The New Year brings a fresh start and an opportunity to assess my property business and dump any bad habits that I have mysteriously acquired over the last 12 months.

This is the time that I do a serious self-assessment on my business affairs, which sheds light on those areas I can improve on. To be honest I started the assessment in December just before I caught the dreaded flu virus, which affected my whole family.

One result from this personal re-assessment was my great delight in passing a DIP (Decision in Principle) with a lender that had point blank confirmed in 2011 that they would never lend to me again. As always, no reason was given. Since then I had a well known broker make contact with them at the beginning of 2012 but this also produced the same results.  

From last summer I decided I didn't need to use a broker as my list of available lenders now rests in just one hand. A few days ago I decided to go direct to this lender and lo and behold, not only did I pass the DIP but I didn't even get referred. Hoorah!