Your finance team are essential when investing in property; good financial contacts can make or break a deal in the harsh world of property.
As well as the team around you, it is important to have the right product. Commercial mortgages are usually a lower percentage loan to value on a property than a normal mortgage, generally upto 75% maximum in most cases. Since the Buy To Let mortgage was released (85% LTV), less people get commercial loans but personally I feel that people taking a higher loan to value are taking a much greater risk. If you want to be a property investor - invest INTO the property.
Propery investing has shifted from investment into property to "No money down" put as little money down as possible. This is dangerous as I personally experienced in 2002. I bought lots of Off Plan property myself, not putting more than 3% into them. This left me in paying more each month because I had the highest loan to value I could get - so that when rents moved down while more people rushed into property, I was having to sub the mortgages. I also found myself in a negative equity situation.
I would like to introduce you to Savills Private Finance one of the leading UK commercial mortgage packagers / brokers, and when becoming a professional property investor, you need to use professional services. There are many one man bands and investor finance teams out there, but in my opinion, none match the service that Savills Private Finance provides. Their prompt and professional service is second to cone. Savills are different to ordinary brokers because they are Mortgage Packagers. You need professional advice - and I hope Savills Private Finance can give you that!