Cheap Flats In London

Podcasting is one of the hidden secrets to my success in the real estate business. The truth is that todayâ??s real estate industry is influenced by technological advances. Though traditional methods are still used, many more opportunities are available through the Internet. Most people have no idea of the many possible ways to use Internet based tools to carve out a niche market who seeks what you have to offer, without becoming a pushy salesperson. Podcasting is one of those methods that focus on educating, rather than selling. By podcasting, you can position yourself as a helpful educator, rather than a pushy, commission-based salesperson.What is a podcast? A podcast is a downloadable radio show. People can listen to podcasts on IPods, computers, or MP3 players. Production of a podcast is simple. You can do it yourself to cater to your clients. I like Podcasts because I can connect with my audience, teach valuable and needed information on topics like mortgages, loans and avoiding foreclosure, and cement my position as an educational ambassador in the real estate field.Podcasts are popular with listeners because they can listen whenever they have the time. It’s like subscribing to an audio magazine. You don’t have to be there at a certain time to catch the show. This flexibility is great in an increasingly busy society. Also, podcasts give you the opportunity to be You-nique. This means that you can use the experience and expertise that are unique to you to attract listeners and create an entire brand around your persona. Each of us has ideas, talents and experiences that make our style You-nique. Listeners like to hear and experience something that is different.Part of a You-nique style is niche marketing. Niche marketing involves targeting a very specific group (maybe single moms, military families, or minority first time home buyers). You can tailor your podcast towards the niche you are targeting. Meeting the real estate needs of people that you can relate to builds great relationships, which is what will truly drive your success.As mentioned, podcasting also gives you an opportunity to brand your business. Branding gives clients an emotional connection, and the regular communication of a podcast will keep you on their minds when a real estate needs crops up. You can add a blog to your podcasts so that clients and potential clients will feel a personal connection to you knowing they can respond to what they just heard through your podcast, or ask questions. The number of visitors you have to your website can increase through podcasting. Whether people are dealing with foreclosure, looking for loans, or calculating mortgages, they can surf your site while downloading your podcast. Of course, your podcast will be full of information on those topics as well. People hate to be sold, but they love to learn. So become a teacher. By using podcasts as a tool, you can increase relationships, trust with clients and traffic to your website. Podcasting is a smart and underutilized way to increase the success of your real estate business.

In the aftermath of the recent Northern Rock crisis many property experts are now warning of the risk of a 1990’s style property crash in the future, although they put the chances of this actually occurring at 10 percent. Whereas these same experts had previously predicted continued increases in property prices, this change of tact in property price predictions is due not only to the events at Northern Rock, but also due to what has happened recently in the sub-prime lending market in the United States, as well as the seemingly endless increases seen in UK property prices.

However, Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at the Royal Institution of Chartered surveyors told Reuters that while talk of a “crash” was legitimate and not irresponsible, homeowners were unlikely to see a repeat of the previous slump. Rubinsohn had previously predicted further increases in prices over the next 12 to 15 months, estimating growth of around 3 percent. Now, however, he is forecasting a flattening of prices across the same time period.

The huge increase in property prices seen throughout the UK over the past few years has made its share of the headlines – highlighting the need for more housing in the country. Property news and price forecasts have driven people towards making decisions regarding buying and selling their homes and investment properties and we are likely to see this new prediction change the property market yet again.

The number of people buying property to rent has already been subject to increase and these numbers are only likely to climb even higher in response to the latest news regarding the fall of property prices. Rubinsohn predicts London property will have the greatest likelihood of experiencing a drop in prices, claiming that were was a 20 percent chance of a decline in property prices in the City – possibly as much as 10 percent. As a result, many homeowners who have recently sold their properties are now hedging their bets on further price reductions, while in the meantime renting properties as they wait to purchase property at an even lower rate.

Renting accommodation allows these people who have recently sold their property to sample life in a new area, town or city. Furthermore, many people who have recently sold their property have been placing their profits into savings accounts in order to take advantage of high rates of interest currently on offer through banks – often generating a sizeable income while waiting for the perfect opportunity to reinvest in the property market.

If the drop in prices of property for sale in London and across the country does occur, it will also give hope to many people who have previously been out of reach of the property ladder as prices and deposits will be lower than before.

