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At www.propertysecrets.net our whole philosophy when choosing investment opportunities has been to target areas of the UK and indeed the world where prices are affordable to the local market i.e. usually around 3-4 times local salaries - which actually even with the dip in UK house prices, means around 70% of the UK still does not work for us when looking for good value buy to lets.  At these prices we can ensure good positive cashflow and rental coverage of at least 150%.

(Rental coverage is the percentage of rent compared to your monthly mortgage payments and is used by lenders to ensure the rent should cover the mortgage i.e. if your mortgage is £300 and the rent is £450 a month you would have coverage of 150%).

One area we have targeted for the last 4 years has been Hull, and here are the reasons why:

Hull is an area of the UK experiencing continual high growth spurned by a regeneration project which will invest over £1.5 billion in the area over the next 15 years. Hull was the second fastest growing area in the UK for businesses in the UK in 2003, and the University is one of the best kept secrets in higher education according to the Sunday Times.

With an international airport just five miles south of the Humber Bridge and the World's largest Super-Ferries sailing from the city every day, Hull attracts visitors from across Europe and the world. Hull's position at the gateway to Europe makes it an important centre for national and international travel. The city has excellent transport connections and a unique combination of air, sea, road and rail links.

The momentum in Hull and the Humber city region provides significant opportunity for existing businesses and new investors, with sites, services and expertise for UK and global operations. The region boasts 4 companies within the FTSE 100 - BAE Systems, Reckitt Benckiser, Smith & Nephew and BP. An investment of over £1.5 billion is transforming the city into a unique and stylish European city destination. With so much investment going into Hull's future, you will see there has never been a better time to live, work, visit, study or invest in Hull.

Other key points:

• A city centre apartment in Hull can now sell for 500,000
• 800,000 people are within a 45 minute drive of Hull
• Hull's hotels are at over 80% occupancy mid-week
• Hull & Humber has the largest ports complex in the UK, handling 16% of all UK's sea-bourne trade
• World Trade Centre Hull & Humber connects into more than 90 countries and 750,000 businesses

It's a new era for Hull. Over recent years the city centre has transformed well beyond recognition - striking new developments and iconic buildings are shaping the city's skyline, bringing with it a new found energy and confidence. Marina is an excellent example of this.

In the heart of Hull, new developments such as the £200 million St Stephen's shopping and leisure complex has not only significantly expanded the city's retail offer by bringing big name brands and encouraging investment from other retailers but has also delivered a new £18m public transport interchange which provides a dramatically improved new entry point to the city.

Over on the waterfront, the development of Humber Quays, Hull's new waterfront business and international trade district, has set the precedent of our newly energised waterfront and has created a vibrant professional quarter which is home to a host of high profile companies.

With all this and more exciting development still to come such as the installation of the iconic River Hull footbridge at the end of the year, it's no surprise that Hull is tipped to become one of the most dynamic waterfront locations in the UK.

What can we offer here?

• We secure houses or apartments at £50-80,000
• These come at heavy discounts
• They almost all come fully refurbished
• We guarantee the rent until the properties are tenanted - although this usually happens within first month anyway
• We have a management team on the ground to offer full ongoing support
  Ideal for new or experienced investors
• We offer viewing trips to the area, if you would like to meet our local team and see the properties

To find out more about investing in Hull, or indeed any of the other areas we target in the UK, call one of our Portfolio Development Managers on 0115 9853963, or email us at investments@propertysecrets.net. You can also register your details here to receive UK property as it comes in.

Alan Forsyth