Craig Sheppard

SPANISH LENDING 🇪🇸 I am working with a flexible and fast lender in Spain that has cash available to lend out. Their criteria is: *Location - Main liquid areas such as Madrid, Malaga, etc *Loan to value is 65% *Loan to costs is 75%* *The minimum term is 3 months *The maximum term is 15 months *The Minimum loan is EUR250K *The maximum loan is EUR2M *The interest rate is 1.1%per month *The arrangement fee is 2.5% *The acceptable asset types are: -Land -Hotels -Residential -Industrial *The acceptable purposes are: -Refurbishment -Buy and flip -Change of use -Equity release. *Please note by charging additional security, 100% funding of a project is possible *The lender must have a first charge *The applicant must be a limited company with the beneficiary living in Spain [email protected] 📞 07496503983

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Tactical retreat or failure? I belive that having a company taken off the public market can be somewhat of a traumatic experience, i fully understand as i have had some previous businesses fail. In 2018 i foolishly invested in a property in Marbella which was sold to me as a "property investment" but was really just a bit of fun for someone to have a go at running a nightclub. I was not particularly interested in the entertainment business per say, however i had thanks to diligent saving and working 2 jobs for several years managed to save up some funds. Which i either had a chance to buy a lovely apartment near the central Stockholm in a area called Hjorthagen, with my girlfriend at the time. We would then have formed a family and loved a lovely life, however i felt that the time was not quite right as i was not happy with my professional environment at the time. So i decided to take the risk and go for the investment, since funny enough i was just looking for something to invest in. Needless to say, i did not do my DD properly and eventually COVID came and we had to shut down. Since one was barely allowed to walk outside in Spain at the time. I am in no way shape or form writing this looking for sympathy, it's just part of the process (since i'm more for processes rather than a "journey"). I learned to do my DD properly before investing as i usually would, the only reason i invested was because it was a very close friend who proposed it at the time and i thought that he would not deceive me. How wrong was i? It was fun since i got to spend some time in lovely Spain but not a good investment. Anyway now it's on to the next one, so why did i originally choose Life-science? Well part of the reason i'm not willing to share yet, but part of it might because my brother is a educated Chemist, my sister is working for Pfizer, cousin also works with research as a marine biologist and i studied Nature-science at a lower level in "High school" in Sweden (age 16-19). Even if i did not really pay attention, i always thought it was fascinating how different things worked in reality. Just that it seemed as if School wanted to "suck the fun" out of it, so i rebelled and decided not to study at the time. However in the words of the great Mark Twain "i never let schooling interfere with my education" . I only post this for references in case someone is wondering? Who is this guy anyway and what is he doing? Oh i also tried to do a M&A deal in 2020 but it did not go trough as we did not come to a agreement with the owner, it was a water-cutting company. I feel as if this post is long enough, if you read all the way here, thank you and may you have a lovely week going forward. Remember that "failure" is only final is we let it be, we have to keep on pushing and striving for something greater. Something that can hopefully push humanity forward and aid as many lives as possible. "Pic for reference".

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When buying a property in Spain what fees on top of your minimum 30% deposit do you need to factor in to make sure you have sufficient funds to complete There are several taxes and fees that must be considered. These costs vary depending on whether the property is new or a resale, as well as the region in which it is located. 1. Property Transfer Tax (Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales or ITP) For resale properties, buyers must pay the ITP, which ranges from 6% to 10% of the property’s purchase price, depending on the region. For example, in Madrid, it’s 6%, while in Catalonia, it’s 10%. 2. VAT (Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido or IVA) For new properties, VAT is applicable instead of ITP. The rate is 10% for residential properties, but 21% for land or commercial properties. 3. Stamp Duty (Impuesto de Actos Jurídicos Documentados or AJD) Buyers of new properties also need to pay stamp duty, which varies between 0.5% and 2% of the purchase price, depending on the region. 4. Notary Fees The notary’s involvement is essential in Spain to formalize property transactions. Notary fees are regulated and typically range from **0.5% to 1%** of the property’s price, depending on the complexity of the transaction and the region. 5. Land Registry Fees Registering the property at the Land Registry is mandatory. Fees usually range between 300€ and 600€ but can vary slightly depending on the property’s value and region. 6. Legal Fees While hiring a lawyer is not mandatory, it is highly recommended, especially for foreigners. Legal fees typically range from 1% to 2% of the purchase price. 7. Mortgage Fees If a mortgage is required, additional costs include valuation fees (around 300€-500€) and potential arrangement fees (up to 2% of the mortgage value). There might also be mortgage registration fees. 8. Agency Fees Real estate agents’ fees in Spain are generally paid by the seller, but in some cases, the buyer may incur some costs, typically 2% to 5% of the property price. Factoring in these taxes and fees is crucial to understanding the full cost of purchasing property in Spain. Buyers should be aware that, on average, they should expect to pay an additional 10%-15% of the property price on taxes and fees. If you are looking to buy a property in Spain and need a mortgage, email [email protected] for the latest criteria #spain #spanishmortgage #spanishproperty #overseasmortgage #overseasproperty

