Retirement Investing. UK Self-Invested Personal Pension Plans and Philippine Condotel rental income properties

Retirement Investing. UK Self-Invested Personal Pension Plans and Philippine Condotel rental income properties

Beth Collingz, PLC International Marketing Director for Pacific Concord Properties Lancaster Brand of Condotels in the Philippines in a Press Conference with International Investors from the United Kingdom held recently at Shangri-La Mactan Resort Hotel in Cebu, reckoned – “Thousands of people in the UK are beginning to catch on”

A Self Invested Pension Plan [SIPP] is a personal pension plan but with one very significant difference: administration is separate from investment content, giving the plan holder freedom to choose for himself and change the investments within it. The long-awaited rules on what savers can include in their personal pension plans were unveiled in April 2006 by HM Revenue & Customs. The Guidance Notes confirm that the Chancellor is permitting Self Invested Pension Plan [SIPP] holders to invest in hotels such as the Lancaster Brand of Condo Hotels in the Philippines. The only stipulation is that SIPP holders may not stay in their rooms. With more nights available for paying guests, this not surprisingly increases the room owners’ returns. It is estimated there are now more than 70,000 plans holding over ?14bn.

A year or so ago, few people in the UK realized that they could manage their Pension Plan portfolios themselves, and even fewer knew that they could invest their SIPP retirement money in homes in the sun which now prove to be among the most popular potential investments to include in a SIPP

If you?re considering using your SIPP to invest in real estate, there are some excellent reasons that you should choose Philippine Condotel Investment real estate to drive your retirement portfolio into high profit margins. The Philippines is ideal for this type of investment because a SIPP can establish title to a property in a country whose legal framework recognizes trusts and a SIPP is simply another form of trust.

Investing in foreign real estate is neither as risky nor as tricky as a lot of people would have you believe. While land and housing prices in the U.K. have soared astronomically in the past decade, the world real estate market is a far different story. It?s still possible to buy a preconstruction Condotel suite at Lancaster The Atrium located in Metro Manila, Philippines, for less than GBP ?25,000.00

Lancaster Manila Atrium Tower A, Shaw Boulevard, Metro Manila, Philippines is a “Full Service” Condominium Hotel ["Condotel"] offering Studio, One, Two and Three Bedroom Suites for sale. To be completed and ready for turnover from December 2010, the Lancaster Suites Manila Atrium Tower II will provide unit owners with premier residential condo units with the option of enrolling their units in the Lancaster Condotel Rental Pool and earn Rental Incomes [at current purchase levels] of some 8-16%PRCTG% ROI per annum as Owner Non-Residents when not using their units through Condotel Management. This makes Lancaster Suites one of the Hottest Investment Opportunities in the Philippines.

The beauty of holding property in the Philippines is the low cost of property taxes and maintenance. A GBP ?25,000 Condotel suite may set you back GBP ?100 in property taxes per year, and maintenance costs are similarly low. When you add in the tax-protected status of investments made in your IRA, and the 12-16%PRCTG% returns through rental income through the Condotel advantage, you have an incredible ROI on a purchase of Philippine Condotel investment real estate enthused Collingz.

What?s the downside about owning Philippine Condotel Investment real estate as an SIPP investment? You cannot reside at your investment property as long as the SIPP is titled as the owner of the property. The self directed pension plan rules about benefiting personally from your investments are strict – you are not allowed to make use of any property owned by your SIPP, or you risk losing its tax-protected status and worse yet you could face penalties from HM Customs & Excise. You can, however, rent out your SIPP investment for steady income – putting the profits and cash flow into your SIPP, or sell your Philippine Real Estate Investment for immediate profit, as long as those profits remain inside the SIPP.

If you?re looking for an unusual and high earning investment for your SIPP, then take a serious look at owning Philippine Condotel investment real estate. It can help kick your SIPP earnings into high gear.

With the impending slowdown of the UK. housing market and failing pension plans, many investors are turning to using their SIPP?s to invest in overseas properties and earn tax-free or tax-deferred income. This creates an outstanding opportunity for by offering self-directed pension plan vehicle to invest in the Lancaster Suites Atrium Tower preconstruction units.

With preconstruction property appreciating at some 20-30%PRCTG% per annum not only does the Real Estate Appreciation look good but the rental income is in excess of what many Pension Plans offer for the same or similar investment.

