http://www.maximproperty.co.ukMaxim Property are property brokers specializing in sourcing off plan opportunities for the serious investor. With over 10 years in the property business, we have the expertise to help you build your property portfolio or buy your new home.http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/images/maxim_logo_white.gifhttp://www.maximproperty.co.ukhttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news229.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news229.phpThe flat rental market is showing signs of improvement...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:10:43 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news230.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news230.phpDriveways can be expensive enough to maintain, never mind....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:10:24 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news231.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news231.phpHouse prices have risen by their highest rate in five months....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:09:27 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news232.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news232.phpBritain will be declared to have emerged from the deepest...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:09:09 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news233.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news233.phpNew Halifax research suggests a huge improvement in first-time....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:08:45 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news235.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news235.phpThe number of mortgage products on the market has increased...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:08:16 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news236.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news236.phpPrivate banks have started to dip their toes back into the...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:07:47 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news237.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news237.phpBritish Gas is profiting from the Government’s boiler...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:07:21 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news238.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news238.phpHouse prices in England and Wales recovered 0.9 per cent...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:06:54 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news239.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news239.phpA POWERFUL coalition of some of Britain’s biggest property...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:06:21 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news240.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news240.phpHomesellers increased asking prices by 0.4% in the past month...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:05:22 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news241.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news241.phpSir Brian Pitman, the new chairman of Virgin Money, said...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:05:04 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news242.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news242.phpthe council of mortgage lenders said that home movers....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:04:42 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news243.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news243.phpMartin Finegold, one of the City's veteran hedge fund...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:04:04 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news244.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news244.phpOne of the most inexplicable things about the banking...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:03:45 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news245.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news245.phpPension savers have shifted nearly half a billion pounds...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:02:55 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news246.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news246.phpWork stopped on the 60 hectare St Mary's Island in 2009....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:02:35 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news247.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news247.phpIn January, 32 percent more chartered surveyors reported....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:02:02 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news248.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news248.phpAccording to the National Housing Federation (NHF), new...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:01:29 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news249.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news249.phpThe Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee today...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:00:59 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news250.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news250.phpThe Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is concerned...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:00:37 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news251.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news251.phpThe Bank of England has published data on the total net...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:00:04 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news261.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news261.phpGross mortgage lending in January fell to the lowest level...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:59:40 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news262.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news262.phpMortgage lenders are making it more difficult for borrowers...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:59:18 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news263.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news263.phpThe chairman of one of Britain’s biggest housebuilders...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:55:34 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news264.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news264.phpImmediately before the credit crunch, Northern Ireland...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:55:13 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news265.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news265.phpThe wealth gap is widening. If you want to sell your detached...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:54:55 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news266.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news266.phpNationwide, Britain’s biggest building society, told the...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:54:34 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news266.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news266.phpNationwide, Britain’s biggest building society, told the....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:54:12 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news267.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news267.phpThe City of London could be transformed into a seven days....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:53:52 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news268.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news268.phpThe number of second homes in England rose to a new high....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:53:28 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news269.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news269.phpProperty investors buying second homes in Europe could....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:53:06 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news270.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news270.phpParents are increasingly using equity-release plans to...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:52:39 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news271.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news271.phpHamptons International this week became the latest company....