Hammerson and Allianz buy £1.4bn Irish shopping mall loans portfolio September 30, 2015 Hammerson has made a major foray into the Irish property market after buying a portfolio of loans secured against some of the country’s biggest shopping centres for €1.85bn (£1.37bn). The property giant and its joint venture partner Allianz Real Estate said yesterday they have signed an agreement with Ireland’s National Management Agency (Nama) to buy [...]
World view September 29, 2015 From capital flight to monetary wobbles, we highlight the figures that matter from around the world UNITED STATES 13 of 17 FOMC members predict a Fed rate rise in 2015. $1 trillion Total US car loans outstanding reached a record level, rising by $119bn in the second quarter. SOUTH AMERICA Junk S&P’s rating of Brazil [...]
New Bloomberg headquarters in the City put up for sale by Legal & General September 29, 2015 Bloomberg’s new European headquarters near Mansion House in the City have been put up for sale with a price tag of around £100m. Legal & General confirmed it has put its freehold interest in Bloomberg Place on the market, after more than 60 years of ownership. News of the sale comes after the vast 3.2 acre site, [...]
Land Registry: UK house price growth in August at lowest level in two years September 28, 2015 House prices rose by 4.2 per cent year-on-year in August, according to the latest survey from Land Registry. This is the weakest annual pace since November 2013 and compares with an annual growth of 4.7 per cent in July. The average value of all properties across the UK – now £184,682 – was up 0.5 [...]
Countryside Properties eyes up £1bn return to the stock market September 28, 2015 Housebuilder Countryside Properties is planning to return to the stock market with a £1bn float, over 10 years since it delisted. The company was bought for £222m in 2005 by a joint venture between HBOS, now Lloyds Banking Group, and the founder Alan Cherry. It was subsequently bought by US private equity firm Oaktree Capital [...]
UK housing market: Property lending showing signs of rebound as banks resume financing September 27, 2015 Lending to the property sector is showing signs of recovery as the long-term decline in bank finance begins to slow, says commercial law firm EMW. In a report today, EMW says bank lending to investors in the property sector has levelled out over the past year, down just one per cent from £136.2bn in July [...]
Bank of England may put cap on lending for buy-to-let landlords September 27, 2015 THE BOOMING buy-to-let mortgage market is putting the UK’s banking system at risk, the Bank of England has warned. Officials are watching for lenders making it easier for would-be landlords to get loans, with the government weighing up whether to give the Bank powers to cap buy-to-let lending as it can for owner-occupied loans. A [...]
From Volkswagen and Glencore to the Black Cab protest: Here’s what got us talking this week September 25, 2015 There was an alarming protest in Croydon (with an excellent response from Debenhams). There was an eyebrow-raising development in the world of robotics. And somewhere in the CIty, some window cleaners were left hanging. On the side of skyscraper. For several hours. Here's what got us talking this week Could you fall in love with [...]
UK house prices: Supply of properties for sale crashes to 11-year low as National Association of Estate Agents warns “We’re reaching crisis point” September 25, 2015 The supply of houses for sale has slumped its lowest level for 11 years, exacerbating fears that housing affordability is set to continue declining. The number of properties available to buy per estate agent branch dropped to 38 in August, according to figures released today by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) – a [...]
UK house prices: These are the compromises homebuyers aren’t prepared to make when buying a home September 25, 2015 When finding the perfect home a multitude of factors come into play: price, location, transport links and schools are often top of the list. Nobody usually wants to scale back their expectations, but new research shows that home-buyers are much more willing to be flexible about location than the number of bedrooms and local crime [...]