Question: Can you provide financial advice?

Answer: The giving of financial advice is regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and as such only qualified financial advisors are allowed to give this advice. We have secured, on behalf of our clients, access to qualified advisors who specialise in the field of property investment and we recommend that their experience and expertise is used by our clients to get the best advice available prior to investing.

Question: How do I know the discounts shown are real?

Answer: We will always show you the developers selling price along with the discounted price. Because we only deal with top developers whose reputation depends on the way they conduct their business, you can be assured that the discounts are genuine. Further, it is in our interest to make sure that the discounts are genuine as we make our money from the deals we secure on your behalf. If we let you down we let ourselves down even more.

Question: How do you get properties with big discounts?

Answer: We can achieve discounts that others cannot for two main reasons.

The first is volume. Unlike most individuals, we can commit to large numbers of properties on behalf of our members; we can then pass these discounts onto our members. It is also because of this volume that we can keep our finders fees low and based on the discounted price, which further benefits our members.

The second is relationships. Through our partnerships we have contacts at the highest levels within the top developers. This gives us a unique platform from which to negotiate the best possible deals on behalf of our clients.

Question: How can I be sure that I am making a good investment?

Answer: The long term performance of property as an investment vehicle makes it one of, if not the, best investment in terms of low risk and high reward. The historical evidence that UK average property prices have doubled every 8.2 years since 1946 means that over the medium to long term, property is most likely to satisfy the capital growth requirements of most investors. However, the purpose of the investment, the type of property, its location and how long you intend to keep it are all factors that will make up what represents a good investment in your eyes. In the final analysis, the judgement of what represents a good investment is yours, however, we are always happy to discuss these aspects with you and also offer a strategic investment review process for those looking to plan a long term property investment strategy.

Question: What checks do you make when you source properties?

Answer: Our checking process, sometimes called due diligence, is among the most extensive in the property investment marketplace. Even though we deal only with top line developers, whose name and reputation carry some weight in their own right, we still look at all aspects of location, popularity, growth potential, rental potential, resale potential, as well as all legal and licence aspects of the development. We also confirm the reality of the discount and have the rental yield predictions verified. These checks are even more important when dealing with overseas property as we also need to investigate local bye laws and regulations prior to offering the property to our members.

Question: Can I purchase a property with no money down?

Answer: There are situations where lenders will offer a mortgage on the value of the property rather than the discounted price. This is sometimes referred to as a "gifted" deposit. If the discount is the same as the deposit then no money is needed to make the deal stack up. Of course there are always the associated costs that go with any property purchase, but to be able to use a gifted deposit means that no money is needed up front and there is instant equity in the property equivalent to the discount.

Question: How do I access a good investment property?

Answer: Having decided what constitutes a good investment property in terms of your own investment strategy, you should contact one of our trained advisors to discuss what your requirements are. This has a doubly beneficial effect as it will allow you to confirm exactly what you are looking for, and will also allow us to inform you when we have the type of property you are looking for.

Question: What happens if the property market crashes?

Answer: The fear of a property market crash is understandable but is also a highly unlikely event. Average property prices have doubled in the UK every 8.2 years since 1946; therefore, taking a long term view, this is a highly consistent market. Some may look back and remember the great housing market crash of 1992; however, the "crash" was, at its worst, a less than 4% reduction in average house prices in 1992, and the huge build-up in prices in the years before the "crash" far outweighed the losses of the bad years.

But even if the market were to take a temporary downturn, the discounted price that we negotiate on behalf of our members acts as a buffer against this, allowing them to ride-out any fluctuation safe in the knowledge that in the longer term their strategy is likely to come right.

Question: How are Buy to Let mortgages calculated?

Answer: Mortgage lenders will normally assess a Buy to Let mortgage on the basis of typically 85% of the value of the property with the rental income representing 125% of the mortgage repayment. Therefore, if a mortgage repayment was £500 per month the rental would need to be £625 per month to make the deal stack up. Conversely, if the rent was only £500 per month, the mortgage lender would only provide an amount that represented a repayment of £400 per month.

Question: What does "off plan" mean?

Answer: Off Plan Property is a term used to describe buying a property before it is built. It comes from the purchase being based on the builders/architects plans, and hence the expression buying off the plan, or off plan, was created. The benefit of using this form of buying is that developers are often keen to get their first property sold and will therefore offer a discount for buying off plan. It is normal to pay a deposit to the developer and complete when the property is fully built. This means that the investor pays a deposit but sees the capital growth on the whole of the value of the property. Further, there is no mortgage to pay, no furniture to buy and no tenants to worry about.

Question: Is it important to have properties in an area close to home?

Answer: Many first time property investors look to have property close to home, however, this is neither necessary nor, in some cases, desirable. A major part of developing any investment portfolio is to create diversity and spread risk. Different parts of the country experience different influences on their housing market. On this basis it is best to look to a degree of diversity, even including overseas property, to maintain a spread of risk. A good letting agent can take care of the running of your property and we can provide access to a network of letting agents second to none. Having said that, if it is your aim to be a full time landlord and manage all aspects of this business yourself, then keeping all your properties in one area would make sense, but would still mean that you were at risk from local market fluctuations.

Question: Can you recommend letting agents?

Answer: It is always a matter of personal choice where we take advice from. What we would say, however, is that when working with overseas property it is often best to have a solicitor who has worked within the locality of the development and knows the local rules and customs. A solicitor is legally bound to represent his client so there cannot be a conflict of interest, but we do know which local solicitors have been the best for our members in the past and we can therefore recommend them to you on that basis.

There are many mortgage providers and financial advisors available on any high street. However, when it comes to investment property, knowing which lender to use for any given set of circumstances is a specialist area that most mortgage and financial advisors do not get involved with regularly enough to be called experts. The mortgage experts we use and recommend for your use are true experts in this area.

Question: Can we come to see you?

Answer: We are always happy to welcome members to our offices. The only thing that we would ask is that you call ahead and arrange a time that suits us both so that we can dedicate the time to greeting you and answering any questions you may have. Please Contact Us .

Question: When is payment due/when do we make a first payment?

Answer: The due dates for payments will be notified at the time of reserving a property as these arrangements tend to change with each opportunity/developer.

The first, and arguably the most important, payment is the reservation fee which needs to be received by us to reserve the property in your name. Our preferred method for receiving this payment is by credit card or direct transfer to our bank; our details will be given to you when you make your reservation.

Question: What Capital Growth can I expect?

Answer: Capital growth will vary according to the local economy. Overall, and in the long term, UK property prices have doubled every 8.2 years and this is showing no tendency to change. Buying an investment property in a depressed area will almost certainly keep the entry cost down but it is equally likely that the capital growth will under perform in the short term. DPI Worldwide provides investment opportunities at genuine discounts in buoyant or growing areas, giving you the best chance to realise good capital growth.

It is also worth knowing that overseas markets can often out perform the home market in terms of capital growth. Caution is needed here as some of the emerging markets seem to offer good growth but their economy and infrastructure do not always support this as a long term prospect. DPI Worldwide will only offer properties in areas of high growth with political and economic stability.