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:52:15 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news272.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news272.phpA restaurant occupies the Grade II-listed Art Deco banking....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:52:00 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news273.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news273.phpThe number of people losing their homes hit a 14-year....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:51:34 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news274.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news274.phpA fundamental power shift has taken place in the relationship....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:51:18 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news276.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news276.phpThe Financial Services Authority today began work to prevent....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:50:56 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news277.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news277.phpMortgage borrowers with building societies are getting....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:50:30 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news278.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news278.phpBRITAIN’S state-controlled banks have been blamed for....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:49:58 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news252.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news252.phpThe Residential Landlords Association (RLA) says that....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:49:31 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news253.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news253.phpHouse prices rose by 1.2% in January and are up 8.6% year....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:49:08 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news254.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news254.phpThis survey carried out by the Halifax reviews house price....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:48:48 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news255.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news255.phpZoopla has just launched what it believes is a very exciting....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:48:20 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news256.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news256.phpThe UK housing market is experiencing a trend of....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:47:16 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news257.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news257.phpGross mortgage lending reached an estimated £13.7 ....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:46:48 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news258.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news258.phpAs we begin a new decade, Halifax has looked over the....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:46:24 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news259.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news259.phpZoopla.co.uk, the leading UK property website, which launched....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:45:54 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news260.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news260.phpIf the recent cold period doesn't jolt homeowners into...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:44:56 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news228.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news228.phpHouse prices are likely to finish the year up by about....Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:43:33 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news227.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news227.phpHouse prices are likely to finish the year up by about...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:42:53 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news226.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news226.phpTHE number of mortgages dished out is bouncing back, it emerged...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:42:02 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/news225.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/news225.phpSir Richard Branson has begun his assault on the financial...Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:40:39 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/news224.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/news224.phpMaking predictions about the year ahead is an exercise that more often that not results in the author ending up looking pretty foolish. The last few years have proved that even some of the best minds on the planet have a pretty poor record in plotting the future. On the other hand, this does mean that mere mortals such as myself have as much chance of getting it right as anyone else. So here goes.... China will keep on growing at eight per cent or better. Beijing will continue to do whatever it can to stimulate the economy and will in the process further inflate the country's property bubble. This won't burst until 2012, the year Shanghai unveils the world's new tallest building eclipsing Dubai's Burj tower, which opens today. US stocks will outperform emerging markets catching out many fund managers in the process. The Shenzhen index has certainly delivered this year but as America returns to growth its now highly efficient company's will produce stellar profits. The Bank of England will leave rates on hold for the whole of 2010. This as a new Tory government slashes spending and savages the public sector cost base. Despite sterling offering little in the way of yield, the pound will surge as investors applaud London's determination to fix the country's balance sheet. The eurozone will suffer a crisis of confidence as Greece teeters on the edge of a debt default. However, rather than riding to the rescue, Berlin forces Athens into the arms of the IMF. As a result, like the Bank of England, the ECB will have little choice but to keep borrowing costs at ultra low levels but unlike the pound the euro will weaken sharply. Geopolitics will be a bigger part of the risk equation in 2010 as Iran undergoes a bloody regime change. As a worried world watches events unfold the price of oil will briefly spike back above $150 but will quickly fall back to around $80 as the situation in Iran stabilises. The year ahead is likely to be a bumpy one. Indeed, the only thing that investors can bet on is that 2010 will prove to be another extremely volatile year. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:02:29 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/news223.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/news223.phpEconomics | UK housing: Britons paid off £4.91 billion in mortgage debts between July and September, figures from the Bank of England showed. This was the sixth quarter in a row that homeowners paid off more equity than they withdrew from their homes Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:01:57 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/news222.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/news222.phpVIRGIN Money hopes acquiring a bank as early as this month could...Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:01:12 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/news219.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/news219.phpBritain’s year-and-a-half long recession is set to draw to a close, after figures released yesterday showed manufacturing was at its most buoyant for two years in December. Although official growth figures for the fourth quarter of 2009 are not expected to be published until the end of the month, the upbeat indicator was hailed by economists as pointing the way to the start of economic recovery. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:00:53 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/news221.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/news221.phpSENIOR politicians were busy drawing battle lines at the weekend after the New Year heralded the start of the general election campaign proper for the major parties. