Property Management Software – Revolutionary Lettingrental Service For Estate Agents

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With the changing pace of technology, the lettings industry has changed hugely from the days of collecting rent door to door to now receiving online transactions. It’s now easier for landlords to get their payments on time and similarly further payments are made to contractors etc. with ease. Not only this, the chance of losing cheques is greatly reduced. Handling the day to day work and online transactions for a small or start up business is fine but when it comes to expanding the business manual processing puts you at a great disadvantage. In such cases you will be researching the Property management software available in the market. At TBL We have come up with the complete solution PropCo Enterprise-software specialising in residential lettings, accounts and property management.

This Property management software delivers some unique and outstanding features giving you complete control of your property portfolio:

Residential Property Lettings
Marketing
Property Maintenance
Client Accounting
Document Management
Work flow Automation

The enhanced features of PropCo Enterprise that make it the best in the UK include:

System Structure
Multiple client account
Receiving rent/ fees and payments etc
Access data
Marketing
Property
Landlord’s
Contractor’s
Data Conversion

This property management software PropCo Enterprise has the flexibility to cater for the needs of both multi user and single user letting agents, from large to small. PropCo Enterprise takes care of the entire letting cycle of a tenancy starting right from the applicant matching to the tenant booking to maintenance of the property contractors, if needed with customer satisfaction as the main focus.

Along with the core Property management software, PropCo Enterprise from TBL also offers PropCo Web which delivers a robust web presence showcasing the products and services of our clients. When PropCo web is integrated with PropCo Enterprise further features such as Landlord and Tenant Portal, Interactive mapping etc. can be delivered making the product available to applicants easily and grabbing the opportunity to convert them into tenants!

Coming to our Client base, we have a long list of clients throughout the UK. The largest clients that we currently have are Countrywide Residential Lettings who have selected our property management software after a rigorous tender process.

When Building a New Home

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Building a home according to your will is a dream of a lifetime while both stressful and a daunting task. To ensure the success of your new home construction requires someone with a lot of experience in the field and also sufficient resources to get the construction of your dream home completed on time. In the UK the property market has enjoyed a rebound this year from the deepest economic crisis it has seen in decades.

The most important thing when you plan to build a new home is to keep track of your finances. Price out all the stuff your home needs. Make a list of everything in your house, such as appliances, plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, heat pumps, countertops and anything you want in your new house. You should ensure that you find a company who will be right for you, someone who has experience, but is affordable and who can complete your project on time. Apart from the architect and the owner, one of the most important constituents is the builder in construction, renovation or structuring a new home project. The best home builders take care of the inside of your home as well as the outside and will be glad to give you the names and addresses of satisfied homeowners, for you to check previous work.

You should stay involved in the building process and familiarize yourself with home construction terms. You will want to always be up to date on how construction is proceeding and know about fees and any extra costs that are associated with the home building. At certain stages of home building, you would be required to hire a home inspector, an architect or engineer to meet structural and safety codes and approve different home systems. Framing is the skeleton, basic structure of your home. A special engineer must be hired to draw the plans for the framing of your house. SearchMe4 is a local information and business directory that can help you find completely legal and professional builders, building engineers, consultants and contractors and various building control services.

Various Uses Of Mortgage Calculators

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Much like common mathematical calculators, a mortgage calculator is a small handheld device to compute the total payment of a mortgage loan, including principal, interest, taxes and insurance with relation to the repayment schedule such as quarterly, monthly or biweekly. The instrument can also used to calculate the amortization schedules, balance on the mortgage taken, and the future value of a mortgage. Not only that, some mortgage calculators have rent-versus-buy features to analyze which of these two options would be better in the long term. Most mortgage calculators also do currency conversions and tax calculations.

A calculator can come in quite handy, since you can take it with you to meetings with your realtor or builder, to crunch the numbers as you go through the purchasing process. The Internet will provide the easiest use of a home mortgage calculator, since you can simply punch in the information necessary, and the computer will do all of the hard work for you.

