Be careful with Bulgaria....

This thread was started by “rabarbaro” and is a warning to anyone investing in the Bulgarian market, and any market overseas. It seems that rabarbaro is having major problems with his property investment in Bulgaria, with lawyers not acting correctly, the size of the property reducing and the price increasing!  The cost of the property has increased by nearly 100%, and this does not appear to be the end of the story. However, there are many members on hand to give good advice and comments, comments which can help anyone looking to invest overseas. As well as showing the downside, this thread also shows the collective power of forum members acting together. 

While many of us are aware of the dangers of investing overseas, it does no harm to be reminded of the potential pit falls and dangers. If you are not able to represent yourself in the market of you choice it is vital you get the appropriate team together, acting on your behalf. This thread also shows the benefits of dealing with larger, more established companies, who often offer a better services - even if they charge a little more. It will be interesting to see how rabarbaro gets on with his investment, and if the advice from forum members was of assistance.

Best investment real estate locations in UK?

While “Webber” initially asks forum members for advice about investing $200,000 into the UK real estate market, the thread has taken a completely different direction. In what is perhaps a sign of the times, there are very few members who are actually advising an investment in the UK, with countries as far a field as India, Turkey and Dubai being mentioned as possible homes for the $200,000 investment. London is the only area mentioned in real detail, although there is little feedback on comments by “rajeshk4u”.  Has the UK market hit the top of the cycle? Are high interest rates really beginning to bite?   

Even though many market observers have been expecting a pull back in the UK property market, it seems that recent events in the US have woken many investors to the potential pit falls of high interest rates. The UK economy is fairly heavily aligned to the US economy, and recent news that the US sub-prime market is really suffering, have not gone down to well in the UK. Stock markets on either side of the Atlantic fell last week, and observers are watching this weeks action closely to see if there is any follow through. It may prove beneficial to monitor the share prices of UK companies in the property market, often a useful way to check future prospects for the sector.

declaring overseas properties ?

Even though this is still a fairly young thread, the question posed by “zhunter71” may strike a note with many investors who deal outside of their local markets. It revolves around the issue of declaring your overseas investments to your local authorities, tax payments and ways in which you can be traced. There are some differing views in the thread, with some taking the approach that if you don’t declare they will never trace the property, and some believing that it is vital to declare and stay in line with local regulations. This thread has the potential to bring a number of differing opinions to the fore and we await further comments in due course.

For those looking to invest overseas, the subject of declaring assets and tax on investment income has always been to the fore. While there may be those tempted to keep overseas investments off their local asset lists, it is essential that you do it by the “book”. True, the authorities may take a large percentage of your income through tax, but you can offset some costs against income. What is certain is the fact that the authorities will take a lot more from you, if they find undeclared assets and income. As always, professional advice should be sought, but to have a long term career in the property market you need to keep the authorities on side.

I sold 8 properties in two days

This thread by “kelgo” is sure to interest many investors looking to reduce their costs and increase the turnover of their investment properties. It appears that kelgo has successfully negotiated the sale of 8 properties from his development, and completed them all within 2 days! As you would expect from a thread which could save thousands for other forum members, it has proved very popular!  Kelgo has offered a sheet detailing his experiences and advice about selling your own property, ensuring that this thread has the potential to continue for some time. While the sales process may not be as simple as many may hope, it should prove interesting reading.

This thread opens up some interesting options for property investors, and ways in which they can potentially save substantial amounts of money. Unfortunately, the process will not be suitable for all investors, as there would obviously be a need to be local to the development to arrange such quick sales. There is a “cheat” sheet available for free which should encourage some members to look at this process in more detail. While there will be differing views from forum members, this again shows the value of the collective nature of forums, and the speed with which information and opinions can be shared.

Good Site- How can we get member numbers up

One of the site moderators, “Goldberg Global” has opened up an interesting feedback thread about what members want to see on the forum, and what they would like changed. There are  a number of views both from the side of investors and agents, and the differing expectations of many forum members. Some make the point about a small number of sub-forums receiving little attention, whereby other sectors are full of differing opinions.  Interestingly the thread has attracted so much attention and comment that it actually shows perfectly what a forum is about - differing views and opinions. Many mention the fair balance between adverts, agents and investors - something which is vital to attract questions, and encourage advice.

For any forum to be successful there needs to be a balance between adverts, advice and general comments. On the whole it looks as though the majority of members are happy with the balance and while some sectors will always be more popular than others, future trends will dictate which sectors are popular tomorrow. For those keen to see what a forum is all about, they would be advised to check this thread - it gives views and opinions for both sides of the fence - very interesting. As ever, the moderators on the site are very interested in your views, so why not let your opinion be known today.