Don’t let your prime real estate abroad stand idle while you slave away at work July 15, 2010 WITH global growth likely to be sluggish in the coming years, it might seem like a poor time to invest in a holiday home. But with a clear strategy for renting out the place when you’re not in residence, it is easily possible to make back the cost of maintenance and to generate a little [...]
London hit by house price drop July 13, 2010 HOUSE prices in Britain rose by 0.7 per cent in May on the previous month, pushing the annual increase up to 11 per cent, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said yesterday. Consequently, the mix-adjusted average house price in the UK stood at £209,505 in May 2010. Annual average house prices paid by [...]
BMW driven to hike 2010 sales outlook July 13, 2010 Germany’s BMW raised its 2010 pretax profit and sales outlook yesterday, citing better-than-expected earnings at its automotive business and buoyant luxury car markets around the world. Shares in BMW and archrival Daimler jumped on the news as robust demand for high-performance autos like the BMW Z4 roadster and the new 5-series continues to rebound from [...]
The markets are on the turn, but only in the short-term July 11, 2010 THE success of Paul the octopus at predicting the outcome of World Cup matches has left many spread betters green with envy at his powers. What would be better than being able to predict with accuracy the bottom of the market? But in the absence of any psychic ability, traders have to rely on market [...]
Chinese firm in exclusive talks to acquire Tower 42 July 4, 2010 THE SALE of London’s first skyscraper came a step closer to completion yesterday after it emerged that Chinese Estates Group had entered exclusive discussions to buy Tower 42. The group, chaired by Hong Kong-based billionaire Joseph Lau, is said to have won a three-month auction with a bid near the asking price of £300m. Moorfield [...]
Keep it real in the Caribbean, just the place for sun, sand and security July 1, 2010 THE appeal of white sand, turquoise sea and a developed infrastructure all in one is too strong to be destroyed by an economic downturn, even this one. While prices sank by 20-25 per cent in two of the British Caribbean’s hottest spots, Barbados and St Lucia, the market has far from stalled. In fact, buyers [...]
Cotswolds classics are always in demand July 1, 2010 PICTURE the idyllic country home and the chances are you’ll conjure up some quaint, mullioned stone cottage in the Cotswolds. Far beyond a fad, the Cotswolds are home to what many consider England’s most appealing rural villages. They ooze a well-heeled ambiance but provide countryside and an equestrian community that is second to none, all [...]
House price boom starts to crumble June 28, 2010 HOME prices fell for the first time in more than a year in May, Land Registry data showed yesterday, sparking fears of a second downturn in Britain’s fragile housing market. The average residential property dropped 0.2 per cent in value during the month as uncertainty over austerity measures to be enforced by the incoming government [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 27, 2010 THE SUNDAYS The Sunday Telegraph PRIVATE SECTOR WARNS ON PUBLIC SECTOR CUTS Leading companies have warned they will not be able to pick up the slack from the wide-scale job losses expected in the public sector. The warning raises concerns over a key part of the Chancellor’s spending cuts, which are based on the assumption [...]
Cable to refresh Royal Mail privatisation plans June 24, 2010 VINCE Cable has asked the man behind plans to part-privatise the Royal Mail to see whether a full stock market flotation or sale to a trade buyer could unlock more value in current market conditions. In his first report, former deputy chairman of Ofcom Richard Hooper recommended a strategic partnership with a private player, essentially a part-privatisation. [...]