The keys are similar to ordinary mathematical calculators having numeric keys from zero to nine. Similarly, there are related symbols for functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentage and so on. They have integrated circuitry within their bodies and are operable with one or two 1.5-volt pencil cells. Since mortgage calculators are used for quick calculations, their buttons are usually larger in size than normal calculators. Depending on the quality and various features, they may be priced between 10 to 50 UK pounds.

To use a mortgage calculator, you simply need to know the approximate purchase price of the home that you are interested in, and the current rate of interest available for a loan in that amount. You can find out how much your monthly mortgage payment will be, which will give you an idea of how much house you can afford. You can also use a mortgage calculator to determine the annual income that will be required to purchase a home in a particular price range. To utilize this type of mortgage loan calculator, you will need to know the amount of your monthly expenses, as well as the purchase price of the loan and the interest rate.

There are plenty of commercial mortgage calculators on the web which you can use free of charge. All you need to know is your mortgage amount, the down payment, interest rate, and the number of years. You will get your monthly payment calculated for you by simply putting those numbers into the commercial mortgage calculator. Often, companies will create free tools for you to post on your website in exchange for a small link back to them. This will save you time and money in creating your own web tools or calculators, which can often be expensive. There are any numbers of websites on the Internet that will provide this service for you, and a number of calculators that you can purchase that will provide this functionality.

Thus, a mortgage calculator is an efficient tool to help you calculate how much money you can afford to pay on a mortgage and to have a price range in mind before searching for a suitable home and loan option. If you are thinking of refinancing your current mortgage loan, a mortgage calculator can be a great tool for you. For this, you need to know what your existing mortgage loan balance is, the current commercial mortgage interest rate, and number of years you wish to refinance your commercial mortgage loan.

What Is A Buy To Let Mortgage

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Buy to Let Mortgages are loans specially designed for anyone who wishes to invest in the property market by buying one or more houses and renting them out to tenants. Buy to Let Mortgages differ from previous investment vehicles by specifically using the rental revenue as the main factor when determining the ability of the buyer to meet the monthly mortgage payments. Many high street banks and building societies now offer a buy to let mortgage product. The percentage which the buy to let lender is willing to lend is likely to be restricted by many lenders to 85% of the value of a property.

Buying Property

Buying property to let has become increasingly popular to the UK investor. Buy To Let mortgage lenders differ in approach. Buy-to-let borrowers do have to jump through some extra hoops to satisfy mortgage lenders. The buy to let mortgage term can be anything between 5 and and 45 years. When buying to let it is important to know the market in which you will be trying to let your property.

Buy To Let Property

The more you are willing to do a property up, the higher the potential profits. There is the danger that the property could lie empty for long periods and the market could suffer a downturn. There is a real advantage if your buy to let property is close by as you will be able to manage the property yourself. However, if you are employing the services of an agent then the vicinity of your properties is not a real consideration. One rule of thumb many buy-to-let investors apply is to factor in the property sitting empty for two months of the year this gives a substantial buffer. Finding the right property is key to the success of your long-term strategy.

Buy To Let Mortgages

Popular perception is that buy-to-let mortgages are hugely expensive and very restrictive. However, the interest rates available for buy to let products is really not that much higher than a regular residential mortgage. Landlords also have a choice between interest only and repayment mortgages. To begin with, buy to let mortgage lenders do not use the applicants income solely as a basis of approval, instead they base their decision mostly upon the likely rental income that the property will achieve. Over the long term, though, both the capital value of the property and the rental income should go up, making buy-to-let a balanced investment. Usually, regular buy to let lenders will demand the rent to cover at least 125% of the monthly mortgage payments. However some specialist lenders are more relaxed and may only require 100% full coverage.

Buy to Let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Even though buy to let property is a fairly safe investment taking into consideration the historical movement of house prices, you still need to check the market very carefully before going ahead with a purchase.

