London property prices: In 16 weeks the value of this three bed terrace shot up £340k October 17, 2014 While the data is telling us the London property market is cooling, there are still plenty of signs of just how crazy it can be. Here’s one. It’s not a super skinny house with a bed next to the kitchen, no, this time, it’s an almost average house in zone 2- but its value has [...]
Independent shops are bringing some much-needed cool to London’s housing schemes June 11, 2015 There was a time when retailers were an afterthought to housing developers. But increasingly sophisticated homeowners, used to an urban village life among coffee shops and boutiques, are demanding more. “Ideally, you want to bring the commercial side in as soon as you can,” says John Anderson, chairman of developer Berkeley Homes, East Thames. [...]
Help-to-Buy mortgages nearly double in 2014 second quarter September 2, 2014 The Help-to-Buy scheme is making up an increasing proportion of the mortgage market, with the number of government-guaranteed loans nearly doubling between the first and second quarters of the year. There were 11,243 uses of the controversial scheme between April and June, up significantly from 6,335 in the first three months of the year. When [...]
Budget 2015: Here are George Osborne’s best quotes plus his Budget speech in full March 18, 2015 George Osborne's final Budget during this parliament had few surprises but plenty of great quips, including – to the dismay of bookies everywhere – a quip about Ed Miliband's now-infamous second kitchen. Here's a selection of our favourites from today's big speech. (Source: Getty/City A.M.) (Source: Getty/City A.M) (Source: Getty/City A.M.) [...]
These are the most valuable brands in the world: Apple, Google, Microsft and IBM dominate in BrandZ 2015 ranking as tech triumphs May 27, 2015 Apple has overtaken Google as the most valuable brand in the world, reassuming the top spot in an annual ranking in which technology dominates. The value of the Apple brand grew 67 per cent, with an estimated worth of more than $245bn. The stellar performance of Apple over the past year pushed Google into second [...]
Federal Reserve’s William Dudley sees inflation staying low despite rise in hiring September 22, 2014 Unemployment can continue falling to unusually low levels without risking dangerously high inflation, Federal Reserve policymaker William Dudley said yesterday. Inflation has been running below the Federal Reserve’s target for more than two years, meaning there may be more room than expected to allow growth to surge before any rate rises. Dudley is already considered [...]
UK house prices may be rising, but it’s better to buy than to rent August 25, 2014 It is cheaper to handle the costs associated with buying a house rather than paying rent according to data from Halifax. While this fact is not new – Halifax's data suggests it's been the case since 2009 – it is interesting that despite a rise in house prices over the last year (up 10.2 per cent [...]
London rental prices grow at slowest pace in the UK August 18, 2014 London’s rental market has inflated at record speed in recent years as high house prices prevented swathes of potential first-time buyers from taking the leap. In fact last June average rent in the capital stood at £1,295 per month, just over £500 more than prices in the South West, the next-most expensive region. But [...]
Brookfield wins race to land deal for Center Parcs June 2, 2015 CANADIAN investment giant Brookfield yesterday won a hotly contested race to buy UK holiday parks operator Center Parcs from private equity firm Blackstone in a deal worth about £2.4bn. Brookfield, which also bought Canary Wharf’s owner alongside Qatari Investment Authority earlier this year, will take control of five resorts operated by Center Parcs across the [...]
UK house prices: Rental growth is now outpacing house price increases April 16, 2015 The price of renting a home in the UK has risen 10 per cent in the last 12 months – faster than the rate of growth for buyers. New data from HomeLet shows that the average rental cost rose in the 12 months to March in 11 of the 12 UK regions, with only Wales [...]