Buy to let property investment articles and education



Educational blog

Education is the most important part of building a successful, profitable property portfolio and here at Your Property Club, we provide it at no charge, as part of our service to you.

Many other companies charge you an arm and a leg for a very basic level of education, but in these pages, Brett Wood, our Managing Director has made available over 200 articles, all archived. Don't forget to register as a client for free access to our team who can answer any questions you may have.

Latest post: 'May 08: 75% mortgages and other Buy to Let Ramblings...' (08 May 2008)

Hey guys,

Isn't it amazing the difference 5 months make in the property cycle. Consider January 2008 through to May 2008.

85% becomes 80% becomes 75%...
Well it looks like that mortgages are at 75% for the time being. We dropped from 85% to 80% mortgages in early March and then the end of April saw that drop again from 80% to 75% and now it appears that all lenders have settled at 75%.

Lenders margins from 1.5% margin up to 2.5% margin...
Taking an honest look at the market, what has actually happened is that throughout last year the banks margins were generally about 1...

Read more...

2008 posts...

  • Stability returning to the markets... (04 May 2008)
  • YPC launches Property Portal (03 May 2008)
  • Foreign Buyers Guide to purchasing in the UK... (12 April 2008)
  • Our 4 Property Guarantees: taking away the risk in working with us! (30 March 2008)
  • YPC's New Flexible Working hours. (29 March 2008)
  • How many property investment companies actually give you their direct mobile numbers? (27 March 2008)
  • Credit Crunch Update - Where have all the 85% mortgages gone? (24 March 2008)
  • IMPORTANT – How will the Credit Crunch affect your Off Plan mortgage? (10 March 2008)
  • What is a RICS valuation really worth? (18 February 2008)
  • When the United States coughs the world gets a cold!!! (11 February 2008)
  • Why you must track your portfolio! (08 February 2008)
  • I have an apology... (02 February 2008)
  • The Principle of 'Zig-Zag'! (22 January 2008)
  • Brett's 5 and Hold Strategy - 76 point checklist. (20 January 2008)
  • 2007 posts...

  • YPC Young Investors Club (14 December 2007)
  • Credit Squeeze: What does it REALLY mean to you? (16 November 2007)
  • If I could pass along just one lesson on investing in the UK, it would be... (15 November 2007)
  • Christmas bargains courtesy of your friendly developers... (13 November 2007)
  • YPC Christmas Drinks (09 November 2007)
  • What happens when your development burns down? (07 November 2007)
  • Which YPC team member has the best moustache? (05 November 2007)
  • My thoughts on the latest Council of Mortgage Lenders report... (30 October 2007)
  • The 2 rents in property... (10 October 2007)
  • My property crystal ball (or) where the market will be in 2010 (14 September 2007)
  • Having problems managing the cash flow now that interest rates are high? (27 August 2007)
  • Why the share market is in turmoil... and why it matters to your portfolio... (15 August 2007)
  • "How to build a property portfolio" -- a teleconference with Brett Wood (07 August 2007)
  • Isn't it time you raised the rent?! (28 July 2007)
  • My strategy is best! Isn't it? (17 July 2007)
  • Why simple systems are so important! (15 July 2007)
  • The principle of mortgage cost averaging (28 June 2007)
  • My first Solo Helicopter flight! (13 June 2007)
  • Are you an 80% person? (01 June 2007)
  • Why I don't like long leasebacks, investment funds, hotel pods and other collective investments (23 May 2007)
  • Affordable Housing and New Build Property... (16 May 2007)
  • Brett gets engaged in Venice... (08 May 2007)
  • Important changes and the Red Book rules (02 May 2007)
  • Damien Senn interviews Brett Wood (17 April 2007)
  • 90% Emotion - 10% Property... (15 April 2007)
  • Dinner Photos up on the website (10 April 2007)
  • Dinner and drinks night raises £676 for charity! (01 April 2007)
  • Why you shouldn't play the Monopoly boardgame (25 March 2007)
  • Our first Client and Team Dinner and Drinks night - Saturday 31st March 2007 (23 March 2007)
  • Who's responsible? Who's to blame? (23 March 2007)
  • Remortgage and save up to £1950 per month (15 March 2007)
  • We have donated £500 for Red Nose Day... (15 March 2007)
  • "Set and Forget" property book review (09 March 2007)
  • Recommended Reading (08 March 2007)
  • What's your 'One Big Thing' this year? (24 February 2007)
  • Where did all the middle class go? (21 February 2007)
  • The lighter side of client testimonials (05 February 2007)
  • Should you buy property in Thailand? (03 February 2007)
  • What a portfolio manager will do for you? (01 February 2007)
  • Property Inspection: Heatley Mere, Lymm, Cheshire WA13 (27 January 2007)
  • Congratulations to Chloe Batteson on her promotion to office manager. (26 January 2007)
  • The best time to buy property is...? (24 January 2007)
  • Property Inspection: Regency Court, South Woodford E18 (22 January 2007)
  • Are you living paycheck to paycheck? (14 January 2007)
  • 2006 posts...

