July 24, 2007

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Always get a survey done

Permalink: Always get a survey done
by Brian Turner

The title says it all - Always Get A Survey Done! I know from experience - even my 4 year old new build property from Barratts has suffered a range of issues, from leaking pipes, poor installation of double glazing, a failed boiler, ...

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Cost of a London property breaks new records

Permalink: Cost of a London property breaks new records
by Elaine Frei

The Halifax House Price Index for the second quarter of 2007 saw the average price for a property in the capital now stands at £313,122, with house prices rising by 4.9% between April and June continuing to outperform the ...

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Five year wait for first-time buyers

Permalink: Five year wait for first-time buyers
by Kay Murchie

According to Stroud & Swindon Building Society, the time required by first-time buyers to save to purchase their first property increased by 11 months during 2006 – to nearly 5 years. The building society established that first time buyers in the UK ...

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Sweden becoming more attractive to Britons

Permalink: Sweden becoming more attractive to Britons
by Kay Murchie

An increasing number of Britons are buying summer houses in Sweden, with its 24,000 islands, the Stockholm archipelago is appealing to overseas investors. According to the estate agency Per Nystrom, prices in Sweden are rising steadily and the agency claims ...

July 23, 2007

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Land is not the answer for housing crisis

Permalink: Land is not the answer for housing crisis
by Elaine Frei

According to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), increasing the supply of land for construction is not the answer to reduce house prices. Their research established that increasing property prices are a reflection of bigger incomes and mortgage ...

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Property prices rising faster than expected

Permalink: Property prices rising faster than expected
by Kay Murchie

A shortage of houses for sale is driving the property boom resulting in the Halifax tearing up its original forecasts. The UK’s biggest mortgage lender anticipated the average cost of a property to increase by 6% during 2007 – up ...

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Thailand appealing to retirees

Permalink: Thailand appealing to retirees
by Elaine Frei

According to CB Richard Ellis, more South-East Asian countries are eyeing foreign retirees as second home purchasers and Thailand is just in the lead. Thailand, which has been making a huge effort to attract foreign retirees for years, granted 12,092 special retirement visas ...

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First-time buyers must carry out structural checks

Permalink: First-time buyers must carry out structural checks
by Gill Montia

According to AA Legal Services, one fifth of 18-29 year olds do not carry out basic evaluations of their first property and young homebuyers are being urged to perform legal and structural checks on a property before buying. The research suggests ...

July 20, 2007

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European property to outdo UK

Permalink: European property to outdo UK
by Elaine Frei

According to Morley European Property, European property will outperform the UK across all sectors following rental growth forecasts. A total return of 6.6% per annum is forecast between 2007 and 2011, a rise on the current income yield of 5% for European ...

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Mortgage lending achieves record high in June

Permalink: Mortgage lending achieves record high in June
by Elaine Frei

According to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), gross mortgage lending accomplished a new record of £34.2 billion in June - up from £31.4 billion in May. Higher interest rates and the traditional spring pick-up in house-buying are ...

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Cyprus should reap the benefits of adopting the Euro

Permalink: Cyprus should reap the benefits of adopting the Euro
by Kay Murchie

Cyprus is getting ready to adopt the Euro on 1st January 2008. This will bring significant benefits - travelling and purchasing goods in Euro countries is easier as citizens will not have to change currencies every time ...

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House prices rocketing £50 A Day

Permalink: House prices rocketing £50 A Day
by Kay Murchie

According to the Department for Communities and Local Government, property prices are rocketing to nearly twice their rate 12 months ago. The average cost of a home increased by nearly 11% to £211,056 – an increase of £50 per day. Bungalows ...

July 19, 2007

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Florida and California top US investment risk list

Permalink: Florida and California top US investment risk list
by Brian Turner

Property in Florida tops a list of investment risk areas, with areas of California close after, in a study conducted on the US real estate market published by Forbes. Miami and Orlando are two cities in Florida that topped the ...

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Tips for investing in overseas property

Permalink: Tips for investing in overseas property
by Brian Turner

Investing in a home in the UK has always seemed a sure fire long-term investment. However, investing in property as an investment comes with it's own set of requirements and experiences - benefits and hazards - and this becomes doubly so when ...

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Buy-To-Let on the increase in Blackpool

Permalink: Buy-To-Let on the increase in Blackpool
by Gill Montia

Blackpool may have lost some of its charm as a holiday destination recently but a rebirth is on its way. The British Resorts and Destinations Association recently remarked that work is being undertaken to develop the area and encourage more ...

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Tuscany dominated by British investors

Permalink: Tuscany dominated by British investors
by Gill Montia

Tuscany is located in central Italy and is one of the most beautiful and popular tourist destinations in Italy. It is a gently hilly region, famous for its vineyards and olive groves, with large houses or small settlements scattered around the ...

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Location still most important factor in UK property market

Permalink: Location still most important factor in UK property market
by Kay Murchie

According to a housing market survey by Savills, 80% said location is still the most important factor in the UK property market. The quality of the neighbourhood in which a property is located was considered significant. ...

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Young homebuyers struggling to get onto the property ladder

Permalink: Young homebuyers struggling to get onto the property ladder
by Gill Montia

The risks are becoming greater for first-time buyers as they face a number of problems to get onto the property ladder. First-time buyers are borrowing nearly 4 times their gross salary, a record average. Interest rates are at ...

July 18, 2007

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More seeking housing through local authorities

Permalink: More seeking housing through local authorities
by Kay Murchie

Ministers have declared that the rise in property prices in the UK is resulting in more people look for homes through housing associations or local authorities. Shared ownership schemes are also becoming more popular. Grant Shapps, the shadow housing minister, ...

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Mortgage fees increase by 600%

Permalink: Mortgage fees increase by 600%
by Kay Murchie

Moneyfacts.co.uk, the personal finance website, have declared that mortgage fees charged by some leading lenders have rocketed in the last 2 years but the amount of work involved to arrange a mortgage has not changed. For example, some lenders inflict higher ...