Mark My Words

Progressive Property Co-Founder, Mark Homer takes over the podcast and is joined by Property expert and Co-founder and Managing Director of Progressive Lets, Wayne Beecham. Together they discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the property industry and the challenges landlords, tenants and agents are facing and how they can overcome them. Don’t miss the on this must-listen episode.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 

Q. How are you handling the Coronavirus situation and what are you doing in your businesses at the moment?

1. At the moment from a letting agency's point of view, from both how the business operates and managing the financials of a business and also how it affects each individual landlord and tenant. From the business point of view, we are going into a hibernation mode where we are prioritising what jobs are important and what fundamentally needs to be done and to make sure we are protecting the income of the business. From a business point of view, we’re working on reducing our overheads, as well as evaluating problems such as tenants not being able to pay their rents and the impact that may have on the landlords and the action landlords need to take to ensure they can still profitably run their property portfolio.

 

Q.How’re you dealing with tenants being unable to pay their rent?

1. First of all, we need to assess each individual tenant, it is very easy especially with a three-month ban on evictions is making sure the tenant is not being an opportunist at this time. First of all, we have had to assess whether the tenants are affected by this and they have got a list of documents, queries and questions to answer to ensure that they are being affected, from there it is about educating and finding a solution to that problem.

 

Q. What would you do if a tenant decided to stop paying their rent?

1. If the tenant has had a change in circumstances it is a case of evaluating the situation, so exactly what has happened? And what sort of situation they are in? What losses are they currently encountering and how can we deal with that situation? You do have to evaluate each individual tendency depending on the situation they are currently in.

Q. Is now a good time to sell?

1. Now is a terrible time to sell. You’re not going to find any buyers because agents are shut, any buyers that are here are probably scared about their job, mortgages and what will happen to property prices. If you can hold on, get it to let and maybe take less rent and trade your way through it. The worst thing to be at the moment is to be a seller.

Q.Are you scared about this crisis or do you see an opportunity?

1. It doesn’t help to be scared, the best thing to do is to plan, or out hat the new world looks like, get in really early and or really hard and modify your business and take advantage of the opportunities that are inevitably going to appear. In times where there are big shifts like this where there are big money transfers and this happened in 2008/2009, a big transfer took place, an it will happen again this time so you need to be ready. You need to be alert, learning, surround yourself (metaphorically =) with god people, and educate yourself through this period and learn from the best.

 

BEST MOMENTS

“By helping and assisting your tenant to pursue getting all the help that they possibly can ensure that there is income owing in assisting both the tenant and the landlord”

“As and when travel restrictions are lifted, opportunities will come about”

“I don’t think it really helps to be scared”

“The world is changing, and you have to grasp these new opportunities” and set your sail in the new direction”

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

 

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, as well as co-authoring the UK’s best selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle,  and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

 

CONTACT THE HOST

• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Mark My Words podcast, hosted by Progressive Property Co-Founder and expert investor, Mark Homer. Tune in to an exclusive anything goes Q&A, Mark answers listeners burning questions from the best way to get into property to what he is currently buying and selling in this uncertain time. Don’t miss this one-off special.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Q. What is the best way to get into property with limited money?

      A. The quickest way would be to find a partner who you can work with or possibly do a rent to rent deal whereby you are leasing properties from another landlord and then subletting rooms out. You could also do a JV with landlords where you can source properties for them and get into it that way using their money.

Q. Will the world be the same after COVID-19?

      A. I very much doubt it, I think people will want more protection when traveling. They are probably not going to get on a plane in the same way, they will be using more sanitisation products. Until we can get a vaccine I think people will behave differently.

Q. How do you recommend finding a JV partner during the lockdown?

      A. I think online is perfect. You are going to be having a lot of virtual relationships online because you cannot go out and meet people. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are good ways. You can make lots of calls virtually on Zoom or Skype.

Q. If you’re starting out in property now what strategy would you use and when?

      A. If you can buy serviced accommodation units or hotels provided you have an experience that is a way forward. If you are inexperienced I think sticking with single lets or HMO is still a good idea, just ease yourself into it gently by doing only one. You will probably face some issues initially with getting people to move and buying property in this three month period. Learn as much as you can online, download study packs and get ready.

Q. What are you currently buying and selling?

      A. I am not buying anything at the moment, I am developing a number of apartments and I have another one in the planning.