National Capital Region (NCR) real estate and property markets are resurging and experiencing an unprecedented growth, in large part due to the ritzy, upscale quality constructions that are springing up all over the area. At long last, builders and developers have begun to realise, Indian consumer tastes have matured, and tacky, makeshift offerings will not satisfy buyers. Demanding NRIs looking for an investment in India have also played an important part in changing the way builders and developers construct residential and commercial buildings. International standard constructions are beginning to attract buyers worldwide, not only end-users, but investors are also realising real estate is a smart investment option with big money to be made in the near future.

Buyer, investor, builder interest in the NCR region has caused property prices to jump from 60% to 200%. Lured by sustained economic growth, many NRIs have begun to view the NCR as an attractive investment destination. Their demands for high-end real estate investment encouraged a group of developers to take hold real estate exhibitions to market and exhibit their projects in UK, USA and Canada.

Domestic requirements for quality housing continue to compete with NRI demands, and builders have come up with a large number of differently classified offerings. As a result, buyers find it difficult to identify a suitable house for their needs. In order to address the problem, Times Property has begun to launch property expos at Pragati Maidan, central Delhi to enable buyers to select a house of their choice from the numerous options available on the market. Tremendous public response to the May 2005 expo saw prominent builders participate enthusiastically in the October 2005 fair.

A builder, housing loan providers and other real estate expo participants list was available to the public to make it easy to identify a suitable piece of property, and tie up for the cheapest loan available in the market with major banks, which were also took part in the real estate fair.

One of the banks, Indian Bank, a leading public sector bank launched a special scheme for visitors to the expo. They sanctioned on the spot loans without charging processing fees, and went a step further offering concessional interest rates of 7.25% for a 5-year loan and 7.75% for a 20-year loan to all who signed up for a mortgage at the expo. They, also, offered concessional rates for transfers of high interest rate loans from other banks to Indian Bank. Similarly, many other participants in the fair had numerous interesting products on offer at highly competitive prices.

With everything available under one roof, all property options there for you to make your choice, the expo makes a great browsing place for real estate investors or home buyers. NRI or Indian local, for an informed choice, do drop by at the next expo for a birds eye view of Indian real estate!

This article is sponsored by: www.indiarealestateblog.com

With the UK property market booming you may think that now is not the best time to invest in property, unless you’re a commercial buy-to-let investor that is. However, there are a few areas in the country that are still affordable and will certainly see growth in property prices in the coming years.

Ipswich, the county town of Suffolk, is one such location. Currently a flat in the town costs just £121,700, below the stamp duty threshold of £125,000 and £10,000 less than the UK average. The town is also going through a major regeneration at the moment. The docklands, once home to thriving industry is now being redeveloped with over three thousand new luxury apartments being built; the area now looks indistinguishable from it’s heyday as a busy trade port.

Many now consider Ipswich as a commutable distance from London (only an hour and twenty minutes away by train and the A12 will take you straight into London by road), whilst many who live in London now see the town as an ideal weekend get-away destination with some taking out secured loans or re-mortgaging to buy a second home. A new University Campus is also being opened in 2007 which will be a boon to the already flourishing local economy.

Fifteen minutes down the road, and over the border in Essex, the historic town of Colchester is also seeing a similar development to that of Ipswich. 17,000 new homes and 14,000 new jobs are in the pipeline over the next fifteen years. Making it, like Ipswich, a great place for the novice property investor to get his or her teeth stuck into.

But be quick whilst prices are still affordable. Countless home owners are taking advantage of the equity on their properties and obtaining a new mortgage to buy a property as an investment, with many seeing it as a ‘pension fund’.

Source: Economic Times

Indian Real Estate:

A Deutsche Bank Research report informs, whereas, there are significant risks inherent in the Indian real estate capital market, which, though presently small, despite all, has managed to achieve a remarkable growth momentum, especially in the private equity and debt markets.

While, private debt or bank loans to commercial real estate have been responsible for fuelling growth levels, both private equity and private debt markets are also set to grow significantly in the coming years, adds the report.

Enumerating the risks presently inherent in the sector, the report highlights liquidity, regulatory, overall market transparency, property market transparency and macro-economic risks as the five major threats, which are likely to continue for some time to come.

It also cites regulatory constraints being responsible for making it difficult for foreign investments to flow into the sector, such as, foreign investors requiring permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for owning property in India. Similarly, for capital repatriation, investors need RBI approval, while FDI is limited to a small set of opportunities, such as, real estate in small towns.