Why Do I Need Life Insurance to Get a Mortgage

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Taking out a mortgage is one of the most common ways people get into a home in the United Kingdom. Every mortgage lender has a set of requirements borrowers must meet, however, such as having a certain debt-to-income ratio. Although UK law doesn’t force you to get life insurance to take out this type of loan, most mortgage lenders include it in their requirements, and almost all financial experts believe that having a policy to accompany your mortgage is prudent.

What Happens to the House After You Die

To really understand why life insurance with a mortgage is so overwhelmingly seen as necessary, you have to grasp what would happen to your home following your death, assuming the mortgage was still not paid in full. Under UK regulations, if your mortgage is unpaid, several things can happen. If you have a joint mortgage, then responsibility for the mortgage simply passes to your surviving borrower. If you are the sole owner of the house through the mortgage, then the home usually goes to a beneficiary you name in your will, but your estate must settle your debts before beneficiaries can get the property. If there are enough other assets in your estate to pay off the mortgage without selling the home, then the beneficiary might be able to get the property free and clear, but more often than not, the assets don’t entirely cover what’s owed, so the beneficiary has to refinance the mortgage loan to keep the property. Remaining owners and beneficiaries can sell the property, pay off the mortgage from the sale, and pocket whatever equity happens to be left over, as well.

The Lack of Payment Problem

In the scenarios above, all is well assuming that the remaining owners or beneficiaries have the means to pay off what’s still owed on their own. This is not always the case, however. For instance, a parent might not be able to cover both the costs of the mortgage and daycare. Similarly, many beneficiaries are not financially prepared to take on a mortgage payment. If the mortgage payments lapse enough, the lender may foreclose.

Enter the Life Insurance Policy

When you have a life insurance policy to cover the remainder of your mortgage, you eliminate the possibility that your surviving borrower or beneficiary will have trouble paying off the rest of the loan. They can take the insurance money and give the lender what is still owed without having to make tough financial sacrifices to keep the property. The fact they don’t have to worry about the mortgage payments does wonders to keep them monetarily stable, because all of the money they would have had to put toward the mortgage can go toward other needs or wants, or better yet, be invested. A life insurance policy coupled with a mortgage loan, therefore, is a very responsible way of eliminating worry, allowing your surviving borrowers or beneficiaries to maintain a good standard of living and retain a valuable asset.

A Note on Death in Service Benefits

Many people make the mistake of thinking that Death in Service benefits are a form of life insurance. This is not exactly true. Both are similar in that they pay out upon your death, but Death in Service benefits normally max out at four times your salary. You can lose them if you lose or change jobs, or if you are made redundant. By contrast, you can get insurance in a wide range of values, and they aren’t dependent on your employment. These differences mean that most lenders see insurance as the most reasonable way for a borrower to reduce risk, and that they often still want you to have a policy even if your employer gives Death in Service benefits to you.

Conclusion

Mortgages allow many UK residents to purchase a home without paying for it in a lump sum. If you pass away before you eliminate your mortgage loan, surviving borrowers or beneficiaries might have difficulty keeping up with the mortgage payments. A life insurance policy ensures that they don’t experience undue hardship to keep the home, or that the house has to be sold. This is why, if you ask -Do I need life insurance to get a mortgage?-, many experts will say you -have- to have it, even though getting a policy is not required as of 2013 under UK law. If you are single with no dependents, then life insurance becomes less vital, but you still might need to get it based on your preferred lender’s stipulations.

Laura Ginn appreciates that there are many people that are asking -do I need life insurance to get a mortgage?’ Visit http://www.uswitch.com/life-insurance/life-insurance-tips/ to learn more about life insurance and what it means in relation to your mortgage application and other areas of your life.

The benefits of using an experienced mortgage broker

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Foreign nationals now have a choice of mortgage products and with help from an experienced mortgage broker they do not have to worry about the additional rules, restrictions and stipulations imposed by lenders.

If you have been working in the UK for at least a year and seek to purchase your first property, you may want to consider a foreign national mortgage. Rather than continue paying exorbitant amounts as rent, it is always prudent to seek the services of an experienced mortgage broker who will be able to identify the most suitable lender.

