Category Archives: Real estate

Real estate projects – unused potential of investments in the Baltic States

By Peer-to-Peer Lending, Real estate, Smart money, , , , , , , ,

Envestio logo

In Envestio portfolio you will find some projects wich are located in Baltic States. Is it safe to invest in these projects? First of all it depends on economic growth and economic growth forecasts in these countries.

What are forecasts of economic development of the Baltic States?

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as open economies gain profit from rapid cyclic acceleration and growth of world trade. Based on the IMF World Economy report, it is expected that annual growth both in 2018 and in 2019 will achieve record of seven years or 3.9%. Global recovery currently happens much more steadily and has solidified all over the world, besides global entrepreneurship confidence level is record high, which respectively affects further rise of the internal demand an d improves the labour market.
Only geopolitical tension and risk of political uncertainty are two factors that may cause potentially negative effect on total positive external demand of the Baltic States. Despite strong prospective of growth, Europe is directly affected by Brexit. However, direct influence of the United Kingdom’s trade links on the Baltic States still remains limited. Speaking about risks, conflicts about trade can also decrease record high level of economic optimism and global trade.

Unusually powerful rise is forecasted for the Baltic States, providing that the growth rate will only normalize starting from 2019.

On the favourable external background, in the last year Estonia and Latvia achieved growth rate of over 4% (4.9 % and 4.5 % compared to the previous year, respectively), and Lithuania showed stable annual growth of GDP – 3.8 %. Similarly to other countries of the Eurozone, cyclic recovery has gained speed, and it is forecasted that the biggest contribution to the growth of countries in the next year will be provided by the domestic demand.
Eurozone annual growth in 2018 will be 2.3%, it supports the growth rate in the Baltic States that will be above the maintained long-term rate, however it will gradually slow down due to basic effects and exhausting of yet unused reserves of resources. It is expected that export growth from the initial powerful acceleration will come to the normal level and will include both products and services, providing that increased growth will take place exactly in sector of services. Growth restrictions will first be reflected in the labour market, while lack of qualified labour grows.

Economic bases of the Baltic States are still stable, finances of the countries are almost balanced and public debt levels are the lowest in the whole Eurozone. Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian main future challenges mostly are of structural nature and are related to challenges in acceleration of productivity and growth of added value.

Baltic States will still be ones of the most rapidly growing Eurozone countries, with shrinking significant income difference compared to the European trade partners.

In this long-term adventure we must avoid temptations in respect of excessive domestic stimuli. Quite the other way, long-term growth is based upon complex choices, for instance, in the smart specialization, development of innovations and technologies, in order to promote export and profit. Increase of research and development (R&D) expenses in the private sector, strengthening of the ecosystem of small and medium companies and new companies and especially investments in human capital are examples of modern solutions that must be further used, in order to gain maximum benefit from the next decade’s global technological and digital bull race. Revenue of sectors of globalized technologies will still exceed forecasts.

Real estate projects – unused potential of investments in the Baltic States

Today we can say with confidence that investments in real estates of the Baltic region are the most profitable and efficient way to not only keep, but also multiply cash assets.
Situation in Europe also slowly improves. Stress caused by the refugee crisis decreases, besides economic factors of the European countries also slowly improve. Since main investors in the Baltic States come from the EU countries, their opinion of further growth prospective has increased and optimism slowly grows. In truth the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU is still ahead. However, it will probably cause investors to look for new places to invest money and create new companies in the EU. And one of the most prospective opportunities is the Baltic region.
Latvia still has many unused opportunities to invest in housing – Luminor bank has expressed its opinion at the conference “How will real estate market develop in Latvia?”.

Approximately 85% of homes in Latvia are not encumbered with credits, this means that opportunities to borrow for investments in housing are wide. Compare – for instance, in the Netherlands all homes have mortgage liabilities. In the Eurozone average proportion of mortgage loans to the gross domestic product is 40%, and in the Baltic States – just 16%. In turn, ability of the Baltic residents to purchase homes is assessed as good.

Housing market in Estonia and Lithuania is currently close to maturity, while in Latvia activity in the housing market is still quite slack. In turn, crediting cycle is relatively new and will only gain speed.
The whole Baltic Sea region currently sees rapid growth, and from the point of view economics this is a good time to invest in the Baltic region’s projects and gain from it guaranteed profit.

Find profitable investment projects in Baltics with Envestio

Get 0.5% cashback bonus for your investments made on EstateGuru

By News, Peer-to-Peer Lending, Real estate, Smart money, , , ,

EstateGuru New Logo

EstateGuru now offers a 0.5% cashback bonus for your investments made during the first 3 months from the registration.

How the program works?

In order to get the bonus you first must register by following THIS LINK.

The investor who completed a registration will get a 0.5% cashback bonus for the investments made in the first 3 months. Calculated bonus amounts are transferred to the investment account of the EstateGuru investor.

For other bonuses visit our Cash-back & Bonuses page.

A look into EstateGuru’s loan portfolio – June 2018

By News, Peer-to-Peer Lending, Real estate, , , , , , , ,

EstateGuru New Logo

Since the beginning of EstateGuru, already 367 projects with a total sum of €60 094 383 have been funded on the platform. All these projects have been done in 5 countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Spain. In the following blog article, we give an overview of the EstateGuru loan portfolio in a short and informative analysis.

