Leasehold reform – HCLG committee favour commonhold

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The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has net and called for wide ranging reforms to the leasehold system finding the balance of power in existing leases, legislation and public policy is too heavily weighted against leaseholders. Click here to view the full report.

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More assaults from TV channels

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Just before tuning in to BBC1 to watch yet another “Greedy, rogue, villainous, money-grabbing landlord programme�, I was watching a trailer for next weeks Kyle Files and guess what? It’s about rogue landlords!

I quickly switched channels and on Channel 4 dispatches was just ending.

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NatWest scraps 6-month letting mortgage rule

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Buy-to-Let Mortgages:

NatWest has announced that is scrapping the six month
maximum assured shorthold tenancy (AST) letting rules and also its outright ban
on letting to tenants claiming benefits.

The lender has confirmed, following pressure from the Residential
Landlords’ Association (RLA), it is to extend the maximum letting period of an AST
from 12 months to 36 months, and it will remove the its ban on housing benefit
claiming tenants.

The changes will affect new and existing landlords with
fewer than ten properties and brings its policy in-line with the bank’s other policies
for commercial buy-to-let customers.

The bank has told the RLA that it made the decision after
conducting an extensive review of its buy-to-let policies, in a bid to “better
understand the market and challenges that landlords and their tenants face�.

According to figures produced by the RLA, two out of three the
big buy-to-let mortgage lenders won’t allow landlords to rent property to
tenants receiving housing benefit.

Ever since the media took up the story the RLA has been
lobbying government to review the situation, urging the treasury to take appropriate
action.

NatWest is one of the first big mortgage lenders to work
with a landlord association and the homelessness charity Shelter to address the
issue of AST lettings and mortgage approvals.

Given the government’s policy of encouraging landlords to
offer longer-term tenancy, mortgage restrictions were a real stumbling block to
this.

It is now thought likely that other main mortgage lingers
will fall into line with the NatWest’s new policy.

RLA policy manager John Stewart said:

“We warmly welcome the announcement from NatWest.

“Around 20 per cent of all private sector tenants are in
receipt of benefits and we need to do all we can to support them to find the
homes they need.

“NatWest’s decision will make it easier for landlords to
rent to benefit claimants and agree long term tenancies where suitable. We urge
other lenders to follow this lead.�

Managing Director of Home Buying & Ownership at NatWest,
Ian McLaughlin said:

“I am pleased that we are introducing these changes and
extending our policy to support smaller landlords in this segment of the
market.

“We would like to thank Shelter and the Residential
Landlord’s Association for their thoughtful and thorough contributions to the
review, to help us better understand the market in this area and bring our
policies in line with those in our commercial segment.�

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – NatWest scraps 6-month letting mortgage rule | LandlordZONE.

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Politics take a toll on Your Investments. What should you do?

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Investing:

It seems we witness troubled times no matter in what part of the world we decided to live. From an economic point of view, last year was the very definition of turmoil: The Dow Jones saw the worst fall in December 2018, comparable to the one that had marked the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The Brexit problem negatively affects not only Britain or the U.K. pound, but also Europe as a whole while the US interest rate increased by the US Federal Reserve last year – paired with Trump’s decisions, trade wars, and usual shenanigans – weakened the dollar and sent “economic predictability� down the drain. It is clear that politics take a massive toll on our lives and our investments, no matter their nature. So what should we do?

1. If You Base Your Investments
on Forex

Forex traders
had a year similar to a ride in a roller
coaster. In the U.K., Brexit shook and is still rocking
the Sterling to its core, while the dollar is not the most reliable currency of
them all anymore. While the Euro stood its ground for the most of 2018, there
is enough political turmoil in the Eurozone to keep Forex traders on their toes
this year as well.

• According to Morgan
  Stanley experts, the dollar will have a challenging year ahead. They recommend Forex traders to build their
  strategies around selling the USD against the EUR during the forecast for
  inflation in the Eurozone.

Along with these
specialists, come others, from banks and financial corporations who envision a
time of depression in the U.S. economy, with the EUR strengthening its position
in the second half of 2019.

As for the GPD,
it seems everybody has the same stand: if a Brexit cancellation occurs, the GPD
might boost by 10%; on the other hand, if the Brexit passes – one accord or
another – the GPD will fall yet another 10%.

Now, if you have
a Forex trading account for a while, you
already know that significant news in
politics, economics, and social movements will have a strong influence upon
your trades.

• Experts, however, recommend you
  do not make impulse decisions.
• The rule of thumb is always to keep your cool no matter what. Before
  entering or exiting a trade based on a global event, allow the dust to settle
  for a few seconds, even if those seconds are crucial for achievement. They may also be vital for a loss.

2. If You Base Your Investments
on Stocks and Indices

According to the
same Morgan Stanley analysts, things are not and will not be as dark as they
seem right now. You can expect chief positive changes for investors seeking to
diversify their stock portfolios and their stock market gains.

For instance,
the tech sector is on the rise. You can approach the tech sectors in two
different manners:

• Wait for some highly praised and
  anticipated tech companies
  to go public in 2019, as they announced. IPOs are excellent
  opportunities for investors, and names like Pinterest, Slack or Palantir
  already keep investors on their toes.
• Keep your eyes on NASDAQ.
  Besides the fact that NASDAQ, in general, makes a viable investment opportunity
  for those interested in trading CDFs or buying index funds, tech companies
  usually disrupt the market as a whole – and you can take advantage of it either
  way.

Moreover, keep
your eyes open for Japan. Besides being amongst
the giants of the tech world, some Japanese companies seem to look
forward to expanding their businesses.

• Japan may offer new and old
  investors a handful of benefits no other countries or markets do these days:
  globalization, breathtaking innovations in technology, low-interest rates in funding projects, a relaxed money-borrowing
  environment, and blue-chip corporations
  with impeccable financial track records and balance sheets. 
• Same goes for Germany – keep an
  eye open for the DAX30, one of the most offering stock indices in Europe. With
  its strict rules for companies and its globally famous names under its belt,
  DAX30 is the opportunity for CDF
  traders versed in scalping strategies.

3. If You Base your Investments on Real Estate

Investing in
real estate takes many forms and methods. You can opt for a real estate
investment trust (REIT), a mortgage investment entity (MIE) – also known as a
mortgage investment corporation –, a real estate limited
partnership (LP), and, of course, the real
property you buy and resell or you buy for renting purposes.

All come with
their fair share of advantages and disadvantages, but all are profitable in the
long run if you manage to protect
your investments this year, especially if you are in the rental
business.

Real estate as
an investment is susceptible to short-term economic swings and depends a lot of
global economic changes and currency trends.

• If you still remember what the
  2009 financial crisis did to real estate
  in a rippling effect in the U.S., U.K., and the Eurozone, you know you should
  keep your eyes open to all breaking news referring to market plunges,
  exports/imports conflicts, trade wars, banks’ interest rates, and more.
• Opting for protective insurance
  and wrapping your real estate business in layers of protective legal structures
  are mandatory, especially when things are still blurry on all fronts.

Conclusion

Unfortunately,
like it or not, politics have a direct influence on the money we make or we
hope to make via our investments. If you have a broad
portfolio, it may be time to talk things with a brokering company and
understand the advantages (and downsides) of managed investment accounts, no
matter their type.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Politics take a toll on Your Investments. What should you do? | LandlordZONE.

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