Should I buy or rent in the UK?
400321
I rent at the moment (about £1600/month), and I'm going to be buying next year.\n\nIt's the best way to go to be honest.
968544
Yes, but depending on your age and if you can make enough money it might be worth it. You also won't have to worry about  repairs or any other problems that come along with renting. You and your wife need to talk to a tax consultant.
1135581
London is as safe as any major city in the world,if you take precautions most areas are ok.No where is affordable it is probably the most expensive city in the UK,a 1 bed flat will cost about £900 per month minimum.Best areas? Thats a matter of personal taste but the trandiest spots will also be the most expensive to live in!
403886
Time to think of other areas to consider...If you can afford it! It is a buyers market right now in the south east and soon the bubble will burst. So now is the best time to buy!
379847
Depends on where you live and what houses cost in that area, and what sort of house you'd be willing to get. I think buying a house is a good idea if you can afford it. It can be cheaper than renting if you buy the right one. I don't care how cool your parents are, the sooner you have your own place the sooner you can live life your way. I'd recommend looking for a "fixer-upper" house that you can fix up yourself. It can be fun!
790542
Use it in SA. The weathers nicer, the property cheaper and I'm sure you could make some sort of income from it before you return home.
1077757
You dont say where you are.Ask you local tax people they should know.\nAnother option depending on exchange rates and cheap flights is to fly to the US and buy one.
293639
There's undoubtably lots of places in the south and east of the UK that are quiet to live in: East and West Sussex, Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk and Hampshire. Check this map for more info: http://www.bugbog.com/maps/europe/british_isles/england_wales_counties_map.html\n\nThe issue is finding somewhere cheap. The south east of England is the most expensive part of the UK to live in, certainly compared to the west of England, the north east, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland. So getting cheap rent may depend on the precise place you chose to live. \n\nAlso I'd wager that villages - more set up for homeowners than rental properties - are going to harder to find something to rent cheaply.\n\nEither way, why not try the property search function on Loot.com: http://loot.com/rs6/homepage.asp?action=channelhp&atp=property&subtap=rent_lvl1&page_id=20&ri=11072
1059100
Find a job in the U.K in your field of choice and move there. London is an excellent place to live and there are plenty of Americans that work and go to school there.  You can start looking for work and a flat or bedroom to rent online. Unlike in the states, jobs advertised online in the UK really are vacancies. There are several sites you can look to explore the UK job market. http://www.reed.co.uk http://www.totaljobs.com http://www.gumtree.com You can also chose to visit the UK first before you decide to move there. While on your visit, interview with employees and arrange for the necessary documentation you would need to work in the UK.
982935
The buy vs rent question is very popular. And truthfully only you will know the answer. Although here is my personal opinion. Rumors of the bubble popping have been circling for years. Not only that as long as million dollar brownstone's and other exceptional purchases will continue to happen you are correct the new york market is quite immune. Here is something o think about 5 years from now if you purchased you could have maid a nice sum of money for selling the property, or 5 years from now you will have paid some one else a nice sum of money with nothing to show. If you feel you can afford the housing expense then go for it. Homes are investments, apartments are liabilities.\nIf you like there is a rent vs own calculator on the following website so that you can make a more educated decision if you like.\nAlso feel free to log onto http://www.justgetaloan.net for a fast free pre-qualification with loan programs on low rates, great terms and service. Also fee free to contact me at 866 530 7300 ext 7305 or by email at jfreeman@justgetaloan.net
832638