The EstateGuru loan portfolio is mostly divided into 3 types of loans: bridge loans, development loans and business loans. Bridge loans are defined as short-term real estate loans that provide the property owner the necessary capital until a permanent solution for financing has become available. A development loan is used to develop the property, that ranges from construction works to excavation works, i.e. development of area infrastructure, including utilities and roads. A business loan is a mortgage loan that is used to finance the capital needs of a company’s expansion, secured with a collateral that the company owns.

EstateGuru - outstanding loan portfolio by loan type

EstateGuru – outstanding loan portfolio by loan type (%)

Over a half of EstateGuru’s outstanding loan portfolio are bridge loans, with nearly a quarter of business loans and a bit over 1/4 of development loans. This shows the popularity of bridge loans to finance the capital needs of real estate developers and entrepreneurs.

Now let’s take a closer look at EstateGuru’s outstanding loan portfolio by country

EstateGuru - loan portfolio by country

EstateGuru – loan portfolio by country (%)

Since EstateGuru started its journey in Estonia and only later expanded to other countries, it might not come as a surprise that the highest amount of loans had been funded in Estonia. The country is currently enjoying an economic boom, which ensures that a lot of property developers are using the opportunity to get financing on good terms. 77% of EstateGuru’s whole loan portfolio has been done in Estonia, with Lithuania trailing at 11% and Latvia coming third at 9%. In 2018, EstateGuru also expanded to Finland and Spain, with the first projects on both respective markets already funded.

EstateGuru - loan portfolio by loan status

EstateGuru – loan portfolio by loan status (%)

Already 148 loans of 367 have been repaid on the EstateGuru platform as of today with a total principal returned amount of €23.7 million. This makes up about 36% of the whole portfolio. 2 loans with a combined sum of €360 000 are currently listed as “defaulted” with the sales processes of the collaterals ongoing. 1 defaulted project was recovered and investors gained a 13,72% return from this project.

EstateGuru offers secured loans

All of the projects on the EstateGuru platform are backed by a collateral. This ensures that in case a borrower is not able to repay his loan, then EstateGuru is able to take steps to make sure that the investors still receive their money. The main security against this is ensuring that the loan has a 1st or 2nd rank mortgage attached to it.

EstateGuru - loan portfolio security types

EstateGuru – loan portfolio security types (%)

As seen on the graph, a majority of the projects on EstateGuru are secured with a 1st rank mortgage as only 7% of the whole portfolio is secured with a 2nd rank mortgage. This means that in most cases, EstateGuru has all the rights to the underlying collateral.

Furthermore, all of the collaterals are either commercial real estate, residential real estate or land, which leaves the liquidity of the collaterals at a high level. This can be proved further on the following graph.

EstateGuru - loan portfolio collateral types

EstateGuru – loan portfolio collateral types (%)

61% of the projects on the platform are secured by residential real estate – be it a private house or apartments. A quarter of all loans are secured by a land plot and 14% are secured by commercial real estate like office spaces or a warehouse.

In conclusion, EstateGuru’s loan portfolio is already over €60 million and growing every day. The average return for investors today is 12.32%. In 2018 they are looking to open up even more investing opportunities for the investors by expanding into new countries and increasing the number of projects in the Baltics as well.

Source: EstateGuru.co

Envestio peer-to-peer crowdinvesting platform overview

By News, Peer-to-Peer Lending, Real estate, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Envestio logo

 

If you invest for the first time at Envestio don’t forget that you can get € 5 and a 0.5% cashback bonus for the investments made in the first nine months (270 days), more details HERE.

 

Started as a private investment fund, now Envestio is a modern crowdinvesting platform, which offers new ways of making investments in traditional and innovative investment projects. Envestio offers investors premium level investment opportunities, which were carefully chosen from many applications and thoroughly studied by Envestio analytical team. Entrepreneurs from different industries can apply for structured financing at Envestio platform and quickly receive it from the pool of registered private investors. Envestio takes care of the transparent full-cycled fundraising process, and ensures honest and unbiased information exchange between all participants of every investment project.
In the Age of Internet crowdfunding concept swiftly became popular as an alternative way of finding necessary financing for different projects. Unlike the traditional bank financing, crowdfunding is highly decentralized concept, where many investors are participating in each project with investments of small or moderate size. Crowdfunding is being used to finance project of different size and nature, such as commercial ventures, cultural and charity events, scientific research, development of new products, etc. In many cases, people, contributing to a crowdfunding project are not expecting a monetary return, especially in case of funding cultural or charity project, or the return is clearly symbolic, like “thank you” booklet or CD.

Since its establishment in 2014, Envestio has been investing funds in three industries: real estate, energy, cryptomining. A new step into other business area was made in the end of 2017. As of April 28, 2018 an innovative business of cryptocurrency mining constitutes the biggest portion of Envestio’s historical portfolio with 42% of total funds invested, followed by energy sector with 27%, and real estate projects with 27%. 3% were invested in other industries.
As of April 30, 2018 Envestio has successfully conducted and exited 20 investment projects, by fully receiving back principal and interest from our cooperation partners. The total sum of provided capital exceeds EUR 6,3M, while accumulated income from interest exceeds EUR 1,7M level.

