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The Property Voice Birthday Special: well-wishes, top property tips & a few presents too!
Hear some birthday wishes, plus some top tips for the year ahead from some of our friends and contributors. Oh and the odd Birthday present awaits you as well! Join in the celebrations and gain more valuable knowledge and insights as you do. Now, if only I had a royalty-free Birthday song to start the show off with…
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Resources mentioned
Our Birthday Special well-wishers:
Akhil Patel
Tony Gimple
Stephan Gasteyger
David Clouter
The Property Voice Newsfeed on Scoop.it
The Birthday Song Contest, which was the source of the clips in today's show
Today’s must do’s
In the interests of reciprocity; it’s great to both give and receive isn’t it?
My gifts to you are the mini-apprenticeship email podcast@thepropertyvoice.net for more info about that and we also have the special offer on my book Property Investor Toolkit for less than a quid, here is the book link on amazon.co.uk & amazon.com, the offer runs from 8am 7th to 11pm 10th April 2016
My present from you? Simples…reviews would be very well received thanks J
Leave a podcast review in iTunes & a book review in Amazon
Please continue to send in your thoughts and ideas for content and themes that would fit into the 'New Beginnings' brief that I outlined for my upcoming YPN column: podcast@thepropertyvoice.net
Send in your property stories, questions or moans to podcast@thepropertyvoice.net and we will try and feature YOU on the show too!
Get talking!
Join in the discussion, either here in the comments section below, or by emailing us at podcast@thepropertyvoice.net
Start a conversation on Twitter with us @PropertyVoiceUK or on our Facebook page
Transcription of the show
That fooled you didn’t it…our special Happy Birthday song instead of the regular intro?
Welcome to another edition of the Property Voice Podcast…but not just any edition…it’s our first Birthday Special Edition! My name is Richard Brown and thank you for joining me on the show today.
That song in the intro is actually the winner of a competition to come up with an alternative song to the traditional Happy Birthday to You version we all know and love…did you like it?
I have to admit that in preparing for today’s show, I reviewed quite a lot of Birthday songs, as I was not sure if I could legally use the Stevie Wonder classic that was probably my first choice. I had a lot of fun reviewing these though and as it’s our Birthday, rather than cry if I want to, instead I will indulge us in just a couple of the entries into that competition if that’s OK with you?
In addition to some slightly ropey, or in some cases, quite profane Birthday tunes, we also have some Birthday wishes from some of our Property Voice friends & contributors. Plus, no Birthday celebration can be complete without the odd Birthday present can it…so stay tuned for more on that...
OK, on with the show…
I don’t know about you but on my Birthday, I do tend to reflect on the year past and look forward to the one ahead as well. So, we shall do a little bit of that as we go…but equally, we have some Birthday wishes to help celebrate the past, along with a few top tip to look to the year ahead to share from some familiar names to the show and blog as we go too.
Let’s start that off with this one from Mark Morris, who wrote a blog post on investing in the USA for us here:
Thank you Mark for that nice Birthday wish! I think you make a great point that property investing is both a numbers and an activity game. After all the negative changes to the BTL landscape, should all just run for the hills, or should we keep calm and carry on instead. I agree with Mark that as long as the numbers stack up and we maintain our activity level to uncover suitable investment opportunities then we can indeed carry on.
OK, so we may have to factor in some extra costs…mainly for taxation changes now…but that’s all they are…lines on spreadsheet in our ROI calculations. So, crunch the numbers, reset our buying and rental criteria, negotiate harder and consider alternative strategies to help us to achieve our goals. For me, there is still plenty of opportunity, perhaps even more so as some investors will no doubt exit the market as well. Those that remain active and committed…and of course are diligent in their research and deal evaluations will still do well I believe.
Don’t forget to reach out to Mark if you are in the north-west, his email address is in the show notes if you want to find out more about that: mark_morris_uk@yahoo.co.uk
I kid you not when I say that just as I was preparing for this episode I received another Birthday wish and I wanted to make sure I included it before final recording. It comes from Akhil Patel, Director of Ascendant Strategy, who you may recall provided some meaty content around the 18-year property cycle a while back…here’s what he had to say:
“Dear Richard,
A very happy birthday to Property Voice and many congratulations on reaching this important milestone.
