Look4aProperty.com's Blog

A DRAGON swooped into Grantham last week for a whistle-stop visit.

James Caan and Mark Newton from Newton Fallowell

Multi-millionaire James Caan stepped out of TV’s Dragon’s Den programme and into the streets of Grantham to launch a new housing finance scheme.

The town was chosen as the launching site for the Assist scheme, which James says will help home-buyers in the area afford costs by stumping up interest-free loans to cover fees.

But before settling down to business, serial entrepreneur James shared his thoughts on the town.

Standing in Butcher’s Row, he said: “It’s my first time in Grantham and what a really lovely town.

“I couldn’t have picked a better day because it’s such a nice, sunny day.

“It’s showing the town in a very nice way.

“I’ve literally just come in by train on the commuter belt and here to do the launch.”

Newton Fallowell, based in High Street, was chosen as the only estate agent in the region to carry the Assist scheme, headed by Look4aProperty.com of which James is chairman.

The scheme is a £1 billion property loan fund which homebuyers apply for through selected properties marketed by Newton Fallowell.

The unsecured loans will be between £5,000 and £10,000 and are designed to pay for legal fees and stamp duty.

James said: “I believe it’s a very important time in the housing market where a lot of people are under pressure because they need bigger deposits because building societies are just not loaning the amount of money they used to.

“We’ve launched something that bridges the gap and makes a difference between buying now and waiting six months.”

Asked if there was a catch, James replied: “It’s a 0 per cent loan, you can’t get lower than that. Even as a Dragon that sounds like a great idea to me.”

Dragon’s Den star James Caan has launched a second major initiative to pump life into the UK housing market.

Finance for the scheme is being provided by Hitachi Capital Consumer Finance.

Last year, Caan’s property portal, Look4aProperty.com, launched a £1bn fund backed by Hitachi Capital Consumer Finance, to offer interest free loans to people desperate to get on to the property ladder.  It is designed to help people afford stamp duty, legal fees and other expenses linked to buying a home.

The idea has proved so successful look4aProperty is now launching a similar scheme to help property sellers.

The Dragon’s Den star is launching the new initiative at Newton Fallowell, a leading estate agency chain based in Mrs Thatcher’s former home in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

“We’ve had impressive take-up across the country from people wanting to borrow that extra money to cover the costs of moving or buying their first home. Now we are providing loans – interest free to people wanting to sell,” says Caan.

“It was the obvious next step to give the country’s housing market a boost. We set out to bring liquidity to the market. To do that, we need people buying and selling”.

Despite ultra low interest rates the housing market has been frozen by fear since the economic crisis gripped the country in 2007.

Caan, who runs a number of property investment businesses, says people have been holding back because feel they aren’t able to fund many of those unavoidable expenses associated with buying and selling property. “These items represent an expense too far for many people. Look4aProperty|money product is designed to remove that obstacle.

Gerald Grimes, divisional managing director, Hitachi Capital Consumer Finance says the initiative provides “a much needed shot in the arm for the UK property market”.

“When James Caan and Aaron Turner came to us with the proposition, we knew that with our 28 years of experience in consumer finance, we could help people buy or sell their property, using Hitachi Capital Consumer Finance’s interest free credit options”.

The scheme is available to anyone through a network of estate agents who have signed up to the fund across the UK.

Despite signs that property prices are rising – one report from the Nationwide put the rise in the last year at 10 per cent – the market is not moving. Caan believes the more incentives to inject some liquidity into the market, the more the economy will benefit.

(Source – Hitachi Capital Press Release)

James Caan uses launch of new billion pound property fund as Labour’s HIPs scheme is postponed

Serial entrepreneur and television star James Caan says the Government’s quick thinking in axing Labour’s controversial HIPs scheme is a step in the right direction.

Home Information Packs - Consigned to history

Caan, who was in the East Midlands to launch the second phase of his billion pound interest free loan scheme, welcomed today’s announcement by housing minister Grant Schapps.

“This is good news for people desperate to move up the property ladder. The HIPs scheme was a major barrier to fluidity in the housing market,” says Caan. “I believe this is a wise move by the Government and will bring much needed liquidity back.”

James Caan’s billion pound fund, called Look4aProperty|money, offers interest free loans to people buying or selling property.

Caan’s business partner in the venture, Aaron Turner, the CEO of Look4aProperty.com, says: “HIPs have proved to be prohibitive to property coming onto the market and movements within the markets is what is needed by the UK economy at this time.”

Despite ultra low interest rates the housing market has been frozen by fear since the economic crisis first gripped the country in 2007.

Caan, who runs a number of property investment businesses, says people have been holding back because they feel they aren’t able to fund many of those unavoidable expenses associated with buying and selling property.

“These items represent an expense too far for many people. The Look4aProperty|money product is designed to remove that obstacle,” says Caan.

The scheme is available to anyone through a network of estate agents who have signed up to the fund across the UK.

Look4aProperty, one of Britain’s leading providers of financial help for home owners, says Alistair Darling’s decision to scrap Stamp Duty on house purchases up to £250,000 for first-time buyers, is good news for young people trying to get on the property ladder.

“The Chancellor’s announcement fits in with Look4AProperty Money’s efforts to put liquidity back into the market,” says Aaron Turner, the company’s CEO.

“The abolition of Stamp Duty on purchases up to £250k for First Time Buyers, coupled with our three-year interest-free loans for every other buyer will be a powerful incentive for first-time buyers to make their decision to go ahead and buy.”

Look4AProperty Money – which is chaired by Dragons’ Den entrepreneur, James Caan – allows every home buyer in the UK to apply for a three-year interest-free loan, (subject to status). All buyers need to do is to ask their local estate agent to arrange it for them as part of the offer they make on the property they wish to buy.

Look4AProperty.com hires UK’s leading property brains

One of the UK’s leading property websites, Look4AProperty.com, has snapped up two of the UK’s top property business brains.

The website, which is chaired by James Caan, star of Dragon’s Den, has hired Rob Sendall, former CEO of The Live Organisation and Tim Burchell, former owner of Burchell Edwards, the largest independent estate agency chain in the Midlands.

James Caan, chairman of Look4AProperty.com and its interest-free loan product, Look4AProperty | Money, says he is delighted to have secured the new talent.

“Tim brings significant knowledge and expertise in the world of estate agency,” says Caan.

“We plan to put this to good use as we continue to roll out Look4AProperty | Money across the UK.”

“Rob is a respected industry figure with more than 20 years experience, and all the team here are very much looking forward to working with him.”

Tim Burchell, who will be bringing his experience as an estate agent with him, says he is delighted to be joining the Look4AProperty.com team.

“Look4AProperty.com has grown so much as a website and a business, and the fantastic Look4AProperty | Money initiative will transform the industry as we know it,” says Burchell.

“I am delighted to be involved.”

Rob Sendall will be bringing his expertise on property services to the business.

“Look4AProperty | Money is the most exciting initiative to hit the housing market for years,” says Sendall.

“Estate agents, buyers and sellers will all benefit from the cash injection – and I was delighted to be asked to bring my experience in to the project.”

Look4AProperty.com | Money is a fund of more than £1bn which will be used for interest-free loans. These can be used to help buyers and sellers cover unavoidable costs like stamp duty, legal fees, estate agent fees, HIPs* and mortgage fees.

The fund is already available for buyers and sellers in Sheffield and East Anglia, thanks to partnerships with Parson Estate Agents and Blundells. Further launches are expected across the country over the coming months.

Blundells to launch interest free loans with the man who Caan

Blundells Estate Agents

Leading Sheffield estate agent Blundells is the first in the North of England to launch ‘Dragon’ James Caan’s interest-free loan scheme for buyers and sellers.

Look4aProperty.com | Money is a fund of more than £1billion which will be used to finance interest-free loans. These can be used to help buyers and sellers cover unavoidable costs like estate agent fees, stamp duty, legal fees and HIPs*.

The loans are only available through selected estate agents, and Blundells is the first in Yorkshire to sign-up.

Steve Hinshelwood, Blundells Director says he is delighted to be launching the partnership.

“This initiative gives home buyers and sellers another way of getting on to the property ladder,” says Hinshelwood.

“It will stimulate the housing marking across Sheffield and North Derbyshire, which will be a great boost to the sector.

“To be the first agent to launch this scheme in Yorkshire is a great honour for us and we are looking forward to developing our relationship with Look4aProperty.com | Money.”

James Caan, chairman of Look4aProperty.com | Money will be announcing further initiatives to get the market moving in early 2010.

James Caan and Aaron Turner

“We are delighted to start rolling out our Money product and to get the cheques written,” says Caan.

“This product will help buyers and sellers all over the UK to finally move into the home they want – and that will help stimulate our struggling economy.”

Aaron Turner, CEO of Look4aProperty.com | Money says the loans will give real hope to hundreds of thousands of people.

“Regulations are so tight now that people need to save huge sums just to cover their deposits,” says Turner.

“That leaves very little leftover for additional and unavoidable costs. This initiative will give people the flexibility to move now, and pay later on an interest-free basis.”

ENDS

*The HIP loan is a deferred loan over a 10 (ten) month period. The principle sum and the interest will be payable in one payment at the end of the term.

About Look4aProperty.com | Money

Look4aProperty.com | Money allows potential buyers or tenants to search for the right home, using properties submitted by estate agents up and down the country. The site features over 200,000 UK sale and rental properties as well as properties from Overseas. Unlike similar sites, Look4AProperty.com is not tied to, owned or affiliated with any estate agency company, or any other property company or media group.