What type of investments can be made?

– Crowdinvesting
Crowdinvesting is somewhat more specific than ordinary crowdfunding as it is related to funding business ventures, newly established or already existing companies with a straightforward purpose of earning interest on invested funds. Certain number of investors join a pool to complete the announced need of a project or company for specific type of funding. Profits or revenues are distributed to them according to previously approved schedule and proportionally to the share invested by each investor. Most crowdinvesting platforms allow their participants to start investing from very fairly small amounts, such as 50 or 100 EUR. Ordinary people received a great alternative to traditional bank deposits, which are noticeably less flexible and profitable than investments made through crowdfunding platforms.
– Bridge investing
Bridge financing is an interim financing option used by companies and other entities to solidify their short-term position until a long-term financing option can be arranged. Bridge financing normally comes from an investment bank or venture capital firm in the form of a loan or equity investment. This type of financing only occurs when a company’s runway is shorter than its future financing options, and it needs to remain solvent in order to obtain such long-term financing.

Who is eligible to invest?

All adults may become investors at Envestio. With the minimum investment amount of only 100 EUR, the idea behind Envestio is that everyone should be able to participate in different innovative and traditional investment projects.
It is free to register at Envestio and start investing using the platform.
Investors do not pay any fees for their investment at Envestio either. Therefore, the entire payment is used for the investment with no deductions.
In some specific cases there are one-off fees, associated with international bank transfers.

In what currencies can investments be made?

Investment accounts of Envestio participants are maintained in EUR, and money payouts to Envestio participants are done in EUR as well. Currently there is no blockchain/token technology used behind Envestio operations. Envestio does not convert invested funds into any kind of crypto-currency.
At the moment, Envestio is not accepting credit cards as a mean of adding funds to Envestio investment account. This possibility is still being analyzed in order to comply with AML legislation and be economically viable for Envestio business. Also, it is not possible to add funds by Western Union, crypto-currency, or any kind of electronic money transfer. Envestio portal accepts only safe bank transfers, done by Envestio participants from their private bank accounts.

Investing

You do not need much capital to invest successfully, you can also create your own diversified investment portfolio at Envestio step by step. Indeed, you can start with small investments from 100 EUR in single project and expand your portfolio over time, you can reinvest profits from successful investments in new projects, etc. As a result, your portfolio will become broadly diversified over time.
Investing at Envestio is straightforward: You choose one of the premium investment opportunities in which you want to invest and decide how much money to invest. The entire investment process takes place online and requires just a few minutes of your time. In return for your investment, you will receive fixed interest payments according to established schedule. The minimum investment is just 100 EUR.
Envestio has already pre-analysed all investment opportunities offered on the platform. In fact, only very small % of companies applying for a financing round on Envestio are accepted and presented further to Envestio participants.
Investments done through Envestio are not just interesting and high-profitable; those are also a way of supporting entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. Many company founders, discoverers, and visionaries often had troubles to find people among traditional investors, who shared their vision and recognized opportunities and potential of their business ideas.
Investors at Envestio are different from that. They share the ideas and see in reality that small things can eventually morph in something big and successful. Envestio participants help new ideas and economic progress, they support innovation and creation of jobs, making a positive contribution to society while earning high profits. It is the best example of win-win situation.
Envestio business model includes cooperation with investment project owners in the field of providing bridge financing/temporary equity replacement for their business projects. Funds, gathered via Envestio portal, constitute a certain share of total financing that is attracted to specific project, besides traditional funding from banks etc. Respectively, the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for these projects is much lower than interest rate, payable to Envestio participants.
Making investments in premium investment projects at Envestio offers great opportunities, but these investments still are risky as any other. In the worst case, the entire investment, including principal and interest amount may be lost. At the same time, Envestio participants are under no obligation to continue funding the problematic project.
Envestio participants can minimize the risk by diversifying their investment portfolio. Professional investors often follow this strategy because it causes the risk to be distributed among several investments. In this way, successful investments with high return can balance out other less successful investments.
Envestio currently is offering investment projects with yearly interest rate from 12% up to 22%, depending on length and risk category of the project.
Financing of cryptomining hardware industry is considered most risky investment with the highest return, while real estate industry has the lowest risk category and moderate interest rates.
All interest payments already transferred to the Envestio participant’s investment account according to the project’s schedule remain in possession of the investor. Interest that is accrued, but not yet received, is written-off at the moment of confirming the buyback.

How does the buyback guarantee work?

Envestio buyback guarantee means that any Envestio participant at any moment can sell an investment from his or her investment portfolio back to Envestio and instantly receive invested money back his or her investment account. Since the funds, gathered via Envestio portal, constitute a certain share of total financing that is attracted to specific project, besides traditional funding from banks, Envestio is sufficiently capitalized to execute any buyback immediately.
Cost of performing buyback is calculated and shown to Envestio participant in Envestio personal area.
Please note that in some cases cost of buyback can account to substantial percentage of invested amount.

