As promised, here is the link to see the photos of the recent
Berkshire Property Meet on 17th September. It was a phenomenal
evening with over 100 people and next month is going to be even
better so keep Monday 15th October free! Our guest Speaker will be
announced shortly.

We would like to give special thanks to Belinda, Hus and Darren
Hunt for their help during the evening.

There's a lot to tell you in this email in direct response to your
questions following Monday nights' Berkshire Property Meet, so I
hope you find this informative.



1) We were very fortunate to have a friend of ours, Brian
Ollivierre, come and take some great snaps for us. Please go to the
following link to view the pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/mrandmrsrai/BerkshirePropertyMeetSeptember2007



2) Huge thanks to Glenn Armstrong for taking the time to come down
and talk at the Berkshire Property Meet. Also thank you to Barry
Danser, Nick Pedrithes and Jason Bonner for ensuring the evening
ran smoothly. For those of you who asked for more information on
how Glenn built his property portfolio of 150+ properties please
see the following link:

http://tinyurl.com/3yx5sp



3) Many people ask how and why we do what we do. Where do we find
the time and energy and still work full-time as well? One of the
driving forces behind this was an amazing event we attended last year.
Again, we have been asked for more details which you can find at:

http://www.mrandmrsrai.com/chrishoward.htm

Thank you & Additional Information.

THANK YOU all for attending our 7th BPM last night to see and hear
our Guest Speaker - Glenn Armstrong! What a night it was - lots of
new faces, many familiar faces and an evening with over 110 people!
Hope you all left with many new contacts, some nuggets of
invaluable information from Glenn and the promise to yourself that
you will be back for Monday 15th October!


Our good friend Glenn Armstrong is a property investor who
specialises in doing no money down property deals. As he has
purchased over 150 properties since June 2004 and is speaking at
this years property investor show you could say that he walks the
walk and talks the talk. He spoke at last years property investor
shows at GMax, NEC and Excel and is a regular speaker at many other
events.

The great news is that he is running his very popular and highly
praised property course on how to buy property below market value
(see http://tinyurl.com/3yx5sp) in Milton Keynes on

Saturday 29th September at £500 plus vat this represents amazing
value.

On Sunday the 30th he is also running the 3rd in a series of ten
more in depth courses. This months event is all about negotiating
(see http://tinyurl.com/3yx5sp)

There are three additional guest speakers, Mark Harrison on
negotiating Caroline Hume a Partner in Neves Solicitors who is
talking about the conveyancing process in relation to no money down
property deals and John Goodinson an accountant who specialises in
property tax matters and is an expert on NLP will be talking on
body language and the advantages in understanding body language
when negotiating.

At £250 plus vat this represents amazing value however I have
negotiated an extra £50 off if you book via me.

So if you are serious about doing no money down property deals,
building a property portfolio fast and you would like to learn from
an expert you cannot afford to miss these two days with Glenn Armstrong

G&A Property
Unit 3 Heathfield
Stacey Bushes
Milton Keynes
MK12 6HP
01908-423700
07768-594949
http://tinyurl.com/3yx5sp


Remember you can also connect with Berkshire Property Meet members
on facebook. It's free to register and use.

See photo's from last meeting:-
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/mrandmrsrai/BerkshirePropertyMeetSeptember2007

Join the Berkshire Property Meet group
http://groups.to/berkshirepropertymeet/


If you are one of the nearly 300 guests we have registered for
Breakthrough to Success see who else is going join the facebook
group http://groups.to/breakthroughtosuccess/

Berkshire Property Meets - NEW Venue & Glenn Armstrong

The very successful and vibrant Berkshire Property Meet is on again
Monday 17th September. We have the added bonus of a NEW venue and
our 1st speaker the one and only Glenn Armstrong. We look forward
to seeing you there for another great evening of lively discussion
with people who are passionate about making a success out of
property investing.