Then too, transparency is another aspect on which the Indian real estate sector ranks very low, with Transparency International rating India at 88 out of 150 countries, with regard to perceived corruption level.

Pointing to the need for more professional due diligence and valuation institutions, the report said, “Although market transparency has obviously improved, it is still hard to get reliable and consistent information on the Indian property market.”

At the macro-economic level too, the report also cites problems, such as, inadequate provision of public goods i.e. education and transport infrastructure in many regions, while, stating volatility in interest rates, inflation and exchange rate risks have lessened, yet, they still have to be borne in mind.

It also highlights the fact; the Indian investment market is still in its infant stage, as investors face serious challenges in finding appropriate investment products. However, upbeat about the future prospects of the sector, the report points out that in 2005 nearly $850-million additional capital flowed into the sub-continent’s real estate sector.

Even so, the Indian real estate sector, despite a temporary lull in its boom, continues to rake in investors and investments alike. As, everyone involved in the market realise, transparency and relaxation of rules and regulations are absolutely necessary for the good times to continue, requisite measures are being taken to resolve the issue. Already, developers and builders keen to ensure nothing disturbs the Indian real estate boom times are adhering to international norms and standards in their public offerings.

As the sector organises itself, there is no doubt the risks of investing in Indian real estate capital market will evaporate. Patience is the name of the game, as India cleans up its act in many sectors. This undoubtedly is bound to happen, as economic prosperity filters down to all segments of Indian society. Chak de to that, it is something everyone has been waiting for. Let the winds of change set in motion by the enterprising IT / BPO industry, sweep away the corruption, the long lasting legacy of the British Raj. If, it were not for the Nabobs of the East India Company and the British bureaucrats, India might have retained its honest past. But, it is a common Indian failing to learn the undesirable as quickly as possible, while refusing to be taught the best.

For example, instead of taking in the lesson of corruption so well at the knees of our British overlords, would that we had, instead learnt civic pride, courtesy in public i.e. polite driving with consideration extended to smaller vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians alike, opening and holding doors open for all, etc. etc., would that these were some of the habits imbibed.

Still, the IT / BPO industry has set the ball in motion and once the whole of India is prosperous, wanting for nothing, then the rest will fall in place. Just like weather seems to be responsible for a country’s culture, as was seen in the hot spell experienced in the normally cool climes of Great Britain, which unusual hot weather saw the habitually calm, cool and collected Brits acting out the behaviour of unmanageable, unruly, unbiddable Indians. In other words, when the weather is pleasant, good manners come to the fore, but the heat only manages to bring out the devil in us all! Perhaps, if India suddenly turned into a cool and pleasantly green land, may be the Indians too would turn into well-mannered, unflappable earth dwellers.

Indians across the globe, Chak de!

This article is sponsored by: www.indiarealestateblog.com

Foreign investors may shun the Indian real estate market as lower asset prices in the US and the potential to earn better returns skew the risk-reward equation against emerging markets such as India, say private equity experts.

“Real estate developers face a double whammy of slowdown in the overall growth and hardening of interest rates, while the perceived risk-reward equation for India is going down,” said S Sriniwasan, CEO, Kotak Real Estate Fund.

Take a pension fund in the US, which has the option to invest in the real estate in India or other markets. As the level of information is better in other markets, investors find it easier to take a call there.

“These are existing assets, so there’s no development risk unlike in India. Also, if they are investing at home, there’s no currency or political risk compared to here. As they can make a return 18-20 per cent in the US, they are wondering if it is worth going to India for an additional 5 per cent,” said a real estate expert.

Investors feel that the marginal higher return is not commensurate with the higher risk investors have to take here. These are early days yet, but this is reflected in the slowdown in decision-making for investment in India, pointed out experts.

“The term-sheets are getting delayed. Investors are asking a lot of questions, while deals have been called-off,” said an expert. In April, Citi Venture and AIG put off plans to invest Rs 1500 crore in Mumbai-based real estate developer Akruti City.

Experts say PE majors are delaying decision because they are not sure. There’s lag effect, but developers are beginning to accept the reality, and offer better terms. This is evident in the financing terms they are accepting these days.