Upcoming platform improvements and new planned events

– Soon the webpage will be available in 6 languages, including Spanish, Italian, Estonian, and Russian besides already existing German and English
– Auto-invest function will be added within June-July 2018
– Secondary market for investments is going to be introduced after auto-invest is in place
– Mobile app for iOS and Android will appear within 1-1,5 months (July-August 2018)
– Around 10 new investment projects are being prepared for presentation at the platform

Grupeer peer-to-peer lending marketplace overview

By News, Peer-to-Peer Lending, Real estate, , , , , , ,

Grupeer logo

Grupeer platform is an electronic trading place that provides an opportunity to invest your free funds in secured loans. The services offered by the Platform are the servicing of claim right acquisition deals, i.e. the Platform brings together two independent participants of the deal – the  seller of the claim rights (credit company or investment company) and their buyer.

Grupeer Platform operates in the jurisdiction of the Republic of Latvia.

In Latvia, no unified normative regulation of mutual loans or financing with a pool is developed, therefore the services of the Platform are not subject to control of a single normative act, but are subject to a set of laws and regulations of the Republic of Latvia and directives of the European Union.

The Civil Law of the Republic of Latvia does not prohibit the holder of a debt claim from selling a part of it to another person. Moreover, the holder of the debt claim has the right not only to sell the entire debt claim in the whole, but also to assign/sell a part of it.

The Platform does not carry out activities falling under the definition of a credit institution or payment system in terms of Latvian and European legislation.

Who is eligible to invest?

Both private investors and legal entities that wish to receive passive income from their investments will be able to achieve annual profits of up to 15%.

In accordance with AML (Anti Money Laundering) legal requirements Grupeer accept money transfers from accounts opened with licensed credit institutions in the countries of the European Economic Area (all EU Member States, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), as well as Switzerland. Accordingly, citizens / residents of these countries can register and make investments through the Grupeer Platform. In order to register and close deals, you need to be an adult capable person with a bank account.

The credit company, which issued a certain loan, remains interested in repayment and payment schedule compliance because this organization is the holder of the main debt claim.

Each registered Platform user can see all the information on a particular loan: the amount and purpose of the loan, the availability of collateral, the maturity date and the payment schedule. You independently analyze the information and decide how to direct your capital investment.

For example, you can repurchase the whole loan from the chosen creditor or only a certain part of it. All the time while payments on this loan are received the investor receives his profit, which is proportional to his investment share. At the same time, you can distribute your capital between several credit organizations – to invest in various types of loans, in different countries and for different borrowers.

In what currencies can investments be made?

The Platform makes settlements in euros (EUR). If the base currency of your current account is another currency, then before making a payment, you need to convert it into euro. In case of receiving funds in another currency, the Platform is entitled to return such a payment, retaining the commission in accordance with the bank’s tariffs, or convert them into euros at the current exchange rate of its bank.

How can funds be transfered?

The only possible means of payment at the moment is bank transfer. This is due to AML (Anti Money Laundering) legislation requirements. Grupeer accept money transfers from accounts opened with licensed credit institutions of the countries of the European Economic Area (all EU Member States, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), as well as Switzerland. For security purposes, withdrawal of funds is possible only to a confirmed bank account, i.e. the account which you transferred funds from to Platform bank account and which your user identification number is associated with.

Investing

Grupeer Platform provides an opportunity to invest in loans issued by credit market professionals – credit institutions and investment funds. For all loans, the borrower’s solvency has been assessed, and appropriate scoring and compliance procedures have been carried out.

A Platform user acquires a claim right to the borrower, thereby becoming a joint claim right holder. The credit company by means of such deals refinances a part of its loan portfolio, getting resources for further development.

The credit institution continues to administrate the loan, including receiving borrower’s payments, while paying to the investors their joint share in accordance with the amount of their claim right the borrower they acquired.

On the Platform two types of loans are offered: loans issued by credit institutions to individuals, and loans issued to enterprises. The loans, related to development projects, issued to companies specializing in real estate development projects, stand as a separate category. In all cases, despite the sale of part of the claim right (the so-called “investment in a loan”), the credit company remains the holder of the main debt claim, thus it is interested in following the payment schedule and repaying the loan by the borrower.

For each loan offered on the Platform, specific information is provided, including the purpose and amount of the loan, maturity date, type of payment schedule and availability of collateral. The user independently evaluates and decides which loan to invest in.

Investments in development objects offered by Grupeer Platform are also executed through already issued loans, by means of acquiring a claim right, and from legal point of view they do not differ from investing in other loans. A classic example is the situation when a loan issued to developer for acquiring a land plot (bringing communications, developing a technical project, etc.) is refinanced in this manner. In practice, these loans have the nature of interim financing (so-called bridge loans), with a 1-2-year term – usually this period is required to complete the “zero cycle” of construction, after which the object, having at this stage a much higher market value, is refinanced by the bank and partly – by real estate buyers through pre-sales in case of a residential project. Such a model is typical for many EU countries, for example, Germany.

To begin work on the Platform, you need to transfer an amount which is not less than the minimum investment amount (10 euros).

At the moment, the limit of incoming payments from a registered Grupeer user to Platform bank account is 50,000 euros per month. If you wish to invest a larger amount, you will need to provide the bank with additional information.

 

 

EstateGuru secures its first institutional credit line from a German bank

By News, Peer-to-Peer Lending, Real estate, , , ,

EstateGuru New Logo

EstateGuru, the European leading cross-border marketplace for short-term property loans has secured its first institutional credit line to be invested into loans originated in the Baltic market.

