Property investment news
Latest Property investment news
Property sales figures 'appear to be wrong'
Official government figures for property sales appear to be wrong and have been withdrawn from publication. The government statistics are a major indicator for any shift in house prices and are published on a monthly basis by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), including all sales over £40,000. Statistics for July were due to be released on Thursday, but have been postponed ...
22nd Aug 2008
Credit crunch creates new breed of buyer
A new breed of buyer is being created by the credit crunch, with the likes of 'ambulance chasers' among new terminology used to describe the altered market for homeowners . However, a recovery from the property value slump may be in sight, after one expert claimed "the bottom is now visible", the Telegraph reports. The crunch has already led to a number of new ...
15th Aug 2008
Property investment news archive
Stamp duty talk causes deals to 'fall through'
A quarter of estate agents have had deals fall through because of rumours about the possible removal of stamp duty, a survey has revealed. The announcement that the chancellor may grant a stamp duty holiday in autumn has resulted in a rise in homeowners ' concerns as well as buyers, according to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). Alistair Darling's apparent ...
14th Aug 2008
Crunch 'sows seeds' for housing recovery
The credit crunch could already be sowing the seeds of recovery for house prices , according to leading analysts. Over the next five years, the government's targets for house building are unlikely to be met, but this could lead to a supply shortfall by 2010 and property price resurgence, the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) predicts. CEBR economist Richard ...
5th Aug 2008
Sellers becoming 'accidental landlords'
Selling your home could lead to you becoming an 'accidental landlord', as many sellers are refusing to accept lower prices and are renting their properties out instead. The likelihood of homeowners without experience of being a landlord getting the best possible returns on their investment is low, according to LandlordNanny.com. Keeping up with daily tasks, deposit ...
29th Jul 2008
Farmland housing market surges
Farmland house prices in the UK have surged in the first half of the year, according to a new survey. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (Rics) rural market survey found that the average price of farmland increased by 24 per cent. However, the demand for farmland homes decreased for the the first time in three years. Rics spokesman Julian Sayers believes this ...
28th Jul 2008
Green standards for housing 'toughest ever'
New homes are to go through the most vigorous green standards checks ever, according to new government proposals. In eco-towns, all buildings should achieve zero carbon status and 40 per cent of land will remain as green space, including public recreation areas. People struggling to get on to the housing ladder due to house prices they cannot afford will also be assisted, ...
25th Jul 2008
Eco-improvements 'could help property market'
Improving the environmental performance of homes could rejuvenate the property market, according to researchers from the University of Oxford. By investing in eco-initiatives for housing, not only would damage to the environment be limited, property prices would be stimulated and energy bills would decrease. However, the study's lead author Gavin Killip believes Britain's ...
10th Jul 2008
Property developers 'pressing on' with projects
The commercial property sector is continuing with grand plans to build state-of-the-art new projects despite the drop in the property market. Developments with names such as the Walkie Talkie in London and the V building in Birmingham are pressing on with their projects, even though they are far from certain to find blue chip companies to fill them. Dan Bayley, property ...
9th Jul 2008
Second homes 'should be banned in eco-towns'
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) is calling for a ban on second-home investors being allowed to buy in 'eco-towns'. A list of 15 proposed sites for the 'eco-towns' will soon be narrowed down to ten once more consultation has taken place, with the NAEA claiming planning conditions could be needed in order to give local buyers the chance to get on the property ...
8th Jul 2008