If you are thinking about a property investment, then you are in good company. Many canny investors have come the conclusion that this combination of investment and return is a solid way forward. Given that interest rates are stuck in low gear for the foreseeable future it seems like a no-brainer in financial terms.

The property market is still relatively strong. With a high demand and low supply, this is not going to change anytime soon. This means that the rental market is buoyant, and as long as you buy the right property you should have no trouble is achieving a high occupancy rate. To make a success of your venture, it can be good to learn from the experiences of others who have made it work for them.

Buy the right property

This will in part be down to the amount of money you have available or the credit that you can raise. You need to make sure that you are investing in a property that will make a viable letting project. Most property investors will look for property that is relatively inexpensive so as to maximise their returns. You could buy a new property off the plans, or you could seek to make more capital gain by buying a property that needs some renovation. This will, however, be more work.

You could choose between an apartment or flat, or a small house. Individual rooms could be let to working professionals or even students. Look in areas where demand for apartments from these groups is growing. You can let on a short term basis or over a longer period. If you are targeting the student market then you will have to bear in mind you will have a higher turnover which might mean more administration. If you are letting to families, you are more likely to have longer term tenants.

The right property will be in an area where there is likely to be high rental demand. For most that will mean buying a property in a busy and thriving city, or at least in a town that has good commuter access. Look to vibrant areas where there is investment and growth. Cities around the world that offer these conditions include cities in New Zealand such as Auckland and Adelaide in Australia. Thriving hubs such as Singapore and London are still experiencing growth and offer opportunities.

Get the right agency involved.

As an investor, you are making a financial decision so it is not even necessary for you to live in the area, as your property can be handled easily by an agency. It will be much better for you if you work with a reputable local agency. They will have a lot of experience in finding the right tenants for you. They will be able to handle all the contracts and even collect the rent. They will also be in able to let you know what your responsibilities are in terms of maintenance and provide local contractors to do any work for you.

Property investment nationally and internationally is proving to be a viable and reliable prospect. As long as you buy the right property and choose a reputable agent and there is no reason it should not work for you.

Share to Explore !!

Facebook

Digg

Pinterest

Twitter

Reddit

Linkedin

StumbleUpon

Tumblr

Print

email

Yummly

Buffer

Winning a lawsuit is a huge challenge, but it can be done as long as you have a good plan of action in place. It’s all about making sure that you are prepared for the challenge ahead before you even get started. Here are some top ways that will improve your chances of success.

Consider the Costs

Fighting a lawsuit is certainly not cheap, no matter which side of the court you’re on. So, you need to consider the costs beforehand. If you don’t think that you can afford to go ahead, don’t quit just yet. There are many charitable organisations and governments that can help people on low incomes to get justice. No one should have to accept not getting justice just because they’re not rich. And if you’re pursuing a personal injury claim, you might be able to get pre-settlement funding. This helps you to stay on top of the costs while the court case is still ongoing. It can be a huge help.

Get the Best Lawyer

There is always a temptation to not hire a lawyer. Many people think that they can represent themselves and succeed. But this is not the movies where the little guy beats the big guy. The chances are the person with the better lawyer will win the case. This is not always how it plays out, but it’s a bigger factor than most people realise. The best lawyer will be able to give you the expertise, experience and skills they have. When you have those things behind your case pushing it forward, your chances of success increase greatly. So, hire a lawyer that has dealt with cases that are similar to yours in the past. Look at their success rate too.

Get Evidence

If your case relies on you having to prove that another person did something, you need to have evidence to back up what you’re claiming. This is how many civil disputes work. If you are pursuing a personal injury claim because someone was responsible for an injury you sustained, evidence is vital. You need to have independent witnesses who can back up your claims. And you also need the testimony of the doctor who treated your injuries. If you don’t have those things, then it is simply your word vs your opponent’s. And that is always a risky gamble when you’re in court.

Prepare for Court

There are many things that can be daunting about appearing in court. Having to speak in front of a judge and present your case is not always the easiest thing in the world. That’s why preparation is so vitally important. You can never prepare too much. But you can definitely prepare too little. If you walk into the court without knowing exactly what the plan is and how you’re going to present your case, you’ll be in trouble. You don’t want to do this because it could jeopardise your entire case, and that’s not what you want. So, remain calm, and listen to all the advice that your lawyer gives you.

Share to Explore !!

Facebook

Digg

Pinterest

Twitter

Reddit

Linkedin

StumbleUpon

Tumblr

Print

email

Yummly

Buffer

The real estate sector has always seen growth in Mumbai, but this growth has only started to accelerate of late.Despite the slump in global markets, real estate still continues to do well in Mumbai and property prices keep rising. The city’s real estate has been attracting a lot of foreign investment and not surprisingly,Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are most interested in investing in the financial capital of the country.

