If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.
Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.
This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Mike...
Asks Rob & Rob – When it comes to refinancing, should I consider a longer term deal to avoid fees?
Rob D & B agree that this is all about the numbers, but it can be tricky to work out. Get your mortgage advisor to do the calculations and work out what is best for you. Remortgaging can be an expensive business and even if the costs are not being paid out immediately, they are definitely still very real costs.
Rob D asks his broker to give him all the figures including any associated fees, just to be 100% sure that he chooses the best deal when re-financing.
Last week we talked about the whole property buying process, all the way up to completion. This week, we're looking at the easy-to-overlook steps you need to take in order to prepare your property to let.
They include:
Then it's time to either start marketing yourself, or hand it over to an agent. We've got you covered there too...
This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Andy...
Asks Rob & Rob – What checks should you make when buying remotely?
This is somewhat of a specialist subject for The Robs, as they both invest this way, and run companies which help people to invest with a completely hands-off method.
This is an important question and Rob B starts by saying you need to be very clear in what you want from the people you work with. Give them really clear guidelines so people know exactly what is an investment you would consider, and what you wouldn't touch in a million years. This will help preserve your working relationships and save you all a lot of time and avoid frustration. Give as much detail as possible.
Rob D agrees with the advice given but also says to clarify all information given - even if it's coming from a trusted partner. Get images, check market information, and do your research. This will give you complete clarity on your investment, and you wont feel like you really need to be there on the ground. This method is not for everyone, but for us it works really well.
Getting an offer accepted on a property is always a great moment – but this week we see that rather than being the finish line, it's actually just the firing of the starter's pistol.
The process of doing the legals and getting your mortgage arranged can be a lengthy and arduous one, and it's your job to take control of all the people involved and keep things ticking along. In this episode we go step-by-step through everything you'll encounter, and provide tips for how to boost your chances of coming through unscathed.
We discuss:
And in case it's all a bit much to take in, we've got a resource of the week to help...
Rob B issues a note of caution - beware those who tell you there is a way to do this that means you pay a little more now to get started as an investor. The truth is there is no real shortcut, and you probably should pay your debts off first. It's frustrating, and tempting to want to find a quicker alternative, but not the best move. Avoid the people making the big claims and the courses that say otherwise are a waste of money.
If it's a choice of paying off your debts or investing, you need to make a decision based entirely around return. So if your debt costs you 9% a month and you can comfortably pay this, but you can get a property that gives you an 8% return, then it's a no-brainer - pay off your debt. But start by paying down your most expensive debt first, get that paid off as soon as you can, and then maybe you will reach a point where you have some cheaper debt which you can accept whilst investing.
Rob D admits yes, it's not the fun approach but waiting is the right thing to do, but suggests you make a plan now. Work out when you are going to be ready to invest and use that time to get experience and learn, so that when you're financially ready, you are as educated as possible.
So don't feel disappointed that you can't start now, get a plan together and get excited about what you will be able to do in the future.
It's no surprise that we're big believers in the long-term power of property...but we were surprised when the Bank of England's Chief Economist said he'd back property over a pension too.
So in this week's episode we ask if property is really better than a pension. We cover:
It's far from being a whitewash – so take a listen, and see what you think.
This is a commonly asked question - basically 'how good is good enough'. The answer is different for everyone as Rob D points out, as everyone has a different approach and attitude to risk. Rob D does say that neither himself nor Rob B uses net yield as a measure, preferring to favour looking at ROI, this takes into account using a mortgage and tells us after factoring in that mortgage, how hard an investment is working. Rob D bases everything on ROI, occasionally looking at gross yield to compare different properties that have similar costs. Rob D (greedily) aims to get an ROI of 10% and in typical Rob D fashion, hasn't invested in a property that doesn't hit this measure, though definitely doesn't rule this out if the deal had the potential to make great capital growth or add value.
Rob B has relaxed his approach slightly in recent time, having formally worked with a target of 10% as well. He will now accept 8% BUT only if this property needs zero work and is being handed over to Yellow Lettings to get let. That said, he has done deals in excess of 14%, and deals at less than 6% because whilst he does check out this measure, he wont necessarily be put off entirely if the ROI isn't so high IF the deal is right in terms of capital growth.
Rob B adds a note of caution to remind us that ROI isn't all it's sometimes cracked up to be! If it is based on letting at the maximum market value, getting a great deal from your solicitor and the very best mortgage rate in the market then these things may well not happen!