EstateGuru CEO and co-founder Marek Pärtel comments:

“Establishing the EstateGuru – Varengold cooperation is a proof of having found a mutually beneficial cooperation model between a traditional financial institution and a fintech company. This is a clear sign that building a diversified portfolio of property backed loans is a very appealing instrument for institutional investors. Our Pan-European retail investor base is still the main source of capital. However, establishing a cooperation with Varengold Bank and other institutional investors enables EstateGuru to grow faster by offering a wider variety of property backed loans to our entire investor base and raise the flexibility of loan terms to our borrowers. Without a doubt it is an important milestone for EstateGuru in moving closer to our goal of becoming the leading provider of flexible property backed finance solutions in Europe. We still see many SME-s and property developers who are struggling to get property backed finance from traditional financial institutions due to highly regulated and lengthy processes. EstateGuru has a clear vision and roadmap to bridge the gaps left open in the property finance industry.”

EststeGuru COO Mihkel Stamm adds:

“Establishing a cooperation with Varengold Bank is an unprecedented assurance of the quality of EstateGuru’s business processes. The due diligence process was thorough and lengthy, during which Varengold’s representatives were convinced of EstateGuru’s product, procedures and the people behind the business.“

Since the establishment in 2014 EstateGuru’s investor base of over 11 000 investors have funded in excess of €50 million of secured property loans in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Spain with zero losses to investors to date. With the recent developments, including entering 2 new markets in 2018 Q1, establishing an institutional credit line and an ongoing equity round, the firm is setting goals for the next European markets, to establish its Pan-European reach in coming years.

About Varengold Bank AG

Varengold Bank AG is a German private bank, headquartered in Hamburg. Varengold is the leading provider of products and services to the Marketplace Lending Industry

Founded in 1995 as an asset management boutique seeking to offer individual and high-performing financial products for private and institutional clients. In 2013, Varengold was granted a commercial banking license when it transformed into to fully fledged commercial bank.

Varengold Bank AG is registered with the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) under number 109 520 and has been listed at Deutsche Börse in Frankfurt since the 20th of March 2007 (ISIN DE0005479307, WKN 547930). Varengold Bank AG is also connected to the Compensatory Fund of German Banks (EdB).

EstateGuru peer-to-peer cross-border lending marketplace overview

By Peer-to-Peer Lending, Real estate, , , , ,

 

EstateGuru New Logo

NEW: The peer-to-peer lending marketplace EstateGuru offers now a 0.5% bonus on all your investments made in the first 3 months. To receive it, you must register, comply with the terms and conditions and start investing. The bonus will be added to your investment account after the loan has been funded and transfered to the borrower.

EstateGuru is a leading Nordic online peer-to-peer lending platform established by property and FinTech professionals facilitating short- and mid-term property loans. The cross-border marketplace offers flexible terms for borrowers and premium interest to its investors. The loans of EUR 50 000- 3 000 000 facilitated through the EstateGuru platform are secured against property with a maximum LTV of 75%.

The mission of EstateGuru is to provide hassle free and flexible financing to property developers and entrepreneurs and property backed investment opportunities to its international investor base.

To date EstateGuru has been growing more than 300% a year and has established itself in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with more than 314 loans issued amounting to over €51 million. To date, EstateGuru has more than 11200 investors of different profile from 45 countries.

In the near future EstateGuru is launching the platform in Spain, Ireland and the UK.

How does it work?

A property owner, developer or entrepreneur proposes a business case for which they need funding. The professional team at EstateGuru will examine the application, and commission an independent valuation by a recognized third party.

If the independent review of the value of security, and the analysis of EstateGuru team’s due diligence, including of the borrower business plan and exit strategy is positive, the loan will be opened for investment. Within ten days of funding being successfully achieved through the platform, EstateGuru will set a charge on the property, releasing the funds to the borrower.

At EstateGuru Lenders earn interest on a monthly basis through the term of the loan, at rates that exceed most of the standard investment vehicles. Borrowers can quickly and efficiently raise competitively priced capital to bring their projects to life. Asset backed investing and borrowing has never been easier.

Who is eligible to invest?

You must be at least 18 years old and have a bank account any of the EEA member states or in Switzerland in order to lend through EstateGuru. EstateGuru also have to perform certain “know your customer” checks on you before you can start investing.

Using this referral link when you signup you will receive a 0.5% bonus of the total amount invested within the first three months.

What type of projects can be founded on EstateGuru?

Real estate projects in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania which are approved by our team can access funding through EstateGuru. However, there is no limitation on the type of projects that can be submitted for approval. As long as the project has a property element to it and the property is capable of being used as security for the debt, please feel free to submit it for approval.

Investing

EstateGuru makes it easy for investors to access a variety of real estate investments with a relatively small amount of capital. The minimum amount for investment is €50, which enables to create a diversified portfolio. All loans are secured with a mortgage.

The minimum investment amount is €50 and no fees apply to investors. All expenses are covered by the borrower.

Both manual and auto-investment are availabile. Auto Invest is a feature that allows you to invest your funds automatically in all loans available for investing on the EstateGuru platform.

The main keywords for the Auto Invest feature are comfort, speed and automatization.

