provides a unique acquisition and management service for investment in residential property in Cambridge and Exeter. We identify properties that meet clients' requirements and will then manage the process. Our sustained success in residential property investment is based on four factors:

• We offer bespoke advice to each investor
• We have a thorough knowledge of both cities
• Our strategy is informed and cautious
• We can often source properties before they reach the open market

• High quality property has long been considered a safe and rewarding investment
• The investor has a tangible asset directly under his or her control, unaffected by any third party interests.
• If the property is professionally invested and managed there can be a very attractive return on equity, with relatively low risk, particularly since interest rates are stable and lower than for some years
• Provided that there is a sound and sustainable income and a sensible level of gearing, total return on investment is usually very favourable, even with modest increases in capital values.

This was the headline in Nationwide's Winter 2001 Review. With growth of 18.1%, East Anglia has Cambridge as the jewel in its crown - a city which has seen outstanding capital appreciation throughout the 1990s. The South West in turn, which has shown growth of 17.5% in 2001, has Exeter vying for the crown of 'regional capital'. With inward investment arriving at a steady rate, and the best 'quality of life' rating in the country, it is a city with excellent prospects.

has specifically targeted Cambridge and Exeter as areas for investment because of our conviction that their strong residential markets are set to continue and to grow. With the two locations we can offer a wider choice to the investor client. Cambridge is a long established market which has shown and continues to show outstanding capital growth. With yields of around 5%, property can also produce a reasonable income.

Select Cambridge from the menu bar for further details on the city's housing market.

Exeter, by contrast, is a less well established market but can provide a better level of income, with yields of around 7%. A larger six to eight bedroom house is likely to show a higher yield still, but will be much more affordable to the client investor than its equivalent in, say, London. There are excellent prospects for future growth based on the rising population and the arrival of new industries in and around the city.

Select Exeter from the menu bar for further details on the city's housing market.

The chart below indicates growth and values in Cambridge and Exeter as compared with two other English cities over a sustained period. Up to the minute figures can be seen on property websites such as Upmystreet.com or Hometrack.com.