There are limited spaces, so please arrive prompt at 7pm to secure
your seat. There will be a charge of £10 on the door to cover our
costs for the new venue. Glenn Armstrong will be on at 8pm.

If you wish to book a room for the night, please search online
{!name}, it will give you better deals than ringing the Holiday Inn
direct.


Who is Glenn Armstrong?

Glenn Armstrong started buying houses in June 2004. He bought 6 and
then ran out of money...

Faced with a dilemma that most of us have, he would have given up
a long time ago - however Glenn decided to continue on with a new
strategy. He implemented a way to buy lots of properties without ever
running out of money, and has gone on to achieve incredible success.

Since then he has bought OVER 100 properties (no. 100 and no. 101
were purchased on 11th and 12th of January 2007). He has bought 60
this year so far...

During his journey he found that people started asking for his
advice including questions on how to find reliable support such as
solicitors, accountants and mortgage brokers, and just how to find
properties that could be bought at such huge discounts to enable
them to be purchased for no money down, while still generating
positive cashflow.

To date, Glenn has an unrivalled reputation for being the key
property investor who continues to walk the talk, while others
simply talk the talk.

http://www.glennarmstrong.com

Make a COMMITMENT in your diary for this one, now!
Monday 17th September 2007 - doors open at 7pm. Speaker will be on
from 8pm.


What is The Purpose of Networking

As you all Know by now... property and business is about people and
building lasting relationships with people who will inevitably
become your team... A team of people who can help you. Without your
team you will find it very hard to succeed on your own... in fact
statistically you are setting your self up for failure.

We have all heard the abbreviation of T.E.A.M- 'Together Everybody
Achieves More', whether you are new to property investment and/or
business networking or you are a regular attendee at networking
events, getting to know and meet with others who are doing similar
things will help you considerably in your property investment and
business ventures. A single personal connection can lead you to
multiple opportunities for professional and personal growth, from
property leads, joint ventures, business ideas to lasting
friendships. Anyone who has been successful will tell you that they
had help and possibly a load of it. We all need others around us
that will become part of our network of beneficial contacts.

The Berkshire Property meet is there for you to build your team of
contacts to help you become a success, ands also help others to
become a success.

Look forward to seeing you there

Berkshire Property Meet's 1st Speaker by Popular Demand is...

We are very pleased to announce BPMs first speaker. We have listened
to our members and gone for the best!

Our speaker will be GLENN ARMSTRONG.

Who is Glenn?

Glenn Armstrong started buying houses in June 2004. He bought 6 and
then ran out of money...

Faced with a dilemma that most of us have, he would have given up
a long time ago - however Glenn decided to continue on with a new
strategy. He implemented a way to buy lots of properties without ever
running out of money, and has gone on to achieve incredible success.

Since then he has bought OVER 100 properties (no. 100 and no. 101
were purchased on 11th and 12th of January 2007).

During his journey he found that people started asking for his
advice including questions on how to find reliable support such as
solicitors, accountants and mortgage brokers, and just how to find
properties that could be bought at such huge discounts to enable
them to be purchased for no money down, while still generating
positive cashflow.

To date, Glenn has an unrivalled reputation for being the key
property investor who continues to walk the talk, while others
simply talk the talk.

Make a COMMITMENT in your diary for this one, now!
Monday 17th September 2007 - doors open at 7pm.

There are limited spaces, so please arrive prompt at 7pm to secure
your seat. There will be a charge of £10 on the door to cover our
costs for the new venue.

Thank You & Pictures of Berkshire Property Meet

We just want to THANK everyone that made it tonight for another
buzzing & informative evening at the Berkshire Property Meet.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the next meet which will be
Monday 17th September. We will also annouce shortly who our first
speaker will be.

To see the pictures please go to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mrandmrsrai/BerkshirePropertyMeetSeptember2007

For all those people that asked about the FREE Chis Howard Tickets
you can go here to sign up: www.mrandmrsrai.com/chrishoward.htm

See you at the Berkshire Property Meet tomorrow

The very successful and vibrant Berkshire Property Meet is on again
tomorrow. We look forward to seeing you there for another great
evening of lively discussion with people who are passionate about
making a success out of property investing.