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Foreigners spend more money on property than the Spanish Statistics Information Centre for Notarius Publicus revealed that foreign home buyers spend 72% more money on home purchases than the Spanish do. Foreigners looking for a house in Spain spend an average of €2,715 per square metre, while the Spanish spend €1,580, revealed the authority. Last year, 21% of all home purchases in Spain were made by foreigners. In the Valencian Region alone, nearly 19,000 homes were purchased by non-Spanish citizens. Andalucia and Catalonia followed with 11,768 and 9,773 sales. Furthermore, the most expensive property per square metre in the country was sold to a foreigner in the Balearic Islands for €4,169 per square metre. A new tendency arose in Spain when last year, Chinese nationals bought a large number of properties in Spain for the first time, spending €3,902 on average. Amongst other nations, British, Germany and France were the ones spending the most on Spanish property, highlighting the rising number of expatriates in the country. If you are looking to buy a property in Spain and need a mortgage, email [email protected] for the latest criteria #spain #spanishmortgage #spanishproperty #overseasmortgage #overseasproperty

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Do you need to pay the estate agency when you buy a property in Spain? If you’re looking to buy a home in Spain, then you’ll want to be aware of exactly how much extra you’ll have to pay in fees. There are many fees that are mandatory when you purchase a property, but is paying the realtor one of these? Real estate agents in Spain, like in many countries, cover all the procedures related to the sale of a property from start to finish. They oversee valuing the property and putting it on the market, as well as showing potential buyers around and being there during the signing of the sales contract. Typically, it is the seller who pays the real estate fees for these services as it is them who are selling their property. This means that you won’t normally have to worry about factoring this extra cost in. It’s important to keep in mind though that there isn’t a specific rule that states this anywhere, so technically a real estate agency could ask you to pay some of the fees. In fact, there are agencies where this expense is shared between buyer and seller. Or sometimes, the agents will charge both the buyer and seller for different aspects of their service. Although it is relatively uncommon, there are also cases in which the buyer is the one who hires the services of a real estate agency. They may ask them to find them home that meets their specific requirements, in these cases, the buyer may have to pay more of the fees as they are getting a more specialised service. Many people ask if it’s legal for the buyer to pay these fees, but since there are no rules forbidding it, then yes, it is technically legal, even though it seems unfair in most cases. If you do need to pay any agency fees, they will usually be collected at the time of signing the deeds of sale, but sometimes they may ask you for advance payment instead, for example when you sign the paperwork to make a deposit. Typically, if the sale is not completed, the agency will still charge a lower amount for the services provided, as they have still done the work. It’s important to look at all the small print whenever you sign anything with real estate agents. As there is no fixed rule, it could always be possible that the agency could be sneaky and try to pass some of the fees on to you. They may try and do this hidden not in the main reservation contract, but in what’s known as the hoja de visitas or visit sheet that you may be required to sign when you go to view a property. This has in fact been noted during several court cases, in which buyers tried to sue agencies for making them pay fees, even if they didn’t end up buying the property using their services. In most cases, real estate commission is between 3% and 7% of the sale price. If in doubt, it's important to be upfront and ask your estate agent. If you are buying a property in Spain and need a mortgage, email [email protected] for the latest criteria

