Don’t get burned by the buy-to-let boom: Funding retirement with rental income could turn into a disaster April 7, 2015 The new pensions freedoms are finally here and many savers will be considering taking a lump sum from their savings. Investing in a buy-to-let property to fund retirement may seem like a good idea, but pensions experts are warning of the risks. Eighteen years after the creation of the first buy-to-let mortgage, this form of [...]
Camden Markets takes step closer to transformation as contracts struck with consultants April 7, 2015 The transformation of Camden Markets into a retail and residential district took a step closer today as the three names behind the development were revealed. Market Tech, the holding company that owns and manages the markets, has struck three contracts that will kick-start work, the first stage of which will be completed by late summer [...]
Savills chief executive Jeremy Helsby takes home £2.2m after record year April 7, 2015 The property market may be something of a minefield to navigate currently, with supply pressures and low interest rates on the one hand and the mortgage market review and the threat of new taxes on the other. But there are no jitters at upmarket estate agent Savills, which awarded its executive directors a healthy jump [...]
UK House prices: Generation rent downbeat on buying outlook April 6, 2015 A generation of Britons still fear that they will never be able to buy a home despite the number of first-time buyers reaching a seven-year high in 2014, a survey reveals today. Some 79 per cent of 20- to 45-year-olds believe banks do not want to lend to first-time buyers, while 21 per cent think [...]
The investment democrats April 6, 2015 Harriet Green talks investment gurus, Asian expansion and putting £1m of your own savings on the line with the founders of meetinvest, Michel and Maria Jacquemai LAST summer, Michel Jacquemai found himself under a pile of books by investment gurus. The portfolio manager, former Credit Suisse vice president, partner of investment manager Partners Group and [...]
TV leaders’ debate: Rise of smaller parties “unnerving development for the markets” April 3, 2015 The strong showing from the smaller parties in last night's leaders' debate could add to market jitters over the unpredictable result of the General Election. Markets could become increasingly anxious as the polls continue to indicate there will be no clear winner come polling day. Nick Beecroft, senior market analyst at Saxo Bank, explaining the consequences of [...]
UK house prices: Sutton, Cambridge and Watford top the list of the UK’s property hotspots April 2, 2015 It's home to Channel 4 series PhoneShop. And, er, other things. Alright, so Sutton might not be the most glamorous place in the commuter belt – but it turns out that when it comes to the race up the housing ladder, the town is heavily in-demand. That's according to online estate agent Emoov, whose latest Property [...]
City Moves for 02 April 2015 | Who’s switching jobs April 1, 2015 Savills The property adviser has appointed Natasha Demirbag as neighbourly matters director in its building and project consultancy team. She has 17 years’ experience in property, and has previously held roles at Watts and Partners, Drivers Jonas, and Orpwood Associates. Brown Shipley The private bank has appointed Jim Willens as chairman. He has been a [...]
UK house prices: We can ramp up housebuilding by turning offices into flats – if the planners let us April 1, 2015 The UK suffers from an acute housing shortage, and this has led to prices outpacing incomes in nearly every year since the early 1990s. Most government initiatives to address this problem, however, have merely resulted in greater demand for properties. In fact, the only way to tackle the issue properly is to increase supply. But [...]
Forget the media darling equity: Debt is the biggest area of UK crowdfunding March 31, 2015 City A.M. published an article last week entitled Crowdfunding: A brief history. It acknowledged that there are four types of crowdfunding – donation, rewards-based, debt and equity – and yet the entire piece focused on equity crowdfunding. At the end of last year, Cambridge University and Nesta released a report called Understanding Alternative Finance. It [...]