Goldman: Weak Opec will mean lower oil prices October 27, 2014 OIL PRICES will continue to decline in 2015, according to analysts form Goldman Sachs, who have also stated that the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) has lost its pricing power. The investment bank has lowered its price forecasts for brent crude oil from $100 a barrel to $85 a barrel for the first quarter and [...]
How shared ownership can help get Londoners on the housing ladder October 22, 2014 The Scottish Parliament has set out plans to levy its first tax since 1707. In an effort to support first time buyers, it proposed reforming stamp duty into a marginal – rather than a “slab” – tax, meaning that house sales in Scotland will no longer incur the highest rate on the whole price. These [...]
London property prices: In 16 weeks the value of this three bed terrace shot up £340k October 17, 2014 While the data is telling us the London property market is cooling, there are still plenty of signs of just how crazy it can be. Here’s one. It’s not a super skinny house with a bed next to the kitchen, no, this time, it’s an almost average house in zone 2- but its value has [...]
Labour plans to double number of first-time buyers October 16, 2014 The Labour party will set out plans to give first-time buyers top priority by handing more powers to local communities in England for new house building. The party will pledge to double the number of first-time buyers over the next 10 years should it be returned to office. Furthermore, Labour wants 200,0000 homes a year [...]
The Bottle Opener: Why you shouldn’t overlook Rioja October 14, 2014 There are perks to being the Bottle Opener, and this is definitely one of them. I’m relaxing in the late Autumn sun, gazing across a rich vineyard down to the river Ebro. With me are two charming fifth generation descendants of the founder of one of Rioja’s great houses, and we are tasting some magnificent [...]
UK house prices grow nearly 12 per cent in a year – but in London it’s closer to 20 per cent October 14, 2014 The average price of a UK house rose by 11.7 per cent in the year to August, with London still leading the way. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics this morning showed that house price inflation was strongest in England, up 12.2 per cent, followed by Northern Ireland, where prices rose 9.6 [...]
Put your house on it …price boom ends October 8, 2014 HOUSE price growth slowed in September, an influential report from Halifax showed yesterday, adding to evidence that activity in the UK’s rampant property market was moderating. Prices rose 0.6 per cent last month and 9.6 per cent in the past year. But this still-substantial growth marks a continued slowdown from the annual growth of 10.2 [...]
Property in London: Is it a safe asset? October 7, 2014 Base rate hikes and a strong pound will dent prices, says Yogi Dewan THE EASY money in property markets was made a long time ago. That said, real estate remains the ultimate safe haven for many investors, as they consider it to be a better alternative to investing in global equities, government bonds or other [...]
London house prices could fall next year after booming 2014 October 6, 2014 The boom in London house prices will not only end next year, but could even fall, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Their own forecast puts the decline at 2.6 per cent for 2015, which would be the first annual fall since 2009. House prices in the capital are expected to [...]
Mark Carney wants power to limit your mortgage if house price boom threatens banks October 2, 2014 The Bank of England wants major new powers to cap mortgage loans, yesterday arguing it may need to rein in the housing market if the price boom starts to endanger banks. Officials want the ability to cap the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of mortgages, as well as the debt to income ratios of some borrowers. The demands [...]