LONDON BAROMETER May 24, 2012 DIRECTOR OF DOUGLAS & GORDON “The London property market continues to be hindered by the lack of finance available to buyers, which has increased the period it takes for a property to exchange to at least nine weeks. “Supply appears perhaps lower than it is because many good properties are put under offer immediately but [...]
What the other papers say this morning January 23, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES GMG ends talks to sell Trader stake Guardian Media Group has called off talks with interested buyers over the sale of its half stake in the car classifieds company Trader Media Group following a failure to agree a price. Apax, its joint venture partner in Trader Media, was interested in buying out the [...]
Transport and schools are key to valuations May 20, 2012 TRYING to predict where London’s house prices will go as a whole is a fools errand. The house price earnings ratio suggests property remains overvalued, but the influx of foreign cash combined with inflexible planning restrictions could see prices continue to rise. It’s easier – and more fruitful – to weigh up different areas. THE [...]
Buy to let loans rise as market woes heal May 10, 2012 BUY to let lending jumped sharply in the last year, industry figures showed yesterday, though the sector remains far smaller than it was in its 2007 peak. Lending in the first quarter hit £3.7bn in 32,000 loans, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders. This was up 32 per cent on the same period of [...]
Mortgage loans rebound from collapse in April June 21, 2012 MORTGAGE lending jumped sharply in May, rebounding from a weak figure in April and showing solid growth on the year, according to industry data published yesterday. However, analysts warned the overall level of lending is still well below that seen in the pre-crisis years, and said banks are facing regulatory pressures holding back the market. [...]
House prices weak as low sales volumes leave market volatile June 7, 2012 HOUSE prices rose in May, figures from Halifax showed yesterday, but remain volatile due to the moribund sales pace in the weak market. Prices rose 0.5 per cent in May, following April’s 2.3 per cent drop and March’s 2.2 per cent jump – volatility driven by the stamp duty holiday for first time buyers which [...]
House price rise 0.5pc in May June 7, 2012 House prices rose by 0.5 per cent in May, rebounding from a 2.3 per cent decline in April, but prices were still slightly lower on the year, figures from mortgage lender Halifax showed on Thursday. The Halifax house price index showed house prices were 0.1 per cent down in the three months to May compared [...]
This new Porsche sounds like a hit February 18, 2013 SOMEWHERE IN the latest Porsche Cayman are 12 loudspeakers. How they’ve squeezed them in is anyone’s guess. It’s “the fastest concert hall in the world,” according to Hans Jürgen Wöhler, chief of mid-engined cars at Porsche. Despite the fact no one is going to buy this car for its audio system, Wöhler can barely contain [...]
What the other papers say this morning January 8, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Telecoms discuss Europe network Europe’s top telecoms executives are discussing the creation of a pan-European infrastructure network to unite the continent’s fragmented national markets, following prompting from Brussels to consider more radical options. The idea of pooling telecoms infrastructure emerged at a private meeting between Joaquín Almunia, the EU’s competition chief, and bosses [...]
Osborne’s gambled on the wrong policy March 23, 2013 THERE is a striking paradox at the heart of George Osborne’s approach to the economy, as demonstrated yet again in yesterday’s Budget. He was remarkably risk-averse with his tax and spend policies, refusing to embrace the kinds of shock and awe tax reforms many of us wanted, or to cut spending faster, though he did [...]