Emerging markets are countries that are rapidly moving toward increased activity in business, industrialization and finances. Investors like emerging markets because they offer an opportunity for a high return. Fixed income investors like this market because emerging markets allow these investors to diversify their portfolio.

Countries in this category include those that are emerging from underdevelopment. Emerging economy countries include those in Asia, not including Japan, Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Russia and the Middle East.

India is one example to look at as an emerging market. It illustrates how a large company like Apple uses a highly focused strategy to stake out market share in an emerging economy.

Out of nearly 30 countries that are labeled emerging markets, India is considered the second best. In the 1990s, the Indian government and its financial sector set in place various economic liberalization policies that were friendly to business and investors. This system helped to grow the Indian economy.

These policies set up an emerging market that invited more competition. That competition created a higher per capita income, a growing middle class, an increase in foreign investment, a higher standard of living and the construction of a modern infrastructure. All these factors help a country emerge from Third World activities like subsistence farming and exploitation of natural resources.

India is considered one of the globe’s fastest growing economies. Its GDP growth rate has averaged nearly six percent in the past two decades. This makes India an attractive emerging market for investors. Here are 10 quick facts about India that bolster its claim as the second fastest emerging market in the world:

* India has a labour force of 487 million workers.

* It is the tenth largest importer in the world.

* Wages have doubled in the first decade of the 21st century.

* It’s projected that 580 million Indians will be in the middle class by 2030.

* The consumer market will be the fifth largest on the globe by 2030.

* More than 400 million Indians have climbed out of poverty since 1985.

* The financial market sophistication ranks No. 17 in the world.

* The telecommunications industry is the fastest growing in the world.

* The economy is projected to grow at an annual average rate of eight percent over the next 40 years.

* It’s projected that India will be one of the youngest emerging market countries in the world by 2030 with an average age of 31.

With these impressive statistics signaling that India is about to make a run as the top emerging market economy, companies are looking to India as a country to set up shop to meet the incoming economic and demographic wave. Last month, Apple announced that it was reconsidering its emerging market strategy and decided to expand its presence in India.

Apple introduced the iPhone in India four years ago. The company has started an aggressive marketing campaign that offers Indians entry into the Apple smartphone experience for $93.

Apple is playing catch-up with Samsung that dominates the Indian market with cheap cell phones, holding a 40 percent share of cell phone sales. Apple needs to make up ground to catch Samsung, and emerging markets may be one place to do that. Initially, the strategy seems to be paying off.

In the last half of 2012, Apple added two distributors to sell its iPhones. With the exception of China, Apple sells its iPhones in advanced markets, so this venture outside its customary markets was a first for Apple.

Well, the gamble paid off. Analysts said that Apple increased its sales of iPhones in India by nearly 300 percent. In the last quarter of 2012, Apple shipped 250,000 iPhones to India, up from 90,000 in the previous quarter.

Most Indians can’t afford dollar-priced smartphones, but the monthly payment scheme that Apple began offering last month has customers lining up to buy the expensive phones. In India, the pricey $800 iPhone will cost the average Indian worker nearly two months of wages. However, Indian analysts are saying that the desire to own a status-symbol iPhone is there.

India is the No. 2 cell phone market based on numbers of users. Apparently, that emerging market number was too juicy for Apple to pass by. Smartphones make up only about 10 percent of the cell phone market in India. Unlike in the United States, telecommunication companies do not subsidize cell phone sales. Indians must buy their phones at the going market rate.

The numbers show that Apple has only a five percent share of the Indian market. However, projections from the research firm IDC show that the smartphone Indian market will more than quintuple, from 19 million devices in 2012 to 108 million by 2016. That number, for Apple, was likely the impetus for the company to jump into another emerging market country.

Some analysts say that the best way to penetrate emerging markets in Asia is to offer a cheap smartphone; however, Apple believes that a cheap hand-set would eat into existing demand and take a bite out of Apple’s margin. The Apple campaign, then, is an effort to convince the Indian who pays 12,000 rupees for a cell phone to invest 45,000 rupees for a top-of-the-line iPhone.

