News - Archive for June 2013

Top Tips For Buy To Let Brits

Buy to let is hotter than ever before in the UK, as commentators talk not only of the vast number of people forced into renting by credit conditions, but often of generation rent. The average age for a Brit to buy his or her first house without any assistance from parents is now 37.

Leading international real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle is predicting strong growth in Mexico hotel investment in the next 2 years, due to the introduction of new financial vehicles in the country and the sector.

The UK residential property market has experienced a boost as the number of approved mortgages increased. Mortgage approvals in May increased by 24 per cent on the same month in 2012, according to figures released by the British Bankers Association (BBA), hitting a 16-month high.

Prime property in the UK is performing well, particularly in the capital where the well-heeled continue to flock to take advantage of its safe haven status. When money is no object, property investment almost becomes a matter of heart over head.

Could Jails be the New Hot Hotels?

A night in the slammer may be most people's idea of a nightmare, but hoteliers and policy makers are hoping to attract the few that would consider the experience an attractive novelty. New plans have been put forward by the Policy Exchange to create a series of...

With homeownership now a distant dream for many, the government has launched a new funding scheme to increase affordable rental stock in the UK. Some GBP 10 billion in loan guarantees will be made available in the hope they will get Britain...

Some GBP 1.928 billion worth of shopping centre transactions were carried out in the first half of 2013 according to the latest data from Cushman and Wakefield. This is more than twice the figure recorded for the same period last year...

Young people in the UK are finding themselves locked out of the property market, according to research commissioned by Shelter. Across the country, would-be first-time buyers have little hope of owning a home and are forced to delay property investment...

UK Housing in Recovery Evidence Shows

According to the latest data from the Office of national Statistics UK house prices increased by 2.6 percent in the year ending April, with London as usual outpacing the rest of the country.

Property investment is all about finding the segment that will give you the greatest returns and stability over the long term. However, in a sector that is always changing, this can be difficult: one year's hot asset can be next month's financial drain.

Is US Housing a Good Investment Today?

The US housing market has been in recovery for going on 2 years now, and the recovery was started and has been largely driven by bargain hunters buying good properties at low prices. As the buying spree rolled on, prices rose, and as inventories became constrained prices rose faster. So, prices rose, but is it too late to make money on a US housing investment?

The US construction industry looks like it's on the up, with builder confidence returning. Figures from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Wells Fargo Housing Market Index showed that for newly-built single-family homes, confidence surged eight points to read 52 for June.

US Housing Inventory Increasing at Last

More homes are coming onto the US housing market, perhaps signalling an end to the inventory issues that have badly restricted the market over the last several months. The increase in availability is as reported by two major listing sites in the country.

Regulation is behind the lack of mortgage lending in the UK, according to a new report. Commissioned by the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), the study shows that fewer people are becoming home-owners due to British and EU regulations...

The UK residential property sector is prime for investment, with the balance between prices, finance opportunities and demand just right. However, like all good things, this must come to an end and time is running out for those hoping to take advantage of current market conditions.

The latest study from the Association of Residential Letting Agents has found that, despite a slight softening in tenant demand, landlord investor sentiment continues to increase in the residential sector.

Gross mortgage lending is on the rise, thanks to an increase in remortgage activity. Data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) revealed that lending grew by five per cent in April, although house price lending fell slightly compared to March.

Construction in London will be unable to keep up with demand for residential stock between now and 2022. A new report from Knight Frank revealed that despite a substantial increase in development activity in many areas of the capital...

Panama is a country that often flies under the radar but savvy investors will know that the tide is turning. Ongoing growth, investment and expansion in the region are attracting the attention of investors - Panama is certainly a country on the up.

Residential property sales in the UK are now at their highest level since January 2010, according to the residential market report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Activity is certainly starting to return to the market...

UK Home Sales Hit 3 Year High Says RICS

Home sales in the UK have hit a 3 year high according to the latest data from RICS. According to the industry body its members handled an average of 17.9 sales in the three months ending May...

Although it has faced a raft of criticism since its launch, the government's Help to Buy Scheme has got off to a strong start. The programme is comprised of a mortgage guarantee option and an equity loan component.

Average Rental Yields Falling

Average rental yields across the UK are falling, according to new statistics for May. Countrywide's Monthly Lettings Index revealed a drop of 0.1 per cent occurred last month. However, the integrated property service stresses that yields remain strong...

Room-for-Rent Numbers Falling

Opportunities abound in the buy-to-let sector, as room-for-rent numbers continue to fall. According to research from easyroommate.co.uk, a lack of rooms and consistent demand from renters has been pushing up rents....

Norway's oil fund has purchased a GBP 250m portfolio of suburban warehouses in the U.K. as it moves forward with plans to increase its property assets. The Norwegian Pension Fund Global, the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, is buying 11 warehouses...

The latest data from Jones Lang LaSalle shows that US hotel transactions were 50 percent higher in the first half of this year than the same period last year, with USD 8 billion dollars’ worth of transactions already completed.

According to the latest release of the Irish Banking Federation's Housing Market Monitor transaction volumes in the republic increased 14.4% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year...

According to the latest news from the Council of Mortgage Lenders, some 64% of first time buyers now rely on the bank of Mum and Dad in order to get their foot on the first rung of the property ladder...

Uproar over suggestions that British taxpayer money could be used to back the mortgages of rich overseas property buyers could dampen enthusiasm for the Help to Buy scheme in the UK...

The latest release of the Knight Frank's Prime Central London Index increased a slight 0.3 percent in May from the previous month. It also showed prices up 3.2 percent from the start of the year and 7.2 percent from a year earlier...