White Knight Associates on ways to go green at home

White Knight Associates have had a big push on " going green" this year and hope to help spread the message that we can all do our bit to help save money and the

1.Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.

Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.

2.Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.

Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.

Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.

Save water to save money.

3.Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.

Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.

Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.

Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.

4.Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.

Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.

Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.

White Knight Associates believe that you can Eat smart.

5.If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.

Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy.

Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great.

Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain. This is especially true for seafood.

WK Associates think that you could Skip the bottled water.

6.Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste. Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.

Author: Barry Williams ,White Knight Associates www.wk-associates.com

Or contact one of our consultants on 02033847230

White Knight Associates Pros and Cons of overseas property part 2

Cons

A downside of jumping into investing in a property abroad is that you may have to put down a large sum for a deposit whereas in the country you’re based, a huge deposit is not necessary.

Something that often leaves people confused is the language barrier. Depending on where you choose to invest, it might be that people don’t speak your mother tongue. This can make negotiating and dealing with the legal aspects quite difficult. Often things get lost in translation and important details are passed, this can cause difficulties further down the line.

The country you are investing in may be going through political or economic change, all these factors can have a large impact on the value of your property. If the worst happens you could stand to loose a lot of money, so make sure you do your homework and are fully confident in the future of your content before you invest.

When you are not around all the time, trust is a major factor in investing abroad. If you are having a home built then you really need to trust the builders you hire. Being abroad you will have no way of regularly checking up on your investment and the progress of your new home. You need to find people that you can rely on to either manage the project or feedback on progress to you. If you’re renting out a holiday home then you also need to make sure you have someone who you can trust to look after it for you.

 written by Us For Homes

For more information please go to our website www.wk-associates.com

Or to speak to one of our consultants please call 02033847230

White Knight Associates Pros and Cons of overseas property part 1.

Many people dream of owning a property abroad, however some people rush in without thinking it through properly. Foreign property markets don’t work in the same way as they do at home, so proper research is a must.

The Pros

The first thing that attract most people to foreign property is the price. With property at home being so expensive, the thought of a much bigger home for less money abroad is extremely tempting.

If you invest in a country at the right time then you have the possibility of gaining capital growth which may not be feasible in your home country.

Some people choose to invest in property abroad for tax reasons. By becoming a home owner in certain countries you can benefit from tax breaks. However, it’s well worth doing your homework on this first as tax rules change regularly.

If you’re looking to make a profit then investing in overseas property may provide this for you as sometimes it’s too difficult to make a profit from property in your home country. Therefore investing overseas gives you a financial boost despite the state of your local housing market.

Of course, the other benefit to having a property overseas is that you now have a property that you can visit for holidays. This makes for the perfect cheap holiday from home as you only have to cover the cost of your flights and travel.

For more information please go to our website www.wk-associates.com

Or to speak to one of our consultants please call 02033847230

White Knight Associates explains what below Market value properties are.

In its’ simplest terms, BMV or Below Market Value is an abbreviation. BMV properties are residential properties that are available below their market value. This is normally because the owners are faced with some kind of financial difficulty and want to or need to dispose of their property quickly and without going through a protracted marketing and sales process. The precursor to this is quite often the threat of repossession.

White Knight Associates explains how to value a property.

The guidance from the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors on how a surveyor should value residential property is contained in Appendix 5.1 of the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors Appraisal and Valuation Standards (Red Book).  The basis for the valuation of a residential investment property is normally its’ market value.  Market value is defined in the Chartered Surveyors hand book as:

 ‘The estimated amount for which a property should exchange on the date of valuation between a willing buyer and a willing seller in an arm’s-length transaction after proper marketing wherein the parties had each acted knowledgeably, prudently and without compulsion.’

Therefore if a property has been properly marketed and then a sale agreed, whilst the landlord may consider that they have a bargain and a BMV property because the property is sold at less then similar property sold for previously. For instance an investor buys a property for £180,000. A year previously a similar property sold for £200,000. The investor might consider that they have obtained the property at 10% BMV. This is not the case under the guidance on valuation standards from the chartered institute of surveyors, the investor has actually just paid the market price.

White Knight Associates explains when BMV properties exist? 

Where a BMV property may exist is if the property was not fully marketed first. This situation occurs where buyers are able to access so called ‘distressed or motivated sellers’ who cannot afford or want to go through the normal marketing and sales exercise.  

Source: property Haw

Posted by: White Knight Associates

For more information please visit our website www.wk-associates.com

Or speak to one of our consultants on 02033847230

White Knight Associates on BMV property part 5

White Knight Associates discuss how to locate auction properties.

White Knight Associates found that a good starting point to find out about your nearest auctions is your local paper. This will frequently contain adverts or listings of upcoming events. Property industry publications such as Estates Gazette also have the details. However, for those who don’t want to subscribe or chance their local paper there are several websites UK PAD and Auction Property for Sale which have full national listings

White Knight Associates have found that Auction Property for Sale is useful in that it allows you to view the full catalogue on line. However, for those that are really serious about auction investing the Rolls Royce of websites is undoubtedly EIG’s.

WK Associates has been subscribing for a little over six months and the information available is literally short of mind blowing. It gives previous auction results, location maps, historical price data and what is particularly useful is the alert system which notifies you if properties that match your criteria are unsold and still available. This means that you can approach the auctioneer directly and make an offer to a vendor who is keen to sell. All this is not cheap with a subscription being several hundred of pounds for the year, but worth it if you are serious about identifying bargains at auction.

White Knight Associates on BMV property part 4

White Knight Associates why auctions are such a good place to find bargains:

1. It is a place where ‘desperate’ sellers are driven to because of their need to sell quickly. This often means that they are prepared to accept a price far less than they could have achieved if they were prepared to be more patient and sell through an estate agent

2. Auctions are full of ‘tired’ properties where the owners can’t be bothered or can’t afford to give them the ‘make over’ that would secure them the maximum price. Thus this represents a real opportunity to an investor developer willing to do some work.

3. Auctions have always attracted problem properties. These are properties that have issues with ownership, structure, access, etc. Something which has prevented a sale in the traditional owner occupier market. However, as long as you do your research into these problems they are frequently resolvable or are not such a problem to an investor who views the property as an income stream and business not as a home.

4. They are increasingly full of failed buy-to-let investments. For those who have resisted the temptation to fill their portfolio with ‘overpriced’ designer apartments. The auction room is where you can often acquire these same properties 12-24 months down the line as repossessions from the mortgagee at a genuine 20-30% off the original selling price (a price that supposedly included a market discount!).

White Knight Associates on BMV part 3

The best way to buy BMV

White Knight Associates think the best way to buy a BMV is to purchase a property at auction. Recently a Client of White Knight Associates has been trying to sell the most problematic property in his portfolio. It has suffered from the glut of new apartments. Two years ago it would have let in a couple of weeks. Now, despite several rent reductions I have only just got a tenant. Previous to that he had it for sale but had little or no interest.

Therefore, in considering its’ future within his portfolio He thought he would look at all options including trying to dispose of it at auction. Following some very astute and helpful advice he was told that the price he was likely to get given the glut on the market would not really reflect its’ true investment value. Fortunately, He does not need the cash and had decided to retain the property as a ‘cash cow’