Not only are Google proposing to make their website free – thus helping estate agents to advertise their ‘properties for sale’ for no cost at all – but estate agents will also be able to list their properties in a layer on Google maps.

And with this little gismo on board, it will make it even easier for property investors like you and me to view these properties as we will be able to get a Street View of this property and all its listings.

How will this website impact investors?

Now I am not being callous when I say this, but I am quite excited about the prospect of having access to another property website.

Yes I kind of feel sorry for Rightmove, who currently advertises 90% of the properties which are for sale in the UK – within a day of this rumour being launched their FSTE fell by 10%. But what Google are offering is a property investment route which is free from the costs and complications of extortionate estate agent fees.

Instead you will be able to focus on picking from a huge database of properties that estate agents have willingly supplied because they don’t have to pay for advertising.

At the moment this is still all speculation, and Google are choosing to not comment on whether or not it is true, but considering the success of their Australian property portal and the fact that property experts believe it will be launched in 2010, it is hard not to get excited.

What have Rightmove got to say?

Rightmove supposedly are not concerned about this move by Google as they strongly believe Estate Agents are more interested in raising their brand awareness than getting more properties online. However I’m highly sceptical about this.

Think about it a moment… In the current economic climate, Estate Agents need all the help they can get to sell their properties and a free advertising portal is more than ideal when the majority of buyers/property investors are searching the web.

Either way, should Google go ahead with their plans there will be plenty of property sources to choose from. The question is though: who will win out?

Wendy xx

I am officially on countdown to my Property Mentor course and I cannot wait! Hopefully they will be able to answer all the grey areas I have got in my investment experience

For example – where are the best places to invest? Now I know that by researching and stacking my properties effectively, I can ensure that the properties I invest in can each provide me with a positive cash flow of £500 per property, but surely I must be missing out on some hidden property gems?

Take this point for example. The UK is split up into hundreds of regions. Regions that without looking into every nock and crannie – which would take a very long time to do – could go unmissed.

So I am throwing the question out to you guys in the hope that one of you will be able to tell me of a system that can enable me to do this? To look into each of these locations and offer my property portfolio more.

I personally live in the Midlands, so when I stack I typcially look at properties in Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Leicester. Basicially I only invest in properties that are within easy driving distance for me.

But surely – aside from the obvious ones of London, Edinburgh and Cardiff – there must also be other equally profitable regions/cities that no one has ever written about? Locations that have been overlooked but can offer you competitive rental yields?

I know deep down there must be, but I haven’t got a clue how to narrow the search down fast. Anyone got any suggestions?

Wendy xx

Recently I came across this Property Snake and found a really good property to rent out. Unfortunately for the current owners it had been on the property market for nearly a year and they were obviously keen to sell having reduced the price a few times and still not sold. I spoke to the estate agents and the sellers had been through the process of selling a couple of times and each time the buyers had pulled out at the last minute – which is unfortunate.

I viewed the property and could see its potential, made a second viewing a week or so later then left it a while to let them think I wasn’t really interested and then made a low offer, they rejected it. Again I waited a few days and put in another offer this time it was accepted, they were obviously keen to sell and realised that this was probably the best offer they were going to get. One thing I have learnt is that if you are going to use this tactic and you can afford it make sure the seller is fully aware you are a cash buyer and can move fast.