Category Archives: Interest rates

Credit Unions, the new banks?

Credit Unions, the new banks?
Landlords, in common with the majority of the population, are viewing the coming budget with trepidation. Apart from the feared cuts and tax hikes that will affect all the population, the residential landlord is steeling himself for the announcement of a massive rise in Capital Gains Tax. What better time then, for the average landlord to appraise his financial situation and spend some time looking at different areas where he can ease his financial situation.
First of all he can look at […]

Should the State be responsible for Building new Properties?

Should the State be responsible for Building new Properties?
Today the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne will potentially address the public for the last time to announce his Autumn Statement. However, even though the Chancellor has yet to officially announce his plans as well as the current condition of the UK economy there have already been rumours concerning his statement. This has prompted other MPs to voice their opinions on how the UK can improve, with Danny Alexander – Chief Secretary to the Treasury – […]

Making sure your Tax Affairs are in Order

No-one likes paying taxes, however it is something that we all have to do. Over the past few months PropertyQuoteDirect has written numerous articles concerning landlords and tax, as by paying the wrong amount you could end up with a fine or even facing prosecution. On the other hand, you could actually be paying too much tax, especially if you are not declaring certain deductibles such as letting agent fees and landlord insurance. So how can landlords make sure that their tax affairs are in […]

Are Mortgage Approvals really Decreasing?

Are Mortgage Approvals really Decreasing? Right now it seems as though no-one can really agree on what the government, Bank of England or Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) should do to prevent another housing bubble. With the economy starting to improve and the government creating new schemes such as Help to Buy, the UK property market has been booming over the past six months. However, a number of industry experts are concerned that the market is unsustainable and could even return to the state it was […]

How Landlords can stay on the right side of the HMRC

Earlier this week the HMRC announced that they are launching a new online tutorials aimed specifically at those who work in the private rental sector. A few years ago it was revealed that the HMRC was owed millions of pounds by those in the private rental sector as many landlords had failed to fill in their self-assessment forms properly. So what does the HMRC’s new scheme mean for landlords and how can you stay on the right side of them?

How Landlords can prepare for the next General Election

How Landlords can prepare for the next General Election – Over the past few weeks PropertyQuoteDirect has mentioned the next General Election in a number of our blog and news articles, mainly due to the fact that whatever happens in the next twelve months will have a huge impact on the private rental sector. Therefore, it is wise for landlords to start protecting their businesses now, however how can this be done and what changes do landlords realistically need to protect themselves against? Here, PropertyQuoteDirect […]

How Landlords can Protect their Finances

How Landlords can Protect their Finances – This week has been extremely busy for landlords, as George Osborne announced his plans for the UK economy in the Budget 2014. Naturally, there are points that some are happy with – such as the fact that non UK residents will soon also have to pay Capital Gains Tax – however there are others which are raising concerns.
This is why many landlords are now taking the time to make sure that their finances and investments are secure. Here, […]

Help to Buy Made Easy

 
With phase two of the Help to Buy scheme recently launched there is some confusion as to what is on offer and who is eligible for what. With this in mind we have come up with a guide so landlords can find out what buyers can get from the scheme and how this may alter the market in the next couple of years.
The second phase of the Help to Buy scheme was launched earlier on in the year, which means that properties worth up to […]

Understanding a Buy-to-Let Mortgage

 
Understanding a Buy-to-Let Mortgage – With generation rent well and truly here those who have some money and want to invest may be looking to the property market. However, if you have never thought about it before it can be a little daunting knowing where to start, so here is a guide to a better understanding of what a buy to let mortgage is. At least then that is one less thing you have to worry about.
First things first, with the competition high for rental […]

Landlords and Mortgages

Landlords and Mortgages
Over the past few months there have been numerous news stories regarding the Bank of Ireland and how they have implemented massive interest rate increases for the majority of their tracker and variable mortgages. We have also heard that some landlords are starting to struggle when it comes to interest only mortgages, as many have failed to budget in order to pay back the loan once the interest only term is over. So here we look at the importance of mortgages for landlords […]