The risks of approaching lenders on your own

Many foreign nationals may approach their existing bank only to be turned down. In most cases, this is because they do not present their application in the appropriate manner. Therefore, it is wise to have an experienced broker guide you through the process even if you plan to start a large buy to let portfolio. Some lenders accept applicants who have at least two years remaining prior to the expiry of their visa. This restricts the borrowing limit while most lenders fail to recognise the visa process that permits an individual to be considered for indefinite leave to remain in the UK permanently after their visa term is complete.

Guarantee better rates with a mortgage broker

However, there are mortgage brokers that have the skills and resources to procure foreign national mortgage from specific lenders. One of the major benefits is you can have access to a range of mortgage products that do not attract any set-up fee. In addition, depending on your situation, you may be able to find lenders willing to loan as much as 90% and reduce your immediate financial burden to just a 10% deposit. It would be prudent to opt for an existing house or flat rather than build a new one. This increases the potential to borrow more since several lenders perceive any plan for new construction as a greater risk and restrict their borrowing limit.

Mortgage brokers enjoy a better rapport with lenders

Other major factors to consider are the source of the deposit and the costs involved. Lenders are wary about the origin of deposits especially when they come from abroad. Policies differ from lender to lender especially when it comes to anti-money laundering measures. However, your mortgage broker will be able to ease their concerns and reach an appropriate solution. For the most part, there are no initial costs involved since reliable mortgage brokers do not charge an upfront fee for their service. The percentage of deposit owed to the lender is the only major cost involved.

Reliable mortgage brokers are transparent when it comes to fees, costs and rates. Their service fee is applicable only if your loan has been approved. Whether you wish to build a large buy to let portfolio or are a foreigner seeking a mortgage, you can always count on an experienced mortgage broker for help. Visa applicants can have access to the Best Buy 90% mortgages. This includes Tier 1 and Tier 2 visa holders, first time and second time buyers, remortgages as well as employed, self employed individuals and contract workers in the UK.

Author is associated with a Loan providing company in London. They are able to arrange short term and long term property loan to fulfill your need; Here, He keen to provide detailed information on foreign national mortgage along with large buy to let portfolio to choose best mortgage provider that suits your need.

Portugal Mortgage Intro

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Portugal Mortgage Finder is a company headed up by Justin Whitelock who spent many years in the Spanish market place before making the move to Portugal. Starting out he managed what became largest broker on the Algarve for just over two years before setting up business for himself.

Below you will find some outlined information on Portuguese mortgages, the dos and donts when it comes to looking for a property and acquiring the services of a mortgage broker.

The Portuguese mortgage market is quite condensed in terms of product and options when it comes to acquisition mortgages for that first holiday home or the overseas investment youve been dreaming about over the past few years. Only a hand full of banks have a worthy product range when it comes to a non residents needs in comparison with the UK, that said each bank has different requirements in terms of what they want from the client with regards meeting the criteria of there own risk assessment dept. This is why the use of an experienced mortgage broker can be vital in getting the mortgage approval needed with the terms and conditions required. Portugal Mortgage Finder not only has the experience but also ultimate confidence in finding its client the right product and meeting there financial needs. So much so there is no upfront broker fee, no approval fee or any other fee for that matter associated with them helping you set and arrange the mortgage you require. They do receive a payment of course, but this comes directly from the bank and only after the mortgage is signed. So if youre not happy with what you have been offered simply look elsewhere without feeling trapped.

First point to address is anyone thinking of buying a property should first seek the assistance of an experienced mortgage broker. Understanding what your options are in terms of lending, along with the type of documents required and level of income expected to achieve the property purchase in mind is paramount to the success of turning your dream into a reality. In the current market even people with the cash to make an outright purchase should look at obtaining mortgage advice. With the weak pound and the very low interest rates offered at present, making use of a Euro mortgage now and having the flexibility of repaying the loan back when the pounds strengthens might be a much better options than waiting to purchase until this happens as more than likely the property price will reflect this.