  • Christmas Wishes from the YPC Choir (17 December 2006)
  • Why Progressive Property is probably not what you are after! (24 November 2006)
  • Where does all your 'buy to let' postage go? (20 November 2006)
  • Could your portfolio handle a 40% drop in the market? (17 November 2006)
  • Podcast #4: Brett's '5 and hold' strategy (15 November 2006)
  • Do you have a "Dinner Party" portfolio? (14 November 2006)
  • Why mortgage lenders never lose! (09 November 2006)
  • Giving back to the local community (01 November 2006)
  • Podcast #3: Why work with Your Property Club? (22 October 2006)
  • How many is too many in a development? (19 October 2006)
  • Property Inspection - Windsor Gate, High Wycombe (18 October 2006)
  • Lets face it - things go wrong! Don't worry -- it's normal! (18 October 2006)
  • Our First Property Inspection Video - Cheshire St, Shoreditch (12 October 2006)
  • New development, any takers? :-) (06 October 2006)
  • Launch of new clients' site with Ezytrac (04 October 2006)
  • Podcast #2: Brett's "Set and Forget" Property Philosophy (23 September 2006)
  • Which strategy is the best of all? (22 September 2006)
  • The black, the white and the grey of purchasing property (20 September 2006)
  • PropertyHounds - My spanish property managers... (20 September 2006)
  • YourPropertyClub - What's in a name? (19 September 2006)
  • Podcast #1: The 3 P's of the Property Mortgage (19 September 2006)
  • How to adjust your Mortgage payment dates (12 September 2006)
  • Why choose to work with Your Property Club? (11 September 2006)
  • Are solicitors really alarmists? (05 September 2006)
  • Why I decided to break our relationship with the previous company (04 September 2006)
  • Brett's 5 and Hold Strategy (29 August 2006)
  • How are you going to become rich? (03 August 2006)
  • Why the right solicitor is vitally important to your portfolio (03 August 2006)
  • Important precautions if exchanging without a mortgage. (22 June 2006)
  • Are "gifted" deposits such a good thing? (13 June 2006)
  • Good News for Property Investors (02 June 2006)
  • What are Service Charges and Ground Rent? (13 May 2006)
  • Effective ways to chop up your credit card! (12 May 2006)
  • The 3 P's of the mortgage application (03 May 2006)
  • Finally! Tenancy deposit protection is upon us! (18 April 2006)
  • Why you shouldn't buy more than one in a development! (16 April 2006)
  • Moving with the Market - Rentals (03 April 2006)
  • How many properties before your portfolio will run off its own steam? (16 March 2006)
  • Get educated, not just in property, but in basic finances too! (13 March 2006)
  • The youngest millionaire (03 March 2006)
  • You spend your cashflow and I will spend your Capital. (26 February 2006)
  • "What I did before property" by Simon (09 February 2006)
  • The Emu Investor that tried to spoil my sunday :) (05 February 2006)
  • Congratulations to Simon Shankland (02 February 2006)
  • No Decisions, No Responsibility (31 January 2006)
  • How to set up your bank accounts to build your portfolio! (20 January 2006)
  • The real reasons I do property (12 January 2006)
  • Brett's 3 + 1 strategy (08 January 2006)
  • What to do after 2 years cashflow is up? (04 January 2006)
  • 2005 posts...