NRIs have always been inclined to buying property in the overseas market, with some of the most popular locations including the likes of London, New York, Toronto, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dubai. Mumbai’s real estate market has become increasingly important in the global scenario however, and lots more Indians are looking to invest in the city.

If you are an NRI there are plenty of good reasons to invest in Mumbai’s real estate:

1. Easy Buying:

Developers have made registration, payments, and the buying process for the NRIs a lot simpler. Interested investors also get to monitor the development of the property easily.

2. Discounts:

When NRIs make bulk or group purchases in the city, they are benefitted with sizeable discounts. Bulk purchases help developers as this maintains healthy cash flow. It also decreases the cost of acquisition for them and increases their turnover. Good cash flow also makes it easier to achieve timely completion of projects, attracting still more buyers. For this reason, builders offer bulk buyers payment flexibility along with discounts.

3. Cheap:

The Indian rupee has been depreciating. This makes the properties in India cheaper for NRIs.

4. Favourable Market:

While policy changes have given the city a more business friendly outlook, most economists also view the markets favourably and foresee growth in the coming years. Government initiatives like smart cities and other projects have also spurred growth, attracted heavy foreign investment, and have helped boost the city’s infrastructure.

5. Dual Benefits:

Buying a home in your own country doesn’t just cater to your emotional connection, but it is also financially viable. By buying property here, you can feel closer to home and also feel secure in the knowledge that you have a home to return to, should the need ever arise.At the same time, the positive market trends also offer investors the promise of big returns.

As per the findings of an Assocham survey, Indian real estate builders are expecting a rise of 35% in NRI inquiries, ascompared to the previous year’s 18%. This is because NRIs are anticipating more reforms and benefits. Most working professionals prefer mid-segment projects, while big industrialists are keen on luxury projects. Mumbai’s real estate market is big enough to cater to all of these segments and with its constant growth, the returns are only likely to entice further investment.

Share to Explore !!

Facebook

Digg

Pinterest

Twitter

Reddit

Linkedin

StumbleUpon

Tumblr

Print

email

Yummly

Buffer

It’s a sickening feeling. You have never had trouble with credit in the past and have not had problems accessing a loan. Then, one day, after you’ve spent time filling in an application for a loan with the bank, a letter or email arrives telling you that you do not meet its lending criteria and that, regrettably, it has declined your request.

For some, being turned down for credit is a shock but not a major disruption. But for many others who had banked on accessing credit to fund a new car, carry out home improvements or consolidate other loans, being turned down by the bank isn’t just embarrassing, it can throw their lives into turmoil.

If this is you, then you’re in good company. Up to one third of all applications for credit in the UK were turned down in 2014, most of them by the mainstream banks. For many hundreds of thousands of ordinary consumers, that wasn’t because they were reckless with money or had failed to make good on debts in the past: it was simply because they didn’t meet the banks’ more rigid criteria that emerged in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

Happily, there are now a growing number of alternatives for borrowing for people who can’t get hold of the money they need when they apply either to their bank or other mainstream lender. Despite being rejected elsewhere because they have a bad credit rating, millions of people now have access to loans from the burgeoning market in these types of loans. Although some of these types of loan come with higher interest rates and lower total capital sums, there is a good chance that you will be able to borrow the money that you need despite having a bad credit rating:

Personal loans

Thought you would not be able to get an unsecured personal loan because the bank’s computer says ‘no’? Think again. Many lenders now have products that are designed for people with poor credit ratings so if you’ve been declined by your bank or somewhere else, you may still be able to borrow a substantial amount of money without having to offer some form of security.

Personal loans for people with bad credit ratings tend to have higher higher interest charges than those offered to people with excellent credit ratings and the sums on offer may also be a little lower. As part of responsible lending policies, these lenders will still carry out credit checks and affordability assessments but these criteria are usually a little more relaxed than those undertaken by the major banks.

Homeowner loans

If you own your house and it is worth significantly more than you originally paid for it, then there’s a good chance that you will find an organisation willing to lend you a significant sum of money. A whole raft of new lending organisations now offer homeowner loans for sums that range from £5,000 all the way up to £250,000 and beyond. It all depends on how much equity you have in your property.

The loan is secured on your house meaning that these types of products are not available to tenants or those in shared ownership schemes. It also means that should you fail to keep up with the repayment schedule, the lender could repossess your house.