Q. What shares and stocks are a must-buy?

      A. You could buy individual stock. If you are looking for a five to ten-year horizon then you could probably do well out of it. If you’re worried they will go down again then I wouldn’t buy right now. If you are not experienced you may want to buy a FTSE tracker fund or something like that where they put you into a nice spread of the market with very low fees.

 

BEST MOMENTS

“Cash is king right now”

“Educate yourself, and get ready”

 

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

 

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Join Rob Moore and Mark Homer as they cover unchartered territory in this exclusive Q&A as they talk about what is affecting us all in this uncertain time.

They talk about  the current property market and

• The implications and complications that isolation has
• How to continue trade to keep business going and 
• How they are personally navigating through these uneasy times. 

This Q&A is ideal if you are worried or just simply intrigued about property, business or how others are handling the current global pandemic 

 

Here are some of your questions and topics this duo has covered:

 

• Right now, should you be buying a property? 
• Will interest rates go negative?
• Should you be considering  extending  credit from your suppliers?
• Rob and Mark give you their tips and suggestions on overcoming procrastination
• PLUS the secret of Robs coffee order is revealed!

 

 

Progressives founders are leading the way to show you it is ok to feel lost and challenged in your business right now and how this year can be a pivotal moment for you and your future. It is all about prioritising and this is definitely one to prioritise as you receive industry insights AND all questions are on the table! 

 

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Progressive Podcast Supporter Programme - http://bit.ly/PPsupporter

Life Leveraged Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Leverage-Outsource-Everything-Lifestyle/dp/1473640288

Mark Homer LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1/?originalSubdomain=uk

Mark My Words - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mark-my-words-podcast/id1165370399

Mark Homer Twitter - https://twitter.com/markprogressive?lang=en

 

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

 

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

 

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Everyone has a passion or a belief; something that drives them to be who they are. It’s a concept known as ‘Fire In The Belly’, explored further by Pete Lonton this week, when he discusses the driving forces behind the success of his special guest, our host Mark Homer.

In this episode, Mark explains what “fire in the belly” means to him, as well as the purpose behind his mantra: “Focus like a laser on one thing, and become the best at it"

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• You need to invest in things you understand, and in which you can, to some extent control. Mark sees far too many get-rich-quick schemes that promise much, but deliver little. Each opportunity contains a truth at its centre. It’s about find that truth and deciding if it’s a fit for you.

 

• Mark was trained at an early age to always play the long game. Saving was a big part of his childhood, and delayed gratification was a value instilled into him by his frugal father. Patience is a quality that has served him well.

 

• Networking with the right people allows Mark to constantly learn and grow. By providing value to the people around him, and by drawing value for them, Mark is perpetually developing.

 

• Investment is largely based around logic. Many of Mark’s successes have been built upon his instinctual talent with numbers, and his highly efficient systems based on data.

 

• Logic sometimes has to take a backseat though. there are times when Mark calls upon his gut instincts to make decisions. But as he explains, these feelings are always based upon experience, which in itself, is a logical choice.

 

• Hard work and self-sufficiency are the main values that Mark is hoping to instil into his own children. The greatest gift anyone can be given is self-reliance.

 

• You can develop yourself if you apply yourself. Baby steps that take you forward, and playing the long game with patience, are essential components for success, development and happiness.

 

• You’re often best-off doing what you know. For Mark and his business partner, Rob Moore, the founding of Progressive property has allowed them to see where they belong, and has made them recognise that the skills and talents they possess are best suited to the company they have founded.

 

• Stagnation is always a business-killer. Look for the opportunities to grow, even in the smallest areas. Be the best you can possibly be.

 

• Ego drives Mark to a certain extent. Pride should be taken in achievement, and it should also be used as a barometer for future opportunities.

BEST MOMENTS

• ‘I love finding the truth of an investment’
• ‘I don’t like being frivolous. It makes me feel sick’
• ‘People like that are inspiring’
• ‘Gut feeling is the distillation of all the things you’ve learned over the years’
• ‘If you buy into that then you’re not going to be successful’
• ‘Words are only so effective’
• ‘You’ve got to keep it fresh’ 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Mark Homer LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1/?originalSubdomain=uk

Mark My Words - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mark-my-words-podcast/id1165370399

Mark Homer Twitter - https://twitter.com/markprogressive?lang=en

ABOUT THE GUEST

The ‘Mighty Pete Lonton’ from the ‘Mighty 247’ company is your main host of ‘Fire In The Belly’. 

