Save money on a property overseas November 14, 2014 NOW could be a great time to buy property overseas. The strength of the pound coupled with a depressed European housing market means that bargains are available on the continent. In Spain, for example, house prices are 35 per cent below their 2007 peak. And for UK based buyers the good news is that [...]
Pub chain shares battered after MP vote to end beer tie: Enterprise Inns, Punch Taverns suffer November 19, 2014 Shares in pub chains plummeted after MPs voted to let landlords buy their beer on the open market, as investors heeded industry warnings that the legislation would have a "hugely damaging" effect. Enterprise Inns led the fall, losing 15.3 per cent in mid-morning trade. Punch Taverns also shed 12. 5 per cent. Shares in Marston's and [...]
From banking to barista: Meet Notes director Edward Halfon February 8, 2015 Mass-produced coffee is out: new, hip speciality cafes are in. Former financier Edward Halfon tells Annabel Denham how the founders of food and wine “destination” Notes plan to indulge our ever-evolving taste buds. Recent research from the small business website Startups.co.uk found that “cult cafes” will become the hottest business opportunity over the next 12 [...]
Housing market cools down yet prices stay high March 12, 2014 THE FEVER in the UK housing market appears to have eased last month, according to a widely-regarded survey published this morning. The number of new buyer enquiries in February rose at the slowest rate since March last year, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found. Yet supply remains extremely tight in the market, with new instructions to [...]
Mortgage Advice Bureau IPO: Housing boom helps broker’s stock flotation November 11, 2014 The Mortgage Advice Bureau (Mab) defied choppy markets to price its initial public offering (IPO) yesterday. It has achieved healthy growth this year on the back of a strong housing market, and buyers looking for more help on loans as the prospects of an interest rate rise grow. The loan brokerage is set [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: George Osborne’s wizard wheezes don’t mask his total failure to eliminate the deficit December 3, 2014 I said that I would eliminate the budget deficit in this Parliament. I have failed to do so. It’s actually going to take me about 10 years rather than five. So, I’d be most grateful if you could re-elect me next May to let me finish the job at the snail’s pace I have now [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: This is what the CBI wants George Osborne to deliver November 24, 2014 What will George Osborne get out of his red box when he delivers the Autumn Statement next week? The CBI got off the starting block early with its wishlist, asking for a range of measures to boost British business, including better infrastructure around Stonehenge and business rates reform. Here's what the group businesses wants to [...]
Mortgages cool fears of bubbles and surprise hike September 29, 2014 LENDING in the UK economy contracted slightly in August as the number of mortgage approvals declined. It signals that the housing market may continue to cool off from its summer highs, which would be consistent with surveys published earlier in the month such as the Halifax house price index. The data released by the Bank of [...]
On the frontline November 27, 2014 PENNY MOSGROVE MD AT QUINTESSENTIALLY ESTATES You might not think an estate agent’s office is much altered by festivities, but we, too, get the occasional Christmas shopper through the door. Even at Quintessentially Estates, where we’re used to dealing with top-end property acquisitions for some of the world’s wealthiest individuals, we sometimes find ourselves playing [...]
Investors are “most optimistic” about UK property and equities September 10, 2014 Investors are more optimistic about British shares and housing than any other asset class – including emerging market stocks, a study by Lloyds showed today. UK property far and away led the rankings, indicating investors believed the house price resurgence still has a long way to run. The survey asks investors how they think an [...]