The meeting starts at 7pm and goes on until the venue switches off the
lights and pushes us out the door!



Please forward this onto anyone else you know is interested in
getting started in property investing or is already active.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Berkshire Property Meet on Facebook

We hope you're enjoying your weekend and making the most of the Sun
while it lasts!

A question we often get asked is "Can we give out contacts details of
people who attend the BPM?". As many of you know Data Protections
rules will not allow us to pass on e-mail addresses and we take your
privacy very seriously.

However we have come up with a solution ! Have you heard of
Facebook.com? It's simple, Free and very easy to use. We have created
a group called Berkshire Property Meet within Facebook and would
encourage all BPM members to sign up to Facebook if you haven't
already joined.

Facebook.com is a fantastic way of keeping in touch and improving your
network. So, you can also contact any BPM member you want and we
don't have to bend any rules! Now that's what we call simple a
win-win scenario!!

If you're already a member of facebook.com just click on this link to
join the Berkshire Property Meet group:

http://groups.to/berkshirepropertymeet/

We have found this very useful. We look forward to seeing you on
Facebook and at the next BPM on 20th August 2007!

The EPC is Closing In On Landlords

With yet another new piece of legislation looming and so many special offers the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) is closing in on landlords. From October 1st 2008 all serious prospective tenants must be given a copy of the EPC either prior to or at the viewing of the property.

As a student landlord the logistics of handing out this piece of paper to any student who wants to view or is viewing a property could be potentially challenging.

Once properties are released around January 1st each year in our neck of the woods, students charge through available properties seeking the best accommodation in the area. Nearly all viewings by students are unaccompanied. The whole process from telephoning the landlord, contacting the existing tenants and viewing the property is pretty quick, often involving only a few hours or, in one case this year, a few minutes.

Student property details are published by letting agents and on County Council accreditation lists, so many students are now cold calling and missing out the contact with agent or private landlord. What if a student cold calls, without the landlord's knowledge and they didn't get an EPC?

The Government has not thought through very carefully the practicalities of this legislation. A better solution would be if an EPC were available for viewing only at the property by prospective tenants. They cannot take away a copy of the Landlord's Gas Certificate, Student Accreditation Certificate, PAT Certificate, 5 Year Electrical Certificate, Insurance Certificate etc, so why the need to take away an EPC?

When new tenants view their tenancy agreement and before signing, it is at this point that the EPC could be attached to the tenancy agreement. If the detail of the EPC, when viewed again, is a major priority for the student then it is not too late to back out before signing the contract.

Do you remember when school reports became more sophisticated? No longer just a grade C, but a long explanation on targets, ways to improve and progress. Despite this improvement to the report the parent usually looks at the grade first, not the comment. The EPC will go the same way. A much simpler solution would be to include an EPC rating in all written tenancy contracts. No written contract? Then provide a copy of the EPC before the tenancy begins.

EPC ratings are appearing in adverts - not yet compulsory. It's difficult to understand why a landlord would want to advertise that their property has an EPC rating of F, however a recent advert voluntarily displayed this information to all prospective tenants!

My solution is to leave a pile of certificates in the property and to ask the existing tenants to offer serious prospective tenants a copy of the EPC at the time of viewing. Scanning the certificate, as an email attachment to prospective tenants is another way to be explored. Any other ideas out there?

Are landlords rushing out to upgrade their old gas boiler to improve their EPC rating? The EPC could potentially discourage landlords from making upgrades to their property. The certificate lasts for 10 years, however landlords will need a new certificate and further expense, every time they make a significant energy improvement.

The location of the property - nearness to shops, pubs, nightlife, bus stops and quality of furnishings and furniture will probably feature more highly in the student's list of priorities, rather than an EPC, for a long time to come.