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SANTANDER 100% CAPITAL PROTECTED AUTOCALL NOTE: This is a note issued by Santander International Products plc. The term of this product is 6 years 7 days with the possibility of early cancellation on a set number of predetermined dates. This product is designed to produce a return on the invested capital as an interest amount. Any Coupon Amount and the amount payable at the maturity of the product will depend on the Performance of the Worst Performing Index of the Underlying.  The Underlying in this product is a basket of Indices composed by: - Europe: Euro Stoxx 50 - Japan: Nikkei 225  - US: S&P 500 - Switzerland: Swiss Market Index The capital invested in this product is 100% protected Annualized Returns: - GBP: 7.40% p.a. (3.70% Semi-Annually) gross - USD: 8.00% p.a. (4.00% Semi-Annually) gross This product is aimed at investors who fulfill all of the criteria below: - Can hold the product during the Recommended Holding Period and expect the movement in the Underlying to perform in a way that will generate a favourable return. - Have a medium knowledge and experience in investing in the financial markets and so understand the benefits and risks associated with the investment in this product. - Want to invest in a product that is fully capital guaranteed other than on Early Termination. Interested in learning more about this investment product, kindly DM:

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Madrid to suspend holiday-let licences as rent prices spiral. For many buying a second home in Spain is not just for a place in the sun for themselves but also for some potential rental income when the property isn’t in use, but as rules tighten around the country to combat the number of rental properties on the market its important to check out what the rules are in the area you are buying as there can be hefty fines if you get it wrong. Madrid City Hall has announced it will temporarily suspend the granting of new licences for so-called tourist apartments in a bid to rein in a ballooning industry that's impacting prices and stock of long-term rents in Spain's capital. Madrid authorities also announced they will not authorise the transformation of commercial properties into tourist accommodation in the centre of the city and will increase the fines for tourist properties that do not comply with regulations. Like many other cities in Spain, Madrid has been suffering from a rise in illegal tourist accommodation with thousands swiftly popping up across the capital. One of the main obstacles for regulators is how difficult it is to find out exactly how many there are. Madrid authorities have counted 14,699 tourist establishments in the city, 92% of which are for tourist accommodation, but only 941 of these have a municipal licence, meaning the rest are illegal. According to the Inside Airbnb platform though, there are 25,543 tourist apartments listed in the city. In order to combat the issue, Madrid City Hall will increase fines for owning and running one of these illegal holiday lets. They will set the first penalty at €30,000, the second at €60,000 and the third level at €100,000. Those committing serious infringements or who keep renting out their flats without licences, even after warnings, may have to pay up to €190,000. Current fines are only €1,000 for the first infringement. If they still don’t comply, a second fine of €2,000 is issued, and if the situation persists, a third penalty of €3,000 will be given. The number of inspectors to check on tourist rentals will also be increased by 15%, up to 75. To help holidaymakers know whether or not an apartment they’re interested in is legal or not, the city will also publish a list of flats with licences and their location on an official website. Spain’s Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez recently called on the 17 regional governments to implement restrictions on short-term holiday lets in areas where rents for locals have spiked, as the national government continues to look for ways to address the country’s housing crisis. If you are looking to buy a property in Spain and ned a mortgage, email [email protected] for the latest criteria. #spain #spanishmortgage #spanishproperty #overseasmortgage #overseasproperty

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For the past 5 years - where property prices went up by ~40% -, I’ve been listening to people saying that property prices will (have to) go down in Ibiza… Here’s the news… prices won’t move down significantly (unless the world turns upside down)… Ibiza is the size of 3 x Amsterdam, or 1/3 of London. It’s VERY small… The island, being a brand-name property market is full of families owning mortgage-free properties, or second home buyers owning multiple properties worldwide. The group of people that can afford buying a home on the island (High Net Worth Individuals in Europe is expected to grow by 30% by the end of 2027) keeps increasing… Do your maths… Have a read through this article where I give a little heads up on this hyperlocal property market of Santa Eularia des Riu 2024. #ibiza #propertymarket #luxuryproperty #secondhome #realestate #santaeularia https://lnkd.in/deBJh2iE

