US hedge fund eyes up property in European countries set to benefit from Brexit August 28, 2016 US hedge fund Marathon is investing in property in European hubs that it expects will benefit from Britain leaving the EU. The $13bn (£9.9bn) fund is looking at Germany, Ireland, France and the Netherlands in particular, according to the Financial Times. Bruce Richards, co-founder and chief executive of Marathon, said these countries "have the most stable outlook [...]
Brickgate: A war is kicking off in the construction industry after estate agents claimed there is a shortage of bricks August 25, 2016 Forget Jeremy Corbyn versus Owen Smith – there's a new feud in town. You might say relations between these two are rather stony… Brick makers have taken issue with research put out earlier today by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), which suggested not only [...]
The number of new homes completed fell in the second quarter August 25, 2016 The number of new homes completed fell in the three months to the end of June on the year before, suggesting fears over the outcome of the EU referendum were worrying builders. Some 34,920 new homes were completed in the three months between the beginning of April and the end of June, two per cent [...]
A Brexit brick shortage is threatening to make the UK’s housing crisis worse August 25, 2016 If the housing crisis keeps you awake at night, start worrying about this: even if builders went on a housebuilding frenzy today, the UK would need 1.4 billion bricks – which it doesn't have. And that's without the effects of EU referendum… Figures published by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and Cebr today showed the average new [...]
OneSavings Bank chief executive explains why his business is safe as houses August 24, 2016 Despite worries the referendum would wobble housing demand, the boss of OneSavings Bank has found particular niches of the market to be quite lucrative. In particular, Andy Golding told City A.M. the bank was focusing on the "normal stock" side of the market in London – as opposed to the "high-end, crazy value stuff" – which was "still very [...]
Rents are increasing fastest in the South East and the East of England, not London August 24, 2016 Rising rents are a headache for Londoners who can't afford to put down a deposit on a home – but price increases are actually larger outside the capital. According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), rents grew 3.5 per cent over the past year in the south east, compared to a rise [...]
Lending to London’s home movers sinks as first-time buyers edge onto the property market August 24, 2016 Home movers are releasing their grip on London's housing market, as data released from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) shows they took out fewer loans in the second quarter. CML said home movers withdrew 6,700 loans in the second quarter, a fall of 37 per cent as compared to the first quarter of 2016. [...]
UK mortgage approvals fell to their lowest level in 18 months in July – meaning house prices could fall by five per cent next year August 24, 2016 The number of mortgages approved fell to their lowest level in 18 months in July, suggesting house prices could fall considerably by the end of 2017, the British Bankers' Association (BBA) has said. Figures by the BBA showed 37,622 mortgages were approved in July, down from 39,763 in June and 41,620 in May. It's an impressive slide since [...]
Housebuilder shares rise as Brexit fears look like a thing of the past August 24, 2016 Rumours of housebuilders' demise are greatly exaggerated. Builders were among the big winners on the FTSE 100 for the second day in a row this morning, after strong results from Persimmon yesterday suggested they are weathering the Brexit storm. Persimmon was up 2.5 per cent at 1,918p in mid-morning trading, while Barratt was up 2.7 per cent at 499.3p. [...]
Property transactions edged down in July, defying expectations of a Brexit vote-related crash August 23, 2016 The number of property transactions edged downwards in July, putting to bed concerns that the Brexit vote would result in a dramatic fall in sales. According to figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the number of residential property transactions fell by 0.9 per cent between June and July. Read more: This is where all the [...]