Property Clubs Need Regulating not Buy to let Mortgages says LettingFocus

You may know that the Government wants to regulate buy to let mortgages in the same way as residential mortgages are already regulated.

We have written about the reasons for them wanting to do this elsewhere on this blog and we encourage you to click on the categories at the bottom of this post to read up on the background for this move and our views on whether it was a good move (or not!)

Regulate Property Clubs

However, it’s my view that the Government has really missed a trick on this whole area because what it should be doing is bringing the whole set of activities of so called “property clubs” under closer control within the FSA.

Why?

Because property clubs are responsible for too many would-be Get-Rich-Quick-Property-Millionaires losing huge sums of money.

One of the latest to go down, taking thousands of investors’ cash with them was Passive Investments and you can read more about the activities of this particular company at the Guardian article at the very bottom of this blog.

Many years ago I was on a train from a meeting in Weybridge with a chap who had invested a large part of his dear recently deceased mother’s inheritance with another property club, who had just run a presentation in Weybridge.

I was horrified to hear he had paid over £50,000 to this company for them to buy up 6 properties for him.

As I recall, he was an artist and not a rich man but he had been persuaded to invest by a very smooth talking antipodean motivational speaker. He thought he was doing well.

I asked him if he thought his money was safe. He said “Yes.” Apparently, the risk of the credit boom ending and this company going bankrupt and taking his cash with them, had had not occurred to him.

I gave him my card and said that he could call me if he ever needed help. He didn’t call. Sadly, at the time he was not that interested in my slow route to wealth in property through careful investments, low risk and ethical treatment of tenants.

Six Months Later

Fast forward 6 months and the company he had given £50,000 to had gone bust. Instead of the 6 properties they were supposed to buy for him, they had bought just one. £40,000 of his money had not been used. The firm was not taking calls and his £40,000 was now lost.

Poor man! And yet, perhaps he deserved it for being so gullible, so eager to get rich quick in property and so ready to be taken in by the smooth patter of the salesman.

Property Lease Options

With the demise of so called “sale and rent back”, and the advent of ever so slightly more clued up mortgage financing from UK banks, the property clubs have had to turn to something new to flog to the gullible – and this dear readers is the “Property Lease Option.”

Property lease options or “Let to Buy” is the mantra that pretty well all the old surviving and new property clubs are now preaching.

We have written about what’s wrong with many of these so called routes to riches in other blog posts.

Richard Bowser, of Property Investor News, a mentor of mine and a guy who has been speaking sense about property for aeons (yes, even longer than me) has attacked some versions of property lease option schemes in a recent email I received. Like me, he thinks some lease options work well to improve cash flow for the investor, but he is concerned about lease options taken out by tenant buyers.

We share those concerns and have written about our concerns extensively in other posts - see the categories at the end of this post to read more.

FSA Asleep on the Job

I have written to the FSA, telling them that these schemes are a time bomb waiting to happen which will hurt investors and those "tenant-homebuyers" on the receiving end of some property options – who are principally first time house buyers.

Naturally enough I have had no response. (Readers may be unsurprised by this though. Arch crook and Ponzi scheme purveyor Bernie Madoff has apparently said he did not think any regulatory organization could be dimmer than the US’s SEC until he discovered the British FSA, which is why so mush of his activity was eventually put through the UK.)

Sadly, the gullible and naïve don’t want to listen to boring old David Lawrenson and boring old Richard Bowser, which is fine, though a little sad.

I often think of the man on the train and what happened to him but it is too late for any help for him now.

Spookily enough, some property clubs have taken a leaf out of Madoff’s book. For many of them, you have to be “invited to join” and have, so I hear £100,000 spare capital.

They are clearly after the big fish.

Devious or Dumb

But were the property clubs devious or just bad at business?

I don’t think they all set out to con investors, though some will undoubtedly have set out to do so.

It is just they knew next to nothing about property as an investment - both the opportunities and the risks involved.

It is time to regulate the whole property club business.

MORE ABOUT LETTINGFOCUS AND WHAT WE DO

LettingFocus.com is the home of landlord information.

I’m David Lawrenson, a landlord and property investor myself for over 25 years and author of “Successful Property Letting” – the UK’s top selling commercially published property book for the last 3 years.

Services to Businesses and the Public Sector

Primarily I am a consultant to banks, local authorities, social housing providers and other organisations – helping them with their landlord facing or buy to let product strategies and services.

For example, I help banks improve their buy to let mortgage lending practices and I help housing association / local authorities find private landlords (private rented access schemes, local letting agency models etc.)

I also write for property websites and am regularly quoted by the broadcast media.

Services for Private Landlords

For private landlords and other investors in the private rented sector, we do just two London seminars each year.

We also find some spare time to help landlords and property investors by coaching them in how to make money in the private rented sector using ways that work, which are ethical, fair to tenants and which involve minimal risk to the investor.