Finally, Rob D suggests you don't compare ROI with other investors too frequently as you don't know what another person has allowed in the way of rent void periods, maintenance costs etc. So don't get too hung up comparing your figures against someone else's, just know that you are happy with them personally.
Depending on who you listen to, it's either the perfect time to invest in property or it's horrendously overvalued and ripe for a crash.
This week, we look at the data behind the claims that UK property is unaffordable – and show how easy it is to cherry-pick one measure to support an agenda. We look at affordability through the lens of:
There are some fascinating stats – as well as some really important insights into how affordability varies across regions, and where value might be found.
This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Charles...
Asks Rob & Rob – What is the snowball effect?
Rob B says that from a capital growth point of view, if you see your portfolio at the top of the hill, as the hill drops down that represents time, by the time your snowball has been pushed down the hill - it is bigger. The point being, if you do more work in the early stages (buying BMV), your 'snowball' will be bigger at the end. The first few properties are incredibly important and you need to make wise decisions.
Rob D adds that when he thinks about the snowball effect, he thinks of compounding rent. For example, if you want to buy a property every year worth around 80K, with a 75% mortgage and cash for the rest, you would need to save 20k+ (with fees) to buy that property which for most people is a very big ask. But once you have your first property and it's making you money, if you don't touch that rent, you need to save less to put the deposit down on your next property - and if you keep doing that, you reach a stage where you can keep buying through rental income alone. Saving for the first two or three properties is sometimes a slog, but it doesn't take too long for your 'snowball' to take effect and make life a lot easier.
ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!
Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.
Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).
Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.
The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.
Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.
Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!
Interested? Click here to find out more.
More than any other type of property investment, the success of an HMO hinges on buying and setting it up right in the first place. We've talked recently about managing an HMO once it's up and running, but this week it's all about acquisition. We discuss:
Rob B starts by reminding you that what may be right for one person, won't necessarily be right for another. There will be pros and cons to each approach and there's no absolutely 'right' answer for everyone. However, whilst there is definitely an advantage in being a 'local expert' it is unlikely that your local area will consistently be a smart place to invest, which is why Rob & Rob invest all over the UK in places they consider to have good fundamentals. Rob allocates a lot of his time to research, and considers it to be lower risk to invest in different locations.
Rob D agrees, it's definitely lower risk to invest in different areas IF you do good research to avoid making any mistakes. Rob D also adds a note of caution for this weeks caller, who had stated she had received lots of BMV deals and reminds everyone to check out these deals really thoroughly before going ahead, and be super diligent with your fact-checking.
ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!
Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.
Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).
Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.
Quantitative Easing: hard to understand, even harder to say...and about to have a serious impact on your property investing plans. In this week's episode we explain what QE is, what effects it has, and how you can position yourself to take advantage of it.
Useful links:
We also said we'd reproduce a table with some of the figures we discussed in the episode:
Percentage changes in asset prices since 5 March 2009:
This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Sam...
Asks Rob & Rob – What's the catch with student pods?
Rob D starts by agreeing that the propositions offered can look attractive and if all pans out as promised then they do indeed sound great. The key, however, is trying to figure out if things will work out as promised by the developer! So for this reason it's absolutely key to look at the previous projects of the developer and see if their history backs up their claims.
Rob B is against student pods as he feels they're weighted heavily in favour of the people selling the product as opposed to those owning the product. He suggests that many of the claims made by the developers are greatly exaggerated at best. He also makes a very good point in saying that the mortgageability on student pods is pretty much non-existent, and the market if you want to sell is extremely limited.
Rob B finalises by saying he'd never buy one and he would never offer them to RMP customers - so no sitting on the fence here!
ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!
Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.
Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).
Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.
Buying property within a limited company is becoming increasingly popular – but when it comes to obtaining mortgages for companies, there are some extra considerations you need to know about.
This week, with the help of our friend Dave Cookson from TC Financial Services, we're running through the important details you need to be aware of. Including:
Related listening:
If you ever need to visualise a process, a flowchart or a mindmap, draw.io is a great free tool to use. Rob B recommends it for fans of Lucidchart, who are now seriously restricting their free plan (the cheek!)
It won't have escaped your attention that the Bank of England have cut the base rate to 0.25%, as reported by the Economist – as well as announcing a new round of quantitative easing.
If you've got tracker mortgages, enjoy the lower payments! As for the longer-term consequences...we'll be getting into that next week.
Have you learnt anything from a company mortgage application that other listeners might find useful?
Was it easier or more difficult than you expected?
We’d love to know, so join the discussion in The Property Hub!
Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.
If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.
Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.