If you’re nowhere near being in the position to buy properties outright, read on - there’s a way you can benefit from all the advantages of being a cash buyer, without having a huge wad of cash.

Cash buyers have advantages:

• They don’t have to mess around applying for and getting approval for a mortgage
• They don’t have to do battle with the mortgage lender about whether...

THE QUESTION

Our visit to our accountant had an unanticipated outcome.  We wanted answers to somewhat we saw as basic questions.

What kind of company do we need (LLP or LTD) in order to buy a commercial property and use it as serviced accommodation (plus rent out the shop underneath)?

Can we operate under one company only if we develop a mixed portfolio of R2R SA, buy-to-let and commercial...

Joint ventures (JVs) are suggested by many property training programmes as a means for an investor to gain momentum and build a portfolio faster.  It cuts down the ‘saving up’ period considerably, depending on how much your partner is willing to put into the pot.

However, a joint venture partner must fulfil certain criteria for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to consider...

THE QUESTION

John will be inheriting £250,000 shortly and wants to be able to generate an income of £30k per year from property.

He doesn’t have an income or anywhere to live, so will need to plan out the best way to leverage this nest egg.  Ideally, he wants to get a steady return and pay for a place to live. With some BTL experience previously, what would you advise?

...

Like most things, the devil is in the detail!  It is easy to get bridging wrong, and many do, largely because they blunder in thinking it is easy.  It is a simple way of funding deals, but you need to understand how it works.  I have been teaching how it works and how to use it intelligently at my Ninja Investor Programme workshops since 2013.

I call bridging counter-intuitive -...

Property investment tends to depend on you having worked hard to save a nest egg that will provide you with a deposit to buy your first property.  If you’re planning to get into property seriously, you’ll need cash for refurbs too.  Saving up takes time.

The challenge is that you need at least 25% of the cost of your chosen property as a deposit, in order to get a...

THE QUESTION

I've taken out a fair few mortgages in the past and I’m comfortable with that kind of finance.  I have no experience with bridging, so my questions are:

What are the key things to look for?

What would be considered a 'good' bridging deal?

What term would you normally look at, 3 months? 6? Is it easy to extend?

THE ANSWER

There are lots of advantages to using bridging...

The property investment industry is surrounded by doubting Thomases.  These are the friends and family who think that, while it was easy to make a fast buck prior to the credit crunch, property is now a mugs game. 

These people are not property investors - and never have been - but they know someone who lost their shirt.  Or more likely, someone who has heard of someone who lost...

THE QUESTION

I'm new to the property investment world and looking to get my first buy-to-let.  I have two questions:

1. If I buy with bridging loan and do a full refurb, can I remortgage earlier than six months?
2. If I'm buying with bridging loan can I say that I'm a cash buyer or should I just say that I’m using a bridging loan?

THE ANSWERS

Question 1:  You have always been able...

Successful property investment depends on knowing your stuff.  Going on what someone else has suggested is like doing business in a new country without doing any research!

When it comes to funding your investment you need to understand what a good deal really looks like and where to get the funding that allows you to work your way.

There’s no short-cut to doing due diligence

When you...