Interest rates kept on hold at 5%

UK interest rates have been left unchanged at 5% following the latest meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

The decision to hold rates had been widely expected amid concerns about the pace of inflation.

Rising food and fuel prices pushed inflation to 3% in April, well above the government target of 2%.

The MPC has already cut interest rates three times since December 2007 in an attempt to help the slowing economy.

However, the economic slowdown and falling house prices had led some to call for another cut in rates to boost spending.

Businesses squeezed

Many economists feel that the MPC needs to wait and see whether higher food and fuel prices lead to higher wages or lower spending in other areas before changing rates.


The necessity to write a letter to the chancellor should not be the overriding consideration for the MPC
David Kern, British Chambers of Commerce

If inflation rises above 3% then Bank of England governor Mervyn King must write to the chancellor to explain why.

At the MPC's last meeting in May, only one of its nine members voted to cut rates.

"The Bank had little option this month other than to leave interest rates on hold," said Ian McCafferty, chief economic adviser to the employers' group, the CBI.

"Oil and commodity prices are still of great concern and businesses are having to raise prices as profit margins get squeezed further."

Slowdown predicted

House prices are falling as the credit crunch makes lenders reluctant to provide mortgages.

The latest figures from the biggest mortgage lender, the Halifax, showed a 2.4% fall in house prices during May.

This week, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development predicted that UK growth would slow to 1.8% this year and to 1.4% in 2009. It said the global credit crisis, the high costs of commodities such as oil and slowing property markets were all hurting the UK economy.

On Wednesday, the Home Builders Federation called for a half-point cut in interest rates 4.5%, saying a cut was "imperative" to avoid a severe housing market slowdown.

Also on Wednesday, figures from the Chartered Institute for Purchasing and Supply indicated that the UK service sector shrank in May for the first time in five years, as costs rose and confidence in business prospects fell.

Threats to growth

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said that the MPC should be considering the whole economic outlook and not just inflation.

"We understand the critical need for the MPC to maintain credibility, but the MPC cannot disregard the worsening threats to growth," said BCC economic adviser David Kern.

"The necessity to write a letter to the chancellor should not be the overriding consideration for the MPC."

But the British Retail Consortium supported the decision to keep rates unchanged.

"Struggling customers and retailers certainly need a boost but, with rising oil and commodity prices stoking inflation to well above the 2% target, leaving rates unchanged was the wise option," said its director general Stephen Robertson.

Sale and rent back schemes 'desperately need regulating'

The sale and rent back sector in the UK housing market "desperately needs regulating", a charity has claimed. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is currently conducting a market study into sale and rent back schemes, whereby homeowners sell their property at a discount in return for the option to remain in their home as a tenant.

Controversy has surrounded the schemes with consumer groups cautioning that some homeowners who take up the offer are offered little protection from rent increases and the prospect of being effectively forced out by their landlord.

Responding to developments, the Homeowners Advice Centre welcomed the OFT probe which it claims is required in part because the number of people opting for the scheme has increased "steeply in the last few months" thus leaving many more homeowners vulnerable to unscrupulous investors.

A spokesman said: "I estimate 95 per cent of all companies advertising on the internet and the classifieds are individual landlords or small companies looking to build a cheap buy-to-let portfolio quickly as opposed to organisations that have set out to provide long-term lets and debt relief. "I suspect that most of the smaller providers would close down or stop advertising if the OFT ensured that the lease was a minimum of 20 years and they had to have £1million in equity or liquidable assets before trading."

Thank your customer, tell them how valuable they are to you, but don't go overboard. Insincerity is easy to spot.

Mortgage approvals hit 15-year low

Mortgage approvals for house purchase dropped to the lowest level since 1993 during April. According to new data from the Bank of England, some 58,000 home loans were granted by lenders in April. This compares to a figure of 113,000 for the same month last year and is the lowest figure recorded since the Bank began compiling housing market data. The overall value of mortgages approved was £23.8 billion - £2.3 billion below the average lent by mortgage providers in the previous six months.