Typically, if a PE major and developer invest in a project in the ratio of 75:25, beyond an internal rate of return 15-16 per cent, the profit-sharing shifts in favour of promoters, in the ratio of 60:40. This hurdle rate has now shifted to 20-22 per cent.

“Real estate is headed for difficult times. The next 12 months could see a lot of turmoil. Inflationary pressures will keep the interest rates high. The deficit financing (oil subsidies) will put a lot of pressure on the economy,” said Sriniwasan.

What this means is that the days of super-natural profits are over, and developers will have to start pricing their end-products at affordable prices. Two, the frenzy for acquiring ‘land bank’ will go away and land prices will start correcting.

The land aggregators, who have been buying land for companies going public, are stuck or running out of money. A correction may not be such a bad thing.

Moving a business to London or managing office moves across the capital can be daunting. With thousands of available properties, it is essential a business can conduct an efficient office move.
London remains a magnet for businesses of all sizes. Serviced by five airports, including Heathrow and its new Terminal 5 and the latest European rail connections, it is still favoured by major corporations.
Knight Frank’s most recent survey of commercial property activity within the M25 revealed 72 per cent of property take-up was in out-of-town developments, with budget office moves enjoying units one-third greater than town centre lettings.
There has also been a marked interest in the West End, which remains popular with the developing media industries. Investment has more than doubled during the first three months of this year, compared with the final quarter of 2007. Property group, Frank Knight, has revealed £1.15 billion was spent on commercial property in the West End since January.
Media reports have recently noted a decline in commercial property markets. However, for companies planning office relocations there is much good news. With a number of commercial properties nearing completion, vacancy rates have risen to 6.2 per cent and there is 13.7 million sq ft of commercial property available across Central London. Added to this, the ongoing credit crunch has contributed to lower rental prices in the City, which now average £60 per sq ft reduced from £63.50 per sq ft.
Managing office moves can be made easier by first considering your firm’s needs and the cost of moving – will it involve a new IT system and office design, or can the cost of office refurbishment be limited by continuing to use current equipment?
London’s skyline is filling with high-profile commercial property, although it is equally likely when moving offices firms will find themselves in renovated or refurbished buildings.
In the next 12 months, 15 separate refurbishment projects are set to be completed within the boundary of the M25 adding a further 833,789 sq ft of accommodation.
Successfully relocating in the capital and ensuring an efficient office move can be better achieved with expert help. Employing the services of a relocation advisor that maintains its loyalty to your business and not the building would be an excellent start.
Whatever the reason for your relocation, its effect on staff is likely to be considerable. Estate agents, Savills, in its recent study, What Workers Want and What this Means for Property, revealed the importance employees place on quality offices. It found 82 per cent of respondents said immediate workspace conditions, such as comfort of work area and lighting, were most important.
Firms planning corporate relocations will have many properties to choose from. By recruiting the help of experts in managing office moves, they increase the chance of getting office moves right and minimise disruption to their business.
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Chandigarh Real Estate: A City Infiltrated by the Rich

A Times News Network reports Chandigarh is slowly and steadily becoming a city that caters to the well-heeled, wealthy crowd with oodles of money to spend. The reason for that assumption lies in the fact that this Monday, the Municipal Corporation sold a plot of land for Rs. 4,956.50 per sq. ft. in nearby Manimajra for a multi-storey housing scheme. The above rate is more than double the current market rate of Rs. 2,222.20 per sq. for a sq. ft. in a kanal plot in the city. And, compare it to the asking price of Rs. 2,200 per sq. ft. for flats being sold by the Government owned Chandigarh Housing Board in Sector 49.

A successful bid of Rs. 108-01-crores for 5.4-acres of freehold Manimajra land, Uppal Housing, a Delhi based firm plans to construct a 228-apartment housing project, which they will undoubtedly sell for at a profit. Assuming the company sells each of it flats for Rs. 2-crores, the land and building cost of each flat would come to Rs. 20,000 per sq. ft. Real estate sources in the city affirm this to be the highest rate ever, as even a one-kanal plot and house in the city cost approximately around Rs. 6,666.60 per sq. ft. At such exorbitant rates, the question remains who could afford to buy a flat in the complex. But, the Uppal Housing Company is confident they will be able to find buyers from amongst the dollar-rich NRI crowd for their upscale, upmarket apartment complex.