The Apple story illustrates why companies are intensely watching emerging markets like India. The opportunity to increase sales and company profits by selling to hundreds of millions of consumers who are earning more money are reasons why emerging markets are so attractive.

The post What are emerging markets? appeared first on the Daily Grind.

Is London still in the driving seat as the No. 1 financial centre in the world? It depends on whom is asked.

One financial centre analyst says, no. New York City is now sitting at the top as the financial centre of the world, according to the Center for Economics and Business Research, also known as Cebr.

Cebr based its new crowning of the financial king on the number of financial service jobs. New York, though, will wear the king’s hat for only a short time as Hong Kong is expected to win the No. 1 title in 2016. And catching up fast is Singapore. Many professors are still singing the Chinese tune to students that learning Mandarin is the key to a bright future in the securities sector.

Cebr projected that New York overtook London with 254,102 jobs while London employed 249,512 souls in financial services. Hong Kong is expected to hit 247,192 jobs in 2015, passing London but still behind New York.

London is experiencing job cuts, falling bonuses and tougher competition from other financial centers, Cebr said in its report. Bonuses slipped to £4.4 billion in 2012 from £6.75 billion in 2011. Bank bonuses hit £11.56 billion in 2008.

Financial centres like New York and London are on a downward trajectory because of meddling politicians, which includes penal taxation, too much regulation and banker bashing, said Douglas McWilliams, the head honcho at Cebr.

As London slips, the taxman loses. As the taxman collects less, Londoners will see less money for the city to spend on the economy. It’s expected that government revenue for the current financial year will fall to about £40 billion as compared to £70 billion in the years 2007 and 2008, which was the peak of the current financial cycle.

These numbers create a delicate balancing act for London and the politicians as they try to move forward with a more balanced economy that pleases both the international financial sector and UK households.

Speaking of bashing, London Mayor Boris Johnson found himself in a good bashing mood recently, stating that the European Parliament’s scheme to limit bank payouts as a “moronic piece of economic policy.”

After getting warmed up with that good old English trashing, Johnson continued: “I object in principle to the idea of trying to regulate remuneration in that kind of detail from Brussels. . . You can’t really fix wages and prices in that way. It doesn’t work like that,” Johnson told the Financial Times.

Johnson said that this proposed rule by Brussels was typical of petty attacks by European countries to cut down the financial dynamism of London as an international finance centre. The proposed parliament rule would cut back the ratio of bonus to salary for bankers to one to one.

Johnson said London’s crony European friends looked at London while dripping with envy and a plebeian desire to hammer the city down. The tool they use is capricious EU directives, Johnson said.

London has always been a target of other governments and the press. Not long ago, Forbes printed this headline: Will London Survive as a Financial Centre?

The article ominously posted the fact that London, New York and Hong Kong were essentially running neck-to-neck-to-neck in the race to claim the title of No. 1 financial centre. Combined, the three cities are master and commander of 70 percent of the globe’s equity transactions.

According to the Global Financial Centres Index by the Z/Yen group in London, the three financial centres mentioned above work hand-in-glove for mutual benefit. All others are on their own.

The Z/Yen index shows that the financial centres in Paris and Madrid were getting hammered. Istanbul, Moscow, Copenhagen, Tallinn and St. Petersburg were showing increases in competitiveness. Meanwhile, Malta, Luxembourg and Dublin were faltering and slipping down.

In Asia, Singapore, Shanghai and Seoul were making dramatic moves and catching up. Taipei, Tokyo, Beijing and Shenzhen were down.

In its final analysis, Z/Yen said that Singapore is moving up fast and may move into the third spot if China messes with Hong Kong. New York could also teeter and fall if U.S. politicians continue to stick their mitts into that financial centre. China will most likely stay stuck in the mud because of capital controls, shaky property rights and dreadful accounting.

