Mark My Words Podcast – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

August Budget Rumours, Spiraling Borrowing and Mixed Messages in the Property Market

Episode 212

jeudi 22 août 2024 • Duration 16:28

Mark gives a news review, focusing on Rachel Reeves plans for the October budget and what he thinks the rest of Labour's plans will be for the UK. Mark also talks about the voting share from the election, UK rental affordability and the impact the continued drop in interest rates is having on the housing market.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Labour already knew the financial situation but they are now behaving like they didn’t, revealing the drastic measures they may take.
Labour will likely look to change inheritance tax and pensions to try and ‘fill’ the gap in finances.
Only 20% of the population actually voted for labour. This outcome is really about the conservatives performing so badly.
The government’s control over the sentencing of rioters is concerning, they shouldn’t be able to have this much direct impact on the sentencing of individuals.
Rental tenants are paying 70% of their income on housing in the UK. This is a direct consequence of the changes made by the previous government, that impacted demand and mortgage rates.
Interest rates are continuing to go down, which will cause more people to buy houses rather than rent, this can already be seen by the slowing growth in the rental market.

BEST MOMENTS

"They’re saying capital gains tax should be the same as income tax, which of course is not right”

“I think she is probably going to try and get most of the bad news out this autumn”

“I think they will repeal the section 21 which will make it harder to evict tenants”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Property Perspectives | Stop Focusing on First Time Buyers

Episode 203

jeudi 18 avril 2024 • Duration 19:58

Join Mark as he gives an overview of the current news stories around property including the growth of the construction industry and his take on the favourability of first time buyers and what targets we should instead be focusing on. Mark also talks about the current rent crisis and the impact of the cost of living on landlords, investors and tenants.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Historically, first time buyers keep the market moving and triggered economic growth but the favourability towards them with schemes such as help to buy have been detrimental in many ways too.
The cost of construction has gone up by around a third, and this has created redundancies and collapses in the industry.
Rent rises have surged post-covid and during this current cost of living crisis but Mark is seeing indications of this now slowing as demand is starting to reduce.
Airbnb and other serviced accommodation providers have had a direct impact on housing stock. Some controls are beginning to be introduced but it’s important that these also incentivise traditional landlords to create choice and keep prices moderate.
Building on brownfield sites is a key factor in meeting any kind of house-building targets but it’s also important that the targets are focused around the right types of properties in the right areas.

BEST MOMENTS

"For decades there's been the assumption that first-time buyers prop the market up”

“First time buyers have become older”

“Construction industry whilst not mended is probably on the way to being mended after a difficult period”

“2020 was probably coming right to end to the previous cycle”

“We should be focused on the types of properties being built in the right areas”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Rob Moore: How to Invest for Maximum Return

mardi 29 septembre 2020 • Duration 11:27

Tune in to a brand new and exclusive live investing 12-week mini-series with your host Mark Homer and Progressive Property Co-founder, Rob Moore every Monday at 7PM.

Each week Mark and Rob deep dive into the art of investing with actionable advice on investing in business, property, stocks, shares, assets and more with any amount of pounds or dollars, all the way from investing with nothing, up to investing £1 million. At each stage and at each investment amount there will be a different strategy, a different asset class to invest in and a different approach to investing that is tailored to yield the best return.

HOW TO WATCH

Watch Live On The Progressive Property YouTube Channel Every Monday At 7PM Tiny.cc/PPTV

Listen To Audio Recordings On The Money Podcast bit.ly/moneypodcastitunes

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Discover the fundamentals of investing and why you must preserve capital at all costs, whilst maximising leverage to increase your capital.

Understand low, medium and high-risk investing strategies and tactics from defensive investing in low-risk physical asset classes such as wine, gold or art to high-risk high-return strategies tailored to your investment pot.
At each stage and at each investment amount there will be a different strategy, a different asset class to invest in and a different approach to investing that is tailored to yield the best return.

Learn the value of compound interest, how to know when and what you can leverage and the difference between active vs passive investing.
Uncover the secrets to the trade-off between returns on time and returns on capital among all investment classes.

BEST MOMENTS

“One of the best return on investments I’ve ever gotten has been investing in myself and starting a company”

“Each time you rise up and increase your investment pot your strategy will change”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Watch Live On The Progressive Property YouTube Channel Every Monday At7PM Tiny.cc/PPTV

Listen To Audio Recordings On The Money Podcast bit.ly/moneypodcastitunes

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor. He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books. Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

The Hidden Cost Of Property Finance

Episode 113

mercredi 16 septembre 2020 • Duration 08:01

The property world can be very daunting, particularly the finance side. Join Mark today as he simplifies the hidden costs of property finance and talks you through what to look out for when looking to get financing. Mark discusses the advantages of bridging finances, the hidden expenses in fixed-rate mortgages as well as looking out for exit fees.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Bridging finance is something that people may choose to use on properties where there may not be any income and traditional mortgages are not available. Bridging finance is usually available on any sort of property and it is really just based on the loan to value, however, it is much more expensive. Often, bridging finance will get you in on the teaser of 0.5% per month, usually by the time you go to exchange it is likely to be more expensive, potentially up to 16%.

