AWOL 2014 Issue 290 11th July | Page 9

Advertise here from only 40 baht per week cashING in CHA-AM AND HUA HIN Retirement Planning - Education Fee Planning Regular Savings - Tax Saving Lump Sum Investments The Financial Benefits of Being an Expat...benjamin franklin style Every week in this article Helen Couldrey, a financial consultant with the deVere Group, and also a qualified English lawyer, will give you tips and ideas of how to take advantage financially of being an expat. Helen has clients in Bangkok, Hua Hin and Cha-Am who she helps to maximise the financial benefits of living overseas. SAFE AS HOUSES … Property overseas Any successful investor will know the first rule of investment is to diversify. With this in mind, many investors opt to have property within their portfolios. Historically, property yields good returns, particularly in major international cities such as London which yield around a 10% return. Whilst past performance is not always indicative of future performance, bricks and mortar are often a more comfortable and tangible investment choice. Many expats invest in the Thai property market, but what about investing in other jurisdictions? People are often apprehensive about investing in property outside of Thailand due to the time consuming nature of the investment itself. Pricing, mortgaging, tenanting, maintenance and legal obligations can be onerous. There’s also the huge decision of exactly where to buy! Helen Couldrey, BA (Hons), L.L.B, CISI Contact Helen for a finance review 086 088 2127 [email protected] End To End Property Investment Recently I have been liaising with a fully serviced property investment company called IP Global. IP Global’s vision is to help investors add the strength of global real estate to their portfolios. The company offers a real end to end service as follows, which many expat investors find extremely attractive. • • • • • RESEARCH – They act as the ‘feet on the ground’ looking at which countries to buy in, which towns to buy in … and even which streets. They can propose specific investment properties, buying into the investments themselves as well, giving confidence that the investment is something the company believes in too. CONSULTANCY – Careful considered advice is given, ensuring that a close long term relationship is built with you! MORTGAGES - A vital part of the service is to connect you with mortgage financing on the best terms available for your situation. LETTINGS AND MANAGEMENT – As mentioned above, one of the most time consuming parts of real estate investment is the ongoing management. Pricing, tenanting, maintenance and legal obligations; this can all be covered in the end to end service. RESALES – Deciding whether to sell and when to sell is a key decision for any investor. Getting insight from the professionals is a valuable level if support which is often overlooked. Specialist property representatives from IP Global will be visiting our Bangkok offices on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th July. If you would like to talk with them about property opportunities then please let me know. Due to location, a telephone meeting, as opposed to a face to face meeting, can be arranged. Join the AWOL forum 9