Q&A: SALES June 11, 2009 Camilla DellMANAGING DIRECTOR AT BLACK BRICK Q. Dear Camilla, there has ben a lot of talk recently about property prices starting to rise. Is this true, and should I be thinking of buying? A. These things are never straightforward. When you look back at housing data and statistics from the last property market crash, there [...]
Government housing data provides further cause for market optimism June 9, 2009 THE DEPARTMENT of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) was yesterday the latest to announce improving data for the UK housing market. Between March and April there was a rise of 1.1 per cent in the prices index of properties bought, putting the price of an average UK house at £189,215, compared to £187,193 a month [...]
CITY BOYS COME UP TRUMPS FOR SIR ALAN’S NEWEST APPRENTICE June 8, 2009 BEADY-eyed Apprentice followers may have noticed a bevy of City boys getting behind the camera last night for a cameo on the final episode of the show. Pelham PR’s Gavin Davis, Alisdair Haythornthwaite and Alex Walters appeared on screen, with Funsho Allu from insurer AIG and freelance hack Jack Dyson, to advise winner Yasmina on [...]
Central flats are the future of luxe London living June 4, 2009 THERE is something distinctly un-British about city apartment living. The Americans and the Europeans see it as perfectly normal, even desirable, but we Brits like our houses, simply because it is what we are used to. We would much rather have a small house with smaller garden and a longer commute to work, instead of [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 3, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES BANKRUPTCIES SET TO RISEThe number of corporate bankruptcies is set to surge by 35 per cent this year, turning the world economy into a “burial ground” for businesses, according to a study by Euler Hermes, the credit insurer. In a study published today the Paris-based unit of Allianz, says the rate of corporate [...]
Lending for home loans rises in April June 2, 2009 MORTGAGE approvals for house purchase rose in April for the third consecutive month, according to data released yesterday by the Bank of England, providing further evidence that housing market activity was recovering. But approvals remained at a level that suggests further house price falls are still ahead. The Bank of England said that the number [...]
House market enjoys some spring stability May 31, 2009 HOUSE prices remained stable for the first time in 20 months last month, according to the latest survey by Hometrack. House prices remained unchanged in May, compared to month on month declines since the housing slump. A combination of stronger sales volumes, continued buyer interest and a dwindling supply of property for sale has provided [...]
A bloated BBC could hamper a recovery in media May 28, 2009 THERE was a rare spot of good news for the media industry this week. Firstly, Goldman Sachs turned positive on the industry, upping its target price for Daily Mail and General Trust to 346p and for Trinity Mirror to 88p. It also added ITV to its conviction buy list, a move which Bank of America [...]
CITY VIEWS: DO YOU AGREE WITH THE FSA’S DIRE ECONOMIC ASSUMPTIONS? May 28, 2009 MO MAYET INGRAM MAYET“I think their predictions are very gloomy – and that scaremongering like that isn’t going to help matters. I think the economy will remain stable for the next 12 months or so and then recover steadily, but I’m shocked by the FSA’s predictions.” MICHAEL PERISSINOTTO MIZUHO“I think these figures sound a lot [...]
Sterling’s long decline comes to an end May 27, 2009 IT may seem strange given the dire state of Britain’s public finances but sterling is starting to regain some of its strength, especially against the dollar. Yesterday the pound rose above $1.60 for the first time in seven months, boosted by better services sector sentiment and mortgage approvals. Sterling is now trading well above its [...]