Property Investment Advice

In our view it is always a good time to invest in property. However, the current turmoil in the property market means that property prices are at a low.

Most new-build development has virtually come to a stand-still and before long there is likely to be a shortage of property available - which will push prices up again. Property prices may fall slightly again in 2009, but the general view is that it will then bottom out and remain steady for a couple of years. Buying now, especially if you benefit from the discount secured by Fast-Track, means you are very well placed to take advantage of the growth that will come over the next 5-10 years. For some interesting data about investing in property, visit Investment Property.

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The discounts offered by Fast-Track are set against current values. Values are usually confirmed by independent RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) valuations and/or comparable evidence of recently sold properties. However, any valuation is simply one person's opinion. Commission 3 separate surveyors to value any property ... and you are likely to get 3 different valuations. You recommend that you carry out your own research to satisfy yourself that you're buying at a good price.

With limited mortgage options in today's market, it's virtually impossible to buy new-build property without a 35% deposit. In addition, the large discounts required to construct a no-money down deal are just no longer available.

You may see some deposit-paid schemes available for re-sale properties, but they tend to be located in the poorer areas of the North. You may typically find you need to spend large sums on the properties to make them suitable for tenants.

However, there's good news when you invest in Off Plan Property. Fast-Track is an approved introducer to the Deposit Guarantee Scheme backed by Zurich. With the scheme you can secure a new property that's 1-4 years off plan, without having to pay your deposit until completion. You simply pay a relatively small fee to the Zurich scheme, and exchange on the property with no deposit. You fix the purchase price at today's value with the potential for capital growth during the next few years ... without the hassle of paying a mortgage or having a tenant in place ... and your deposit stays in your bank. Visit Investment Property Funding to learn more.

Fast-Track Property are not mortgage brokers, but have close links with experienced professionals who help you obtain funding. Visit Investment Property Funding. We can put you in touch with them from the outset, so that you can establish what options are available to you, before starting to purchase property.

At Fast-Track we obtain rental assessments from local agents before we launch the property ... and in some cases we offer rental guarantees.

However, the rental market constantly changes and a rent achievable one month, may not be achievable in the next. In our experience of managing our own properties, it is important to get the property let as quickly as possible, even if that means dropping the rent slightly. I have always found dropping the rent to meet market demand will give me a quick tenant. The rent can always be increased later.

We believe that the personal touch sets us apart from other property brokers. You will hear from one of our team shortly after registration. At that stage we will discuss your requirements, identifying your time scales, budgets, locations considered and any other relevant issues that you would like to discuss.

We do not charge a joining fee. All information is FREE. Unlike other investment property companies, we do not ask you to pay to come to a seminar, or join the 'buyers club'.

We charge a finders fee of 2.5% of the property price plus VAT with a minimum of £2,995 plus VAT. In some cases we also receive a fee from the Vendor. Our sales prospectus for the property clearly shows any fees that are payable.

You should only commit to buying any property once you have carried out your own research, you're confident you can arrange the finance, all your questions have been answered and that your mind is at ease. If you are not 100% comfortable, we prefer that you DO NOT proceed. Visit How It Works for more detail.

0845 095 6900

Yes. One of the reasons for the discounts is that the Vendor can save costs by our having just one solicitor representing several purchasers. Our panel of solicitors are competitively priced, due to the amount of conveyancing they carry out on our behalf.

Equally important is working with solicitors who can deal with the BMV and new-build transactions. The 28 days timescale to completion requires experienced solicitors.

There are many technical differences between a buy-to-let mortgage and a residential mortgage. The two main differences are the loan to value and affordability.

Whereas with a residential mortgage you can typically borrow 90-95% of the value of the property with a buy-to-let mortgage you can currently only borrow a maximum of 75% of the value. Like a residential mortgage the amount you're able to borrow is also influenced by the ability to repay the loan. However, in the case of buy-to-let, your affordability is generally calculated by rental income and not your earned income.

Rental calculations vary from lender to lender. As a general rule, most lenders look for the monthly rental income to cover 125-130% of the mortgage payment.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Fast-Track Property is not providing financial advice regulated by the Financial Services Authority. All information provided has been obtained solely from our own experience of purchasing property and is provided as general information only. As such it is not intended for use as a source of investment advice. Before making any decisions based on the information provided, you should consult with either the specialist advisors we introduce to you, or take independent legal and financial advice.

Your Portfolio Manager is there to help you through the process in any way possible. In addition, we have a team of Sales Progressors, whose job is to help coordinate all parties to ensure that the exchange and completion deadlines are met as smoothly as possible.

As part of the service to you, we also source local letting agents before completion to give a kick-start to the process of finding a tenant for your new property.

Yes, absolutely. We are governed by the Data Protection Act 1998 and are mindful of the security of all personal data held. it is all treated with the utmost confidentiality. No data will be given or transferred to any other party without your agreement in advance.