We pride ourselves on giving independent unbiased buy to let advice on either a one-to-one mentoring / coaching basis or through our occasional group seminars.

With no links to property firms, developers or bridging loan providers we can advise on where and what type of property to buy for investment and when to buy it.

We also show you how to manage tenants properly.

AT OUR WEBSITE LETTINGFOCUS.COM:

THE HOME PAGE OF THIS BLOG click here: Blog

THE HOME PAGE OF OUR MAIN SITE click here: LettingFocus Home Page

For general info on our CONSULTING click here: Consultancy and Seminars

ONE TO ONE PRIVATE CONSULTANCY click here: Property Mentoring

NEXT SEMINAR AND NETWORKING EVENT for Landlords and Property Investors:
Next Property Investment Seminar and Networking Event

We have OFFERS on a range of services and products for landlords too; click here including landlords insurance, tenant referencing, tenancy agreements and more: Services and Products for Landlords

TO READ CLIENT TESTIMONIALS – both commercial and private click here: Testimonials

BUY “SUCCESSFUL PROPERTY LETTING” click here: Buy the Book at Amazon plus anything else you fancy at Amazon.co.uk

To JOIN our Free QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER simply send an email to david@LettingFocus.com - Please note we WILL NOT send spam or sell our mailing list to advertisers!

IF YOU HAVE A SITE WHY NOT LINK TO THIS BLOG OR TO OUR WEBSITE?

IF YOU SELL SERVICES TO LANDLORDS, YOU COULD BE A PARTNER ON OUR AFFILIATE PROGRAMME.

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH!

See our TWITTER PAGE: http://twitter.com/LettingFocus

Copyright of Blog: David Lawrenson 2009. This blog is updated roughly once a week usually on a Monday or Tuesday.

TO VIEW RELATED POSTS select a “Category” at the bottom of this page.

Link to the Guardian Article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/dec/07/buy-to-let-investors-fret

Property Scammers Exposed in the Investors Chronicle says David Lawrenson of LettingFocus.com

As I mentioned a few blog posts ago, Claer Barrrett of the FT and Investors Chronicle recently went undercover at some of the less ethical property clubs to find out how they manage to persuade naive people to hand over thousands of pounds to learn the "secrets" of "getting rich quick" in property whilst using none of their own money.
Claer actually came ingognito to one of my own seminars but quickly found out I was a "goodie." So she asked me to comment on the various techniques and lies the scammers used.
It is a very good piece and it quotes me quite a bit too.
If you want to read the full thing on line, click on the link below.
http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=297&storycode=3127429&c=1
ABOUT LETTINGFOCUS.COM and DAVID LAWRENSON
I’m David Lawrenson of LettingFocus.com - the landlord experts.
I’m the author of “Successful Property Letting” which for the last 3 years has been the UK’s top selling property title - Buy Successful Property Letting - How to Make Money in Buy to Let.
The new edition costs less than £10 and is fully up to date with all the recent changes to tenancy deposit schemes, HMOs, licensing, capital gains taxes and it has new sections on sale and rent back.
I’m an expert freelance property writer, property speaker and a well known buy to let blogger
I contribute to newspapers and a host of property websites, write a number of columns in the press and I provide general property investing advice for anyone looking to buy property for themselves or to let out.
In my work as a consultant I help private individuals with any aspect of buying property or buy to let. What’s unique about lettingfocus.com is that we are independent property mentors because unlike most people in the buy to let and property “advice” business we are not linked to a property company, developer, agent or bridging loan financier and do not receive commissions from any of these sources.
We simply give one to one unbiased advice and are often asked to evaluate other property investments.
In my corporate consulting role, I also advise banks, building societies, housing associations and web portals with their buy to let and property products and services.
You can read more of my blog & find details of my networking, advice and property training programme at my website.Copyright: David Lawrenson 2008. This blog is updated once a week.
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Property Price Forecasts. How Can I Verify If They Are True. Letting Focus Has the Answers

Here’s a trick many property companies promoting off plan property use.
What they will do is sell the first few five or ten units at a low price to get initial finance in. Sometimes these units are sold to other companies that the builder has a “close relationship” with.
Of course, the next lot which is being sold to the public is marketed at a higher price.
They are then able to use the fact that the price “has gone up” in their marketing literature and that investors should “get in quick” before they miss the boat.
Watch out for this trick, which is especially common in property abroad.

ABOUT LETTINGFOCUS.COM

LettingFocus.com are the experts on landlord issues and I’m David Lawrenson, the author of “Successful Property Letting” – which has been the UK’s top selling property and buy to let book for the last 3 years.
We help landlords and property investors make money in property by coaching them in ways that work and which are of minimal risk.