In a sector awash with "noise", it's very important for investors to be able to go to people who treat important topics with clarity and in a straightforward way. I've also been very impressed with the really "meaty" topics that you've tackled on your show and you've managed to gather a real panel of experts to bring real insights to your listeners. If people want light and fluffy entertainment people should go elsewhere!
My main tip to your listeners is i) keep listening to Property Voice (of course!) and ii) don't over-react to policy changes that are coming about. Investment strategies should be simple, based on sound fundamentals. Take stock of the facts, don't make decisions based on fear.
Best wishes for the year(s) ahead.”
Well, if I was ever looking for confirmation of my points about keeping on and following the fundamentals, Akhil has certainly helped to reinforce that point hasn’t he? Thank you Akhil, I quite like the meaty topic reference there. Maybe I should work on my light and fluffy side though, what do you think?
Both Mark and Akhil have congratulated us on reaching our first podcast Birthday…that’s no mean feat you know…a year full of podcast episodes. I hear and see many podcasts come and go, as it is bloody difficult to maintain the commitment, creative ideas and the sheer workload of a weekly podcast recording…trust me I know what is involved lol 😉
However, this is partly why I created three different episode formats:
- The series formats – which are all about developing a central theme over a month or so. These allow us to dig deep in getting underneath a general concept in property. We had series one, which was very much foundational in looking at many of the fundamentals of being a property investor. Then series two followed, which was all about the various cycles in property. I continue to work on series three, which will probably be aimed at looking at financing more closely.
- The musing episodes allow me to look at a single topic more closely, yet following a similar format to the series episodes, which includes useful resources and an opportunity for you to have your say too
- Finally, the latest soundbite episodes, allow a punchier airing of many of the top of mind issues that I face or hear about as I go about my business as a property investor. They also allow me lots of content flexibility, so that I can address a whole range of issues that affect both you and me in very practical terms. They also allow me to keep a regular slot with in the diary, so you can get your regular property fix; you property junkie you! Yes, it does all get rather addictive in property doesn’t it?
Talking of addictions, if you enjoy listening to property content via audio then I have my first Birthday gift for you! I am going to release a secret property podcast ‘monthly surgery’ for subscribers only. The aim is to have a group of committed, action-oriented property investors who have access to recordings tailored to their personal issues and challenges in property. I have some themes in mind already, such as: should I incorporate, and if so how many companies do I need, or how do I value a property effectively, or the how can I add value to a property that a valuer will accept and so on. However, the real intention of this surgery podcast is to handle your particular queries not necessarily mine. It will be like a mini-apprenticeship of action-oriented property investors. And the best part, if you subscribe during April 2016 it will be completely free…at least for a year!
If you want to be involved in that, it will be an application-based subscription with limited numbers. To be considered, just drop me an email podcast@thepropertyvoice.net letting me know what you want to achieve over the next 12 months and what help you think you may benefit from. I will then be in touch to explore your application further…and don’t forget that it will be free for the first year.
OK, so now another Birthday wish and this time from Tony Gimple, a personal estate and business succession planning adviser from Planned Succession, who says this:
“A very happy birthday to The Property Voice and here’s to many many more! My top tip for the coming year is that landlords shouldn’t worry about all the headline tax and other changes, instead just concentrate on getting wealthier.”
Thank you very much Tony.
At face value, this looks like a similar tip to those from Mark and Akhil earlier, however, it is worth closer inspection I think. You may recall that Tony joined me as a guest on the show and also wrote a guest blog post all about personal tax planning and whether to set up a company or not? Well, those two broadcasts were among the most responsive we had ever had here at The Property Voice and clearly struck a real chord with the mood and sentiment of investors at the time. They still do as well, as Tony regular lets me know that people get in touch with him for advice months after they went live.