Beth Collingz says that many new investors are looking to replace failed pension plans and other future saving schemes with a solid investment in Real Estate. Clients are looking for investments that will give them an income for retirement as an alternative to traditional private pension plans that have failed. Most company pension plans are insufficient as are Government Pensions. Bank rates for Savings accounts are at record lows. Savvy investors are now looking for a more solid investment with potential for monthly income. Condotels in the Philippines fit the bill

This potential, high rates of rental returns from Condotel Investments, currently from 8%PRCTG% up to 16%PRCTG% per annum, opens up a huge market not traditionally looked at by Real Estate Agents and Brokers whom all so often run around looking for normal residential profile buyers without looking at the by far bigger picture of investments, investing and retirement. “We?re here to help our clients, educating our clients and advising them of emerging investment opportunities. Self-Invested Pension Plans and the Lancaster Suites Atrium Condotels, fit this bill exactly; adds Collingz

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Affordable Homes: Real Estate in Nation’s 10 Most Cheap & Livable Metro Areas

Affordable Homes: Real Estate in Nation’s 10 Most Cheap & Livable Metro Areas

The 10 most livable and most affordable real estate metro areas in the United States have a number of other favorable characteristics in common, according to a new HouseHunt ?Current Real Estate Market Conditions? survey conducted by HouseHunt, Inc., a consumer-oriented Internet firm that provides free information to thousands of homeowners, home buyers and home sellers across the nation. The survey shows median home prices range from %130,100 to %194,400 for existing homes for sale and also found:
? The majority of the 10 metro areas report balanced, good-to-active housing markets with sellers usually getting 95%PRCTG% or more of their asking prices. Inventories of unsold homes are mostly limited.

? The majority of the 10 metro areas are experiencing strong job and population growth and good economic news. They offer quality lifestyles, good schools and solid family recreation along with other amenities. Sales data shows that many recent home buyers are relocating from other, often more costly areas.

? All 10 metro markets are attracting both first-time and move-up buyers because of affordable prices, low mortgage interest rates and multiple financing options.

? Median real estate prices for existing single-family homes in the 10 metro areas range between %130,100 and %194,400, compared to the national median real estate price of %188,800. Four of the 10 areas reported double-digit price appreciation in the past 12 months.

? All 10 metro areas have major universities located there.

? Five of the 10 metro areas are popular tourism destinations. Nine of the 10 metro areas are located in warm to moderate climates.

The 10 most livable and most affordable metro areas as determined by criteria developed by ?Places Rated Almanac? (David Savageau) and the latest quarterly median sales prices compiled by the National Association of Realtors are:

1. Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT %157,000

2. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL %172,800

3. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC %175,600

4. Houston, TX %138,100

5. Phoenix, AZ %193,800

6. Cincinnati OH, %139,600

7. Louisville, KY %130,100

8. Austin-San Marcos, TX %154,100

9. Orlando, FL %194,400

10.Nashville,TN %152,100.

Four of the 10 metro areas ? Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Nashville and Austin-San Marcos ? are also listed in the latest edition of Lee and Saralee Rosenberg?s ?50 Fabulous Places To Raise Your Family? (Melissa Giovagnoli). Like Savageau, the authors give high marks for schools, jobs and business opportunities, family fun, housing affordability, living costs, climate, health care, transportation and quality of life.

?With all the negative news about spiking home prices and the widening affordability gap, it?s refreshing to find highly desirable metro areas where most buyers can find affordable homes,? said Michael Bearden, president and CEO of HouseHunt, Inc. ?Our quarterly ?Current Market Conditions’ reports are accessible on many of our HouseHunt.com agent websites across the country. For recent home sales in their neighborhoods, homeowners and home sellers can also find this information easily and immediately on HouseHunt?s new moveUp.com website.?

Mark Jenkins of Realty Executives, exclusive HouseHunt member agent for Salt Lake City, described housing activity in his metro area as ?improving? from a depressed buyers market.? He said many buyers are relocating from out-of-state to take advantage of the lifestyle and lower home prices. A median price of %157,000 would probably buy a 2,000 square foot home with three bedrooms, two baths and a two-car garage on a one-third or one-four acre lot in a good location. Highest home price appreciation is occurring near the University of Utah. Another hot spot is Park City, a popular ski resort in the nearby mountains where Lee Merryweather of World Class Realty is the exclusive HouseHunt member agent.