Pete is an Entrepreneur, Mentor, Coach, Property Investor and father of 3 beautiful girls. Pete’s background is in Project Management and Property, but his true passion is the ‘Fire In The Belly’ project itself. His mission is to help others find their potential and become the mightiest version of themselves. Pete openly talks about losing both of his parents, suffering periods of depression, business downturn and burn-out, and ultimately his years spent not stoking ‘Fire In the Belly’. In 2017, at 37 years of age that changed and he is now on a journey of learning, growing, accepting and inspiring others.

Pete has the ability to connect with people and intuitively asks questions to reveal a person’s passion and discover how to live their mightiest life. The true power of ‘Fire In the Belly’ is the Q&As - Questions and Actions!

The ‘Fire In The Belly’ brand and programme is rapidly expanding into podcasts, seminars, talks, business workshops, development course and rapid results mentoring.

CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/mightypetelonton/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-lonton-4b83184

https://www.facebook.com/groups/430218374211579/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

 

CONTACT METHOD

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Join in a LIVE property Q&A discussion with one of the UK’s most experienced investors. Take a seat at an intimate insider property session with Progressive Property co-founder and Mark My Words host, Mark Homer and discover his insider predictions on the UK property market, the shape of current investments, property price predictions and new legislation. If you’re looking to get a head start in property, this is the episode for you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

How difficult is it to raise the value of a certain area?

• Developers often do this when they develop a larger site. They will do all the infrastructure, road networks and landscaping which will lift the values. I have never seen anybody achieve that by doing it on an individual property by property basis.

 

How are you finding the market purchasing at the moment?

• I haven’t bought anything for the last six months, however, I do talk to many people. It depends where you are and what you’re looking for. I had some people telling me that the deal flow was really good at the moment. I think the possibility of a no-deal Brexit had ruined a lot of the sales up. If you’re finding it difficult, I would suggest looking at your supply lines. Get more agents, create leaflets and send them out once a month over the next six months. You should then find improvements in that area.

 

Can you see any new legislation coming out that will disrupt the market at all?

• The only thing I have seen was a planning appeal whereby a council told owners that they couldn’t use the property as C3, it is C1 so they required planning consent. Which I thought was bad, but people seem to be carrying on as normal. Other legislation such as section 21, meaning that you’re not going to evict tenants for any reason, it will have to be for misuse of the property or non-payment of rent. I believe there will be more selective or additional licensing and more enforcement. There are lots of changes to leasehold properties, the ground rent is going to be set at zero for new ones.

 

Are there any general tips you can give on making the transition to the next level up in property?

• You really need to end up with a margin on cost no lower than 20% once you’re at the end, which may be 30% when you’re starting out. I think it is a couple of units you can do with permitted developments, on your early ones it might be a good idea to go with a smaller unit and convert them. Sometimes you will have to pay more for those. It’s all in how much you buy it for, if you buy it cheap enough then you can almost go through this whole “university degree” with making all the mistakes through the project and come out the other end alright if you got it cheap enough.

 

I’ve got lots of agents interested in investment, how can I convince them to invest?

• Go and sit in front of every single agent at least once every two weeks. Try and get them out and have really strong relationships with them. They are having deals but they’re going in other directions. When you don’t get any results for three months, with leafleting and talking to agents just keep rolling. They have to get the leaflets through the door at least three or four times.

 

 

BEST MOMENTS

“Get more agents, create leaflets and send them out once a month over the next six months.”

“I think the possibility of a no-deal Brexit had ruined a lot of the sales”

“You can make all the mistakes through the project and come out the other end alright if you got it cheap enough.”

 

ABOUT THE HOST

 

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

 

CONTACT METHOD

 

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

It’s a very special crossover episode this week, entrepreneur, investor, and tax expert Shaz Nawaz returns to Mark My Words! Listen in where they discuss everything from current projects and deals, tax strategies that have worked, the ways in which business can serve the community, and some of the tax misconceptions that might be needlessly costing you money.  

The whole conversation is presented for you today!  

  

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

 

• A No-Money-Down strategy has worked for Shaz lately. He’s just begun a project involving the building of several properties in a development, without spending any of his own capital. They say “money down doesn’t work”, but Shaz and Mark are of a very different opinion.  

• Previously, there was no tax to pay on dividends until you used up your basic rate and that’s why people used a corporate partner. That’s also why the rules were changed in 2014.  

