Repossessions forecast to rise February 9, 2012 HOUSE PRICES are set to fall in 2012 as unemployment rises and household income stays depressed, according to yesterday’s forecasts from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and today’s LSL house price index and e.surv mortgage monitor. The weak economic outlook is also set to push up repossessions as more borrowers fail to keep up [...]
PROPERTY NEWS February 9, 2012 REPOSSESSIONS TO RISE British mortgage repossessions hit their lowest since 2007 last year but are expected to rise in 2012 due to increasing unemployment, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said yesterday. The CML said the number of home repossessions came in at 8,500 between October and December, down from 9,300 in the previous three-month [...]
House prices set to stagnate February 6, 2012 HOUSE prices rose in January, defying the trend of recent months, Halifax said yesterday, as it warned that values are set to stagnate this year. Average prices increased 0.6 per cent to £160,907, though they fell 0.9 per cent over the quarter and are down 1.8 per cent since January 2011. “Low interest rates have [...]
Hopeful house buyers put off by low supply February 5, 2012 A SHORTAGE of suitable housing is preventing potential first-time buyers from stepping onto the property ladder, according to data released this morning. Asked to name their biggest concern about buying a home, the second most common response among potential buyers was the difficulty of finding a property. “In the final quarter of 2011, the numbers [...]
London office take-up falls but tech firm demand soars February 1, 2012 TAKE-UP of central London offices fell by 27 per cent in 2011 compared to the previous year, as the global economic slowdown continued to take its toll, according to research by Knight Frank. The property consultancy said take-up fell to 10.7m square feet last year. However, this coincided with a fall in supply and doubling [...]
Bingo! Rank plays Gala card January 30, 2012 RANK Group yesterday confirmed it is “in discussions” with Gala Coral Group about a potential £250m acquisition of Gala’s casinos business. The terms of any acquisition have not yet been finalised, stated Rank, and there is no certainty that any transaction will occur. A spokesperson for Rank declined to confirm when talks between the parties [...]
Moving costs hit a quarter of average income January 26, 2012 ESTATE agents’ fees, mortgage charges and stamp duty have all contributed to a massive jump in the cost of moving house, according to research out today from Lloyds TSB. Since 2001 the average cost of moving has risen by 69 per cent from £5,290 to £8,922, for someone who already owns a home. Agency fees [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 22, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES EU PLANS RAISE HOME FORECLOSURE RISK UK homeowners could face higher mortgage costs and find themselves at greater risk of foreclosure as early as next year because of an obscure clause in the bank capital directive being worked on by the European parliament. US FUNDS RETURN TO EUROPEAN BANK PAPER US money market [...]
Peacocks still searching for white knight January 22, 2012 PRIVATE EQUITY firms and buy-out groups are poised to make a bid for Peacocks, the discount clothing chain, which collapsed into administration last week. Its administrators KPMG will open the data room to Peacocks today, which will allow potential bidders to browse financial and other relevant data on the firm. KMPG expects to receive the [...]
From Kensington to Farringdon: why London’s prices are buoyant January 19, 2012 WHY ARE PROPERTY VALUES IN CENTRAL LONDON RISING FASTER THAN REST OF THE UK? Prices in Prime Central London are indeed out-performing the rest of the country. Over the last 12 months, average house prices across the UK have remained broadly stable, meanwhile in Prime Central London (PCL), prices rose by 12.1 per cent in [...]