An active housing market is reported in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area by Linda Ippolito of Keller Williams Realty, exclusive HouseHunt member agent for Bayshore, Westshore-South Tampa, and Davis Island-South Tampa. She said the whole area is exploding with growth and new industries. Available housing is in limited supply. Although the median price home is %172,800 for the entire metro area, median home prices are closer to %400,000 in South Tampa. Waterfront properties are also priced higher. Average price appreciation is 15.7%PRCTG% in the past year. A slower-paced but high quality lifestyle is reported in the Raleigh – Durham – Chapel Hill metro area by Ray Lenahan of Robert Gray Realtors, exclusive HouseHunt member agent with Robert Gray for Wake Forest, Rolesville and Youngsville.

?The big attraction is our Research Triangle, three major universities, excellent quality of life, and moderate weather,? Lenahan said – He said the median home price of %175,600 in the metro area is probably closer to %190,000 in his market area. ?That will buy a new home with 2,000 square feet with three bedrooms, two baths on a half-acre lot. Either that, or, it would buy an older home in a more established neighborhood,? he added.

Houston, with its ?can do? entrepreneurial spirit and liberal-to-zero zoning restrictions, is attracting people from both the East and West Coasts to relocate and to invest in rental properties, according to Kathi Frank of RE/MAX The Woodlands, exclusive HouseHunt member agent for The Woodlands and Woodland Springs. The Woodlands is a 27,000-acre planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston. ?Median price home for the entire metro area is %138,100,? she said. ?That will buy a new, 1,400 square foot home from a production builder in North Houston or Woodland Springs.? She added: ?Estate properties are priced from the low %200,000s to more than %3 million.?

Reva Schafer of West USA Realty, exclusive HouseHunt member agent for Scottsdale and Northeast Phoenix, reported a limited inventory and a very active seller?s market, with sellers usually getting 100%PRCTG% or more of their asking prices. The median price for the metro area is %193,800 ?but hard to find anything under %300,000 in my area,? Schafer said. ?It?s more like %350,000 to %400,000 as a median price in Scottsdale.. Lots are jumping in price. So are houses.? Year-to-year appreciation is 24.4%PRCTG%! She cited tremendous growth in the suburbs of Peoria and Chandler. ?A year ago, investors were buying from builders and flipping (re-selling) the properties. No more. Now, a buyer must live in the property for at least one year to qualify.?

Good job growth, corporate relocations and an improving local economy is fueling the housing market in the Cincinnati metro market, according to Saralou Durham of RE/MAX Preferred Group and exclusive HouseHunt member agent for suburban Montgomery and Hyde Park in Hamilton County, OH. ?We have fabulous cultural and recreational facilities and a good quality lifestyle,? she said..?A median home price of %139,600 seems a bit low, depending on the area. That amount of money will probably buy a small two bedroom, one bath home needing some repair or remodeling in one of our small suburban communities.?

In Louisville, Charlotte Wright and Michael McConnell of Evergreen Realty are exclusive HouseHunt member agents for suburban Jeffersontown. ?Louisville is now the 16th largest metro area in the nation,? Wright said. ?We?re a hub for UPS and have two Ford plants located here. Military personnel stationed as nearby Ft. Knox and their families are also relocating here, she said. ?The median price of %130,100 is probably low ? %150,000 would be more accurate. The latter will buy a three bedroom, two bath 1,200 square foot house with a garage in a good area.?

Ann Parr of RE/MAX Austin Advantage and exclusive HouseHunt member agent for Westlake & Lake Travis said well-priced listings are attracting multiple, full-price offers in a very active seller?s market. Average time on the market is 60-90 days. ?We have younger professionals who want to live close to downtown but the primary place to live is by the lakes,? she said. Prices range from %150,000 to %6 million. ?Nice homes can be purchased for %250,000 to %350,000. The median price home is %154,100 in Austin. That would probably buy a starter home in the Round Rock area or a home needing remodeling in Central Austin. Patio homes for retired people near Lake Austin sell for %200,000.?

One of the hottest of the 10 metro markets on the list is Orlando, according to Steve Farah of the Royal Realty Group. Farah is exclusive HouseHunt member agent for Alafaya & Waterford Lakes and Kissimmee: ?We?re experiencing unbelievable growth and home appreciation,? he said. ?Our seller?s market is so active that listings sometimes last only hours, not days. Buyers frequently must act immediately or the property will be gone!? He feels that the median price of %194,400 is probably low because of high demand and the low inventory. ?A median price of %250,000 would be more realistic and would buy a three ?bedroom, two bath home with 1,700 to 2,000 square feet.? Since the first quarter of 2004, the median price home has appreciated 28.7%PRCTG%.

