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Richard White

Principal

8858 Profile Views

About Me

In practice since 1994. Employed until 1999 and self employed since. Based in Sidcup, in Kent.

my expertise in the industry

20 years as Financial Adviser and Business owner dealing with financial planning and property transactions. www.whiterfinancial.co.uk

Richard's Recent Activity

The powers that be operate a policy of letting anyone in to the country. Literally anyone. This goes on for years and years to a point that nobody has any idea how many people live in what is now one of the most crowded places in the world. The obvious economic impact is that demand and prices go through the roof and keep on climbing. It was so obvious a consequence that it's almost painful to keep having to mention it. And as for going on about using up more land and building more etc etc, understand this; there ain't enough money and land and infrastructure to even make a tiny dent in the problem. Therefore, nobody is getting a 'raw deal' they're just living with the inevitable consequences of utterly foolish political leadership. Finally, think it's bad now? Give it 20 years. I know that's a negative outlook, but sometimes you just have to look at the cold, hard reality.

From: Richard White 27 June 2015 11:34 AM

"So, I'm prepared to say some tenants aren't angels." That's awfully magnanimous of you, Jon. I do find it odd that almost everyone who comments on here admits that bad landlording exists, yet you, for reasons unknown, airbrush this out and complain that the prevailing sentiment is that landlords can do no wrong. This is clearly not the case. As for your comment regarding the scrounger 'myth'; having described it as a myth i.e. a fixed and false belief, you go on to admit that in fact it's not a myth. It's all terribly confusing.

From: Richard White 23 May 2015 10:51 AM

Sure, there is good and bad on both sides, but I don't think the issue of feckless tenants can be overstated. There are legions of them - aided and abetted in many cases by the local authority (who then wonder, in typically gormless, bemused manner, why no landlords will entertain housing benefit tenants). Legislation, generally, is tilted in favour of the tenant and being a landlord is not easy. Far too many tenants see the landlord as sort of subservient manservant who must be on call 24 hours a day to, for example, change a lightbulb. Having been in and around this business for many years, this is no exaggeration. A culture of entitlement exists that often poisons the relationship. The best tenants, almost always, are people who have owned their own home and may be, relocating or checking an area before buying and wish to rent first. They show a respect many career tenants do not and accept that in day to day life, minor maintenance issues occur and that expecting the world to stop while it is done is neither sensible nor practical. I am clearly not talking about tenants who have been left with unresolved and serious maintenance issues here; this should obviously never happen. If all tenants were great, agents would not exist. As I said, I have no axe to grind, but I do tire of hearing the old socialist clichés about landlords, which in many cases is not fair. Major landlord problem in this country? I think we probably have one of the soundest markets in the world.

From: Richard White 20 May 2015 17:36 PM

Thank goodness! I shall sleep soundly tonight!

From: Richard White 20 May 2015 13:41 PM

Jon, there are a couple of million Landlords in the UK. Surely it comes a no surprise that events like this occur? While most people would agree that it shouldn't happen, it's not exactly the St Valentine's Day massacre is it?

From: Richard White 20 May 2015 13:16 PM

From a personal perspective, we are seeing very little of this going on although it seems as though it is to some degree, across the country as a whole. We have advised clients that it is unlikely to be wise to encash pension assets it order to BTL for all the reasons mentioned here. There is, however, one compelling factor that cannot be quantified by using a calculator and that is the clients desire to own something tangible. Trust in financial institutions and pension funds has been massively damaged in recent years and in some cases people would rather pay the extra tax and invest in something they can a) go and visit and b) isn't going to be stolen by a modern day Robert Maxwell. They'll pay their taxes and take their chances and there is nothing wrong with this, as long as they go into the venture armed with the facts and with their eyes open. The best scenario for the investor is to have both pension plan and buy to let, if possible and try to conform to the old adage about eggs and baskets.

From: Richard White 16 May 2015 15:47 PM

I can well believe it! Landlording over in Plumstead comes with a great many challenges though, so you must go into it with your eyes open. If you're looking for low risk (or as low as possible risk) BTL investment, it's probably not for you.

From: Richard White 07 May 2015 14:01 PM

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