The advice to people thinking about buying property is do your homework, set yourself a realistic budget. Once you have the kind of property and price in mind then make sure you get some credible mortgage advice. Looking at property before you are absolutely sure about what you can afford or what your income level will allow you to afford can be both a cruel and costly mistake. Having the mortgage amount in place or at least the knowledge of what you could borrow can be vital when making that purchase decision.

To find out more information or to sign up for the monthly news letter giving helpful information to buyers and owners alike got to Portugal-Mortgage.com

Remember, if a company wants to charge you a fee before doing any work then the outcome will more than likely be you being unhappy but as you have already paid you feel trapped to move elsewhere

Dyson Vs Hoover – The Value Of Intellectual Property

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Most people have heard of a Hoover, but almost as many have now heard of a Dyson, too, as the brand has become synonymous with innovation in vacuum cleaning, and in other household products, too.

Dyson’s success – the company now has more than a third of the UK market for vacuum cleaners – has not been without conflict. One major factor in its advance has been make sure that its product innovations – in combination, the company’s intellectual property – were carefully protected.

Legend has it that James Dyson was inspired by the air extractor at a coating plant, and used this inspiration to create his famous cyclonic vacuum cleaner. The initial frustration that made him look for a new idea was how the efficiency of his regular vacuum cleaner decreased as dust filled its bag.

Dyson had the good sense to consult an experienced intellectual property (or IP) lawyer who advised him to ensure his new technology was patented. And, thanks to that important step, he was in the ideal position to be able to defend himself against a much larger rival, when they developed a product that looked remarkably similar to his cyclone vacuum. That rival was Hoover, who Dyson took to court in 2000 to sue them for patent infringement. It is understood the successful claim meant around $5 million in damages – but more importantly, it stopped Hoover and others from copying the Dyson design and ensured his leading design had no clear rivals in the marketplace.

Hiring a specialist IP lawyer as Dyson did will make sure you are informed about the best way to protect your intellectual property, whether through use of a patent, or another route such as registering a trademark or a copyright. It is vital to seek advice and take action early; had Dyson waited until his first model was selling well, he could have laid himself open to having his proprietary design copied, without any legal protection or comeback against those benefiting from the sales of a product with a similar design.

With patents, the rules of patentability are specified by the law, with certain discoveries disallowed from the process. These exemptions include items already existing in nature, scientific theories, and some diagnostic methods. And to qualify, a new product must be capable of actual manufacture; and it has to be obviously new.

Taking advice on your intellectual property from an experienced, qualified IP Lawyer is hugely important when considering whether a patent is the best way forward for you, as well as when making sure that you have filed the documents properly and so afforded yourself the best commercial protection. Taking the right IP advice could mean your invention turns you into the next James Dyson!

Menorca Real Estate Prices Set For A Price Crash

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A sunshine Spanish Mediterranean holiday home for many Europeans, but especially the British, has been an aspiration achieved by many since the early 1980’s, when the UK allowed the free flow of capital, and property price gains allowed many to sell up in Britain and move to Spain and her islands – Menorca for example.

A slow down of Brits buying abroad happened in the early 90’s when recession hit the country, but overall the pace of number of people buying a home and often buying a business too has been relentless.

And with a growing number of British moving abroad, the UK’s financial infrastructure followed them, with British banks setting up branches in Spain and the Spanish islands like Menorca (ironically some of the British banks have now been taken over by Spanish ones), mortgage companies tailoring products for overseas home purchase,low cost airlines providing flights to Menorca and insurance companies offering building and contents cover.

For many of the British buying in Spain, it was like Britain with sunshine.

But times have changed, Spain is flooded with unsold brand new and re-sale properties, and property prices have crashed. In Britian property prices have dropped and are expected to fall further for the next year or more.

Confidence is low – unemployment in the UK is expected to hit 3 million before it peaks, and people with some money who might ordinarily have considered buying a property abroad are often keeping it in assets where the money is easily accessible – something it’s not when tied up in a property during a recession.

