The Property Podcast

What impact has coronavirus had on rental arrears? It’s safe to say that coronavirus has had the opposite effect on house prices than what we originally thought it would. But what about rental arrears?  Understandably, tenants have struggled more than ever to pay their rent. The government has even put in considerable measures to stop you from taking action against those tenants.  But what impact has the coronavirus actually had on rent arrears? Here’s what to expect on this week’s property podcast episode There’s been a lot of contradicting surveys out there which makes it harder to actually know what the real impact has been.  But Rob & Rob have recently come across a report from Pay Prop which gets into this data - and that’s what The Robs are going to be picking apart. The data looks at actual transactions from thousands of different tenants, so you can guarantee it to be more reliable than the numerous surveys asking landlords for their individual thoughts.  While the effects of coronavirus are being felt across the country, this led us into looking at tenant arrears as a whole.  If you’re a long-time listener, you’ll know that choosing where to invest is one of the most important things you need to consider when investing in property.  Because, believe it or not, there are a few areas in particular where a huge one in four tenants are in arrears.  Where are these areas?  That’s exactly what Rob & Rob are discussing on today’s episode.  Tune in to find out.   In the news  Maybe it’s the time of year, but we’ve come across one news headline that’s terrified us. ‘Boris Johnson’s 95% mortgages will put Britain back on course for a house price crash’. Like Rob B, many others thought it was going to support the market when in actual fact it’s going to cause a crash! However, like all good headlines, there is one major factor that The Guardian have missed out of this story.  The fact that 95% mortgages will first bring about a property boom and then a crash.  Which shouldn’t surprise you if you know how the 18-year property cycle works. There’s a crash after every boom. If that wasn’t enough, we’ve found another headline which might not seem as interesting, but has the potential to be a bigger story.  ‘John Lewis to build and furnish private rental properties’. The standard of the rental market seems to constantly be upping its game. And it seems that John Lewis wants a piece of the pie. The owners of the company also own Waitrose and therefore already own a lot of land and they want 40% of their annual income to come from somewhere other than retail. Hence why they’re turning to property.  Not only will all properties be furnished with John Lewis furniture, there will also be a food delivery service for tenants from Waitrose.  These are certainly going to be high-end properties.   Hub Extra  Do you hate cookies?  No, not the biscuit kind. The ones that pop up on every website you visit. Well, so does Rob B and after moaning about it to Rob D, he was introduced to this nifty little tool.  It’s a browser extension called I don’t care about cookies. It works across all major browsers, simply just install it and the majority of those annoying pop ups will be blocked.  So now the only cookies you need to concentrate on are those that you’re dunking into your brew.   Let’s get social We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do.   Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ask Rob & Rob we’re talking about buy-to-let mortgages with no income and whether Cardiff is a good investment hotspot.  So, our first question this week is from Michelle.  Michelle and her partner now have the money to invest in property and they think that now or January 2021 is the perfect time to purchase their first buy-to-let property. They’re not currently married and at the moment Michelle is a stay at home mum, but she does have a professional background.  She doesn’t have a mortgage in her name, so therefore thinks it makes sense to put the investment property in her name to avoid stamp duty costs. Her partner is also a 40% tax payer so it also makes sense for the rental income to come through Michelle.  But what Michelle now wants to know is, how can she get a mortgage without an income? Is it even possible? The second question this week has come in from Alex. He currently lives and invests in Cardiff as he believes it has all the fundamentals.  Alex has noticed that Rob & Rob have never touched on Cardiff, or any city in Wales for that matter, on any of the podcasts.  So he’s now wondering if that’s because The Robs don’t see Wales as a good investment location, or just because there are better opportunities in other cities.  Do Rob & Rob just not like Wales? Or is there a reason they’ve never chosen a Welsh city as one of their property hotspots? Tune in to find out.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).    Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is delayed gratification?  Back in the 1970’s a psychologist named Walter Mischel performed an experiment on children to monitor their behaviour.  He placed a marshmallow in front of them and told them if they didn’t eat that marshmallow by the time he came back in the room, they could have two.  You may have seen something similar doing the rounds on social media with parents trying a temptation test on their children.  The idea behind the experiment was to see if the children could resist having something pretty good right now, to gain something even better in the future.  That’s delayed gratification.  Here’s what to expect on this week’s property podcast episode  Believe it or not, delayed gratification plays a part in investing today. It means having money now, and not spending it so your life can be better in the future.  