Fixed rates are generally more expensive. They are more expensive because effectively it is like an insurance policy against the interest rate rises. The fixed-rate deals over time usually have ended up being more expensive than the variable rate. Generally speaking, the market is offering fixed rates at the premium to the expected average interest rate that you’re going to be charged during the term of the mortgage.

Always look at any exit fees you may face. On investment loans there generally isn’t any, however on bridging loans you may get some for 1%-2%. With development finance, which is the type of finance you will be taking out to develop properties, there can be an exit fee. This exit fee may not always be a percentage of the loan, it could be a percentage of the gross development value of the project, which can be very significant.

If you are going to be doing stuff that is a little bit outside of the box (perhaps you are doing a large HMO), you may find yourself looking towards an Aldermore or Shawbrook type product. They can be great on smaller deals that are outside the box, but they can be very expensive. They may be 5%-6% interest whereas if you went to a high street or to a commercial bank, they might be doing it for 2.5%.

BEST MOMENTS

“So often I get people coming to me saying ‘I’ve got this mortgage and it is a really low rate, isn’t it great!’ but it is only a two-year deal. You really need to look at everything in the rounds”

“I generally prefer variable-rate mortgages but I find that fixed rates are a good insurance policy, but you need to pay for that.”

“Just be mindful of that. Do you always want to do out of the box deals if it is going to cost you almost double the rate of interest?”

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor. He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books. Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

The Hidden Cost Of Business

Episode 112

mercredi 2 septembre 2020 • Duration 07:34

Are you keen to start a new business venture but don’t know what to expect? Or perhaps you’re running a business and wanting a helping hand? Join Mark Homer today as he discusses the hidden costs of running a business. Discover the importance of not hiring cheap employees, having enough cash in the bank to survive a recession and being able to adapt to new industry standards.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Hiring cheap employees can potentially be a huge hidden cost when running your company. When you want 10/10 employees you have got to pay for them, they will be worth three or four times more in revenue than a poor employee. They will also save you a lot of money in losses and costs.

A hidden cost of running a business is buying unnecessary products to furnish your offices. These can cost a company tens of thousands of pounds when starting a company when they don’t have much cash in the bank. It is much more important and worthwhile to put your money into marketing, sales and growing your business. The material items can come later.

Not keeping cash can be a huge cost to the business. You do need to keep some cash, as we have seen through this COVID period and the previous recession there are some businesses who did not have cash in the bank. These companies were unable to switch their business model and ended up going bust. Be focused on keeping good chunks of cashback to ensure your business can carry on trading.

When the market changes, competition comes along. You need to be able to adapt your business, if you’re standing still and staying the same you will no longer be relevant. You won't have adapted to the market as it has changed and you will end up going bust. The competition will come along, your customers will want other things and your competition will respond to that and take your business away from you.

Diverting time into nonsense. Lockdown has been a great eye-opener for how much nonsense was really going on in daily life. Unnecessary travelling, phone calls and other distractions take place in the office each day which do not serve many purposes to your business. Focus on your income generating tasks so that you are not getting diverted into other issues that are not productive.

BEST MOMENTS

“Only hire 10/10’s. Pick the best, surround yourself with great people.”

“The best businesses start in the garage with nothing and grow their revenue stream. That is the most important thing.”

“Businesses do not go bust due to lack of profit, they go bust due to lack of cash.”

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor. He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books. Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

The Hidden Cost Of Multi Lets An HMO’s

Episode 111

mercredi 19 août 2020 • Duration 07:33

If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge on investing in HMO’s but are not sure about the hidden costs involved, or perhaps you already have a portfolio, and can’t understand where all your money has gone? Then listen in today as Mark identifies the hidden costs of HMO’s and multi-lets. Mark outlines the importance of managing your utility bills, using detailed referencing to source the perfect tenants as well as doing up your property and setting it apart from the rest to ensure it is always occupied.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The first big hidden cost with HMO’s are utilities. It is important you manage these because lots of tenants will regulate the temperature of their rooms by opening the window rather than turning the thermostat up or down. Put a system in there which controls the temperature range and also the times that the heating comes on.

Secondly, you may come across some conflict between your tenants. Noise complaints, mess complaints and anti-social behaviour are no good when this could potentially upset your current, good tenants. Reference your tenants well, make sure you get working tenants and if that has not worked, and somebody is still causing problems eventually you may have to serve notice.

Cleaners may not do their jobs sufficiently in communal areas. Make sure everything is clean and tidy and you hire trustworthy companies to look after your property so as to not upset your tenants. Enforce regular inspections to ensure the property is tidy which will, in turn, make it a lot more marketable and people will want to stay.

Voids in HMO’s can happen reasonably and frequently. Inevitably the property will fill up if your HMO looks the best. You really need to dress it nicely and market the property with professional marketing photos.