New York will always be a No. 1 contender for the top spot because of the concentration of financial professionals in the city. It also sits on a large pot of money to invest and loan.

London is also a perennial favorite because the regulatory schemes are less of a burden there than in other financial centers.

Hong Kong has an advantage with 70 of the world’s 100 largest banks based there.

Singapore is ready to make its move and is aided by its proximity to the Asian markets.

The post London remains top of the Global Financial centres league appeared first on the Daily Grind.

Sleep like royalty, literally, on what is considered the most comfortable bed in the world. If this isn’t enough to make it special, there are many more reasons why Hypnos beds are extra special. Each bed is a bespoke creation that has been handmade to perfection. There is nothing more distinctive than a bed that is made to measure for each customer.

Each bed is tailor made to meet individual requirements for size, shape and style. You can select your comfort level from very firm to cushy soft. Each divan is also personalized with choice of fabric colour including cord fabric or faux suede. You can even provide your own selection that matches your curtains and upholstery and have hidden storage spaces included.

Hypnos has worked for more than 100 years to reach mattress perfection. Handmade construction is supplemented by the latest technology and they only use the highest quality natural materials. Wool, cashmere, cotton and silk are harmonized to create a surface that recognises your body’s imprint and provides the right pressure and support that is perfect for your comfort. The materials combine natural insulation and breathability, so the mattress never gets too hot and the silk and cashmere provide a soft sleeping surface.

Beneath the surface is the perfect support from the spring system. Each spring has a fabric case and functions individually to respond to direct pressure from your body. When two people sleep in the same bed, this spring system allows each person to move without disturbing the other person, because only their support springs respond. The number of turns in bed springs is what allows them to give support. Hypnos springs have eight active turns which is why they are able to respond with the level of support and weight distribution required.

A Hypnos mattress will be like new for up to ten years. It has a five year guarantee and a 10 year warranty against any fault in the manufacturing process or materials. It is extremely durable and a good investment, because even if a cheap mattress will last five years, it will only be good for one or less. The rest of the time you will have a substandard mattress.

The handmade process included hand tufting. This means a tape is passed through the mattress and tightened with tufts on either side, which serves two purposes. It holds the filling together and creates a firm and comfortable sleeping surface. The tapes are secured with soft wool, so there is no chance the tufts will be felt.

The side stitching is also hand done. This means the side of the mattress is stitched to the outer row of springs. Only a very few high quality mattresses on the market have hand stitched sides. The top of the line, the Princess, has three rows of side stitching.

You can’t put a price on a good night’s sleep, and with a Hypnos mattress you can count on ten years of excellent, comfortable, restful sleep.

• The Royal Comfort Collection includes a soft topper that regulates your body temperature and moisture, whilst the core and divan base together align you spine and support your body.

• The Regency Collection provides luxurious comfort for different tastes and each mattress can be turned with both sides offering the same support.

• The Heritage Collection is made with sustainable materials and is ecologically sound. It has a patented spring system that actively turns for instant support and pressure relief.

• The Orthos Support Collection is especially designed for people who want firmer support that is still comfortable. It comes in a choice of four materials including wool, cashmere, latex and silk.

• The Pillow Top Collection is not to be turned. It offers a luxurious soft layer or pillow for the sleeping surface and gives a cocooning effect.

• The Pillow Turn Collection has a removable, soft sleeping surface that can be put back on the mattress after it has been turned or rotated.

• The Pocket Latex Collection is a no-turn mattress that has a cotton surface that is infused with silver. This resists dust mites and bacteria for the most hygienic sleeping experience.

• Made to measure bedsteads and divans as well as a wide selection of fabrics are available for each type of Hypnos mattress.

Tim Capper writes for himself at the Daily-Grind

The post What makes a Hypnos Mattress that Extra Special ? appeared first on the Daily Grind.