Nashville, the 10th ranked metro area on the list, offers a relaxed, friendly lifestyle and affordable home prices to newcomers, according to Mary Barbee of Coldwell Banker Andrews and Associates. Plus, there is no state income tax. Barbee is the exclusive HouseHunt member agent for South East Nashville. ?The median price of %152,100 seems low ? it?s more like %170,000, depending on location. That amount of money would probably buy a three-bedroom, two-bath new home with 1,200-1,500 square feet in the suburban communities of Madison and Smyrna,? she said. The median home price is up 11.3%PRCTG% in the past year in the Nashville metro area.

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Austin Home Prices Are Deceiving

Austin Home Prices Are Deceiving

Don?t let the median price of a home in the Austin area fool you. It is true that the median value of homes in the Austin area is lower than the national average. However, this can be a bit deceiving.

Many investors, retirees and people relocating for jobs have seen the have been attracted to our area because of how inexpensive homes are here. It is true that the median price of a home in Austin is not very high relative to other places in the country. In May, the median price of a home in the Austin MLS Area was %174,000. The average sale price was %236,406.

This year, I have talked with a number of people relocating to Austin from California, Phoenix, Florida and other areas. Many have thought they could pick up a pretty nice home for a relatively low price. This is where the misconception comes in.

There are parts of Austin in which homes really are pretty inexpensive. This includes much of Cedar Park Leander, Round Rock, areas in East Austin, areas east and northeast of the Austin city limits and much of South Austin and outlying areas south and southeast of Austin. These are all areas in which home sales are tracked by the Austin Board of REALTORS?. This include the counties of Travis, Williamson, most of Hays and parts of surrounding Counties. This is a lot of ground to cover and there are a huge number of homes in these areas.

One thing that attracts many people to the Austin area is the Central Texas Hill Country. This includes much of the Western Travis County and Dripping Springs area. If you take a look at an Austin MLS Area map, this includes Areas 8E, 8W, W, LS, RN LS, LS, HD and HH. These areas contain few homes that are valued close to the median price stated earlier. These areas also do not have as many homes in the areas previously mentioned.

Let?s look at these area and do some comparing. Let?s compare sales of all single-family homes built between in 2002 and 2003 that sold in May, 2006. In the relatively less expensive areas mentioned above, there were 100 homes sold in May, 2006. The average sold price was %178,403. The average price per square foot was %81.64.

Using the same criteria, but looking in Areas 8E, 8W, W, LS, RN LS, LS, HD and HH, there were 33 homes sold in May, 2006 that were built in 2002 and 2003. The average sold price was %390,875. That is an average price per square foot of %167,82.

Now let?s look at current listings for new construction. This means homes currently listed for sale in the MLS with a year built stated as 2006. In the less expensive areas mentioned above, there are 492 homes listed with an average list price of %228,069. The average list price per square foot is %95.70.

In Areas 8E, 8W, W, LS, RN LS, LS, HD and HH, there are currently 293 new homes listed for sale in the Austin MLS. The average list price is %666,697. The average price per square foot is %174.11.

So what?s the difference in the areas? The western Travis and northern Hays County areas have a variety of things to offer. One is that they contain some of the best school districts in Central Texas including Eanes, Lake Travis and Dripping Springs ISDs. Another is the drama and beauty of the Central Texas Hill Country. If you look at 8E, 8W and RN, you also look at a good number of homes on Lake Austin or Town Lake. In the LS Area, you have a good number of homes either on or with views of Lake Travis. In very far western Travis County and northern Hays County, you can find homes on acreage. All of these factors add up to some very expensive real estate relative to other areas.

When you look at areas northwest, north, northeast, southeast and south of the greater Austin area, you find a lot of flat land. This makes for easy building. Builders in these areas can build a very high numbers of tract homes. The economies of scale when building many homes in these areas make for inexpensive building compared to the more custom building that goes on in the western areas.

As far as resale goes, the areas with the lower average sale price have had a lot of pressure from new construction. In the areas with the higher average sale price, there is pressure from new construction, but even the new homes are much more expensive than many other areas.

Obviously, this discussion did not take into account areas closer to the downtown and University of Texas areas. There are pockets of less expensive homes and pockets of very expensive homes in these areas.