• Auto Invest ensures you will not miss an investment opportunity due to high demand and the investment will be placed based on your chosen criteria automatically, without you having to stress about it;

• Auto Invest enables you to build a diversified portfolio, in which all the projects are chosen by a professional team who stands for the success of your investments;

• Auto Invest enables you to reinvest your income at the earliest opportunity. This way you start earning interest on committed funds as soon as possible.

EstateGuru in numbers

  • Money lent: 52 579 833 EUR
  • Total value of propertie funded: 101 878 932 EUR
  • Number of funded loans: 324
  • Number of repaid loans: 127
  • Number of loans in default: 2
  • Recovered loans: 1
  • Registered investors from 45 countries: 11 638
  • Historical annual return of repaid loans since 2014: 12.44%

Rent or own? The advantages and disadvantages of each case

By Real estate, Smart money, , , ,

“I’m tired of paying money on rent!”
Have you heard that phrase?
If not … maybe on this one:
“Money on rent is money thrown out the window.”
There are many who claim that being the owner of the house and not just a tenant is the best option.
But there are plenty of people who are on the other side of the barricade and prefer to pay the rent monthly instead of getting tired for paying for decades to the bank.
Have you ever heard your friends say, “I’m not crazy to pay for 30 years to the bank! Who knows what can happen in the mean time? It’s just too long!!!”

The question is:

Who is right? How is it best: to own or pay rent?

We will try to find the answer to this question in this article.
What I want to clarify, however, from the very beginning is this: the information I will provide further, will not make you permanently pass on either side of the barricade and to be pro or against rent for the rest of your life .
That’s because, in our decisions we have to take alongside our lives, and there are, besides our preferences, a number of other factors. Some of these factors are static.
There are also dynamic factors. And these dynamic factors makes that what seems to be the perfect choice now, over the next 5 years will no longer be a good idea.
That is why, I’m proposing to address both the owner and tenant in terms of the advantages and disadvantages offered by each of them.
So, anytime, during your life, reading this article, you can review all these advantages and disadvantages according to your situation at that time, and as a result, you will be able to make the best possible decision.

Why buy a house or apartment?

You buy a house once in your life

A house is more than a roof over your head.
The feelings you associate with your home can be even stronger if they mark a new beginning.
For example, if you just married and together with your half bought a house, you think at it as your home, the home that, over the years, will shelter countless dreams, hopes, but it will also witness many events in live through which every man passes, at some point in his life.
That is why a word from the old says: “In a man’s life you must make a child, build a house and plant a tree.”
Whether you agree or disagree with this phrase, I’m sure you understand the point of having a home. That’s because this house is the foundation for everything that’s going to happen.

It provides stability

You know that you have where to come back every night; a place where you can put your head down and rest after a full day.
You know that you are not at the owner’s mercy that can ask you anytime to leave the house within … or change the terms and conditions whenever he wants or … even worse, maybe sell the property if he is offered a tempting sum of money.
In this situation, you are the one who decides.
And as most of the owners do, if you’ve chosen to pay a 25-30-year credit to the bank, you know that with every single payment you make, every passing month, you’re a step closer to owning 100% of of your house.

There are no surprises

Even if small incidents can occur from time to time (for example: the neighbor above has flooded you and you have to paint again), that does not mean that this will happen every month. Normally, the expenses for your home remain the same.
This will help you to keep track of your expenses, forecasts and financial goals.

Diversification of income sources

Although investing in buying a house to live in, in the long run, does not necessarily prove to be a profitable one, the fact that you own a house can help you a lot in getting new loans from the bank if, from the situation your account, resides that you are a good payer.
If instead, you’re thinking about buying a house, in order to rent it is a good idea. Real estate is nothing but another source from which you can receive passive income month by month from the people you rent it.

Why rent a house or apartment?

You do not need the bank’s approval

There are people who, for various reasons (theirs or the employer) can not go to the bank to opt for a credit for buying a home.
For them, this second option works best. That’s because the system is simple, fast and works in 3 steps: Seen. Pleased. Rent. No more months of running and dozens of approvals and of course … without the burden of thinking that they will have to pay 25-30 years to the bank, no matter what.

Flexibility

And when I say flexibility, I do not necessarily mean the flexibility of the location but also the budget.
Think about it this way: maybe you want to live in the capital city today because, why not … here are the most interesting events?
Later, the agglomeration and madness of the capital don’t feel no longer so good, and you decide to move to a smaller town.
To the retirement age, you may want to live out of town for a simple and quiet life in the country to be closer to nature.
All of these changes can be done quite quickly, because you do not have a real estate already bought to keep you moving from where you want, when you want.
This is perfect for you if your job or business forces you to travel a lot and as a result you have to move often.
We also talk about cost flexibility. If you want to stay in a central area you will pay a price. If, then, for various reasons, you want to pay less, you can rent a property on the outskirts of the city.
Your family is growing up and the studio you lived in until yesterday, has now become a snap? No problem. You can rent a house or apartment with 2 or 3 rooms at any time.
As you see, as a tenant, you have a very high flexibility, both in terms of location and in terms of the amount paid for the rent and the size of the rented dwelling that can be changed, as said above, consistent with the changes that occurs in your family.