Many customers are reeling from multiple mis-selling scandals. Investors also depend on the returns from bank shares. That leaves one very important question:

Are banks able to generate profit without misleading their customers?

 
It is becoming more and more obvious that the financial giants in Britain have generated lucrative revenue streams by misleading their customers. The good news is that there is a currently a cleanup going that is being led by the Financial Conduct Authority. In August 2013, there was an article written that seemed optimistic the financial rip-off will be curbed by the Financial Conduct Authority. However, the article also warned people that the banks could have skeletons in their closet.

That legacy came more noticeable last week when the Lloyds Banking Group received a $28 million fine for mis-selling. According to the Financial Conduct Authority, approximately 100,000 customers will be able to receive redress. The Financial Conduct Authority has also ordered Lloyds Banking Group to investigate 700,000 insurance policies and investments between 2011 and 2012.

It seems as though Lloyds Banking Group already knew that this was coming. They had already set aside $100 million, but did not say why they set aside the money. This bank will certainly not be the last one to face these problems. These types of issues stem from a culture that has a “sell first” and “think later” mentality. Many people felt like they did not have much of a choice in the matter. They often felt like they were bullied.

When The Financial Conduct Authority raised the alarm in 2011, Lloyds Banking Group acted immediately. They made major changes in order to ensure that all of the schemes were focused on providing good service and doing the right things for customers. Their efforts were acknowledged by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Today, the Financial Conduct Authority is attacking the sales incentives, which is what they call the root of the problem. That leads back to this very important question, Will banks be able to make money if they treat their customers fairly. Many people believe that the profits will be reduced if banks treated customers fairly.

There are currently new regulations being put in place to ensure that customers are treated fairly. This may provoke anger among shareholders. It will also force banks to find new ways to generate profit from their customers.

This leaves another very important question, How long will be before another clever sales tactic and ineffective product rolls off of the market designed to impress investors and raise money? Keep in mind that when you are talking to a bank staff member, you are speaking with a salesman. That is something that will most likely never change.

Tim Capper

The post Will Banks Ever Stop Mis-Selling? appeared first on the Daily Grind.

The government’s need to built more cheap housing more quickly could see sustainable homes legislation relaxed, the housing journal ‘Inside Housing’ has unveiled. Ministers aimed to “significantly rationalise” overlapping building standards in order to make development simpler and cheaper. Increasingly the lack of affordable housing has become one of the most pressing challenges facing the government. The extensive housing crisis where demand for affordable housing continually outstrips supply, is showing no sign of
improving; despite the grim economic outlook, house prices and rental costs are still rising, meaning the need for cheap housing quickly will take precedence over the sustainability agenda.

As MPs get ready to slash building regulations to get the construction industry going after the recession, a review panel set up by the government last October is so far undecided over the future of national house building standards. Trade bodies are awaiting the panel’s recommendations to see which areas are be applied across the public and private sectors and which are to be relaxed. With the government putting green issues on the back burner in other areas, it’s likely that sustainable housing that passes the BREEAM assessment standard will no longer be a priority.

It has also become evident that environmental issues regarding property have become less of a priority for the public, as other issues such as unemployment and economic instability take precedent. As recently statistics have shown, less than 200 homes have signed up for the government’s flagship Green Deal energy loans scheme which replaced previous incentives set in place by the last government. Even though almost 19,000 homes have undergone Green Deal assessments, only 1% of those householders have proceeded to take up the loans. This will come as a significant blow to the Energy Minister Greg Barker, who said in March he hoped at least 10,000 property owners would have used the scheme by the end of 2013.

Energy commentators have criticised the Green Deal’s implementation, saying it has not been clearly communicated to the public sufficiently. The fact that the loans are attached to the property rather than the homeowner has also been a problem, creating concerns over the salability of Green Deal properties, which will be unwelcome news at a time when the housing market is already stagnant.

