Mortgages aside, there are lots of alternative methods of financing your property available to you.

• Cash. It is the most obvious and simple way of financing an investment if the funds are available. But it is better not to use your own funds when someone else’s available (i.e. bank). This is because by investing only a small amount into each investment and financing the remainder by debt then more investments can be made and therefore potentially greater return can be achieved.
• Buy-to-let. This is very popular way of raising finance through the rental income in many countries. The lender assesses the rental income achievable and lends an amount based on that rental income. It important to remember that many emerging markets do not have sophisticated financing products so this type may not be available.
• Company purchases. Some investors have their own companies and may consider using these for the purchase of an investment. This can be very profitable if set up correctly. It is noteworthy that in this case the investments will all become commercial assets of the company and careful tax planning is required to insure there is no double taxation incurred.
• Shared investments. This method implies buying with a relative, friend or group of friends. This is a good entry method into investing in property as it reduces the amount of cash investment required by each individual, making the opportunity more feasible to a greater number of people. It is important to make an initial contract between all the investors detailing the amounts invested, the percentage returns each investor is eligible to and the mechanism of agreeing decisions in order to avoid arguments and disputes.
• Pension schemes. Some pension rules allow for the investment in residential property abroad. Not all pension providers are likely to choose to allow such investments in their main fund so it may be necessary to seek out a specialist advice. Pension schemes are strictly controlled by law and taxation regulations, which differ between countries, although investing in a buy-to-let property through a pension can be attractive as there are often significant tax advantages regarding the contributions into the scheme.