I have been a landlord and property investor myself for over 25 years.
At LettingFocus we offer independent unbiased advice for property investors and landlords both on a one to one mentoring and coaching basis as well as through occasional group seminars.
Property syndicates and property advice in the UK is still largely unregulated and “advice” is more often more about making the promoter money than giving useful information
With no link to property firms, developers or bridging loan providers, at LettingFocus, we aim to give unbiased independent advice on where and what type of property to buy for investment, when to buy and how to buy property at a low price.
We also show you how to manage tenants properly and in ways that take up as little of your time as possible.

CHECK OUT THESE PAGES AT OUR SITE LETTINGFOCUS.COM:

THE HOME PAGE OF THIS BLOG click here: Blog
THE HOME PAGE OF OUR MAIN SITE click here: LettingFocus Home Page
NEXT SEMINAR AND NETWORKING EVENT for Landlords and Property Investors:
Next Property Investing Seminar and Networking Event
We have GREAT OFFERS on a range of products for landlords too; click here including landlords insurance, tenant referencing, tenancy agreements and more: Services and Products for Landlords
For general info on our SEMINARS AND CONSULTING click here: Property Seminars, Networking Evenings and Consulting
ONE TO ONE PRIVATE CONSULTING click here: Property Mentoring
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS from past customers click here: Testimonials
BUY THE BOOK click here: Buy the Book at Amazon

To JOIN our Free QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER simply send an email to david@LettingFocus.com - Please note we WILL NOT send spam or sell our mailing list to advertisers!

IF YOU HAVE A SITE WHY NOT LINK TO THIS BLOG OR OUR WEBSITE?

Selling services to landlords and property investors and have a national coverage? You could be a partner, please get in touch!
Copyright of Blog: David Lawrenson 2009. This blog is updated roughly once a week usually on a Monday or Tuesday.

Have you seen this article on a related topic: Buying Below Market Value

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Copyright: David Lawrenson 2007

Using a Property Company to Source Property Deals? Ask Them If They Have an Open Forum Where You Can Assess Past Investors Experience

If you are investing through a property company or other third party who sources deals, why not ask if they have an open internet forum where past investors / members can freely post comments - and which you can read up on before deciding to invest.
Most property companies do not have one, so the would be investor has no way of knowing what other investors experience has been - apart from looking them up on the net to see if any negative press exists. And for some of the big property companies, there is a lot of negative press in the press and out there on the net.
Please let us know if you know of any companies that have an open forum for members -and we can post them up here. email david@lettingfocus.com

MORE ABOUT LETTINGFOCUS

LettingFocus.com is the home of landlord information.
Hello, I’m David Lawrenson.
I’ve been a landlord and property investor myself for over 25 years and am author of “Successful Property Letting” – the UK’s top selling commercially published property book for the last 3 years.
Primarily, I work as a consultant to banks, local authorities, social housing providers and other organisations – helping them with their landlord facing or buy to let product strategies and services.
I also write for property websites and am regularly quoted by the media.
I have written articles, guides and documents on letting property and property investing for numerous publications including The Independent, The Telegraph and for quality landlord and property websites.

Services for Private Landlords

For private landlords and other investors in the private rented sector, we do two London seminars each year.
We also find some spare time to help landlords and property investors by coaching them in how to make money in the private rented sector using ways that work, which are ethical, fair to tenants and which involve minimal risk to the investor.
We pride ourselves on giving independent unbiased buy to let advice on either a one to one mentoring / coaching basis or through our occasional group seminars.
With no links to property firms, developers or bridging loan providers we can advise on where and what type of property to buy for investment and when to buy it. We also show you how to manage tenants properly.

AT OUR WEBSITE LETTINGFOCUS.COM:

THE HOME PAGE OF THIS BLOG click here: Blog
THE HOME PAGE OF OUR MAIN SITE click here: LettingFocus Home Page
For general info on our CONSULTING click here: Consultancy and Seminars
ONE TO ONE PRIVATE CONSULTANCY click here: Property Mentoring
NEXT SEMINAR AND NETWORKING EVENT for Landlords and Property Investors:
Next Property Investment Seminar and Networking Event
We have OFFERS on a range of services and products for landlords too; click here including landlords insurance, tenant referencing, tenancy agreements and more: Services and Products for Landlords
TO READ CLIENT TESTIMONIALS – both commercial and private click here: Testimonials
BUY “SUCCESSFUL PROPERTY LETTING” click here: Buy the Book at Amazon plus anything else you fancy at Amazon.co.uk

To JOIN our Free QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER simply send an email to david@LettingFocus.com - Please note we WILL NOT send spam or sell our mailing list to advertisers!

IF YOU HAVE A SITE WHY NOT LINK TO THIS BLOG OR TO OUR WEBSITE?
IF YOU SELL SERVICES TO LANDLORDS, YOU COULD BE A PARTNER ON OUR AFFILIATE PROGRAMME. PLEASE GET IN TOUCH!