However, it is hoped that newly released government figures will improve the uptake of Green Deal loans, showing that more energy efficient homes with a rating of E or above could potentially increase their market worth by up to 38%. With BREEAM assessments being launched as an international standard for energy efficient buildings in both the commercial and residential sector, it is important that the UK is able to compete a world leader in eco building. At a time when new affordable homes are so desperately needed, it is perhaps even more pressing that sustainability criteria are adhered to and the environmental efficiency of existing housing stock improved significantly, with rising energy costs cheap, short term solutions are more likely to be more costly for home owners in the long run.

The post The Future of Affordable Sustainable Homes in the UK appeared first on the Daily Grind.

Buying auction property can be a lucrative and rewarding venture. Unlike conventional property purchases, buying a property at an auction is straightforward and easy. The property changes hands once the winning bid is placed and the title is signed over to the buyer. Even though the process is simple and fast, it pays to do your homework to familiarise yourself with the auction process before committing money to this endeavor.

Where To Find Property Auction

You can start by finding out about the venue and time of the property auction. This information can easily be obtained through your local papers or real estate magazines. Find out from real estate agents in your area or use online search engines like Google or Yahoo to search for property auction locations near you. There are also property auction websites on the internet that allow online bidding if you choose to go that route.
Identifying the Ideal property
To get a great deal on a residential or investment property, it is essential that you do your research by browsing through the catalogue of the auction to learn more the properties listed and to identify the ones you may be interested in buying. Getting advance knowledge of the properties before going to the auction will better prepare you for the bidding process.

Information on property auctions : www.greenfieldcapital.co.uk/category/auction-finance

Schedule A Viewing of The Property

Purchasing a property is a huge investment that needs to be considered carefully. You may want to contact the auctioneer after determining a prospective property investment to schedule a viewing. It is essential that you schedule multiple viewing to make certain you have all the information you need to make your purchase decision. Many of the properties offered at an auction may be run down and in need of repairs. Taking a contractor or a property inspector to view the property will give you a good idea of areas that need to be fixed. You will also get the chance to estimate the costs of repairs and make up your mind if you are still interested in buying the property.

Research Comparable Properties

Do your homework by researching prices of comparable properties in that particular location. The initial listings of auction properties are typically priced low to attract more buyers. Hence, knowing the fair market value of the property before bidding is a good way to ensure you don’t over pay in the course of the bidding process.

Legalities

It is important that you carefully review all documentation of the property to ensure it is free and clear of any liens or covenants that may be attached to it. The value of properties can be significantly affected if there are certain legalities attached to them.

Organise Your Finances

Auction property purchases are non-financeable and must be paid in full within a short time period. Ensure that you have enough funds to cover 10 percent of the purchase price once you win the bid. The outstanding balance need to be paid off within 28 days after the purchase. It is possible to get some financing from a bank to purchase the property upfront, but the process usually takes longer making it difficult to meet the auction dead line.

Infromation on property auction finance : www.greenfieldcapital.co.uk/auction-finance/

Experience The Auction Process

The auction process can be too much for first-timers. It is a good idea to experience the process by attending a few auctions as a spectator to assess the competition and get acquainted with the entire auction process before embarking on any serious bidding.

The Bidding Process

On the day of the auction, ensure that you have enough funding to cover the down payment. Register and find a strategic position near the auctioneer to ensure that your bids are visible. Don’t jump in right away; observe what your competitors are doing prior to putting in your initial bid. Keep your emotion in check and don’t get caught up in a bidding frenzy. More often than not bidders let their emotions get the best of them and they find themselves caught up in a bidding war with other competitors. This pushes the price of the property up and they end up paying far more than anticipated.

Stay focused, set a limit by keeping a specific price in mind and make sure you do not exceed it. You can still get a deal even if the reserve price is not met. Sometimes vendors set a high reserve price just to push up bids. You can arrange a meeting with the vendor to negotiate a price after the auction. All too often the vendor may be open to making a deal since the reason the property was auctioned in the first place, was to get it sold.