This highlights very clearly the real problem facing not just the property market but also the wider economy. A collapse in transactions of this magnitude has major implications both for consumer spending and a wide range of ancillary industries.

Lenders are continuing to tighten up on the conditions accompanying new loans making it hard for first-time buyers to take advantage of the modest fall in house prices seen over the part few months.

Base rate 'to hit 4% by end of next year'

The key base rate of interest could come down to around four per cent by 2009. Relief is on the way for beleaguered homeowners but they should not expect dramatic cuts of the kind imposed by the Federal Reserve in the near term.

The extended muted economic activity will eventually markedly dilute underlying inflationary pressures and lead the Bank of England to cut interest rates further.
.
The benchmark rate of interest currently stands at five per cent.

Repossessions crisis 'could be worse than 1992'

More homebuyers are at risk of losing their homes than during the property bust of 1992, new research says. As many as 1.8 million buyers will be struggling to cover monthly repayments by the end of this year.

The figure is 200,000 higher than in 1992, when the country was gripped by recession, rising unemployment and mortgage interest rates of 15 per cent. There are now 11.82 million mortgages in Britain, 2 million more than in 1992, meaning there is a larger pool of borrowers vulnerable to missing their repayments if, for example, they are made redundant.

The research suggests that if the percentage of mortgage arrears by the end of this year is even half what it was in 1992 then that period's grim total of 75,000 homes being repossessed in a year could be repeated. Many homeowners are stretched to the limit already to meet mortgage repayments, so would struggle if they were suddenly unable to work.

At the end of 2007 the number of mortgages more than 6 months in arrears was 0.48 per cent or 56,800, well below the 3.54 per cent recorded at the end of 1992.

However, if mortgage arrears at the end of 2008 were only half of that recorded at the end of 1992, then approximately 200,000 more households would be experiencing mortgage payment difficulties, leading potentially to much higher rates of repossessions and bankruptcies. UK homeowners have failed to learn the lessons of 1992, there are more people at risk of falling into mortgage arrears or having their home repossessed, and the vast majority of homeowners have no protection in place to guard against possible financial hardship. The boom of the late 1980s saw lenders offering loans of 100 per cent and more. However rising unemployment and interest rates left thousands unable to make repayments leading to debt and misery.

In 1992, when 75,000 homes were posessed, the average mortgage was a relatively modest 2.5 times salary. A lending boom over the last ten years has seen huge mortgages, worth up to six and seven times income, being handed out. Many of these loans have been made without proper checks on the finances of customers and their ability to make repayments. Now, even small increases in the headline rate of interest means repayments on these mega-loans can generate crippling increases in repayments.

There is a particular concern around so-called sub-prime home loan customers; people who have a black mark on their credit history and typically have to pay higher interest rates. More than a fifth of this group have fallen behind with mortgage repayments. The proportion of borrowers with poor credit histories who are more than 30 days in arrears rose to 21.73 per cent in the first three months of this year.
That is up from 19.41 per cent seen during the previous three months, and compares to 18.11 per cent for the same period last year. Those sub-prime borrowers falling into 'serious delinquency', 90 days or more behind, edged into double figures at 10.6 per cent.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) is predicting around 45,000 home repossessions this year, however some analysts suggest the figure could top 70,000.

Ministry of Justice data showed that a total of 27,530 mortgage repossession orders were made during the first three months of 2008. That was up 17 per cent on the same period a year ago and the highest level for 16 years.

The economic growth experienced in the UK in the past 15 years has encouraged a short-term view of finances with a buy today and pay tomorrow attitude.

While the current repossession figures are low, people looking to remortgage generally have to switch to a more expensive option. Two years ago those looking to re-finance would have got a better rate from a competitor. But lending criteria has tightened up recently, so that's not so much the case now.