His key point is to have the right focus and perspective when it comes to property investing. It’s all about wealth creation (or such other term that you find applicable to you) and less about the micro-detail of taxation changes. Don’t get me wrong here, I am not suggesting for one minute that we should be reckless and ignore tax altogether, but we should probably leave that to the professionals to advise on rather than spending hours on end digging into the details ourselves. Instead, let’s stay focused on our desired outcomes instead…replacing an income, having a comfortable retirement, providing for people we care about, leaving a legacy, giving back or just having a better quality of life or more choice and freedom to name but some.
I think that’s the point really – be focused on the head not the tail I guess you could say.
Ok, so a quick break from my voice for a minute now. Have a quick listen to another of those Birthday song entries. I should let you know that it is slightly unconventional and so you may need to turn the volume down a wee bit ok…
OK, OK, so I promise that will be the last of those Birthday songs…well until the outro that is, when you have the option of listening to my favourite one, or just skipping it and getting on with whatever you had planned for that 2 minutes instead 🙂
Until this point we have looked at and celebrated the podcast’s first Birthday mostly haven’t we? However, we have another two Birthdays to celebrate this month as well.
The Property Investor Toolkit – my first book, was published exactly a year ago now as well…so it’s also celebrating a Birthday too! On launch it became an Amazon Best Seller [OK, it was as a free book then if you want to split hairs!] and has since sold regularly each month. However, most pleasing of all to me is the number of positive reviews that it has and continues to receive each and every month, which makes me proud to be supporting the property community with valuable knowledge and insights.
By the way, if you own a copy of the book and promised to leave a review, you just simply relieve the guilt by clicking on the book link in the show notes to leave your review now 🙂
I also have a small gift for you to mention in a minute, but first that other Birthday…
It was exactly 3 years ago that The Property Voice was born. It started out in life as a curated news feed service on the Scoop.it platform and still exists today having had nearly 20,000 visitors! The idea of the news feed is to select one or two property news stories daily that distil some of the noise in property into the key issues for property investors. Some of the earlier posts were more like full on blog posts than short insights and that’s exactly why The Property Voice blog was created too. So, now I share short snippets through the newsfeed insights and longer elaborations from both myself and a number of guest bloggers via www.thepropertyvoice.net blog. I bet you have seen these already but all the links will be in the show notes just in case.
On the subject of guest blog posts, one such contribution came recently from Stephan Gasteyger, who wrote a thought-provoking piece on rent controls. He contrasted rent controls as a policy possibility here in the UK with those in parts of Europe. The European feel is very much alive in his Birthday wish and top tip for the year ahead, which is as follows:
“Happy Birthday to The Property Voice... wishing you all the best and ongoing success! What would be my top tip for property investment in the year ahead? I would invest in Germany - but since large cities have already done well over the last few years, I would rather focus on investing in period buildings in the Berlin periphery as well as in second tier Eastern German cities such as Leipzig and Halle. Those regions benefit from population growth, a growing industry, start-up and media scene, and hence, gentrification. You can still get yields above 5%, but mortgage rates are at an all-time low, somewhere around 1%. Prices per square meter generally are still below 2,500 EUR compared to double to three times this in the most desirable Berlin locations. Hence this provides you with a decent yield, attractive capital growth, as well as diversification away from your Pound Sterling exposure.
Stephan Gasteyger, Owner of www.LocaBerlin.de
Thank you Stephan for the Birthday wish and that top tip. Whilst quite specific and niche in nature, Stephan reiterates a really good general investment principle – that of diversification. Just as Mark Morris invests in the USA, Stephan clearly thinks Germany offers some decent investment options and an opportunity to diversify by both country and currency.
I too invest in property in several different countries, so spreading the concentration risk around. However, a word of caution before boarding the next Easyjet flight to Berlin to go house hunting Home or Away style…do you research first and remember things can be very different in overseas property markets. Just as investing in alternative currency markets via property adds to the diversification principle, it does also bring into play currency risk as well. You can see from my own experience that I am in favour of overseas investment in principle, however, I tend to only invest in markets that I know and understand or have some very good personal connections with…it can be like the wild west in certain overseas markets, so venture forward by all means, but tread carefully if you do.