Doing your homework before risking your hard earned money in a property auction is a great way to get a bargain. It will make the process less stressful and can be very rewarding in the end.
+Tim Capper

The post How To Buy A Property At Auction appeared first on the Daily Grind.

Your property could pay its own way in life. Today i discovered a business called a location library, these location agencies provide locations for photo shoots, TV and Filming.

Naively i assumed all of these ‘locations’ were created on a ‘film set’ so to speak. After a little investigating most locations are hired out for photo shoot, TV and filming, the simple reason, it’s cheaper to hire a location then create a location.

Photo shoot locations can earn up to £500 per day, depending on the property. Granted, the properties located within this site are spectacular, but they also have properties with that something extra, from disused warehouses, industrial buildings to a yurt in a forest.

Owning a Location House

Michael Minns, former art director for BHS who was involved in many of their catalogue and advertising shoots, reckons his stunning one-bedroom flat earned twice as much as he did last year.
“Over one month, it was pretty well booked solidly. ”Every day I’d come back from work, put back everything in its original place, give it a good clean and get in some supplies for the film crew for the next day,” he says.

 

His apartment is in the converted 19th-century Alaska Buildings in SE1, and has been used for filming interviews with Joan Collins; photo shoots for retail brands such as Debenhams, IKEA, M&S as well as editorial magazines.
Magazines including Grazia, Living and Red have used it for fashion and lifestyle shoots and it’s even been seen in Italian Vogue.

 

But when Michael bought the flat in 2003 it didn’t look anything like it does now.

 

“There were two smaller rooms on the ground floor, plus a galley kitchen, tiny dining room and tiny bathroom at the back,” he says.

 

“If you stood in the kitchen you could touch the walls either side at the same time.” And on the mezzanine floor there were two bedrooms completely enclosed behind a solid balcony from which two narrow staircases led downstairs.

 

“But I loved all the original features – the exposed brick walls, the metal columns and the size of the windows. And I could imagine how it would look without all the walls.”

 

Michael bought the flat with the express purpose of turning it into a space that could be used for shoots.

 

“In my job I’d been in several homes that people were making money out of while they were at work and I thought, ‘I’d like to do that, too’,” he says.

 

So he gutted and refurbished the apartment, leaving only the mezzanine floor. Now it has one large living room at ground level, wider stairs either side with storage underneath, and the solid balcony on the mezzanine has been replaced with a galvanised metal rail behind which is the double bed with a frosted wall of glass to one side for privacy.

 

The wooden floors are new and behind the living room there is an enlarged dining room/kitchen and, beside it, a very swish bathroom with solid teak bath and separate wet area.

 

Minns has put in a frosted glass panel in front of the bathroom, allowing privacy without blocking light, and all the glass panels and stairs are up-lit by blue LCDs.

 

The flat is decorated in black and white throughout with the added sparkle of huge chandeliers, oversized candelabra, Anglepoise lights and glass radiators. Anything that had a gilt surface has been sprayed black by a company that normally specialises in respraying car bodywork.

“It looks lovely, but as I have to keep the place tidy all the time I designed in lots of storage space,” he says.

 

A Selection of Location Library Properties

A great source of inspiration for your own property.

take one industrial location and some imagination

seriously posh, but it could make you a fortune, speak to the location library and find out what is in demand

take one warehouse and throw in some chairs and mocked up bar.

some spaced don’t need furniture, just an incredible space

even an amazing pair of stairs could make you some extra cash

Information on Location Properties

Registering your Property

+Tim Capper

The post Let your property pay its own way :shoot locations appeared first on the Daily Grind.

There are many different things that might have inspired you to try your hand at home renovation. You may have been inspired by a television shows that you may have seen (Grand Designs guilty as charged). You might have noticed that your house needs to be repaired, you may have fallen in love with an older property that needs some love and attention. Regardless of the reason that you want to make changes to your home, there is no doubt that home renovation can be an extremely large project.