• Large corporates can be brought to places like Peterborough, because the students who study at the university there, are highly desirable in terms of hiring potential. This creates jobs, which in turn benefits the city.  

• Not everything can go right all the time. Sometimes things go wrong. You can’t prepare for every failure, but you can learn from them.  

• Shaz predicts that councils will soon own more of their own stock, and that housing-associations will diminish. The profit can then go back to the councils, which means more public spending, which is a complete win.  

• People should always look into as many tax reliefs os possible, especially hybrid reliefs. Shaz recommends that use of home office for your business can stretch to several rooms, and therefore be larger, if you are holding stock at your home.  

• Saving money through tax is far more economical for you. If you save £138,000 through your business, then you may only end up with half that due to those savings being taxed. But if you save that amount through tax, then it’s all yours. 

 

BEST MOMENTS 

‘Money down doesn’t work - but obviously it does for you!’ 

‘We can’t have our cake and eat it all of the time’  

‘You flatter. Not to deceive!’  

‘You create a circular economy’  

‘It’s reinvention in a different way’  

‘You shouldn’t let the tax tail wag the dog'  

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

 

Mark My Words Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mark-my-words-podcast/id1165370399  

 

ABOUT THE GUEST

Shaz Nawaz is a serial entrepreneur; he owns five thriving businesses in diverse sectors.  

Shaz is committed to helping business owners build successful businesses. Having conducted over 3,000 business growth consultation he has helped his clients generate millions in additional profits. His purpose is to inspire business owners to build businesses that are hugely profitable and sustainable.  

He is a huge advocate of having multiple streams of income. He has written a number of business books and regularly contributes articles to mainstream media outlets.  

 

You can find Shaz on:  

Facebook
 

LinkedIn
 

Instagram
 

YouTube.
 

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined. 

CONTACT METHOD

• Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Don’t wait on the sideline for things to happen, get ahead of the game and make 2020 your year. If you’re looking for expert advice on property prices, interest rates and the state of the economy this episode is for you. Discover Mark’s top 5 predictions for 2020 and find your opportunity to make a profit. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Towards the end of 2020, we're going to see improvements in the economy. London has been falling 20%, 25%, 30% in some areas, you've got Kensington, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, they've all dropped, probably because they went too far, but also the fact that lots of foreign buyers have not been purchasing because they've been waiting on the sidelines for Brexit to happen.
2. Rents will rise between 5% and 10%. In 2019 the government has attacked landlord, George Osborne introduced clause 24, stamp duty went up and there have been lots of new regulations for landlords. We can see all of this exacerbating, getting pushed into the marketplace and now we're seeing the results, there is less supply of rental property, there are fewer properties available to rent with slightly more or significantly more tenants chasing fewer properties and, therefore, the only thing that can happen is rents will rise.
3. UK interest rates to remain flat through 2020 and we have had a surprise in the market today, in the economy got smaller by point .1%  (Nov 19), but because that surprised the market a little bit, the market has a greater expectation that interest rates may fall ever slightly at the next monetary policy committee meeting. However, I don't think you're going to get much movement at all in 2020.
4. Banks will become more aggressive in 2020. At the end of 2019, we went into a period where banks got quite jittery, and that was because of the yield curve inverted.
5. Classic car values have fallen over the past 3 years in the UK and it’s expected stop, however higher value cars will reduce in price and that will be a great investment strategy.
6. 2020 we've got the US election Trump is running again. Things will probably move around significantly if he ends up going. He probably has created higher growth. People in the USA say, the amount of regulation on business and tax on business has reduced significantly and this is stoking growth.

BEST MOMENTS

• “2020 may see a bit of growth in central enterprises.”
• “Whilst fewer landlords are looking to purchase, there are also plenty looking to dispose of their property portfolios as well because they can't necessarily go into a limited company or they see that licensing or regulation changes.”
• “If the government makes it more difficult to buy buy-to-let properties and put landlords off and tell them they're going to tax them more and the papers keep smashing them, fewer landlords to buy and more will look to dispose off their rental properties, therefore, there are fewer properties available, the same or more amount of tenants chasing them and thus prices to go up.”
• “Deflationary pressure comes about through lack of investment, lack of economic growth, and therefore, the government or the Bank of England is more likely, because they can't reduce interest rates anymore, they got nowhere to go, the only thing they can do is start printing money or creating bonds and then re-buying them increasing the money supply, which is called quantitative easing, or QE.”
• “In times of higher uncertainty, or where people are predicting a recession, people will throw money at US government bonds because they see it as the safest place to put the money.”
• “A lot of people would agree that a really good predictor of a recession is an inverted yield curve.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

• https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined. 

