Investors all over the world have, over many centuries, understood the power of divesting their capital into different sectors. But as far as I can remember (from history books, religious books, etc.), land has been the most steady and consistent investment option you can think of; even gold and other such commodities cannot compete here.

I always feel a thrill whenever I read of some of the greatest investors of our time; Donald Trump, George Soros, Robert Kiyosaki, Howard Hughes, and many others. These people have made a fortune buying land, developing them, and making billions out of rent and sales.

Investing in available properties is quite profitable, but buying land and developing the property is even more profitable with low risks and very high return on investment over a few years time. Land in the UK is very abundant as is every other part of the world; but buying in a commercial area like London or Liverpool can earn you a fortune in a short period in view.

The growing population in UK is a fantastic incentive for land owners and would-be investors in the acreage business. There is a lot of demand for residential and commercial property in the UK at the moment and statistics show that this would not change anytime soon.

Land organizations also give investors the opportunity to turn their bought properties into funds by giving them “buy back options”. This means that they can liquidate and bank their cash rapidly. So, the dangers are reduced even a lot more and boosts the chances of investors to get their capital back and make bumper profits.

Land can also be used as collateral for bank loans and other sundry loans. Indeed the benefits of investing in UK landed property are just enormous. So if you have some cash to invest and are in doubt of other investment portfolios, land might just be your best bet.

Date: Friday, April 29th, Venue: Westminster Abbey, Occasion: Wedding of the Year.

Where would you be on this historic day when Prince William says ‘I do’ to the lovely Miss Kate? Reports show that the last royal wedding before now recorded a historic 750 million viewers worldwide and brought in thousands to see the “royalness” of England; observers say this time would be bigger.

Enough talk, how do you plan to take advantage of this “massive opportunity” to make some cash from your property? Of the £100 million or thereabout up for grabs, how much do you intend to scoop? Crashpadder.com, the website that helps global travellers find spare rooms to rent, report a ‘massive spike in demand’ for a London bed over the wedding weekend.

Let me whet your appetite a bit: period townhouses in prime locations can command as much as £4,000 for the week (people from all over the world are booking already); some landlords are charging top hotel rates of £300-plus. Some are offering a bed space for between £30 and £150 per night for the period – and I bet you, there would be somebody willing to rent. You can cash in on this too.

All you need do is offer a spare room in your flat up for rent; you can place classified ads in the papers or better still take advantage of the internet. There are several sites dedicated to this type of “adventure”, one good site is Crashpadder.com.

For those with prime property or flats close to Westminster Abbey, Buckingham palace, or other tourist attractive sites not too far away from the venues, this is a golden chance. Findaproperty.com also reports that one in four Londoners are already contemplating “biting from this cake;” so it’s time to brace up and claim your share from “the wedding of the year”

Paying for mortgage in the UK has been a major headache for homeowners for quite some time now – at least the past ten years. 2011 brings great relief for this category of people who also hope that the good times would continue into the future.
I am quite delighted at this news because it would for once put things in order; imagine the ripple effect a low mortgage budget would have on a family; better meals, more investment in education for their kids, a little extra to save from the take home pay, and much more.

As a keen follower of the trend in the housing industry, my first reaction to the recent report released by Barclays was ‘hurray!’ the report is a culmination of a poll on 1,000 homeowners which shows that about 80% of the respondents are comfortable with the low interest rate and the amount of mortgage to be paid.

The trend, attributed largely to the low interest rate environment, is despite the average house price having increased by 68% over the same period and the average salary increasing by just 37%. These are indeed happy times; increased salary, low interest rates, and a low mortgage period.

Barclays warns however, that homeowners should brace up for a possible increase in interest rates in the near future. The implication of the trend since late 2010 indicates that homeowners would operate in a more relaxed atmosphere while planning ahead for any major change. Of the 1,000 polled, 71% say they have plans in place to take care of this possible shift.

It’s not all heartbreaking news in the housing industry after all; I sincerely do hope that these good times would last long and help homeowners plan their lives better.

Since the end of the Second World War, the UK seems to have carved a niche for itself as a place of peace stability, and continuous economic growth. Little wonder people all over the world are coming in droves to find jobs, go to school, or just start over. I can go on and on about the reasons why there so many foreigners in the UK.