See our TWITTER PAGE: http://twitter.com/LettingFocus

TO VIEW RELATED POSTS select a “Category” at the bottom of this page.
WANT TO ADD A COMMENT OR VIEW OLD COMMENTS?
To add a comment or view other people's comments on this post, simply click on “link to this post.”

Copyright: David Lawrenson 2007. Back to main site: www.lettingfocus.com

Property Millionaire in Months - And other Lies and Nonsense

Here is a reality check.
You can do well in property if you follow some sound principles but you can’t become a millionaire almost overnight. (Well you can, but you will also have a mortgage for a million pounds too!)
And yet, lots of very expensive seminars tell you it’s possible.
This is utter nonsense.
It cannot be done without taking silly risks.

The only people getting rich here are the seminar givers themselves - who also make money by selling property, arranging finance, conveyancing work and so on, right down the line.
Of the people I know who have been to these expensive property firm seminars, the biggest beef they have – apart from the high fees - was that the property they bought could not be let out for anywhere near the rent the promoters claimed.
In many cases there was no one to rent them to at all.
In last weeks’ broadsheet papers, I see lots of journos are writing about overseas property.
Their editors like these stories because it’s a chance to print a pretty picture of a beach somewhere – and the writers like them because the article copy can be cut and pasted from the property developer’s blurb.
But too few of these writers ever have a good look at who is actually going to rent these new builds and for what rent.
As you may know, I try to tell it like it is – which is what I will be doing at my speeches, seminars and consultancy.

MORE ABOUT LETTINGFOCUS AND WHAT WE DO

LettingFocus.com is the home of landlord information.
Hello, I’m David Lawrenson.
I’ve been a landlord and property investor myself for over 25 years and am author of “Successful Property Letting” – the UK’s top selling commercially published property book for the last 3 years.
I help private landlord investors (see more on this below) but these days I’m mainly a consultant to banks, local authorities, social housing providers and other organisations – helping them with their landlord facing or buy to let product strategies and services.
I also write for property websites and am regularly quoted by the media.
I have written articles, guides and documents on letting property and property investing for numerous publications including The Independent, The Telegraph and for quality landlord and property websites.

Services for Private Landlords
For private landlords and other investors in the private rented sector, we do two London seminars each year.
We also find some spare time to help landlords and property investors by coaching them in how to make money in the private rented sector using ways that work, which are ethical, fair to tenants and which involve minimal risk to the investor.
We pride ourselves on giving independent unbiased buy to let advice on either a one to one mentoring / coaching basis or through our occasional group seminars.
With no links to property firms, developers or bridging loan providers we can advise on where and what type of property to buy for investment and when to buy it. We also show you how to manage tenants properly.

AT OUR WEBSITE LETTINGFOCUS.COM:

THE HOME PAGE OF THIS BLOG click here: Blog
THE HOME PAGE OF OUR MAIN SITE click here: LettingFocus Home Page
For general info on our CONSULTING click here: Consultancy and Seminars
ONE TO ONE PRIVATE CONSULTANCY click here: Property Mentoring
NEXT SEMINAR AND NETWORKING EVENT for Landlords and Property Investors:
Next Property Investment Seminar and Networking Event
We have OFFERS on a range of services and products for landlords too; click here including landlords insurance, tenant referencing, tenancy agreements and more: Services and Products for Landlords
TO READ CLIENT TESTIMONIALS – both commercial and private click here: Testimonials
BUY “SUCCESSFUL PROPERTY LETTING” click here: Buy the Book at Amazon plus anything else you fancy at Amazon.co.uk

To JOIN our Free QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER simply send an email to david@LettingFocus.com - Please note we WILL NOT send spam or sell our mailing list to advertisers!

IF YOU HAVE A SITE WHY NOT LINK TO THIS BLOG OR TO OUR WEBSITE?
IF YOU SELL SERVICES TO LANDLORDS, YOU COULD BE A PARTNER ON OUR AFFILIATE PROGRAMME. PLEASE GET IN TOUCH!

See our TWITTER PAGE: http://twitter.com/LettingFocus

This blog is updated roughly once a week usually on a Monday or Tuesday.

WANT TO BE KEPT UPDATED WITH OUR LATEST BLOGS?
Over on the right hand side under all the previous blog entries you will find a button which says “Site Feed.” Simply copy the site feed link into your News Reader or News Aggregator.
If you have a website & are thinking of reproducing material here, that’s fine but we DO require a link to the blog to be included, including also all the links in this section. (The full article including all links must be available to ALL VIEWERS of your site and not restricted.)
TO VIEW RELATED POSTS select a “Category” at the bottom of this page.
WANT TO ADD A COMMENT OR VIEW OLD COMMENTS?
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Copyright: David Lawrenson 2007