Avoid extra expenses

Do not imagine that if he owns the house, the owner of the house has escaped other expenses. Not at all. There are a lot of expences that gather in time and need to be resolved, so you can still live in good conditions in that house and continue to pay rent.
That’s not to mention the taxes that the landlord has to pay annually. You, as a tenant, do not have to take out any money from your pocket for that.
As a tenant, you avoid the costs of removing the furniture, redecorating the new home, etc.

Access to liquidity

A house can not be converted into cash from one day to the next. From this perspective, it is illogical to put your lifetime savings in one thing: in a building.
That’s because it cannot be turned easy into liquidity and also, depending on the evolution of the real estate market at that moment, no one can guarantee you that the real estate you own will be sold over the years at a price above acquisition.

Instead of a conclusion

Now, at the end of the article, I’d like to know your opinion. From your point of view, if you have the choice now: to rent or to buy a house, what would you choose and why?

6 tricks to negotiate a smaller rent and be a winner

By Real estate, Smart money, , , ,

Are you looking to rent an apartment, a studio or a house and want to get a monthly rent as small as possible? Then the tips below will definitely help you when you negotiate with the owner of that building.

1. Do the research. Study the market.

You need to know at what prices are rented other similar buildings in the area.
And when I say: to know at what prices are rented, I do not refer to the price displayed on real estate sites, but the actual amount the tenant pays after negotiating with the landlord.
This will take you some time. I know that. However, in order to be able to negotiate effectively, you need to have enough valid arguments at hand in negotiating with the owner. Of the two of you, the one who comes up with the strongest arguments will win.
If you do not like it or do not have the time to sit and study the market, you can call a real estate agency in the area, to come a real estate agent with you, inspect the apartment you want and help you in the negotiation process.
An experienced real estate agent has much more knowledge than you could get from watching a few housing deals. However, consider that, in this case, you will also have to pay a commission to the real estate agency. But do not worry about it. Think of it this way: if eventually all the parties involved win, that’s all that matters.

2. Count on honesty

Mutual trust is an important factor in the long run if you reach an agreement with the owner and sign the rental agreement.
That’s why, when the negotiation process takes place, do not fall in the temptation to use false informations, in order to make the owner take decisions that favors you. If he feels like you are trying to force his hand, he will withdraw from the bargain and look for another client, and you will have nothing to gain from the whole process.
The reverse is also valid. If in the bargaining process you feel the owner is trying to bloom things so they seem much better than they are in reality, it’s time for you not to get tired anymore. Signing a contract with a liar owner will only bring long-term additional headaches and is not worth it.

3. Treat the man in front of you with respect

Try to keep a constant attitude throughout the negotiation process. If you annoy or offend the owner, or do cynical affirmations, you will not look smarter and will not be able to turn back the situation in your favor.
Look at the situation also from the owner’s point of view. Respect his opinion, because you want, in turn, for him to respect your point of view.

4. Go on the win-win idea

Think that if you come to an agreement in the long run, both you and the owner will win: you will pay a lower rent and he will not have to lose time constantly running after new tenants .
So when negotiating, do not try to win all your battles. If the owner gives up something, when you talk about a particular aspect, give up on yourself when you negotiate another aspect of renting the building.
If you can give more rents as an advance from the beginning, it can be a great asset for you. So, in the eyes of the owner, you are perceived as a trustworthy tenant, without any financial problems, which will not make for him every month’s trouble when it comes to paying rent.
At the same time, the bigger amount you give him from the very beginning can make him look so much to be willing to offer you a lower rent than he would have initially wanted at the beginning of the negotiation.
You can also, in return for a smaller rent, to renovate his apartment or fix some of the faulty things in the apartment.
Also, if you are good at something and the owner needs that service, you can try a bargain: for the amount that reduces the monthly rent, you will provide services periodically, in the field you are skilled in.

5. Whatever happens, stay calm

When emotions are involved, and each one holds at their point of view and are not willing to change it, then negotiation becomes almost impossible, and a conflict is reached rather than an amiable understanding.
The higher the tension between the two parties, the more likely the two parties to sign a lease contract decreases. That’s why, although I know it’s hard, in a bargain you have to look at everything “at cold”.
Detach yourself from emotions and try to look at the whole situation from the outside, from both angles – the owner and the tenant.
This will give you a clearer perspective on the whole process, and at the same time it will be easier for you to keep calm, compared to the situation where you see this whole transaction as a matter of life and death.
Also, even if you are desperate to rent that home, do not show you’re desperate desire even if:
– You know that tomorrow you do not have where to stay and you will sleep under the free sky or
–  You think you cant’t find a home like this anymore even in your most beautiful dreams.
The more you are desperate to become a tenant in that building, the more the owner will “smell” you more easily and will get harder in the negotiation process.
As I said earlier … leave your feelings home.

6. Do not let yourself intimidated

Do not rush to make the decision to rent the house at the price proposed by the owner, depending on events such as:
– as you visit the apartment, there are other potential customers who have also found themselves to watch it at the same time as you. Most likely, it’s a “production”, meant for you to rush to make a decision.
– while the landlord shows you the home, his phone rings and the alleged clients at the other end of the wire makes him to come back to you and say, “So what is it … you’ll take the apartment or I will talk to the customer on the phone to come and see it?”