Recently however, I have begun to notice a slight change in the order of things. These supposedly “migrating hoard” do not just come to “kiss the Queen’s hands”, snap a few photos, and take the next British Airways flight back to their base, they come with loads of cash to spend.

The UK real estate market has proven to be very attractive to people of all colours and nationalities. I can confidently say that these set of people are gradually taking over and purchasing choice UK properties. Last time I checked, there is barely any country leader that does not have one or two of such properties in the UK.

From Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand to the Saudi King; most African heads of state can be counted here too. The recent surge in the economic fortunes of Asia has also helped the UK properties market with more business men and women coming in with their cash.
A recent Super Prime London Survey I came across shows that the 10 nationalities most likely to grow their share of purchases in the central London market over the next 12 months were Russian, Chinese, Indian, United Arab Emirates, Middle East, Egyptian, Italian, Lebanese, Turkish and Brazilian.

In the top 15 of the list are also Uzbekistan, Australia, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Taiwan. This is a really good indicator showing political stability and a very strong real estate market in the UK. How long this would continue to be; only time can tell.

The UK real estate market is very vibrant no doubt, and with near accurate data being churned out by different bodies monthly, I can hardly put down my pen – or get my hands off the keyboard before something big occurs. News just reaching me says “tenant demand for privately rented property hit a two-year high during the fourth quarter of 2010.” Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

OK. So what does this have to do with anything? As an expert in the UK real estate market, my immediate interpretation is very simple: there is something stopping the potential home buyer from buying, instead he rents. The former news may seem great for landlords, but juxtaposing that with my simple analysis shows that the development is not good for the economy at large.

Consumer concerns over the economy, job security and possible interest rate rises are several of many factors that have ensured that the market remains broadly flat, despite historically low stock levels. New home prices continue to fluctuate monthly around the £215,000 mark indicating large scale uncertainty as to the direction of the market – and economy.

This is certainly not good enough because consumer confidence is central to the forward movement – or otherwise of any economy; and now that it has also hit the real estate market, no one can tell what would happen next. The prospect of an increased mortgage debt and the imminent rise in interest rates are critical factors making new home buyers play the “watch and see” game.

Although there seem to be some steps being taken by developers and mortgage institutions, how fast this is addressed will greatly influence consumer confidence.

Being risk-averse is one of the most important qualities of a good manager; whether at the office or home level. This is a popular opinion and is recurrent in most of the social sciences textbooks in schools.

Unfortunately, I still get to see people (mostly well educated) who go as far as saving for a long time to buy a house, go ahead to pay, then go on to refurbish. Hey, you are cheating yourself.  The cause as I see – and I have been rightly justified, is that people are generally not thorough, not aware of the long term consequence of that singular act, or just damned uninterested (at the moment of purchase).

Here in the UK, it cost just as little as £200 or thereabout to get a professional opinion from a Surveyor who would go round every single detail before giving you a go. I find it difficult to understand why people in this part of the world get naive on issues like this.
Without a proper survey before buying, you might end up spending hundreds or thousands of pounds to fix damaged roofs, weak timber, condensation, dampness and inadequate ventilation, among many other defects.

A recent study released by e.surv show that 4 out of 5 homebuyers don’t have a survey carried out before they buy a house. In my day-to-day activities, I have come across many home agents and brokers that don’t help matters either; many just neglect that aspect and, technically, “lead the buyer to the hangman’s noose.”

Several awareness and educative programs like ‘Sold Subject to Survey’ campaign being carried out by e.surv gives me hope that a day would still come when UK home buyers would buy only after a thorough survey from a professional.

Countries all over the world are seeking for the simplest yet most effective means to get their economy back on track after the recent economic crunch set the world a few years backward. Residential and commercial properties market is an unquestionable means to re-fire the UK economy both in the short and long term.

Having gone through the recent proposal to the House Budget Committee by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), I cannot but agree that this sector is critical to the rejuvenation of the economy. With the value of properties in the UK worth over £4,500 billion and employment for over half a million people, it is indeed no gainsaying that this is one sector to really focus on.

The paper also highlights a detailed plan for achieving efficiency savings to the tune of £5 billion in public sector property costs, and disposals of £20 billion, over the next ten years through long term strategic planning; it also calls for the retention and development of the best hands in the public sector.

Other useful and vital recommendations from the institute include: cutting VAT on refurbishment of homes, changes to the tax system to encourage residential property investment and reinstating empty commercial property rate relief, among many others.