I have one final Birthday wish and top tip to share with you today and that comes from David Clouter, a very experienced property investor, with a colourful approach to sharing his knowledge. David joined me on the show to talk about a range of different strategies that he has been involved in over his 30-year plus investment career. Here’s what he had to say:
"Many congratulations on reaching this important milestone. Your book, podcast, news feed and blog perform a vital service in shedding valuable light on the constantly shifting sands of the property world.
My top tip for 2016, moving forward: At every level, people should find themselves an experienced mentor with their finger on the pulse. There are still plenty of ways to make good money in property, but investors need to stay sharp and keep abreast of developments to stay one step ahead of the game. And always do the opposite to the herd."
Best wishes,
David
You can find David, most easily on Facebook as he is a prolific poster in several property communities on Facebook. There is a link to David Clouter in the show notes as well.
Thank you David for such kind words and for drawing together most of what The Property Voice is about; which is knowledge sharing.
David makes a great point about getting an experienced mentor to help guide the way and accelerate the journey. I know that David mentors property investors, as do I. I read a while back that whilst mentoring is not for everyone, for those that it is for, the results are often very significant indeed.
If you look at many people at the top of their profession, leading a company or in elite sport, entertainment and the arts…a good many of them will attest to having a mentor or guide of some description. I do too, so I am not just a peddler touting for business here, I am also a lifelong student of both property and business; someone that constantly invests in my own learning and development through training and mentoring.
Choosing a mentor is a very personal thing. The chemistry between mentor and mentee can be equally as important as their experience and knowledge. However, make sure you do find a mentor that can actually direct your path in the best way forward and that often means ‘been-there-done-that’ on the part of the mentor. A coach, on the other hand, need not have specific experience in the chosen field and is more skilled in getting the best out of you personally, so that you maximise your capabilities and results.
Mentoring, or acquiring knowledge, can come in a variety of different ways. An example, is this very podcast. Another way is through books of course and that brings me to my final present on our Birthday show…
My book, Property Investor Toolkit is available as a paperback and also in Kindle format from the Amazon store. Between the day after this podcast goes live, so Thursday 7th April from 8am until Sunday 10th April at 11pm, the Kindle version of the book will be available for less than a quid. I don’t make a profit on the book in any event, so at 99p my objective is clearly not financial. Rather, it is a gift of a couple of quid off the usual price of the book to help you get a good foundation in property investing.
If you happen to own a copy of the book already, I am sure you won’t begrudge the couple of pounds extra you may have paid, if you know that another property investor like you has access to a source of knowledge and resources to set them on their merry way for the price of a bar of chocolate now would you? And, if you already have a copy of the book, then maybe a friend or family member may like a copy too? Spread the love and share the knowledge is what I say J
There we have it then, a very special episode of The Property Voice Podcast as we celebrate our first year. Hopefully there have been some useful tips and value along the way as well.
I do hope you are enjoying the show and do you know what would make a great Birthday present for me? An iTunes review of the podcast would do rather nicely if you wouldn’t mind. So, please head on over to The Property Voice Podcast on iTunes and leave a written review – we particularly like the ones with the five stars…just sayin’!
Don’t forget the mini—apprentice and discounted book offers now will you, you can always email me, podcast@thepropertyvoice.net and we can have a good old property chat. The show notes with the references can be found over at our website, www.thepropertyvoice.net Finally, a special word of thanks goes to Matthew, who edits and produces the show each week and Colin before him…thanks guys and sorry for all the mixing in this week!
Right, I am off to find Casa and crack open a bottle of champers to celebrate all of these Birthdays …. Most of all, thank you to the tens of thousands of you that listen, read or otherwise engage in The Property Voice community in one way or another; and as Vinnie Jones once said: it’s been emotional.
Now I shall leave you with my favourite entry to that Birthday song competition as the outro if you want to hear that…the lyrics are hilarious.
So, Until next time on The Property Voice Podcast…it’s ciao ciao!
PS: If you are reading this rather than listening...check out the Foul-mouthed Robot Birthday song from that competition list but be warned...it is pretty blue!