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✨ Exciting news for those in Spain looking to secure a mortgage! In August, Spanish inflation dropped more than anticipated, reaching its lowest level in a year. This decrease in inflation to 2.4% from 2.9% in July is great news for potential borrowers, as it may signal a potential rate cut by the European Central Bank in the near future. According to the Institute for National Statistics, this is the lowest inflation rate seen since August 2023. Economists had predicted a smaller decrease to 2.5%, making this news even more positive for those considering taking out a mortgage in Spain. ✨ #ibiza2024 #mortgages #interestrates #realestate

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💡 Blackstone Bets Big: Cirsa IPO Set to Shake Up the Gambling Industry 🎲 Blackstone plans to list Cirsa on the Madrid Stock Exchange, targeting a €1 billion valuation. This move signals confidence in Spain’s booming gambling market—but is it a bold bet or a risky gamble? In this week’s blog, we dive into: 👉 The market conditions driving this IPO. 👉 How private equity reshapes gambling operators. 👉 Why this could redefine long-term sustainability in the sector. 📖 Read the full blog here: Blackstone’s Cirsa IPO—A Smart Bet or a Risky Gamble? https://lnkd.in/epJvnAvP The stakes are high. Will this IPO set a new standard for responsible financialisation—or expose the risks of prioritising short-term profits? #GamblingIndustry #CirsaIPO #PrivateEquity #SpainGambling #ResponsibleGaming #TGB #InvestingInGambling

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At 09:30, the Office for National Statistics published the latest House Price Index and Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR). Among other things, it showed that average UK house prices increased by 2.7%, to £288,000, in the 12 months to June 2024, and that average UK private rents increased by 8.6% in the 12 months to July 2024 unchanged from in the 12 months to June 2024. Other key findings include:  Average house prices increased in England to £305,000 (2.4%), in Wales to £216,000 (1.8%), and in Scotland to £192,000 (4.3%), in the 12 months to June 2024. Average UK private rents increased by 8.6% in the 12 months to July 2024 (provisional estimate), unchanged from in the 12 months to June 2024. Average rents increased to £1,319 (8.6%) in England, £748 (7.9%) in Wales, and £965 (8.2%) in Scotland, in the 12 months to July 2024. In Northern Ireland, average rents increased by 10.0% in the 12 months to May 2024. In England, rents inflation was highest in London (9.7%) and lowest in the North East (6.1%), in the 12 months to July 2024. While house prices are holding up fairly well, it's clear the real pain is being felt by tenants due to soaring rental costs. For those already teetering on the edge financially, this is more than just an increase, it’s a pressure cooker ready to explode. I see the human toll behind these numbers daily. Families are being squeezed from all sides. House prices are inching out of reach for many, and rents are escalating to unsustainable levels. It’s a cruel irony that the roof over your head is becoming a financial burden too heavy to bear for many. This isn't just an economic challenge; it’s a social crisis in the making. Behind every statistic is a family struggling to keep their home and landlords facing untenable costs. Recent figures showing landlord repossessions on the rise shed light on the difficulties being faced by many tenants. It's clear many landlords are not able to cover shortfalls caused by rent arrears over extended periods of time. The situation is further compounded by delays in landlords being able to take back their properties due to changes in Government policy. I'm no advocate for repossession (far from it), but the policies and the reality simply don't line up. As rents soar, more people are likely to fall into arrears, or simply be unable to afford to rent. What then? Where do people go who can't afford to rent or who's credit simply put them at the end of a long list of more 'qualified' applicants? Isn't it time lenders and Government rethink their strategies for the private rental sector and stop punishing landlords who find themselves in arrears through no fault of their own? I certainly think so.