CONTACT METHOD

• Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Tune in to hear two of the UK’s property experts discuss all things property. In today’s episode, your host, Mark Home interviews Experienced Investor, Best-Selling Author & Founder of Property Investing Network & CrowdProperty.com, Simon Zutshi. Mark and Simon discuss what they’ve been up to in the property world, the strategies they’re currently using, where to invest and how they both raise finance in very different and unique ways. Hear both Simon and Mark’s journey into property, how they started out and how they’re planning for the future. Listen and learn the insider secrets to successful UK property investing and take away with you the knowledge and advice of two of the most successful UK property millionaires.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Q&A With Simon Zutshi

 

How does cram property work? I think it's still quite interesting. Peer to peer lending and crowdfunding is still relatively new. I think most people in the UK might have heard of it, but haven't done it. And the UK is actually the pioneer of it. So about 6 years ago, I was at a business event. I always invest in myself. I always try to learn more. Getting around like-minded people. I was at an event which was kind of a future, a future trend something. And I was talking about peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding. And I thought I didn't really know what it was. I'll explain that you people bring projects, said it might for a business or to raise money for a record or a new product, whatever it is. And the crowd come and fund it. And at that time, I was doing quite the size deals you are doing Mark but I was converting care homes up north into like 20 25 flats and things. And I was generally using my money and other people's money, which is one thing we teach people how to do. I believed that traditional banks who traditionally would fund developments. In the last couple of years, they are not seeking into… And they really wanna make you jump through the hoops… And I thought, there's gonna be an easier way. So, I was mainly funding things through private money. And I realized, I would like to build my 1 lending 50 grand to do my projects. A lot of people in my database didn't have that kind of money but would love to get a better return on their investment. So, I thought, could I solve two problems at the same time? Could I help developers who are struggling to get the debt part of their deals and then also help a normal consumer get much better on their money and all those activities regulated by the FCA? So we put together a peer-to-peer lending platform. And obviously, we've got lots of people who have done our training. And you are draining who are finding great deals. And then we help funds those deals, very very quickly. And actually, we are... no matter how we're funding. We have them two funding from the crowd. We also got a couple of institutions who put in money in as well. And it's a way of cutting out the bank, cutting out the middle man. So, this is effectively development finance... short term. It is kind of similar to bridging but much quicker and I think it's fast reliable finance.

So, it is much quicker than bridging, why is that? Because what we do is... so people will come to us and they will say, "Well, I've got this great project." And in five minutes, they can fill in a form. Literally, 12 boxes. And within you say 24 hours, we can say, "Yes, we can find it or not." So very quickly to say and… We don't lend on a bad deal. It's gonna be a good deal. But the initial is just very quick. And then depending on if how organized the borrower is, we always get a Rics valuation before and after. And that's often the slowest thing. We can put someone on the platform. We promote out to all of our lenders. Typically things are funding in minutes. We're talking several hundred thousand pound. I think that 3-400 thousand is the average. We do anything from a hundred up to a couple of million. And so which is really fast.

What does it cost to borrow money from you? So, it ranges from about 2-4% depending on the size of the loan. Ah no, that's the arrangement fee. And then the fees vary.

You've obviously bought stuff. Isn't it mainly Birmingham? I was buying everywhere which is probably wasn't the best thing. I've got some things in my portfolio for the last couple of years. I've been selling it off. Always look where you live. Always start there. Maybe half an hour or so out from that, which is much easier. But then again, if you have a good network and reliable people, you can absolutely invest your money. We've got some people who trained with us, who invest from overseas. Yeah, because they set up a good power team.

How he got into HMO. The first house, I bought in 95. And I rented it out. It was just right next to Birmingham University where I went to study. And I got a job at Capri's. And I rented the two rooms out to a friend's party because they didn't have flats in the area. They want to live in the area and as a student, I was quite socializing with other people. And I realized that the rent that they paid me covered the costs: my mortgage, my bills. So I saved all my salary. And had a part-time business when a student, I cover rents in Birmingham. That was a really good fun cash business. And so I had this money in my business bank account. And in 98, I bought my second property. And it was like 10 minutes closer to Capri's. My friends came live there, and my first house, I rented out. So I became a student/HMO landlord in 98. It was accidental, yeah. I thought I wanted to get into property but I didn't know it's going to be HMO.