And of course the financial infrastructure that supported the British buying homes and businesses in Spain and her islands is in full retreat. The banks who were lending money readily to Brits moving abroad aren’t lending much, and many of them have been bailed out with taxpayers’ money – overall a dismal picture of a once flourishing overseas property market.

So, is now a good time to buy in Spain and her islands? If you’ve always fancied an apartment or villa in glorious Menorca – is this the time to take the plunge?

Part of that answer depends upon your individual financial circumstances, but if you need to borrow to buy a second home, and if you need income from holiday rentals to sustain your new Menorca property…halve the figure you think you might achieve and re-calculate to get closer to what you might realistically get from renting out to those taking Menorca holidays in today’s market.

But if you have a surplus of cash and are ready to buy a property in Menorca – is now a good time to buy?

There’s a property glut in Spain. If property was water, Spain and her islands would be renamed Atlantis. Developers and private owners alike are more than keen to sell, and anyone who is a cash buyer won’t have to wait long before they see a bargain. But don’t necessarily buy the first property you like that seems good value.

Draw up a list of say three or four apartments or villas you have viewed and liked and put in an offer of around sixty per cent of the already discounted price, starting with your favourite one, telling the owners that the offer remains good for two weeks, and at that time you will look elsewhere. Within a couple of months you, perhaps even weeks, you could have the property you want at an amazing price, even if the owners come back with a counter offer.

One bit of advice from UK based Tribune Properties is to avoid buying a brand new property.

‘Only buy a new property in Menorca if you’re absolutely certain that the developer has the funds to finish off a development and the promised infrastructure that goes with the new development…and even then only spend what you can afford to lose. Guarantees are often useless if a developer goes bust. And just don’t buy a property under construction – the development could be mothballed for years to come – along with any deposits and staged payments already paid by a buyer.’

Their final bit of advice is not good news for Menorca property developers either, or for private re-sales.

‘If you can hold on a few months, you might find even better bargains than there are now in the autumn when the same owners who are selling now have failed to find a buyer, and at the end of the holidays season owners might be prepared to listen to offers in the hope of finally selling their Menorca property.’

Top Reasons For Buying A Property Abroad

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There are several reasons why people choose to buy a second property abroad.

Ownership of property outside the UK is increasing in popularity. Fuelled partly by lower house prices and better climates, and made more favourable still by low-cost airlines, the appeal of a second property abroad is understandable. Once the preserve of the rich, a holiday home in Spain, Portugal, France or anywhere in the world for that matter, can now be acquired easily by the majority of the UK population.

There are three top reasons that people choose to buy a property abroad:

To live permanently in a new country

Some people move abroad for work, whilst others choose to retire outside the UK. Moving to a new country on a permanent basis is a challenge and a risk, and so many people choose to buy a property abroad, whilst keeping their UK home and renting it out. This means that they have somewhere to come back to should things not work out as planned. For many, moving to a new country is one of the best experiences of their life. The chance to live in a new culture; learning the language, eating new foods and soaking up the sun, is exactly what people are looking for.

To have a permanent holiday base

Some people like nothing more than the security of having a permanent holiday base. You know where to go, what shops are available, where the best beaches are and what attractions are nearby. You dont have to waste any of your holiday time getting acclimatised and your accommodation is a home-from-home. Whats more, you can visit it as often as you like throughout the year, and you can invite friends and family to come along and enjoy the holiday with you, or lend it to them so that they have a ready-made holiday base of their own.

To rent to other holidaymakers

Many people choose to cover the costs of buying and running their property abroad by renting it out. There are two main ways to do this; hiring an agent to rent the property on your behalf, or handling all the rentals yourself. An agent will take a percentage fee, but will handle all the bookings, cleaning and maintenance of your property. If you manage the rentals on your own, you will need to find someone trustworthy who can clean and prepare the property for your customers and handle any issues that arise when people are staying in your property. Renting is a very effective way to cover costs, and even to make a profit, but you have to limit the times when you can use the property and be prepared for damage and wear and tear to increase.