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How not to buy a house in Spain: The top four pitfalls to avoid Buying a home in Spain comes with its challenges, not least the possibility of being scammed, getting charged hidden fees or missing key points in the smallprint. Most of these point are checked by a lender during the mortgage process There are many examples of people’s dreams turning into nightmares after falling into the trap of unscrupulous property developers, real estate agents and lawyers. They may speak English and seem friendly, they may even tell you that “this is how things are in Spain”, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do your own checks. Here are four steps to avoid ruining your dream 1. Check the property is legal Many buyers have a wish list when they search for their perfect home, but before you start negotiations, you yourself can check whether property is legal. Visit the town hall and ask for all documents about to the house. Compare the drawings from Catastro (land registry) and registro de propiedad (property registry) with the actual position of the house itself and not just the plans you have been given. 2. Does it have a valid residence permit? One of the most important documents to ask for is the residence permit, either the Cédula de habitabilidad or Licencia de primera ocupación, and check if it is valid. Depending on the municipality, this has a validity period. But beware, every permit is immediately invalid if the property has been illegally renovated or extended. 3. Do not sign anything before you know that everything is in order A lawyer is often called in after the negotiations. There are of course costs involved, and these costs usually have to be paid in advance. If the property is not in order you lose your money. Some real estate agencies also ask for a deposit, so that the house won't be sold during the process. You will not be the first to have difficulties getting your deposit back if you decide not to move on with the purchase. You should put the deposit on the notary's account to avoid this pitfall. 4. Have the house inspected thoroughly You can try to investigate yourself, but the risks are high so get yourself some independent professional advice. Any real estate agent or lawyer who says you don't need to do a full inspection might have something to hide. If you are looking to buy a property in Spain and need a mortgage, email [email protected] for the latest criteria #spain #spanishmortgage #spanishproperty #overseasmortgage #overseasproperty

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Zapaygo is just the latest example of why the UK's Insolvency system is unfit for purpose. Founded by serial failure Elliot Hall, Zapaygo took £500k off Crowdcube investors and £5m off British Business Bank via a Future Fund loan. Various others investors also wasted their cash. From the outset it was clear to anyone with any business sense and experience that this was a joke outfit. Elliot was a joke as was his team of mincers. They had a 'contract' with the NEC Group which if it had been of any commercial value would have let them build their business. But it was mainly smoke and mirrors and never produced a penny. In fact despite the huge valuation given to the company (by Elliot), this risible shambles never turned over more than few pennies. It never functioned and is now in liquidation although as you will see below, even this has been farcical. In January 2023 - so almost 2 years ago, the filing at Companies House stated Order of the Court to wind up. But nothing has happned since. The company has been in limbo for more than 3 years. Elliot Hall who has a lot of questions to answer about where all the cash went, has been let off and is as we write starting up some new nonsense again. The last filed accounts if they are to be believed, showed current creditors of over £10m for a company with a revenue of £24k. Losses for that year were £1.6m and apparently the company employed 14 people. What were they doing? Back when Elliot was taking cash off investors via Crowdcube, we wrote about this company revealing some uncomfortable truths about the NEC 'contract' and the use of passing off by Elliot to fool investors. Elliot set his lawyers onto us very quickly and we were obliged to withdraw our articles and all mention of Elliot and Zapaygo or face legal action. The investment was a success as a result. We were quite sure we were right but the risk was too great at the time. Now it appears that the legal firm was also in on the game; which is worrying! We contacted them but they have refused to comment. It is a huge mess - one that involved millions of pounds and many millions of pounds of UK taxpayers cash. So why is it in limbo? Why isnt Elliot facing charges? Why hasnt he been banned as a Company Director? What the hell is going on? We are told that Elliot has tried to erase this experience from his LI page - you couldnt make it up mate 🤣

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A simple property transaction in Mallorca may help you understand why "traded options" are such big business globally. Here goes... A family friend wants to buy a house on the island. He has paid a non-refundable 10% deposit for the right to complete the purchase, at a price agreed now, within a year. The deal is therefore straightforward: - If he buys the house, that 10% forms part of the pre-agreed purchase price - If he doesn't, and pulls out, he loses the deposit. There are two ways to view this arrangement: - The obvious one is as an option to buy the house at a fixed price, even if prices go up over the next year. As such it creates a "hedged" purchase. - Less obvious, he has a pure option on the property. Let's say prices plummet over the next year, he could legally abandon the purchase and sacrifice 100% of the option paid. He may still be in profit should the value of the property in question fall by more than 10%. This may annoy the seller but then they get to keep a 10% deposit for doing nothing. Now, in the options market, for things like shares, there is a further twist. Having bought it, you would normally be able to subsequently sell an option to buy the house onto someone else before the full year is up. Why would you do that? Because if property prices start rising, the option to buy the house at a price agreed months earlier is attractive. Is the 10% option now also worth more? Yes, although the exact amount is complicated to compute - "yes", in pure price terms but "no" in time terms (it will expire in less than a year). So, there is a negotiation to be had there. However, selling the option on for a premium negates any worry about having to pay for the house. A few further thoughts: - Pricing "tradeable" options like that is tricky in practice because assumptions have to be made about how volatile the price of the property might be over a decreasing time period (which starts at one year but then reduces). - If you abandon an option, you do lose 100% of your original investment - it is not risk free! - An option to buy ("call in") an asset can, in theory offer unlimited gains, as they are only capped by how much higher the market price can go versus the fixed purchase price (the "strike"). Gains and losses are therefore, "asymmetrical". Want to know more? [email protected] #financialeducation #derivatives #markets #investing