In conclusion: when you start the negotiation process for the monthly rent in that building, remember the advices above and you will be much more satisfied with the outcome of the negotiation.

 

6 Things To Know Before You Invest In Real Estate

By Real estate, , ,

When we think about starting a business or making a financial investment, the ultimate goal is usually the same: getting enough money to allow us to live the lifestyle we want.

And when you think about the amount of money you have to raise to allow yourself to do that, do not forget to consider inflation + taxes that have to be paid and that will automatically have to be deducted from the total amount of money you have.

And when it comes to investments, having a property or several real estate is always a good idea; even in periods of financial crisis.

Think so: land is a finite resource. People will always need spaces specially designed to live, work and have fun. So, just like in other areas of business, so is in the real estate: everything is just a game between demand and supply.

What is good to understand is that: real estate properties will continue to experience an increase in their value as time passes, despite slowing down periodically as a result of more subtle or larger economic crises.

Real estate is the field that brought most people from simple people to millionaires. And in spite of what you might think … no, you do not have to be a genius to succeed!

So, if you’re thinking about investing in real estate, to gain your financial independence, here’s what you need to know:

1. Set your financial goals

What are your goals from a financial point of view?
What are you expecting from buying a real estate?
What you achieve by acquiring that property will bring you closer to achieving your financial goals?
As you well know, developing a business requires time and money. Investing in real estate is no exception to this rule.
So, if you have an already tight amount of money that you want to invest in this direction, make sure you take all the time to identify a property that matches your budget and not just so … a property which, once purchased, will serve your interests better and will make it easier and faster for you to accomplish your goals.

2. Do not spend a fortune on books and courses

You do not have to misunderstand. You need to have some knowledge about real estate because, from this adventure you start, you get to be a winner. But what you must know is that all the information you need should get maximum a shelf on your library as a volume.
So bend over the books and study carefully. Search on Google and make a habit of reading real estate sites.
But do not overwhelm yourself with the existing information around you. When you notice that you read, read, and the things you already know continue to repeat, with 1-2 relatively new elements in addition, it means you have learned about everything you need to know.
It is very easy to let go of the thought that you still have not found the trick you need to quickly get rich out of real estate and continue to document, collect books and courses in the hope that you will find that secret information that will open the gate of wealth in real estate for you.

So, when you notice that the information you read is still repeating, it means that it is the perfect time to stop reading and return to real life. It’s time to move to point 3.

3. Visit several real estate properties

Life beats the movie. And what else can make you feel the pulse of real estate in your area, than … some direct visits on the field.
But great attention! Do not buy the first property you see.
Here are two mistakes that many real estate investors do:
    – Buy a property for the simple fact that they like what it looks like
– Buy the property because they are not willing to make the effort to inspect other properties existing on the market at that time
Remember: you must look at that property from the perspective of return on investment. You will not live there. You do not have to like it. Instead, it must be profitable when you decide to sell or rent it.
Once you’ve visited enough real estates, take a moment to think and put on paper the most tempting real estates you’ve visited. Write along with them your financial goals. Then try to reduce the number of listed properties from the perspective of the goals you want to achieve.
This exercise will help you make the most beneficial choice for you.

4. Do not expect the miracle offer

By viewing real estates again and again, you can fall into the other side: to postpone the decision to purchase. And as you may well guess … this action will have negative repercussions.
Not buying a real estate under the pretext that you have not found the “winning offer”, you might lose more than if you found an offer not as tempting as you would like, but you have bought it to put it to work, to produce money for you.
To conclude: as soon as you find the real estate offer that meets most of your criteria, stop thinking and buy it. Continuing to wait for the “irresistible offer” you dream of is a dangerous game … this offer may never be, and the offers that pass next to you may not come any more soon.

5. Make a thorough financial analysis

Let the figures speak. Look at all like a game of numbers. Just so, the conclusion you get will be realistic.
If you think about the whole transaction from the financial perspective and leave your feelings aside, it will be easier for you to refuse a property when the terms and conditions of the transaction do not meet your profitability criteria.
In this sense, take the time to make a complete analysis of the property based on its history. Also, inform yourself about the distance to the city’s main points of interest.
See how much you can rent or sell the property according to the potential of the area.
Take into account the taxes that must be paid and the interest you have to pay to the bank, if you make a loan to that effect.
And finally, draw the line, and see how profitable your real estate investment will be.

6. Find sellers anxious to close the deal

How can you do that? When you find a real estate that you like, be interested in it’s history. Since when is it put up for sale? How has it’s price changed since it’s on sale to date?
If the price of the apartment or house in question is unchanged although the property in question is on sale for more than a year, you can see that its owner has it’s price and is not willing to give it less than what he ask for; in other words: negotiating with him will not end with far greater benefits for you.
But if you find a property whose price has continued to decline over the last year, it means that its owner is anxious to get rid of it. As a result, that person will be more flexible in negotiating with you, and you are likely to have the chance to win and get the price and conditions you want.

Conclusion

Owning one or more real estate properties can provide you with the financial stability you want. It can also be packed with those passive income that everybody wants, if you rent it.

It’s all about staying calm, not making hasty decisions, and logically judging, based on figures. Real estate businesses are long-term businesses. Also, it’s important to realize that buying the desired property is just the first step you take to reach your financial goals and not the end of the road. Success!

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