The big advantage with homeowner loans is that the interest rates are generally lower than those that come with other forms of bad credit funding. That said, the interest rates may be variable so might change throughout the term of the loan leaving you unable to make repayments should your circumstances change.

Guarantor loans

If you can’t get a personal loan and don’t own your own home, your options become more limited but it is by no means impossible to secure the money you need. Guarantor loans are a rapidly-growing part of the market and work because they open up borrowing to people who don’t have a good enough credit rating to borrow money on their own. These types of loans are based on the principle of somebody else standing as security to guarantee your loan repayments. That person could be a relative, a close friend of somebody at work who knows and trusts you enough to take on this responsibility. While the very large sums that are offered with homeowner loans are not available, it is still possible to borrow up to £12,000 with a guarantor loan.

Credit unions

Prior to the explosion of the UK consumer credit market and the arrival of big international financial organisations, the building societies were mutuals – owned by their savers and borrowers. Credit unions are similar and are owned entirely by and for the benefit of their members. They serve local communities up and down Britain and are in the business of offering loans to members by using the capital held on deposit on behalf of those who save with them.

Interest rates on loans offered by credit unions are usually a bit lower than bad credit loans although some of them will insist that people wanting to borrow money from them save a small amount first. Although this is still a growing area of the UK’s financial services market, credit unions are offering larger and larger personal loans with some advertising up to £4,000 with repayment periods of seven years.

Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer in the financial sector – working with a selection of finance companies, including Solution Loans – who were consulted over the information contained in this piece.

Share to Explore !!

Facebook

Digg

Pinterest

Twitter

Reddit

Linkedin

StumbleUpon

Tumblr

Print

email

Yummly

Buffer

Business analysts are leaders. They guide their teams towards the accomplishment of specific goals by using both technical and soft skills. And as leaders, they should not only relate to their teams, but must also help their team members to relate with one another. Besides, they should not simply organize and direct their teams, but must also be able to inspire and influence, connect and communicate. Here are ways of improving leadership skills.

For business analysts to lead groups of people successfully, they must first establish mutual sense of understanding and trust between themselves and the people they are leading. Therefore, as a business analyst, your first aspect of leadership development should be improving your ability to build real personal connection with people so they can trust you to help them build a culture of exceptional performance, accountability and integrity. Essential traits that will help you to connect with people include positivity, compassion, empathy, love and humility. Apart from building robust connections with people, you also need to communicate effectively so they understand your directions correctly and in a way that makes sense to them.

A business analyst profession is never always smooth sailing. Each day, you will have to deal with negatives and occasional obstacles. However, the way you handle those difficult circumstances and setbacks will speak volumes about your leadership. It is advisable to consider the positives in any difficult circumstances in order to avoid feeling so strongly about the issues. This way, you will be able to think clearly about the problems and solve them without having your emotions fog your logic.

Coaching is a structured learning that occurs over a period of time in which the coach trains you in leadership skills or set of tasks. Coaching has clear measurable goals and can help every business analyst to improve his/her leadership skills in an isolated one-off training (coaching) session. Leadership coaching is also an easier way of identifying your weaknesses and areas that need improvement as the training programs will allow you to make the right connections and apply your skills in real-life settings. You can opt for coaching sessions to improve your critical thinking skills, boost your confidence and improve your communication skills.

Mentoring refers to one-on-one relationships in which skills, knowledge and perspectives are shared. The training method improves both the skills of the mentor and the pupil, and unlike coaching, mentoring is an ongoing process. Mentoring programs allow budding business analysts to learn from the masters. During the training process, the analysts solicit advice from their seniors on steps of improving their leadership skills, have informal chats, ask for assistance in completing various projects, and build their skills under the watch of more experienced leaders.

Workshops, leadership books and group training sessions are also useful and cost-effective ways of improving leadership skills. During workshops and training, business analysts can engage in leadership tasks while accessing courses on personal and workplace effectiveness. The training sessions can also help them to learn the tricks of motivating others, demonstrating passion, maintaining exemplary standards of integrity and performance, and treating others with dignity and respect.

Feedback from fellow professionals, mentors and team members are invaluable in helping business analysts to know how effective they are as leaders. The analysts may also conduct honest self-assessments or talk to their friends and peers for critical perspectives on their leadership styles and approaches. Similarly, those in the business analyst profession can improve their leadership skills by networking with influential business leaders and emulating the leadership styles of successful business analysts. More information about this career is available at www.businessanalystcareerhq.com.

Share to Explore !!

Facebook

Digg

Pinterest

Twitter

Reddit

Linkedin

StumbleUpon

Tumblr

Print

email

Yummly

Buffer