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Why Spain is unlikely to ever ban foreigners from buying property After several regions around Spain have attempted to bring in limits on property purchases by foreigners, members of Spain's government coalition have even started floating the idea of an outright ban at a national level. Several regions around Spain have attempted to put limits on foreigners buying homes and clamped down on tourist rentals. These are mainly in areas traditionally popular with foreigners, and many have become places with highly inflationary property markets. In 2022 Canary nationalist political party Nueva Canarias demanded the regional government address the large number of property purchases by non-residents in the archipelago, and even suggested a limit on the number of properties that can be bought by foreigners altogether in the popular holiday islands. But it's not just a regional issue. In 2024, the debate rumbles on in parts of Spain particularly affected by foreign homeowners and members of the Spanish government are even proposing similar measures at a national level. Though, it should be said, no policy has been decided on yet, and any move such as a ban (in whatever form, on whatever type of property) or even a limit would likely face fierce opposition from the main opposition parties, notably the centre right Partido Popular (PP). Clearly, non-resident foreigners buying up property in Spain, particularly in its space starved archipelagos, contributes to price inflation, saturates the market, and plays a role in pricing locals out of their own neighbourhoods. However, it's not that simple. Clearly, there is a difference between a non-resident foreigner buying a holiday home (perhaps to rent out as tourist accommodation for half the year) and a resident foreigner buying property to live in. This difference has, for now, been reflected in proposed limits at both the regional and national level, rather than outright bans. However, foreign homeowners in Spain also make a huge contribution to the Spanish economy. In 2022 foreigners with a second home in Spain contributed €6.35 billion to Spanish GDP and generated more than 105,000 jobs in the tourism sector, according to the study "The economic impact of residential tourism in Spain" done for the Spanish Association of Developers and Builders (APCE) by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The financial contribution made by second-home owners in Spain is clearly significant. In fact, experts point out that the money brought into the Spanish coffers by foreign homeowners even outstrips some major industries. The contribution of residential tourism to GDP is triple that of the textile industry, double that of the timber industry and the same as the manufacture of pharmaceutical products in Spain. So, there's clearly an economic argument against banning foreign property purchases completely. If you are looking to buy a property in Spain and need a mortgage, email [email protected] for the latest criteria

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📉 ECB drop Interest Rates to 3.5% As predicted by most in the industry today the ECB dropped Interest Rates by 0.25% but will be interesting to see if there are anymore before the end of the year 🤔 Maybe not with the slightly lower new growth potential numbers but only upcoming data and time will tell ✅ What we do know is if inflation continues to drop towards our 2% target and growth is happening, 2025 will lead the way to more drops ☔️ #ECB #interestrates #EU #mortgages #europe

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🗞️Simpler Right to Rent Checks for Tenants with Pre-Settled Status 👉🏼The Home Office has made changes to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) designed to simplify the Right to Rent and similar checks for pre-settled status holders. Letting agents and landlords will only need to carry out a check at the beginning of a tenancy. The Home Office will also remove the pre-settled status expiry date from the digital profiles shown to third parties in the online checking services including Right to Rent. Letting agents and landlords will not be required to conduct a further Right to Rent check as part of that tenancy agreement. #homeoffice #rightorent #settled #tenants #lettingagents #industryupdates #propertyexperts #propertyprofessionals #propertyinvestment #rental

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Finally UK property prices positioning for a new bull market leg after digesting the rates increases, the buy to let taxes increases and adjusting for the rental yield increases ready for the next Bank of England base rates cuts #uk #realestate #landestates #propertyprices #interestrates #bullmarket #

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