LONDON BAROMETER May 24, 2012 DIRECTOR OF DOUGLAS & GORDON “The London property market continues to be hindered by the lack of finance available to buyers, which has increased the period it takes for a property to exchange to at least nine weeks. “Supply appears perhaps lower than it is because many good properties are put under offer immediately but [...]
SELL May 24, 2012 MANAGING DIRECTOR KAY & CO Q. I am going to sell my property and I understand that most enquiries now stem from the internet. How can I ensure that my property stands out from the rest? A. Statistics show that 75 per cent of all property related searches now stem from the internet. There are [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 23, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Web pioneer sues over iTunes A General Electric-owned company is squaring up to Apple in a Pennsylvania courtroom over whether its patents were infringed when Apple launched its iTunes platform. The case, which pits two of the US’s biggest companies against each other, is the latest in a string of high-profile patent disputes involving technology [...]
Nationwide mortgage lending jumps by 44pc May 23, 2012 Nationwide, Britain’s biggest customer-owned financial services group, reported a 44 per cent increase in loans to home buyers in its last fiscal year, including a sharp rise in the number of mortgages provided to first-time home buyers. Gross residential mortgage lending rose to £18.4bn in the year to 4 April, up from £12.8bn the year [...]
Mortgage loans plummet as tax break expires May 21, 2012 MORTGAGE lending plunged in April after the stamp duty holiday expired, industry data showed yesterday, while economists warned the underlying state of the housing market is weakening. Gross mortgage lending slumped from £12.6bn in March to £10.2bn in April – a 19 per cent fall to an 11-month low, according to data from the Council [...]
Falling supply lifts London’s house prices May 20, 2012 LONDON’S house prices rose strongly in April, again outstripping the national market, industry data revealed today. Meanwhile a new study shows most parents support their children in buying houses, with 11 per cent giving over £100,000, underlining the tough state of the market. Average asking prices throughout the UK stayed unchanged in the month to [...]
How to get on the housing ladder May 20, 2012 THERE is no doubt about it. It’s tough out there for first time buyers. But stricter lending criteria don’t necessarily mean it’s impossible to get on the housing ladder. However, you must know the basics so you can build your decision on strong foundations. DO THE MATHS Incentives matter. It was recently confirmed by the [...]
House prices in the capital are detached by location May 20, 2012 London’s property market is outperforming but some boroughs are well off the pace LONDON Neither London, nor England and Wales, have returned to their 2008 peaks – but London is close. From March 2009, prices have grown 16 per cent in London compared to 6 per cent in England and Wales as a whole. However, [...]
Transport and schools are key to valuations May 20, 2012 TRYING to predict where London’s house prices will go as a whole is a fools errand. The house price earnings ratio suggests property remains overvalued, but the influx of foreign cash combined with inflexible planning restrictions could see prices continue to rise. It’s easier – and more fruitful – to weigh up different areas. THE [...]
Stamp duty deadline stimulates surge in March mortgage loans May 16, 2012 MORTGAGE lending soared throughout the housing market in March, industry data showed yesterday, as the stamp duty holiday fuelled an escalation in buying. First-time buyers were exempt from stamp duty on properties worth under £250,000 until the end of the month resulting in a 74 per cent monthly rise in the number of first time [...]