I am not sure you saw my article about property funds but I read an article which surprised me.
These funds have only raised 2% of their hoped amounts as investors were not convinced of their returns.
Very interesting. Seems either investors:
- Don’t believe the fund managers and holding out for a more credible fund manager
- Realising that the only way to make money in property is by doing it yourself and not using fund managers with their exorbitant charges!
I would like to think it is the second one. We have all wisened up to the financial world altogether. Why work with fund managers and banks when you have scandals such as:
- Barmy bankers bonuses
- Madoff ponzi scandal
- Northern Rock, HBOS and RBS potential bankruptcy
- Lehman brothers bankruptcy
- Goldmans Sachs criminal investigation
Do not touch them with a barge pole! As soon as they have your money they can do what ever they like under the umbrella of “investing”. This means trying to make money with your money but with no guarantees. Who cares if they are registered with the FSA as that didn’t prevent some of the scandals that have come to light and I suspect wont in the future.
What you want is to own the property not a piece of paper (being a share certificate) which in turn owns the property. This piece of paper can literally disappear. I have seen it happen to my friends who invested in Worldcom, Woolworths etc. and I have experienced it when I invested in iii.co.uk back in 2000 when I lost the lot!
So knowing you have only yourself to rely on who can you trust? YOURSELF! Make sure the property you buy carries your name on the title deeds. The only company that can lay claim to it is the lender only. After 25 years, if on a repayment mortgage, the property is yours.
No one can touch it unless you get in to a divorce situation so remember:
TREAT YOUR WIFE WELL! (Or husband as the case might be)
Or you could consider not getting married but that would be just too plain rude to suggest wouldn’t it?
Want properties in your own name? Check out some of my help books.