August 5, 2010

---

Letting agents promise shorter void periods

Permalink: Letting agents promise shorter void periods
by Gill Montia

Letting agents are more successful at keeping rental properties occupied than individual landlords. According to research from The Deposit Protection Service, agents keep void periods to within two weeks on 63% of properties, compared to 38%, in the case of homes marketed ...

---

Minister unveils National Affordable Home Swap Scheme

Permalink: Minister unveils National Affordable Home Swap Scheme
by Gill Montia

Housing Minister, Grant Shapps, has unveiled plans for a National Affordable Home Swap Scheme for England's eight million social housing tenants. The scheme will allow those wanting to move to view details of tenants looking for a mutual exchange, across ...

---

New council tenants may lose life-long rights

Permalink: New council tenants may lose life-long rights
by Gill Montia

New council house tenants may lose the right to remain in a property for life. Prime Minister David Cameron has opened a debate on the current system, which provides life-long tenancies that can be inherited by offspring or a partner. He would ...

August 4, 2010

---

Halifax reports 0.6% rise in house prices in July

Permalink: Halifax reports 0.6% rise in house prices in July
by Kay Mitchell

The Halifax has today revealed a 0.6% rise in house prices for the month of July compared with June. However, the latest house price rise takes the annual rate of inflation down from 6.3% to 4.9% with the average ...

August 3, 2010

---

Landlords waver on buy-to-let confidence

Permalink: Landlords waver on buy-to-let confidence
by Gill Montia

CHL Mortgages is suggesting that landlords are less uncertain about the outlook for buy-to-let. The specialist lender's latest survey paints a slightly less confident picture than six months ago, having questioned landlords on their plans for the future, buying constraints and the impact ...

---

Taylor Wimpey kicks off housebuilders reporting season

Permalink: Taylor Wimpey kicks off housebuilders reporting season
by Kay Mitchell

Taylor Wimpey, which was formed by the merger of Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey, today reported pre-tax profits of £19.6 million, compared with a loss of £68.9 million in the same period a year earlier. The results mean the reporting season ...

August 2, 2010

---

Landlords urged not to sell

Permalink: Landlords urged not to sell
by Gill Montia

Leaders is urging landlords with properties for sale to think again. The lettings specialist points out that the UK housing market is currently painfully slow because of oversupply, while the rental market is seeing exceptionally high demand. The firm's managing director, Paul ...

---

Research finds buyers still need large deposit

Permalink: Research finds buyers still need large deposit
by Kay Mitchell

In order to secure a mortgage, buyers still require a hefty deposit, according to the financial information service, Moneyfacts. Since the credit crunch three years ago, lending criteria has tightened and first-time buyers, in particular, have struggling to get a foot ...

---

Social housing tenants lack national exchange scheme

Permalink: Social housing tenants lack national exchange scheme
by Gill Montia

Circle Anglia is calling for a national housing exchange scheme, having undertaken research that suggests one in five social housing tenants in England want to move. The affordable housing provider estimates that the difficulties faced by such tenants has cost the ...

August 1, 2010

---

CEBR provides prediction for house prices

Permalink: CEBR provides prediction for house prices
by Kay Mitchell

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has provided a positive prediction for the housing market after saying prices will rise by about 4% this year. Furthermore, prices will continue to rise every year until at least the end of 2014 ...