So in this week’s episode The Robs are going to share some real life examples of why it can be damaging not to delay gratification, and are also sharing their thoughts on how you can do it more successfully.  In these real life examples we’ll hear about one family who spent every penny they had coming in.  They would buy fancy cars, live in a big house, go on expensive holidays, but they didn’t have a savings pot for a rainy day.  On the other hand we have a guy who’s worked hard for eight years and sometimes thought about giving up. But he didn’t, he persevered and now he has his 10th property and is financially independent.  How can delayed gratification affect your property investment dreams?  Unfortunately, the majority of the country works like the first example.  We want everything handed to us, we want things quicker and we want them now. A lot of us aren’t willing to wait for the things we want, we’re a pretty impatient generation.  And of course, social media can play a big part in this. You may see someone on social media that’s living out your property investment dreams, or it at least looks that way. But it might not actually be true.  Sometimes your ego can get in the way of this. You may feel like you’re in competition with other people who are doing the same thing as you. And that’s where your downfall will be.  So, how can your ego and delayed gratification affect your property investment dreams?  Tune in to find out.   In the news This week we’ve got two news stories for you that we couldn’t not talk about.  The first is ‘Boris Johnson plans 95 per cent mortgage scheme’. In the latest conference a few weeks ago Boris Johnson seemed to put property at the top of the agenda and introduced generation buy.  In a nutshell, this seems to be a rebranded Help to Buy scheme trying to encourage mortgage providers to offer 95% mortgages.  The second news story we wanted to share is ‘House prices soar by 7.3% in September’ from the Halifax. This is the steepest annual increase since June 2016 according to their latest index. It’s absolutely bonkers that this is happening during a pandemic and we’ll certainly be going into more detail on this in the market update in a few weeks time.   Hub Extra For Hub Extra this week we’ve got a quote that ties in pretty well with today’s podcast topic and it’s from Abraham Lincoln. ‘Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most’. It’s all about what you want the most in the world and if you’re able to make short term sacrifices in order to obtain the thing you want the most.    Let’s get social We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to another episode of Ask Rob & Rob. First up this week is Matt from York. He’s a long-term listener and has finally got in touch to ask a question around stamp duty. Matt has a couple of houses that are currently under his personal name. So he’s wondering if now would be the ideal time to move those properties into a limited company?  The reason for this is that stamp duty is currently at its lowest and he’s wondering if it will be beneficial to move his properties into a limited company. Our second caller this week is someone we’ve called Samuel.  Unfortunately Samuel invested a lot of cash into his property education and has found that he’s not getting much more from that than what he’s getting for free from Property Hub.  After looking into the hotspots that we recommend, he’s wanting to know why Rob & Rob have never recommended Huddersfield as a place to invest?  There’s a university, the prices are pretty good and with the current market, he’s wondering if The Robs think now might be a good time to target Huddersfield?  So, do Rob & Rob think now is a good time to be moving your property over to a limited company? And do they think you should consider investing in Huddersfield? Tune in to find out.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).  Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solicitors. Can’t work with them, can’t work without them Believe it or not, solicitors are incredibly important to the success of your property investment journey.  So this week we thought we’d get a solicitor onto The Property Podcast to discuss what makes a great one.  You’ll also gain an insight into what actually happens during the conveyancing process and what you can do to make it go smoother. The Robs will also be discussing how you can make your investment journey a lot easier.  Here’s what to expect on this week’s property podcast episode The process of making a property purchase isn’t exactly the easiest or most glamorous of processes.  The conveyancing process can be long, frustrating, confusing and sometimes even leave you feeling like you’re going to lose out on your deal.  Solicitors quite often get a bashing in their line of work. And we’re holding our hands up, in the past we’ve said some uncomplementary things.  So this week on The Property Podcast we’ve got solicitor Afsheen Nasr who is a partner at Ronald Fletcher Baker to come and defend solicitors everywhere.  This episode is to give you a clearer understanding of what goes on during the conveyancing process and why it can take so long.  There’s actually some pointers for what you can do as a proeprty investor to speed up the process from your end.  As you’ll be aware, being able to complete on a property quickly can be a huge bargaining chip when negotiating.  Is a rapid conveyancing process even possible?  Tune in to find out.    