The key is location - London is a big place!\n\nA store in a wapping side street will be much cheaper than a prime pitch in Picadilly. \n\nYou need a shop with plenty of passing trade, not tucked away down an alley. Large enough to display a good range and store your stock but not so big the rent cripples you. Look for old shops in the area you like which have been vacant for a while, the owners will be keen to rent it as they still have to pay rates on the property even if it's empty. Negotiate an initial rent-free period as an incentive for you to sign a lease - say 3 months. This will be a big boost in getting started. Other costs will include business rates (shop version of council tax) possible maintenance fees for the building, electricity (poss. gas but uncommon) phone etc. Also you'll need to factor in advertising costs - flyers / magazine or paper ad's / posters etc.\n\nLook around for shops which are being fitted out or demolished as you can oftern pick up display counters / window dressing supplies / clothes racks for free as they're being thrown out.\n\nAs for stock, you will make the best profits on items you import from abroad - particularly China as their goods are of nice quality, cheap and they trade in US $ so you get alot for your money at the moment with the exchange rate being so good. On average it takes about 2 - 3 months from placing your order to receiving it if shipping from China, sea freight is the most economical way of shipping and takes around 30 days. Make sure you are not caught out by the added costs of importing - when your items arrive they will have VAT / import duty added to them and you will have to pay some port fees / brokerage / clearing fees. For a shipment big enough to fill a couple of transit vans you'll pay approx. £300 - £400 in port fees with the VAT being applied at the relevant rate. Even with these added costs, you;ll still be getting the items cheaper than UK wholesalers will sell them for.\n\nGood wholesalers in CHina are easy enough to find on-line, don't be tempted to pay for a subscription service / wholesaler listing as these are usually pretty useless. A bit of a naughty tip - if you use a file sharing program like Limewire / bittorrent etc. you can set it to search for documents and search for 'wholesale list' 'wholesale supply' etc. and get a few lists for free, you may find something good there. (just remember to do a virus scan on any file you download before opening it)\n\nDon't be put off by the competition, alot of traders give up on an idea because there are alot of others doing it - you just have to make sure you are better, cheaper, offer superior service, deal with queries quicker and you'll win your share of the market. \n\nGood luck, I hope it goes well.
862604
Here is a very good (and recent) article in the FT about house prices: http://www.johnkay.com/in_action/468\nAccording to John Kay, we are not currently in a bubble in the UK because most people who currently buy are planning to live in their house (i.e. speculators who intend to make short term profits represent a small part of the overall market). \nMoreover, his opinion is that prices in cities like London reflect the location rather than the accommodation itself, and since location is a scarce resource, there is no reason why prices for houses in the most demanded location should fall.\nHope this helps!
10036
Move to the UK, its better there anyway
218073
Without a doubt, it's best to buy if you can.  Paying rent is paying someone else's mortgage for them.  Better to pay tax deductible interest to the lender than to just give money away to a landlord.  Many mortgage companies collect property taxes as part of your mortgage payment, and you can have the payment charged directly to your bank account - don't have to remember or ever be late.  Just have to make sure there's enough money for the mortgage, figure out ahead what your bills will be, such as utilities, food, car payment, etc.  Years later you probably can sell your house or condo for more than you paid, it's like having lived there for free.
801234
depends if your looking at high risk or long term , Bulgaria is a hot spot at the moment as property is as little as £7,000 but is slowly increasing as many people are buying there ..... the sector 17 in SW France is a sound investment as well as London in the UK ..canary wharf has large developments at the moment ... also northern Ireland is tipped to be the next place to rise in the new year hope this helps ... stay away from Spain prices are dropping
847555
If the deal is right and stacks-up it is ALWAYS the right time to buy property - foreclosure or otherwise.\n\nIf you are buying for investments:-\n\nDoes the rental potential in the area mean it will cover its own mortgage costs?\nAre you buying at LEAST 15% below market value?\nIs the area up and coming?\nIs the property in good general condition?\nWill it be easy to rent?\nCan you get an interest-only mortgage for a competative rate?\n\nIf you can tick all of your boxes, then it is hard to see when there could be a bad time to buy property.\n\nIf you buy AT LEAST 15% below market value (ideally 25%+) then even if house prices fell - you are still on a great deal with built-in equity.
1053287
Judging by the tone of your question, I would strongly recommend that you buy the nice house and stay out of the "slumlord" business.\n\nNow, if you want to buy a nicer duplex in a good area of Cleveland and maintain and manage it properly, you might attract better tenants. That would probably be a better investment for you. Believe me, I am speaking from experience.\n\nBTW, I am a REALTOR   in the Greater Cleveland area.