The work that is required in order to renovate a home can be quite expensive. For example, you might have to add a loft conversion, upgrade your central heating. In order to renovate your home you will need the proper finances. This means that you might have to enlist the help of companies that specialise in financing home renovations.

Planning for Your Home Renovation Project

It is extremely important for you to plan your home renovation project before you do anything else. While you plan the home renovation project, you have to remember to plan every single part of the project. After you have planned all of the aspects of your project, you will need to figure out which elements of your project are more important. It may be a good idea for you to base this on whether each element improves the quality of your lifestyle or if they simply increase your home’s value.

Finding Out the Cost of Your Home Renovation Project

Before you are able to finance this project, you will have to have an estimate of how much everything costs. It is also a good idea for you to have a budget planned out. The estimate that you obtain for the cost of your home renovation project should be as accurate as possible. Once you know how much everything costs you will be able to figure out which elements of your home renovation project should be saved for a later date.

In order to figure out how much your home renovation project will cost you will have to contact a lot of different designers and construction companies. Once you have a list of designers and construction companies you can discuss your plans for your home renovation project. You might also want to mention the dimensions that they will be working with. This is the best way for you to find an estimate for how much your project will cost. Once you have a list of estimates from different companies, you will be able to compare these rates for an average cost of your home renovation project.

Financing a Home Renovation Project

If your home renovation project is fairly small and it will not cost a lot of money, you might be able to take advantage of home renovation financing options that give you the chance to free up enough money for your project by borrowing money against the increase value of the site. The funds that you are able to obtain this way have quite a few different advantages. For example, you will be able to obtain 100 percent of this amount. In addition, this home renovation project finance option will provide either outline project planning permission or full project planning permission. There are even options available on home renovation financing with interest payments that do not have to be paid off until the home renovation project has been finished.

If you have a smaller home renovation projects to deal with can take advantage of drawdowns on a regular basis. These can normally be paid out around two days after the request for payment has been made. One of the more popular home renovation financing companies includes Greenfield Capital.  Greenfield Capital have four different types of home development financing options available to them. These four types include 100 percent property development finance, joint venture 100 percent finance, a Mezzanine loan and a senior debt loan. www.greenfieldcapital.co.uk/property-development-finance

The Advantages of Using a Company like Greenfield Capital

Greenfield Capital offers property renovation finance options that can cover all of the property development costs involved. For example, this might include marketing costs, infrastructure costs, purchasing land and the cost of building on the site. Greenfield Capital offers their services for property development loans for commercial developments, residential developments, purchasing land, conversion, new buildings, refurbishing and renovation. www.greenfieldcapital.co.uk

Addittionally you can pay off the interest on loans in quarterly installments or in monthly installments. Monthly allotments on drawdowns are also available.

There are options out there that are available to finance your Dream. Take the time to plan properly and get quotes.
+Tim Capper

The post Financing your next Property Renovation or Development appeared first on the Daily Grind.

This is currently the situation for a friend of ours, they are stuck in a chain of around 10 houses and the house they want to buy is getting offers every day and the seller is getting anxious.

So i did a little digging around on how they could purchase the house without having sold theirs, the answer, a bridging loan. www.greenfieldcapital.co.uk

Bridging Loans to help you move Home

After a little research I found this company and have put our friends in touch. I will let you know the outcome.

The Bridging Loan Article from Greenfield Capital :

It is natural to have your house on the market while you are searching for a new home. Sometimes you end up finding your dream home before your current home has been sold. If this is the case, it is likely that you do not have enough money to purchase your new home while you are still paying a mortgage on your old one. Lenders have recognised this and have created bridge loans.