  • How to find an extra £200 to pay for an additional buy to let property (part 1) (22 December 2005)
  • Why use Your Property Club's preferred mortgage broker and solicitor? (04 December 2005)
  • Why I direct debit everything! (27 November 2005)
  • Get smart about credit cards! (26 November 2005)
  • Why I don't invest in Bulgaria, Croatia, Florida, Cyprus, Romania or anywhere else (25 November 2005)
  • What is inflation and how does it affect your portfolio? (20 November 2005)
  • Spain or UK -- which is better? (18 November 2005)
  • The real life use of leverage (16 November 2005)
  • Why I closely control my cashflow (07 November 2005)
  • Why am I 'skint'? A message for us all (13 October 2005)
  • What does infrastructure mean to your portfolio? (09 October 2005)
  • The Property letdown! (07 October 2005)
  • What's your reward? (04 October 2005)
  • The expected growth of your portfolio (30 September 2005)
  • Important questions to ask your mortgage broker (28 September 2005)
  • Emotional development of your portfolio (21 September 2005)
  • Everything you need to know about "void" periods (14 September 2005)
  • New build vs off plan; which is better? (10 September 2005)
  • What guarantees have you got? (04 September 2005)
  • Why I have blonde hair and don't wear a suit (01 September 2005)
  • When to tell your family & friends about your property portfolio! (22 August 2005)
  • Why buy in Spain? (19 August 2005)
  • The 2 greatest concepts in property! (19 August 2005)
  • Ego with success (15 August 2005)
  • Trust me I can spell (10 August 2005)
  • What do you want from your portfolio, *specifically*? (05 August 2005)
  • What does BTL rentals stacking up mean? (02 August 2005)
  • The Myth of Property Hotspots (24 July 2005)
  • My new home.. (28 June 2005)
  • What is 'due diligence'? (27 June 2005)
  • Should you use credit cards, overdrafts and personal loans to build your portfolio. (21 June 2005)
  • Decisionmaking (09 June 2005)
  • Recycling your deposits (08 June 2005)
  • The Property Sleep Test (07 June 2005)
  • Spanish portfolio building (04 June 2005)
  • Why lending criteria change (03 June 2005)
  • Why buying off plan property direct from the builder could cost you an arm & a leg more than it should and how to turn it in your favour… (03 June 2005)
  • Why buying new build property direct from the developer could be costing you an arm & a leg and how to avoid it... (03 June 2005)
  • The truth about inside track to property seminars (02 June 2005)
  • How to purchase spanish property for under £10,000 (02 June 2005)
  • Ezytrac - Portfolio Management Software (01 June 2005)
  • 2 laws of buy to let purchasing (31 May 2005)
  • Property Cycles 2 - Uptrend/Cashflow (30 May 2005)
  • One of those moments! (19 May 2005)
  • Fast Track Property... Getting the Fast Track to Property Investment... (16 May 2005)
  • Property Cycles - Phase 4 - Galloping/Restructure (16 May 2005)
  • Don't sign anything! (16 May 2005)
  • Property Cycles - Phase 3 - Galloping/Buy/Remortgage (15 May 2005)
  • Property Cycles - Phase 1 - Stagnate/Watch Cashflow (06 May 2005)
  • What is a "set and forget" property investor? (05 May 2005)
  • How much should you receive in rent? (04 May 2005)
  • No Perfect Deal, Only Perfect Timing (23 April 2005)
  • Why a 10% deposit is required to buy off-plan (20 April 2005)
  • Managing your lettings agent (Part I) (13 April 2005)
  • Upfront and honest policy (08 April 2005)
  • Should you ever pay off your property? (03 April 2005)
  • Brett's 10% rule of thumb (28 March 2005)
  • Brett's "cash house" strategy (20 March 2005)
  • Brett's 7-10 x 7-10 strategy (14 March 2005)
  • Brett's "set & forget property" strategy (10 March 2005)
  • Cashflow bad, capital good (05 March 2005)
  • Important property dates and your cashflow (28 February 2005)
  • There are only 2 reasons to build a portfolio (20 February 2005)
  • Money doesn't make you happy (13 February 2005)
  • How do you create income from property? (04 February 2005)
  • Investing "cashflow as capital" strategy (31 January 2005)
  • Brett's "set & forget" philosophy (28 January 2005)
  • Brett's "full management" strategy (15 January 2005)
  • Brett's 1, 2 STOP Strategy (10 January 2005)
  • Why We Say Property "Portfolio" (02 January 2005)
  • 2004 posts...

  • Everyone loves surprises (except in property) (13 December 2004)
  • Brett's 2 year cashflow rule (28 November 2004)
  • In search of the perfect property deal (05 October 2004)
  • Beware of inflated valuations (30 September 2004)
  • Everyperson House Rule (18 September 2004)
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