Property Lettings Walsall

Pace Yourself with Walsall Property…!!

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , , , ,
Pace Yourself with Walsall Property…!!
Pace Yourself with Walsall Property…!!

With the fast approaching Christmas holidays soon upon us some prayers are being offered by the local bob sleighing enthusiasts for snow although, we are more likely to see it between January to March than December.  However, the Walsall property market has a pretty confident feel to it.

With the underlying fundamentals of a continued lack of properties being built, a shortage of properties – both in terms of quantity and quality -coming to the market and the continued low mortgage rate environment, enquiries from first time buyers and buy-to-let landlords is strong and motivation is even stronger, given those inexpensive lending rates and general demand caused by under supply.

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The Side-Effects of the 0.25% interest rate on Walsall Property.

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , , , ,
The Side-Effects of the 0.25% interest rate on Walsall Property.
The Side-Effects of the 0.25% interest rate on Walsall Property.

I had an interesting chat with a Sutton Coldfield landlord who owns a few properties in Walsall. He said he was in town shopping with his wife.  Whilst she was shopping for clothes he thought he would call me whilst taking a break over a coffee.  In his words he went on to say; “Talking about the Walsall property market is a lot more interesting than clothes shopping”!

We had never spoken before as he uses another agent in the town to manage his Walsall properties,  yet after reading my blog on the Walsall market for a while, the landlord wanted to know my thoughts on how the recent interest rate cut would affect him and the property market in general.

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Walsall Letting Agent..Corporate or Independent?

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , , , , , ,
Walsall Letting Agent..Corporate or Independent? Walsall Letting Agent..Corporate or Independent?

Recently I read a really interesting article by Christopher Watkin, renowned property guru, which really made me think about whether landlords and vendors actually know who they are instructing when putting their property for let or for sale and the implications of being unaware of whether one of the large corporate owns your local agency!

I have noted my opinions and thoughts at the bottom of the article..

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Walsall’s Generation Gap & Brexit – Did the Older Generation Let Down the Young?

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , , , , ,
Walsall’s Generation Gap & Brexit – Did the Older Generation Let Down the Young? Walsall’s Generation Gap & Brexit – Did the Older Generation Let Down the Young?

As we approach nearly 3 months since the Referendum vote and in Walsall, we have all had a chance to reflect on the momentous decision that the British public took. Many of you read the article I wrote on the morning of the results. I had gone to bed the night before with a draft of my ‘Remain’ article nicely all but finished, to be presented, at just after 5:00 a.m, with the declaration by the BBC saying we were leaving the EU. I don’t think any of us were expecting that.

For those who missed it, here is a link to that post Brexit article: https://walsallpropertyblog.com/2016/06/24/eu-referendum-67-9-of-walsall-voters-vote-with-their-feet/. In this piece, I would like to take my thoughts on from that initial article and now start to see the clearer picture as the dust settles on the UK, but more importantly, the Walsall Property Market.

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Walsall Letting Agency Fees – Cheap as Chips..??

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , , , ,
Walsall Letting Agency Fees - Cheap as Chips..??
Walsall Letting Agency Fees – Cheap as Chips..??

I went out to a rental valuation a few days ago in Parkhall, Walsall and, as I always do, did my preparation on the property, the area and suitable tenants.  I introduced myself but, before I could begin speaking, he said “How much then? What are your fees?”.  Now don’t get me wrong, the subject comes up pretty much most of the time but not usually that quickly!

It got me thinking about landlord fees and how landlords perceive agents.  Lots of agents advertise ‘Free fee deals’ – we have in the past!  Do they work?  No!  But why don’t they?

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All aboard the Walsall Property Market Runaway Train!!

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , , ,
All aboard the Walsall Property Market Runaway Train!!
All aboard the Walsall Property Market Runaway Train!!

Some of my landlords invest for yield, some invest for capital growth (however, it’s very difficult to get both in this market).  Everyone is different; if you are a landlord in Walsall, who invests for capital growth as opposed to yield, it is crucial to look to build in capital growth in a  property by getting a property at a discount or by finding a way to add value.

So, how can you get a discount in this property market, with Walsall property values alight and property being snapped up over night?  Achieving capital growth in Walsall is going to be tough over the coming few years isn’t it?

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Where are the Walsall youngsters going to live?

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , , ,
Where are the Walsall youngsters going to live?
Where are the Walsall youngsters going to live?

When my parents bought their first house in Walsall in the late 1960’s, they were in their early 20’s. Interestingly, looking at some research by the Post Office from a few years ago, in the 1960’s the average age people bought their first house was 23.  By the early 1970s, it had reached 27, rising to 28 in the early 1980’s.

This year alone, 3,538 people in Walsall will turn 28 and 3,560 in 2017.. and dare I say 3,740 in 2018 .. year in year out the conveyor belt carries on .. where are the Walsall youngsters going to live?

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Walsall’s housing shortage – Are we in a Crisis situation?

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , ,
Walsall’s housing shortage – Are we in a Crisis situation?
Walsall’s housing shortage – Are we in a Crisis situation?

Walsall’s continuing housing shortage is putting the Borough (and the Country’s) repute as a nation of home owners ‘under threat’, as the number of houses being built continues to be woefully inadequate in meeting the ever demanding needs of the growing population in the Town.  In fact, I was talking to my sister the other day at a family get together; the subject of the Walsall Property market came up in the conversation (as I am sure it does at many family parties in Walsall, after the weather and politics).  My sister said it used to be that if you went out to work and did the right thing, you would expect that relatively quickly over the course of your career you would be buying a house, you would go on holiday every year and you would save for a pension.   But now things seem to have changed?

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The death of home ownership in Walsall…??

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , ,

house ownership

I had the most interesting chat with a mature couple (in their early/mid 50’s) from the Aldridge area the other day, whilst viewing one of our rental properties.  The property wasn’t for them, but their son, who wanted a second viewing with his parents to get the parental blessing.  Now I know that isn’t the norm, but in this case the parents were going to act as guarantor.  We got chatting about the Walsall property market and how they had bought their first property in the town just after they got married in the late 1980’s when they were in their early/mid 20’s.

Anyway, we got chatting about how the youngsters of the UK seem to rent more than buy nowadays and from that the conversation covered a number of similar topics.  I want to share the highlights of that conversation with you today.

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Do Walsall Landlords ‘Regret’ voting for a Tory government…?!

Head of Juicing @Ashmore Lettings & Sales Ltd Walsall Property Market , , , , , , ,

david_cameron_3

Do you still remember that inevitable night of Thursday, 7th May 2015 at 10.05pm….??  With the shocking news that the BBC Exit Polls suggested the Conservatives would be returning into government with a majority.  Well let’s face it…it wasn’t that shocking as a two-horsed race can only be won by one.  The middle classes in Parkhall and Aldridge exhaled a huge sigh of relief, as Walsall landlords, faced with rent controls from Red Ed Milliband and the Labour Party, now had something to cheer about as the Tories were always considered to be a political party that accepted the importance of the rental market, supported its development whist properly targeting the lawbreaker/ slum landlords renting out sub standard rental accommodation.

Since May though, George Osborne announced future rises in stamp duty for buy to let landlords and a change in the interest relief on buy to let mortgages,some people have started to question that loyalty.

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