In the news  It’s that time again, August’s Hometrack report has been released. As The Robs predicted at the beginning of the year, Manchester and Nottingham are at the top with an incredible 4% year-on-year increase.  Considering the year we’ve had, the data is actually telling us that it hasn’t been too bad. It definitely could have been a lot worse! It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the last quarter of the year.   Hub Extra This week’s Hub Extra tool might be something that you’re already using or something you’ve never even heard of. It’s IOS Shortcuts.  If there are certain things that you use all the time on a daily basis, instead of scrolling through to find the app, you can just click on the shortcut.  It’s incredibly handy and really time efficient.  And if any Android users thought they were getting left behind, Rob D has found you a similar tool to implement if you watch tutorials on YouTube.    Let’s get social We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Tuesday, so naturally that means The Robs are on hand.  The first question this week comes from James from St Albans.  He’s a new listener and has been bingeing all of the past episodes.  He’s been looking at new developments in key locations and gets the impression that they’re open to offers.  So now he’s looking to find out what Rob & Rob think would be a reasonable starting point for trying to negotiate a discount. And for others wondering the same, we’ve got a handy video on negotiating a discount on a property right here. Also, some of the developments he’s been looking at have fantastic on-site amenities, which in turn means they also come with a higher service charge fee.  James is wondering if he should be concerned about these charges or if they’re generally covered by the rental income?  Our second question this week comes in from Kathy who has a question about regulated tenancies.  She’s wondering why anyone would want to buy one as she seems to think that it means you can’t get rid of tenants if they stop paying the rent.  She’s seen some selling at auction for quite a bit over the asking price so she’s wondering if they’re a good type of investment or she should stay clear? What do Rob & Rob think of properties with a regulated tenancy? Tune in to find out.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).  Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The market update is back There’s loads that’s been happening in the past month that affects both property and the economy.  Which is great for us as that means this is going to be a jam packed episode. This month on the market update, Rob & Rob are going to be delving deep into: Inflation Interest rates  Evictions Property prices Here’s what to expect on this week’s podcast episode  The government has announced that there will be no autumn budget. This is because things are constantly changing and it’s impossible to know how much they’re going to be spending.  This is actually a good thing for property investors as a few people were worried about capital gains tax.  Instead of the autumn budget, the Chancellor has announced that there will instead be the winter economy plan. This will revolve around additional support measures from the government.  The VAT cut for the hospitality and tourism sector has been extended until March - which is a positive for businesses that have been hit hard.  That’s just a teaser of what’s in-store for you today. There’s plenty more where that came from, so make sure you tune in!   The Property Hub Magazine We really mean it this time. You’ve only got until the 9th October to subscribe to the magazine to receive the November/December issue.  It’s £5 every two months and, as soon as you subscribe you’ll have access to the whole back catalogue of every issue we’ve ever done. This issue is all about the lessons learnt in 2020 and let’s face it, there’ve been a few!  Not only that, but if you’re a rugby fan, there’s also an interview with legend Ollie Philips following his property investment journey.  So, if you want to get ahead of the game, make sure you subscribe now!   YouTube If the magazine wasn’t enough, make sure you’ve checked out our latest YouTube video.  It gives you SIX different ways that you can raise cash to invest in property. Which lets face it, is the number one barrier for most people getting started.  It can be challenging and take time, but it will be worth it. So make sure you go give it a watch.   Let’s get social We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob & Rob are back again to answer two more property questions from our lovely Hubber community. To kick-start this week we’ve got Dami. She’s a 20-year old student living in Aberdeen and due to graduate this year. She’s hoping to move out of home a year after she graduates and during this year she’s aiming to save around £15,000 - £20,000. This will be the first time she’s left home and is wondering if she should use that money to buy her own place or invest it in something else.  Dami doesn’t want to rush into anything and wants to make the right choice for her situation. But she’s also wondering if she should wait a few years until she’s a little bit older.  Is age really a factor when it comes to buying property? Next we’ve got Luke from South Wales who’s got a question about pets.  He’s about to acquire his second rental property and has already had an interested tenant reach out to him.  She currently lives next door to the property with her parents but has told Luke that she has four dogs at the moment and is about to gain a fifth.  Normally Luke doesn’t allow pets in his properties. However this potential tenant seems like they could be a long term tenant and has even said they’d be happy to pay more rent because of the dogs.  