Make sure you take out the correct HMO protection. Go to a broker (preferably one broker for the whole portfolio) and ensure you get the correct type of insurance so that when you do eventually have to make a claim, you will receive your payout.

BEST MOMENTS

“Make sure you are getting the cheapest electricity and gas.”

“Make your HMO look the best in the town and you will keep it full.”

“This could mean the difference between thirteen hundred pounds in council tax and potentially four or five thousand.”

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor. He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books. Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

The Hidden Costs of Multi-Let

Episode 110

mercredi 5 août 2020 • Duration 08:31

If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge on investing in HMO’s but are not sure about the hidden costs involved, or perhaps you already have a portfolio, and can’t understand where all your money has gone? Then listen in today as Mark identifies the hidden costs of HMO’s and multi-lets. Mark outlines the importance of managing your utility bills, using detailed referencing to source the perfect tenants as well as doing up your property and setting it apart from the rest to ensure it is always occupied.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The first big hidden cost with HMO’s are utilities. It is important you manage these because lots of tenants will regulate the temperature of their rooms by opening the window rather than turning the thermostat up or down. Put a system in there which controls the temperature range and also the times that the heating comes on.

Secondly, you may come across some conflict between your tenants. Noise complaints, mess complaints and anti-social behaviour are no good when this could potentially upset your current, good tenants. Reference your tenants well, make sure you get working tenants and if that has not worked, and somebody is still causing problems eventually you may have to serve notice.

Cleaners may not do their jobs sufficiently in communal areas. Make sure everything is clean and tidy and you hire trustworthy companies to look after your property so as to not upset your tenants. Enforce regular inspections to ensure the property is tidy which will, in turn, make it a lot more marketable and people will want to stay.

Voids in HMO’s can happen reasonably and frequently. Inevitably the property will fill up if your HMO looks the best. You really need to dress it nicely and market the property with professional marketing photos.

Make sure you take out the correct insurance, specifically for a HMO. Go to a broker (preferably one broker for the whole portfolio) and make sure you get the correct type of insurance so that when you do eventually have to make a claim, you will receive your payout.

BEST MOMENTS

“Make sure you are getting the cheapest electricity and gas.”

“Make your HMO look the best in the town and you will keep it full.”

“This could mean the difference between thirteen hundred pounds in council tax and potentially four or five thousand.”

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor. He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books. Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

The Hidden Cost Of Single Let Accommodation

Episode 109

mercredi 22 juillet 2020 • Duration 09:15

Do you own single let accommodation, and are racking up unexpected costs each year but can’t figure out why? Or plan to start but want to know the cost involved? Listen in to today’s podcast where Mark takes you through all the hidden costs involved in single lets which will avoid eating into your profits. Learn the importance of finding great lettings agents that ensures your property is rented out quickly and with brilliant tenants, the benefits of purchasing your properties under a limited company and why it is imperative to shop around for mortgages and insurance brokers.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The number one hidden cost of single let accommodation is poor letting agents. There are many poor letting agents across the country. The main cost being poor marketing, not finding tenants quick enough when your property is empty and not putting the work into getting the property into a presentable state. A good letting agent will get the property lent quickly and therefore get the rent in for you.

The difference between a good lettings agent and a poor one is huge. You could lose up to half of the rent a year should you find yourself with a poor letting agent. A poor lettings agent may also not reference your tenants properly, therefore putting riskier tenants into the property which again will leave you with loss of rent or possible eviction costs.

Another hidden cost is high mortgage costs and not shopping around sufficiently for a mortgage. It is always beneficial to create a relationship directly with the bank and as you get better you can go to a commercial lender and maybe they will give you a better rate. Take longer-term deals, not always with fixed rates, if you look at the costs and expectation of the market, often the average rate will be lower if you go on the variable.

To help save on some hidden costs, it is a good idea to purchase properties under a limited company. If you put properties into a limited company you can always offset all the mortgage rates against the rent, and you will only pay corporation tax on the net rent after you have taken the mortgage rate off. There is a big benefit there, especially if you want to scale and grow.

Not choosing the right type of builder for your refurbishment can rack up some high and unexpected costs. Focus on choosing individual tradesmen, try and source materials for them through LNPG, research the cost of materials this will all end up controlling the costs for you.

Make sure you take out the correct HMO protection. Go to a broker (preferably one broker for the whole portfolio) and ensure you get the correct type of insurance so that when you do eventually have to make a claim, you will receive your payout.

BEST MOMENTS

“You have often got to kiss lots of frogs before you find a good one.”

“There is a very big gulf between a great lettings agent and an average lettings agent.”

“High mortgage costs can cost you in a big way, short deals sound great but they are not really protecting you against much at all.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjdkd7UiPfpAhVsQUEAHSPSC3kQFjABegQICRAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffast-asleep.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw1h19Fa_6IPVVrXPkbCQDJb

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor. He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books. Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Budget Reaction: What It Means For All Property Investors

Episode 108

jeudi 9 juillet 2020 • Duration 07:03

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor. He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books. Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk