Forex versus property investment

Investment in the property market is commitment to a single market, and the assumption is its a one-way trend - upwards - which it isn’t.

The FX “market” is a dozen major markets plus 2 dozen minor ones. Even if you can only go long in forex, not all pairs will be falling at any one time. It is cheap and almost instantaneous to switch from one forex pair to another.

I think you may be comparing fast-moving trading with long-term investment, there: if you think about long-term investing in an index like the S&P, for instance, that’s probably more similar to investing in property?

For me, day-to-day trading produces far more profit than property investment, and certainly with no more risk.

In the UK it is a one way trend upwards in the long term. Government tax changes have made flipping and buy-to-let less attractive.
In other countries property investment can be riskier as it can take years to find a buyer, something ive never had a problem with in the UK where our limited space and shortage of new homes helps support rising prices

After thinking about it a little bit more, it strikes me that probably the key differences between the prospects for each relate to the different skill-sets and more specifically the [I]levels[/I] of skill and experience required for each. The success-rates are certainly wildly different, and that’s partly why.

Even someone with average (or perhaps even [I]below[/I]-average) property-investment skills is pretty likely not guaranteed) to be able to make money through long-term property investment, but someone with only “average” trading skills will have [U]almost no[/U] chance at all to make profits by trading.

In other words, investing in property is [B]far, far[/B] easier.

Sorry if I’m only stating the obvious! :8:

Homes under the hamer :slight_smile: - many inspired by it - also UK has property in the 100 k range in places where it will get sold. Not true in all markets - but in UK it is (not sure how true this statement is - it is an observation from watching the show)

Indeed … though I prefer “[I]Escape to the Country[/I]”, myself. :8:

yes, I love that too :slight_smile:

Would you believe I’m watching it right this second on the other side of the globe late on Sunday night…the lovely Alistair is in Warwickshire.:slight_smile:

One of my favourites programmes, in fact Im currently considering escaping to Tommors neck of the woods, Devon

Jules comes across as a good bloke as well,the type I’d gladly share a pint with

Is this what happens when one [I]passes a certain age[/I] lol

I dont suppose Tipping Point, The Chase, Deal or no Deal and Pointless are on your list for a Sunday afternoon, too :stuck_out_tongue:

[I][U]Very[/U][/I] much so - he’s my favourite presenter out of the whole lot. (I always like barn conversions: very old farm buildings with very modern, open-plan interiors - my ideal. The problem is that most of them are in areas of the country without cable internet available, and even the “broadband” speeds are highly variable, especially in the more remote locations.)

I totally recommend Devon as a place to live - you just have to accept it as what it is - a large island off England. These could be good points or bad, depends on your viewpoint -

  • most of the population is elderly, half of it is retired, there is almost no ethnic diversity
  • we drive about slowly (there are few good roads anyway)
  • it rains a lot (but hardly ever freezes)
  • even the “big” shops never have what you want or in the right size
  • all service is slow (but exceptionally friendly), everybody wants to chat rather than get on with the job
  • the countryside and coasts are gorgeous.
    I shall never leave.

Sounds like a description of Lyme Regis and Seatown in west Dorset - A nice area if you’re into piece and quite, not much going on apart from fishing, fossil hunting and the occasional pasty.

I’m surprised how [I][U]very[/U][/I] rarely internet access/speeds are mentioned, on that show.

You do see the occasional “work from home” people who raise it as an issue, but it seems to me not to get the prominence it deserves. I know most people don’t need live streaming price-charts of the markets, but they surely need/want Skype, and to download films, and so on? In some rural areas where the “broadband” is advertised as “up to 15MB/s”, you’re often lucky to get 5Mb/s, and it’s a real issue.

Dorset is more leafy and doesn’t have the range of coastlines, but it does have an advantage - its not on the way anywhere - the people who you bump into there are there because they wanted to be there.

Of course, its a bit worrying if we go over the border and see a big wicker man on the hillside - then its a U-turn and straight back home.

Having moved down here two years ago I would second all of these - and add that the county is without doubt home to some of the best pubs in the known universe.

Bloody hell this is my life :slight_smile:

I don’t think anyone appreciates the above comment more than a Brit - I’ve worked in various European countries when I used to be a c0cktail bartender, both on private yachts and city bars, none of which quite understood ‘bloody hell’, ha

I think it all depends on how much capital you have. After all, if your capital allows you to invest money in real estate, you need to invest money there.

property investment requires much higher starting capital than forex, also you need to have a solid understanding of the market. As you mentioned, if you wanna flip a house then that also takes time and all the necessary paperwork, dealing with workers to fix the house. It’s a lot more than just yourself which is vastly different than forex trading.