If you do decide to look at Austin real estate, get a good Buyer?s Agent and put him to work for you.

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Buyers Not on Vacation In Sizzling Resort Market

Buyers Not on Vacation In Sizzling Resort Market

The phenomenal real estate boom of the past several years has not been confined to sales of primary residences alone. Sales of second homes also have ratcheted up dramatically as vacationers and investors look to snap up these properties amid the lure of low mortgage rates and rapidly increasing home values.

According to a study conducted by the National Association of Realtors, 2.82 million vacation home purchases were made in 2004, up 16 percent from the previous year.

With the rising demand, prices also escalated; the price of a typical vacation home increased 21 percent from 2003 to 2004, about twice the rate of appreciation for the overall home market.

In addition to vacation homes, sales in the second-home market were bolstered significantly by those searching for steadily appreciating investments. Nearly 25 percent of all homes purchased in 2004 were done so for investment purposes – a 14 percent increase from 2003.

Against this backdrop, real estate firms are recognizing the importance of understanding and servicing this influential group of homebuyers.

“Second-home buyers represent a vital and growing part of the overall market,” said Brenda Casserly, president and chief operating officer of ERA Real Estate. “These discerning buyers have extremely specific and often widely varying needs, and real estate firms looking to lead in this segment must continue to provide these consumers with an efficient mix of one-on-one and Web-based services and resources.”

ERA Real Estate has been an industry leader in this area with its established Resort Properties International program. The program features a team of trained resort experts who can instantly access key resources from around the world and provide specialized information on second-home properties across all price levels and comfort needs.

ERA Real Estate also recently launched Resorts.ERA.com, a Web site designed specifically to meet the needs of second-home buyers. Visitors to the site can search for properties categorized by state or other criteria, such as waterfront locations, ski resorts and golf club communities.

Through the site, consumers can connect with sales associates who specialize in the resort and second-home market, and access links to state and local resources as well as market trends.

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Why People are Buying Land for Sale in Arkansas

Why People are Buying Land for Sale in Arkansas

There are few feelings as rewarding as owning your own piece of land. The American spirit is essentially one of transience; our forbears were always restlessly and relentlessly pushing onward to the next frontier. But after the explorers came the waves of settlers, who found solace in being able to stake their claims and call the land their own. Their legacy is one that has seeped into our collective consciousness: the desire to plant our roots and carve out our own slice of the American dream. That’s why home ownership is at an all-time high, and why people are increasingly buying undeveloped land for sale.

Complementing with the simple desire to buy land is the knowledge that, over time, land appreciates in value. As far as investments go, real estate brings incredibly high returns on investments and can lay the foundation for future financial security.

One of the keys to buying land for sale, either as an investment or as the future site of your home, is finding a location that is currently undervalued, but that will increase in value over time. For that reason, many people are now buying land in Arkansas, most notably lake land in and around the Ozark Mountains. There are any number of planned communities, including a golf community or two, that are going to take shape in the coming years. Those in the know are snapping up parcels and are positioning themselves to get a favorable return on investment as Baby Boomers retire and wish to take up residence in affordable locations.

Why Arkansas and why the Ozarks? One of the primary reasons that people are buying land there is that property taxes are among the lowest, if not the lowest, in the country. Owners of some parcels pay as little as seven dollars per year in property taxes. Another reason is that the climate is unbeatable; the four seasons have moderate temperatures, and the area is out of the range of the hurricanes that can devastate nearby states.

In addition, many of the available parcels are land for sale by owner (or FSBO), or foreclosures. As a result, the prices are very low. Some estimates put land for sale in this area as twenty or more years behind comparable areas around the country.

If you’re considering buying land for sale in Arkansas, it’s wise to first contact the largest owners and sellers of private building lots in the state. Oftentimes, these sellers live in the same area as the parcels you’re considering, and so have a stake in ensuring that you are pleased with your purchase. Furthermore, they frequently offer unique and unbeatable financing packages, whereby you don’t have to qualify for a mortgage. Instead, you make a low monthly payment and, upon completion of your payment schedule, you receive the deed to your land.

Some of these owners and sellers use the Internet to offer a stunning variety of land for sale. Because they’re “mom and pop” businesses, they don’t have a lot of overhead and so can sell parcels at incredibly low prices. They also allow you to buy land online with owner financing, and offer a written satisfaction guarantee.

Bargain prices, owner financing, and low monthly payments enable virtually anyone to buy land for sale and own their own piece of the American dream.

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