Sunday, September 6, 2009

The Wilson's sell up

The King and Queen of Buy to Let are selling up. Fergus and Judith Wilson have put up their 700 properties for sale, hoping to pull out about £70 million, once they have paid off the loans used to accumulate their little property empire.

The former comprehensive school teachers had built up their massive portfolio during the bubble years, when credit was easy and house prices were inflating. However, since property prices have crashed, the couple have seen their net worth fall by more than half; such is the magic of leverage.

However, I wonder what the Wilsons will do with their cash once they have offloaded their tenants. Will they put it in a bank and watch it slowing whittle away once quantitative easing feeds through into higher inflation? Goverment bonds might be another money losing alternative. Equities? Off shore, on shore?

Whatever the decision, the Wilsons don't seem to be all that confident that house prices will continue to go up. If they did, they wouldn't be selling up.

11 comments:

  1. ............♥
    ...........****
    ..........******
    .........********
    ........**********
    ......*************
    .....*****HAPPY***
    ....*****************
    ...*******************
    ..*********************
    ...........****
    ...........****
    ...........****
    Day, doing nothing is the life of the consumers; positive pay, is the creator of life. Nothing to do, that is, had an empty life; If people continue to pay the interest, that is, good life.
    www.hoard.com.tw
    www.hoard.com.tw/default.php
    www.hoard.com.tw/product_08.html
    www.hoard.com.tw/about_us2.html
    www.hoard.com.tw/chocolate.htm
    www.ta89.com
    www.ta89.com/about
    www.ta89.com/index.htm
    www.ta-520.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. We will not see their like again....

    ReplyDelete
  3. The wilsons, an inspiration to us all! I think not ! but they do know it's time to ditch there property empire..

    ReplyDelete
  4. For all their 'losses' I'd still rather their finances than mine and a generous and thoroughly deserving couple they seem to be, so good luck to them.

    The sun does shine on the righteous ... sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  5. electro-Kevin?

    I assume you jest....

    ReplyDelete
  6. 70 million quid is not to be sniffed at. At least they operated a policy of fair rent pricing.

    They operated their business as an excercise rather than for greed. They live frugally despite all their wealth.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Electro, they sound like misers. Still, they worked hard, rode a bubble, fair dinkum.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Elecro, they still have to sell their houses yet!! I remember the said Mr Wilson saying "There's only one way property prices are going, and that way is up". Guess what, there isn't only one way.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You're right, Budvar.

    My issue with the property bubble has never been with people making money from it - nor losing it for that matter. I'm neutral on the issue.

    My belief - for many years now - is that Nu Lab got away with bloody murder (sometimes literally) because their lax border policies and economic policies stoked a boom. It's not the people that actually made money that bother me, but the idiots that had one house and hocked it on the never-never.

    Tens of thousands of graduate waiters and waitresses, who couldn't get on the housing ladder, were paid off in tips by the leveraged wrinkly classes who allowed this country go to rat shit while they were busy gorging themselves on fake money.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Eloquently and accurately put E-K.

    ReplyDelete