According to Mark Goodwin, RICS director of external affairs, ‘this Budget provides the Government with a chance to encourage growth and innovation in construction and property, providing much needed jobs, tackling the housing shortage and ensuring that businesses have a continuing supply of high quality premises. With house building at a desperately low level, it is essential that the Government takes steps to attract investment into the residential sector.’

I sincerely do hope somebody is listening and that the parliament sees it fit to apply these recommendations.

Since the opening up of the Chinese economy several years ago, many more millionaires (and there are quite a handful of them) are continuously looking for good investment locations all around the world.

No doubt London is one of the most sought after property destination of any right thinking fellow whether from Asia or North America. The Chinese are taking advantage of their strong Yuan against a weakening Sterling; they are set to take charge of the annual overseas property exhibition in places like Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

London, you must remember, is hosting the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, making it an attractive destination for realtors in 2011. Reports show that in 2011, around 5 to 10% of all London house sales at overseas showcases will be to Chinese buyers and about 25% of those buying at exhibitions will be looking for somewhere to use themselves. That’s quite a huge chunk I must say.

Also, the Chinese seem to have an edge owing to the fact that there is very little competition in the U.K at the moment. Another factor that would drive this move this year is the stringent property tax regime operated by the Chinese government in recent times. A wise Chinese businessman/woman would rather invest in a more secured, and investment-friendly city like London.

Interestingly, even buyers who are not millionaires or real estate professionals are now looking to buy in London, predominantly with their children in mind for study or work. Indeed, London has become the toast of real estate professionals and adventurers all across the world.

Very recently I talked about the serious ‘clash of interest’ between developers and mortgage institutions; my point then was that the mortgage houses find it difficult to appreciate the essence of energy-efficiency in constructing buildings while the former strongly desire ‘green’ houses. The good news is that many more organizations and government institutions are beginning to tow the line of ‘energy-efficiency’ crusaders.

The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) is one of such bodies – a very important one at that. ARLA is in the forefront of the crusade for highly energy-efficient houses. The recent catastrophes in many parts of the world have served as a warning call to governments and people all over the world to reduce carbon emission and adopt greener and cleaner energy sources.

The ARLA has revealed a number of ways that landlords can take advantage of the government’s new ‘Green Deal’ initiative. Apart from new developers, there seem to be a real challenge for home owners with buildings as old as 10 years and beyond.

The association advises that re-fitting or installing state-of-the-art loft and floor insulation and cavity walls would go a long way in helping to conserve energy – especially in the cold winter months. Experts in the ARLA also recommend that lagging should be installed around water pipes and boilers to minimize heat loss.

UK landlords are not insulated from the global calamities caused by the rising warmth in the atmosphere. I keep wandering what would happen to a place like Central London if the Thames River rise dramatically; the disaster would be phenomenal as seen in the movie – Flood. This is indeed a wake-up call for all existing landlords and would-be landlords to make energy efficiency a priority when building

For some people, buy-to-let is a gamble; for some others, it’s a long term investment portfolio. It could be a gamble when you are planning to make profit from the rising cost of houses foreseeable in the near future; this could however be very dangerous as seen in the last few years after the bubble burst in the continuous rise in prices.

Buying-to-let as a medium for earning regular income yearly is however seen as a good business strategy considering the fact that the number of houses available are not increasing in response to the demand from would-be tenants.

Kate Faulkner of advice site: www.designsonproperty.co.uk says: ‘This will be a good year to become a landlord. However, with regional variations on house prices you must choose property carefully; it’s important to talk to letting agents about the area and what types of property tenants want’ This point is very crucial as you would not want to buy properties that are not very high in demand in certain areas.

Following the recent slump in the prices of houses, 2011 seem to be a perfect time to put in that deposit and seek for mortgage facilities. Furthermore, with the increased competition in the buy-to-let mortgage market, most banks have reduced their fees and rates making funds more accessible.

The U.K economy is picking up very rapidly after the recession and many more people are seeking spaces for rent. Whether you are buying for profit from the price in a few years or as a constant stream of income, this is certainly a good time to buy.

Like I always advice, make sure you secure the services of an expert in real estate matters to see you through the process. Being a first-time buyer can be fun but can hurt you too. So heed my advice!