Return equity. So as the value goes up over time. If you sold that property. Assuming it's a rental, you have to pay some capital gains tax. How much money would you get out? And compare that to the cash flow you are getting now.

Section 24, you just touched on it. And what are you doing about it? Section 24 is actually a very clever piece of legislation. I completely disagree with it. But it's very clever the way that they've done it because if you are a high-rate taxpayer, which most property investors are, you're gonna get covered basically. I don't know about you but I've spoken to a number of property specialists. And I find they all disagree on what should be done. So, I say to people, go and speak to a number of people, listen to what they say, and whoever you resonate with the most, that's probably the person to go with. So, I've chosen a particular root. I think it looks pretty good.

Purchase list options. One of my favourite strategies is to purchase lease options. We can use those to take on a portfolio. Have a schedule of when we buy them over a number of years. The landlord can go sit on the beach and retire. And actually, they can maximize their capital gains allowance each year. And that particular strategy works incredibly well in this market.

What are the strategies and stuff that you're doing now? You know I love HMOs though. And I think HMOs sometimes get a bit a bad press because I think in many cities, there is an oversupply of HMOs. But actually, they're very average standard HMOs and if you make yours slightly better, then the competitors, you should have no problem renting them out. And I think HMO is a recession-proof strategy because if time gets hard and people have to tighten their bills, they can't afford to live on their own, and a student as their part, they have to pay their bills as well. Actually, HMO is a form of cost-effective. So, I think in the right location, always a property, a good HMO should always rent out.

Co-living, so what is your view on it? I have never done any unit bigger than 8. I've done a series of flats within a building. I'm probably not the best person to speak about it because I don't have an 18 or 20 bed one. I've got 40 rooms in a building but that’s all split into 6s.

What is your view on service combinations? Service accommodation is obviously a very area sort of property specific and so I think if you wanna have a very profitable business but it really is more towards the business rather than sort of hands-free investment. We have quite a few trainers and loads of our delegate who do that. And I don't have the time to do that. We have a letting agency that manages all of our units. We have some service units, Rob and I, in the local area. And I reckon quite fear that our delegates do better than we do in terms of their milking profits. Probably because of the areas and because they are involved on the ground doing it every day. And they get paid to do it. It's not passive. But a great model, and certainly great for those people who, you know, maybe they’re in a job. They wanna leave their job. They wanna replace an income. They don't mind giving their time cause it's still only... a day a week. They're gonna be replacing their income from their job.

Why the book is called “Property Magic.” So I call my book Property Magic because the analogy is that property if you don't know how it works. It could seem more mysterious and you don't know but when you know the secret, just like a magic trick, it is actually very straight forward. It's not easy, but it's straight forward. Just like Property Magic. That's the book. That's what it's all about. That's where it came from.

In terms of the future now, where do you think we're headed? Where do you think we're going year 3 5 years now? So, I think generally the market has done very very well for the last 10 years since 2009. And I think that when you have a broom, you gotta have a little correction. I possibly don't think we're gonna see the same kind of crash as we have in 2008 and 2009... The banks are much smarter now, really controlling the lending. So different circumstances. But I think, seeing a dip probably is gonna happen as more and more landlords want to sell their property. Uncertainty, amateurs not knowing if they should go in or not because of all these things going on. Uncertain about if a different political party comes in. It might be “game change” for everyone.

 

BEST MOMENTS

• “Tell you what, all the stuff we bought miles away has not been as good as buying here in Peterborough. All the streets, we know. All the areas, we know. When there is an issue or there is a licensing or whatever, I know how to fix it because I learn all the stuff, all the locals and the regulations and all the... and then talked to the local agents, talked to the locals and everything. And I find a way through it though and when you're miles away. Well, if you're in 10 different areas… Investing close to where you live probably in your own country, where you understand the language, you understand the law, you understand the finances and tax. It's got to be the best thing."
• “When you're investing with money, you got to be so careful with your money. And boring is sometimes the best thing to do, isn't it?”
• “For me, that's what property is all about. You buy something, work once, get paid forever. ”
• “I think, every year, you should look at your portfolio. And when you buy something, my favourite measure is the return on investment. So how much do you put in? compared to how much is it generating for you. It's gonna be the best measure.”
• “I think a stretch of at least, selling at least one property a year, and getting your capital gains allowance. Your personal allowance. And then reinvesting that money in a better cash flow property.”
• “I really believe that if the paper is telling you one thing, maybe the opposite is true.”
• “Specialized knowledge means you can earn more money. That's what I do too.”