So, what do Rob & Rob think Luke should do?  Tune in to find out.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).  Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Robert Kiyosaki to Ray Dalio No, unfortunately Ray Dalio hasn’t joined Rob & Rob on this week’s episode of The Property Podcast. That would have been epic though!  Even Rob B confessed he might not have been able to get through that interview without being starstruck and giggling the whole way through.  However, if you follow Ray Dalio on LinkedIn then you’ll have seen he’s been sharing some amazing insights via video this year. But they can be quite hard to understand and digest.  So, Rob & Rob have done the leg work for you and are about to summarise what Ray has been saying.  They’ll be talking about the US a lot, but what happens there affects the whole world. So stay tuned. Dissecting the thoughts of Ray Dalio on The Property Podcast  Economics can be an absolute minefield when you know aspects of it, but don’t completely understand it.  Thankfully it’s a topic that The Robs are incredibly passionate about and have kindly dissected Ray Dalio’s work into a more digestible version.  Here’s what The Robs are discussing on today’s podcast, thanks to Ray Dalio:  Debt cycles  The first topic is the short-term debt cycle. This is also known as ‘the business cycle’ and it repeats every eight years. This consists of: Debt-driven expansion... Over-optimism… Contraction/recession.   Because these happen so often people tend to understand them pretty well. And it’s something that Ray Dalio covers in his popular video, ‘How the Economic Machine Works’. The bigger deal is the long-term debt cycle.  Now this cycle is considered more important but it’s more poorly understood and that’s because it lasts roughly 75 years.  This is the lengthy one that you’re going to want to wrap your head around so you’ll want to grab a pen and paper for this part.  The current debt cycle Yes, it’s happening right now. So once Rob & Rob have walked you through the different stages of the long-term debt cycle, they’re going to put it into real terms.  They’re going to take a look at how it’s currently playing out, particularly in America, and what stage of the cycle we’re at.  What does it mean for us? As well as the long-term debt cycle, Ray describes how global power shifts between different countries over time.  But what does this all mean for us here in the UK?  To find that out, you’re going to have to tune into this episode to find out. You may even end up listening to it more than once! Enjoy!   This week’s news  This is where we would usually give you a link to a news article and Rob & Rob would discuss (or tear it apart) on the podcast. But this week we’re not giving you one.  That’s because this week is usually when we have our Market Update episode and The Robs delve into everything that’s been going on in the world over the past month.  They’ve decided to push that back to next week. So, to give you a teaser, you can expect to hear all about the potential of negative interest rates, and why up to 6% of homes in England could be unmortgageable right now.  It’s going to be a good one so make sure you tune in next week.   Hub Extra  If today’s episode hasn’t completely exhausted every brain cell you have, then we’ve got just the resource tool for you.  Of course, it’s Ray Dalio’s articles that we’ve discussed in today’s episode.  If you’re ready to take your economic knowledge to the next level then these will certainly get you there.   The Property Hub Magazine  As Rob B mentioned in today’s episode, if you subscribe to the magazine now you’ll be on the list in time to receive the November/December issue.  And yes, he was right, this issue is all about the lessons learnt in 2020 and let’s face it, there’s been a few!  Naturally it’ll tie in with when Rob & Rob review their predictions from the beginning of the year.  There might even be an insight as to what to expect next year. So, if you want to get ahead of the game, make sure you subscribe now!   Let’s get social We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Tuesday, and that means Rob & Rob are here to answer two more fantastic property related questions. So hold onto your hats! The first caller to get in touch this week is Matt.  Matt previously bought his residential apartment as a long-term investment opportunity. The apartment is located in central London, near the Olympic Park.  There’s currently tonnes of investment going on in and around the area with two new hotels being built, BBC studios, the new VNA museums and different universities moving into the area as well.  He currently has a lodger that pays £1,000 per month which massively helps towards the bills and is helping him to save money for when he wants to move out of London.  However Matt is now concerned that with the way the future of working is going, he wouldn’t be surprised if businesses moved to smaller office spaces and we end up seeing more remote working.  He’s been doing his research into Zoopla reports and now he’s wondering if he should ride it out or get out whilst he still can.  Next up we’ve got Clara who’s wanting to know what Rob & Rob would advise when looking to prepare for a market crash. Would they suggest remortgaging and pulling any money out and keeping that money in cash, or keeping it somewhere else?  Ultimately, how do you make sure you’re protected for the inevitable? For the first time in Ask Rob & Rob history, The Robs have refused to answer this question.  Tune in to find out why!   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).  Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.