Further, the company surmises with the upcoming Rajeev Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park focusing business attention on the city, Chandigarh is fast becoming the next big destination for IT and ITes with money to invest in the IT Park and the city. These companies will require housing for their top brass, and since Manimajra is nearer the IT Park than other parts of the city, the Uppal Housing Company will be able to provide them with the best housing in the city.

The builders are also optimistic about offering high-end guest accommodation and leased accommodation for corporate and IT companies coming to the city. If the plan materialises as visualised, then Chandigarh is going to become the city “by the rich, for the rich and of the rich!”

This article is sponsored by: www.indiarealestateblog.com

Soho Properties set to become King Sturges’ sole agent in Thailand

According to property sources in the UK, there are an increasing number of Asian investors looking to purchase property in the UK. Due to the drop in property prices and the large increase in some Asian currencies against the pound, it makes them more affordable and a sound investment.

According to the Guardian newspaper, the Nationwide has said house prices rose by 1.6% in August 2009: “The chief reason why house prices have not fallen by as much as many of us expected is that, unlike the early 1990s, interest rates are extraordinarily low. At the same time, banks are being more cautious about repossessions, because it’s the people who now own the banks.”

It seems that one of the main reasons house prices are rising again is that mortgage lending has not been extended to investors without significant deposits. The average price of a home is now £160,224 (nearly 9m baht), or 14.4% below the October 2007 peak. The Nationwide said a key factor in lifting prices was “the exceptionally low level of interest rates”, which have been kept at 0.5%.

Gary Smith, president of the National Association of Estate Agents, said: “The latest statistics from Nationwide appear to confirm that the housing market has finally bottomed out and indications are that we are hopefully moving to a point where the gradual recovery in prices witnessed this year will be sustained.

“With interest rates at historically low levels and unemployment on the rise, but when interest rates start to normalise, it could possibly result in a surge of properties coming onto the market as people are forced to sell. This, in turn, would mean that as higher interest rates emerge, finance will become more expensive, which will reduce demand and again apply downward pressure on prices.”

King Sturge, a leading supplier of property services in the UK industrial, office, retail, hotels and leisure, healthcare and residential sectors, are experts in residential land and mixed-use developments and also offer a complete range of financial services to the property sector

According to James Talbot, a partner in the firm: “We continue to hold successful exhibitions in Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. We are also holding seminars on buying property in London. Since April this year we have sold in excess of £130m worth of London property to Asian buyers.” Due to the rising demand of London properties with Asian buyers, they have also started to look at other not so traditional areas. One of these areas is Thailand, where they have screened a number of local and International agents and have decided to team up with Soho Properties due to their in-depth local knowledge and enthusiasm.

Now that the foreclosure epidemic is in full swing, it is not just home owners who are getting slapped in the face. Hundreds of tenants renting homes across the nation are being evicted and forced to move with little or short notice from the banks.
The renters have no idea the homes they are living in are in preforeclosure status and are scheduled to soon be sold at public auction. The renters only find out when they come home to a notice posted on the front door stating they have 30 days to move or be forced to leave the house.
It all started when investors purchased houses as investments speculating they would go up in the near future. They purchased high end homes with larger price tags so they could make more money in a shorter amount of time. After all when housing prices go up by 10% you are much better off to having a $500,000 house than a $100,000 house.
Now many of those so called easy money real estate investments are falling into foreclosure and the banks are the ones evicting the tenants. Many tenants are in long term lease agreements and have been paying their bills on time for months. They also put down large sums of money as a rental deposit for the home they have been living in.
I see this scenario on a weekly basis. Once the home owner or investor knows they can not afford the mortgage they keep collecting the rent checks but dont pay the mortgage and pocket the money. I do not think this is ethical and the investors are at fault for not being honest with the tenants. The problem is, the rental agreement has no information about what happens if the home goes into foreclosure while the tenants are living in it.
Most investors who leave their tenants hanging are not full time professional investors. They are people who jumped on the real estate, get rich quick band wagon hopping to make a quick profit. Professional real estate investors would not do this because they can not afford to have their reputation tarnished by such acts. They rely on reputation and referrals for business which is how they feed their family.
So the questions is,
Do you think the real estate investors or land lords are responsible for loss damages paid to the renter? After all moving your family in less than 30 days can be very hectic and these renters are also out their deposit. Is it ethical to have real estate investors making a profit off of renter and keep collecting the rent even when they know the renter will be evicted.