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://www.crowdproperty.com/
https://propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/

ABOUT THE HOST
Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined. 

CONTACT METHOD

• Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

ABOUT THE GUEST
Simon Zutshi, experienced investor, successful entrepreneur, best-selling author, is widely recognised as the top Property investing Speaker in the UK. He became financially independent by the age of 32 having started to invest in 1995.

Passionate about sharing his experience, Simon founded the property investor's network (www.pinmeeting.co.uk) in 2003 which has grown to become the largest property networking organisation in the UK, designed specifically to provide a supportive environment for people like you to network with and learn from other successful investors. Since 2003 Simon has taught thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners how to successfully invest in a tax-efficient way to create additional streams of passive income, give them more time to do the things they want to do and build their long-term wealth.

CONTACT METHOD

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSimonZutshi/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonzutshi/

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Tune in to hear the behind the scenes TV Q&A with Progressive Property Co-founder, Rob Moore. Listen in and learn all about Mark & Rob’s property journey from their first investment to growing one of the largest property investment companies and education businesses in the UK. If you’re looking to discover more about the traits of the greats and the characteristics of these two Property, business and entrepreneurial experts, this episode is for you. 

 

What was the first property you purchase? 

Mark: The first property I bought was a flat in a ski resort in Bulgaria off-plan and I lost 60-70% of the purchase price. After this, I bought a property in Hampton and flipped it when the price was right making roughly 15K but I could have made more had I not purchased a new build. Often the worst looking properties yield the highest returns. 

Rob: 26 Eyeroad, and I still own it today. My Dad helped me out with the deposit and when I become financially free I gave it back to them and they still live there today, mortgage-free. 

 

What is your work ethic? 

Rob: I have a fear-based work ethic and believe you have to ‘make hay while the sun shines’ because there are always bad times around the corner and you can be blind-sided easily. I want to take advantage and grow while we can and set ourselves up into a position where we can thrive even if we’re not earning 

Mark:  My work ethic comes in waves depending on what’s going on. There are times where it can be intensive for long periods of time and my job isn’t the same every day as I’m generally solving problems and issues day by day as they come along. I’ve tried to build most of what I do with an automatic degree of leverage. 

 

What milestone are you most proud of? 

Rob: Winning business of the year 2016, breaking the public speaking world records and raising the hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity and each time Mark and I have reached 50, 100, 150 properties or certain levels of income and bringing our letting agency inhouse are nice milestones also. I couldn’t pick one as I believe we still have lots to come. 

Mark: For me getting the Guinness world records and publishing our first books with international publisher Hatchet, we’ve also had the Independent, Financial Times and the Guardian write news articles on us. Additionally developing the new bigger building is a great milestone, right now it’s the old Marks & Spencers building where we’re building 99 apartments. Also some of the training programmes we’ve run in the Carribean, the super conference and having guests such as Lord Sugar, Bob Geldof, Grant Cardone etc.  

 

Describe your property portfolio? 

Mark: Our portfolio is broken up into different constituents and it depends where you are in the timeline to evaluate it. Our investing timeline is fairly linear so if you look at the terraced houses it’s often the ones we’ve purchased in the beginning and from there multi-lets, HMO’s and houses and subsequently into commercial conversion buildings and the scale has grown over time.  

Rob: Our portfolio has been a journey and generally we’ve reacted to the market and jump on opportunities for example with permitted development etc. We’ve always tried to buy property locally and never selling a property as long as it works and we have kept 95% of our portfolio.  

 

What do you do on an average day? 

Rob: I get up at about 5 and get all of my important stuff done by 8, I’ll then go to the gym and when I can I’ll come into the office with meetings in the morning. We often travel to do the podcast and I’m also trying to add more fun things in my life. My average day is routined but I like to keep a variety. 

Mark: I get up at 7 and crack on at home and often come into the office later but stay until around 6. I’m also away at onsite developments.  

 

What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken in property? 

Mark: Property wise it’s probably the commercial development of 99 apartments we’re doing at the moment. GDV is north of 20 million. Usually, when I’m borrowing money it’s first-charge only. There’s times when I’ve been worried about cashflow and liquidity but we like to stockpile cash. 