Types of Bridging Loans

There are two types of bridge loans. A closed bridge loan is for home buyers whom have already done an exchange on the sale of their current home. These types of loans are considered lower risk and have a better chance of being approved. Am open bridge loan is for buyers that have not put their current home on the market yet. Lenders that offer open bridge loans will have lots of questions that you will need to have the right answers for. You will also need proof of your answers. In order to be approved for this type of loan, your current home will need to have lots of equity.

If you decide to bridge loans, your lender will want to see the mortgage offer on the new property along with the property’s details. They may also require you to provide proof that your current home is actively on the market along with proof on how you will meet the interest payments. You will also need an exit strategy in case the sale of your current home falls through. Most bridge loans have a 12 month limit, although you can usually renegotiate with your lender after the limit as long as you have been paying your interest payments on time.

When bridging loans, it is important to keep in mind that they have high interest rates that range between 2 and 2.5 percent. An arrangement fee ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 percent of the value of the loan will also be charged. Some bridged loans have a higher interest rate while some have a higher arrangement fee. Fast-paced lenders are available if you need to move to a new home quickly, but be prepared for much higher interest rates. When deciding whether to pay more in interest or more in arrangement fees, think about your circumstances. If you are confident in the sale of your current home, choose a lower arrangement fee but if you are not sure when your home will sell, choose a lower interest rate.

It is important to keep some things in mind when deciding whether or not to bridge loans. It is generally considered a last resort due to the expense involved, as the lendee will end up paying on two loans at once until the current home sells. Generally, you should only bridge loans if you know when you home is going to sell and you are certain it won’t take more than a couple of months. Many sales in the UK are currently falling through due to the market, so you should be certain that your home will sell and that you have good credit. Keep in mind that your lender may want to use both your current home and your new home as collateral, meaning you could lose both homes if you are unable to pay the bills and default. Bridging loans is a bad idea if you are simply struggling for a mortgage because many lenders are pulling deals and raising deposits.

Bridging Loan Alternatives
There are alternatives to bridging loans. You can try raising the money you need by using a standard no-fee mortgage. If you use a mortgage deal with no early repayment charges, you can clear the loan once your current home’s sale is complete. Standard no-fee mortgages have better interest rates, but you will need to prove that you can pay both mortgages. You can also re-mortgage your current home, which releases equity that you can use to pay the deposit on the mortgage for your new home. If the lender allows, you can convert your old mortgage into a buy-to-let. This means that you will rent out your old home and use the rental income to pay the mortgage on the old home. If you decide that acting as a landlord isn’t for you, you can sell your old home when your renter’s lease is up.

Understandably, not everyone can afford two mortgages and not everyone has the time or inclination to keep up with all of the laws regarding acting as a landlord. If the above options don’t work for you, contact your local lender about bridging your loans.

Greenfield Capital Bridging Loans : www.greenfieldcapital.co.uk/bridging-loans

+Tim Capper

The post Stuck in a Chain and Can’t Sell your House, try this ! appeared first on the Daily Grind.

My PPI Claim

I will admit, I put off claiming back my PPI attached to credit cards and loans i have had over the years, that is until i read about PPI, what it was, what it was supposed to have done. For me the decision to claim PPI was the simple fact that I was self employed and the PPI that i had been paying for all those years would not have covered me.

My Bank was and still is Barclays. They had attached PPI to my Mastercard and Visa and to two seperate loans that i had taken out over the years. In all that time i was self employed, had something happened to me and i was unable to work for a while or make the regular re payments, i would have had my claim rejected because PPI was never intended to cover self employment. Quite simply I was mis sold and they gladly took the money for over 12 years.

I used a company called Maple Leaf Financial PPI Claims Service. They were very efficient, took down all the details that i had, then sent me the forms to sign to send to the Bank. A month later I had the Bank sending me offer letters. I will at this point say that this was very quick, possible because all my accounts were in the same place and all attached to one another, but it can take much longer, each case is different.

www.maplefinancial.co.uk/ppi-claims

+Tim Capper

The post A PPI Claims service that is Reliable and Hassle Free appeared first on the Daily Grind.