Are Walsall Landlords Exploiting Walsall Property?

Are Walsall Landlords Exploiting Walsall Property?
Are Walsall Landlords Exploiting Walsall Property?

I can’t remember who coined it first but the first time I heard it was when Mrs Thatcher said it…“An Englishman’s home is his castle-and everyone should own their own home”.

In 1971, around 50% of people owned their own home and, as the baby-boomers got better jobs and pay, that proportion of homeowners rose to 69% by 2001.  Homeownership was here to stay as many baby boomers assumed it’s very much a cultural thing here in Britain to own your own home.

But on the back of TV programmes like Homes Under the Hammer, these same baby boomers started to jump on the band wagon of Walsall buy to let properties as an investment. Walsall first time buyers were in competition with Walsall landlords to buy these smaller starter homes… pushing house prices up in the 2000’s beyond the reach of first time buyers. Alas, it is not as simple as that. Many factors come into play, such as economics, the banks and government policy. But are Walsall landlords fanning the flames of the Walsall housing crisis by adding to the bonfire?

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Predictions for Walsall Property 2017

Predictions for Walsall Property 2017
Predictions for Walsall Property 2017

January 2017 is almost over and finally I feel like the dust has settled allowing me the opportunity to catch my breath to reflect on the past year.

2016 was certainly eventful. The ongoing saga that is Brexit, the Queen’s 90th , Andy Murray winning Wimbledon, Trump, Bake Off to Channel 4, the Autumn Statement and something close to the hearts of every buy to let landlord and homeowner in Walsall… the changes in the local property market.

So, let’s look at the headlines for the Walsall property market in 2016…

In the last month, Walsall property values rose by 0.48%, leaving them, year on year 4.34% higher, whilst interestingly, Walsall asking prices are down 0.7% month on month. All three statistics go to show the Walsall property market has recovered well after the summer lull, which was worsened by the uncertainty surrounding the EU vote back in June. Irrespective of all the issues, the average value of a Walsall home now stands at £176,085.

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How Much Rent Can I Get For My Walsall Property?

How Much Rent Can I Get For My Walsall Property
How Much Rent Can I Get For My Walsall Property

Welcome back to the first Walsall Property Market blog article of the New Year! I hope you enjoyed a well deserved break over the holidays?

Over the weekend I received a call from a newbie landlord living in the south who was purchasing his first buy to let Walsall property.  He said he had been following my blog for a while and wanted to ask a few questions. His first question was “How much rent can I achieve for my property?”  A question I get asked once or twice a year…!!

I thought it was only fair to explain the thoughts behind an appraisal and how I arrive at the appraisal level when I go out to a property.  Below are the key points of that conversation and my thoughts…

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WALSALL LANDLORDS – THREE THINGS I’LL BE DOING OVER CHRISTMAS

WALSALL LANDLORDS - THREE THINGS I’LL BE DOING OVER CHRISTMAS
WALSALL LANDLORDS – THREE THINGS I’LL BE DOING OVER CHRISTMAS

I don’t know about you but at some point over the Christmas break I get fed up of all the eating, drinking and partying.  “Bah! Humbug!” I hear you say…but in reality I think it’s simply that as a busy business owner, my mind and body can’t take the change in pace from mad and hectic to practically a vegetative like state.

So when I hit that point and I need to re-engage my brain, this is what I plan to do…

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Pace Yourself with Walsall Property…!!

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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Walsall Landlords vs Walsall Savers

A couple of articles back, I did a piece on the effect of the 0.25% base rate on the Walsall property market. This time, I want to look at the situation that Walsall ‘savers’ find themselves in.

What, you might ask, has the plight of Walsall savers have to do with the Walsall property market… well, everything in fact!

Read the newspapers, and every financial wizard is stating that with the decision of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee in early August to cut the Bank of England base rate to an all time low of 0.25%, savers should prepare themselves for interest rates to stay low well into the early 2020’s.

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Nearly Half of Walsall Tenants are ‘Middle Class’!!

Nearly half of Walsall tenants are ‘Middle Class’!!
Nearly half of Walsall tenants are ‘Middle Class’!!

With Walsall youngsters not able to buy their own property, my research would suggest the progressively important role the private rented sector has been playing in housing people in need of a roof over their head. This, at a time of increasing affordability problems for first time buyers and growing difficulties faced by social housing providers – local authorities and housing associations – in their ability to secure funding from Westminster and then compete against the likes of the Taylor Wimpey, Barratt and Persimmon Homes of this world to buy highly priced building land.

Renting isn’t like it was in the 1960’s and 70’s, where tenants couldn’t wait to leave their rack-rent landlords, charging sky-high rents for properties with Second World War wood chip wallpaper, no central heating and drafty windows. Since 1997 with the introduction of buy-to-let mortgages and a new breed of Walsall landlord, the private rented sector in Walsall has offered increasingly high quality accommodation for younger Walsall households.

So, whilst I knew in my own mind that the type and ‘class’ of tenant has improved over the last 20 years, I had nothing to back that up… until now.

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