Rob: We haven’t taken too many risks and I’d be embarrassed and ashamed if we went bust and I’m not prepared to do it so we take fewer risks and think long-term.   

 

What are your business plans for next year? 

Rob: We’re probably not going to buy a load more property projects but there will always be one block or so a year and in terms of the education business we’ve just merged everything under ‘Progressive’ and I want to grow it more in the coming year and take it to the global stage.  

 

What’s your view on the right-to-buy scheme? 

Mark: Right to buy is something that Thatcher brought in and it’s been a good thing with loads of tenants having the opportunity to purchase their property from the council. It’s been great for quite a few people but those that have less financial knowledge have ended up re-mortgaging and their property has been repossessed. Maybe a right-to-buy scheme with enforced financial education would be even better. 

 

What’s your lifestyle like? 

Mark: It’s different and varied depending on the time of year but I’ve got a few weekends back which is pretty cool and with 3 or 4 holidays a year it’s great. It’s all about spending time with my son and my wife. I also go to a lot of events and try to do things I’ve not done before.  

Rob: I really enjoy writing, creating content, writing books and connecting online. Golf with my son is also huge we’ve competed at multiple tournaments around the world but work and what I love are pretty much the same.  

 

BEST MOMENTS 

“It’s very important to have multiple streams of income” 

“In the North, you’ll find lots of properties where the capital value is lower but the rent is no lower so the yield is actually higher.” 

“The property I purchased in Bulgaria was an expensive entry fee into property” 

“You do this for the money but realise you need to have fun too” 

 

ABOUT THE HOST 

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.  

CONTACT METHOD 

• Email: [email protected]  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive  
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive  

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Rob Moore is an author of 9 business books, 5 UK bestsellers, holds 3 world records for public speaking, entrepreneur, property investor, and property educator. Author of the global bestseller “Life Leverage” Host of UK’s No.1 business podcast “The Disruptive Entrepreneur”  

CONTACT METHOD 

Rob’s official website: https://robmoore.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robmooreprogressive/? 

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/robmoore1979 

 

 

 

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Car hire and leasing can expensive and getting out of a contract early can be difficult especially if you don’t know what type of contract you’re entering into. In today’s episode, Mark dives into the details of car leasing, contract hire and PCP contracts and explains the most cost-effective way of controlling, owning or renting your vehicle. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

Contract (leasing) hire - the term contract is interchangeable with leasing and is a fixed agreement, usually 24,36 or 48 months and you are expected to fulfil the contract. Essential the monthly payment has been calculated over many months. Therefore if you’re looking to end the agreement early you will usually have to pay 50% of the remaining rentals if you’re looking to give the car back early. The disadvantage of contract hire is that they are not particularly flexible. If you’re concerned about ending your contract hire seek advice from the supplying dealer or credit broker to offer a shorter agreement.  

PCP (Personal Contract) Hire - At the end of the contract you either pay the remaining value of ‘balloon’ payment, you sell the vehicle or you return it. Should you wish to end the agreement early the common agreement is to pay 50% of the remaining rentals or return the vehicle to the finance company. With PCP you are able to enter into a process called voluntary termination giving you the option to return the vehicle to the company when you’ve paid 50% of the amount payable or more. This can be referred to as the rules of halves and thirds.  

Many car lease agreements have a buy-out option and will usually credit a percentage of the lease payment towards that purchase and is commonly least expensive way of getting out of a car lease. In order for it to make sense the resale value of the car needs to be equal or more than the buy-out value of the car. However, if you’re looking to get out of your lease so that you can purchase a new car be careful re-entering into another agreement especially with the same dealership as they will roll over outstanding payments on your old agreement into a new finance agreement.  

 

BEST MOMENTS 

• “With a contract hire You will usually have to pay 50% of the remaining rentals. From my experience, they will try to make you pay all of them.” 
• “Car dealers love nothing more than for old customers to come back in and purchase a new car as they will make money on the old sale and the new one” 
• “Get everything down on a spreadsheet to work out the total cost to get in and out of these leases” 
• “Focus on the P&L and APR before purchasing a car” 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

• Centralleasing.com
• Appliedleasing.com 
• Leasing.com 

Freedomleasing.com 

ABOUT THE HOST 

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor.  He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books.  Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.  

CONTACT METHOD 

• Email: [email protected]  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive  
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive  

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/