After years of successfully building and managing his own property business, Gerry FitzGerald has produced a thorough and comprehensive guide to investing wisely and profitably in residential property. Areas covered in this book include: The right properties to buy, and where to find them; the best tenants to look for, and how to find them; use an agent, or do it yourself; pros and cons of student houses; how to buy well at auction; choosing the right mortgages and bridging loans; tax and how to reduce it; and, the law and how it affects the property investor.Gerry's long and successful experience also leads him to challenge much of the accepted wisdom surrounding the buy-to-let market. He offers genuine inside information for the new investor: how to manage the risks of buying new-build and off-plan; the real meaning of the developer's 'rental guarantees' and instant 'discounts'; the realities behind the slick marketing of investor clubs; how letting agents can damage your wealth; and, avoiding the pitfalls of the bridging loan industry. This book is essential reading for the residential property investor whatever their experience. Contents: Preface; PART ONE: The Concept; 1. Supply and demand; 2. The risks; PART TWO: Finance; 3. The buy-to-let mortgage; 4. The let-to-buy mortgage; 5. 100 per cent finance?; 6. Choosing a lender; 7. Mortgage products; 8. Methods of repayment; 9. The mortgage broker; 10. The mortgage process; 11. Bridging finance; PART THREE: Properties; 12. Your objective; 13. Student houses; 14. Flats and leases; 15. Conversions; 16. Propose Built 17. Auction Properties; 18. New Build or Old; 19. Buying Off Plan; PART FOUR: Tenants; 20. Using Agents; 21. DIY; 22. What Tenants?; 23. The Tenancy Agreement; 24. To Do List; PART FIVE: Legal Matters; 25. Tenants' Deposits; 26. Recovering Possession; 27. Landlord's Obligations; PART SIX: Tax; 28. Capital Gains tax; 29. CGT Manoeuvres; 30. Income Tax; 31. Income Tax Manoeuvres.