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was confident "there will be a Labour Budget this spring", casting doubt over the likelihood of the party calling an early election, though he was adamant he would not be "boxed in" over a specific date. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Brown attacked Tory plans for swift and brutal cuts to the burgeoning government deficit, claiming that Labour is the only party equipped to "take the country from recession to growth". "I believe in an age of aspiration, opportunity and prosperity," he added. "I'm afraid the Conservatives have gone for an age of austerity." The Prime Minister's remarks came after shadow business secretary Ken Clarke hinted in a newspaper interview at future tax rises under a Tory government, continuing along David Cameron's well-trodden hard line on repairing the UK's finances. "It would be folly to start ruling out increases in taxation if it turns out to be extremely difficult to get public spending under control rapidly enough," he said. "If you can't get it down quickly enough in order to maintain the confidence of the markets and to create conditions for growth and employment then you may have to look at tax increases." Clarke previously showed himself unafraid to put up taxes when, as chancellor, he was tasked with bringing the UK out of its last recession in the early 1990s. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:59:41 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/newshopeforfirsttimebuyers.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/newshopeforfirsttimebuyers.phpIn 2009, the average price paid by a first-time buyer (FTB) was affordable for someone on average earnings in nearly four in ten (39pc) of local authority districts, according to this year's Halifax First-Time Buyer Annual Review. This compares 2007 when only 6pc of areas were affordable. In 2008 and 2009 around a quarter (24pc) of local authority areas were affordable for those looking to get on the property ladder for the first time. The proportion of disposable earnings devoted to mortgage payments by a potential new FTB on national average earnings – a measure of affordability that includes the impact of interest rate changes – has almost halved from a peak of 50pc in June 2007 to 27pc in November 2009. This improvement in affordability has been a result of the combination of lower house prices and interest rate reductions. The current level is below the average over the past 25 years of 34pc. Halifax admits that tightening in lending criteria since the banking crisis has prevented potential FTBs from getting a property although it says that there are signs that lenders are softening their stance. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:59:07 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/newsbanksexpecttoliftmortgagesupplyin2010.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/newsbanksexpecttoliftmortgagesupplyin2010.phpThe Bank of England's latest credit conditions survey, found that lenders expected a further increase in mortgage availability in the first three months of 2010. It said homeowners looking to borrow more than 75pc of the value of their properties had the greatest choice of mortgage. The news came as the latest house price data from Nationwide showed house prices are now almost 6pc higher than at the start of 2009. British house prices rose by 0.4pc in December, taking the average house price to £162,103. It was the eighth consecutive monthly rise. House prices have risen by 117pc over the past decade, despite the woes of 2008. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:58:34 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/newspropertylottery.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/newspropertylottery.phpA testing 12 months for the housing market has closed. So what can buyers and sellers expect from the year ahead? GRAHAM NORWOOD looks at who'll be the winners and losers in the 2010 property lottery. Fasten your seatbelts. The property ride is far from over, and experts warn that 2010 will see more price falls until the recovery starts in earnest in 2011. So, what should your strategy be? Hang on and do nothing might be a popular move, but there are also ways to be pro-active. The forecast is mixed. Savills, an agency with a respected research department, says it's likely house prices will drop by an average 6.6 per cent this year. The North of England and Scotland will be down as much as 7.5 per cent, with Southern England dipping just 3 per cent. Conversely, it believes there is an outside chance that prices will rise if sellers and buyers conclude that the wider economy is improving - but, if this happens, the market could drop again in 2011, delaying recovery by yet another year. 'The problem isn't affordability,' says Yolande Barnes, of Savills. 'The cost of running a home is low, especially with interest rates on the floor. But the problem is accessibility. 'It's difficult to get a mortgage unless you're an existing owner with equity or a first-time buyer with help from mum and dad or friends.' Most agents and developers support the Savills view for 2010. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:58:20 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/newshousepriceforecast2010.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/newshousepriceforecast2010.phpSevere limitations in the supply of property will continue in 2010 as the housebuilding industry struggles to increase output to any meaningful level, which will underpin prices in the face of very substantial demand. Mounting Government pressure on lenders to reduce margins and increase lending, combined with growing lender competition now the major annual house price indices are turning positive, will be the catalysts for maintaining affordability for new buyers and further reducing the costs of new borrowing. Base rates will eventually start to rise, possibly at the end of 2010, but payable mortgage rates will remain low for the next two years at the very least. Repossessions will be modest again in 2010 as they were in 2009 at c 50,000. Unemployment probably peaked around the end of 2009 and will have little effect on prices. Tax increases will also hold back sentiment and affordability to some extent.Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:57:56 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/newsbankersbonusesboosthouseprices.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/newsbankersbonusesboosthouseprices.phpPrice rises among properties worth more than £1 million come despite repossessions among typical British households reaching one in every 1,000. It is the first time since the autumn of 2007 that every region covered by the Knight Frank survey has seen a rise in the price of luxury manor houses, farmhouses and cottages. The biggest gains were seen in the Home Counties, the traditional heartland of bankers’ luxury properties. Average prices rose by 3.1 per cent during the last three months, and ended the year 1.4 per cent higher than at the beginning of 2009. Andrew Shirley, Knight Frank’s head of rural property research, said: “The price of prime country properties in now increasing across the country as the recovery that started in London during spring 2009 continues to spread further into the regions. Property prices in the Home Counties have shown particular resilience.” He described the rises as “incredible”, given the economic crisis following the collapse of Lehman Brothers last year. Values across the whole of the country rose by 2.3 per cent in the final quarter of this year. It means buyers need £1.4 million to buy the average price country home. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:57:34 GMT http://maximproperty.co.uk/newsrecoveryboostforbuilders.phphttp://maximproperty.co.uk/newsrecoveryboostforbuilders.phpBARGAIN-hunters returned to the bombed-out house building sector yesterday after a leading broker anticipated healthy gains for investors over the next year. Citigroup laid the foundations for a recovery after turning buyer of Redrow, up 8½p to 131p, Barratt Developments, 6½p higher at 116p and Taylor Wimpey, 1¾p better at 35½p. The sector has lost a fifth of its value over the past quarter over consumer spending fears for next year, but house prices, mortgage applications and housing transactions data indicate a more positive story, according to Citigroup, which reckoned shares could rebound at least 30 per cent. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:56:58 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/newsarchive2009.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/newsarchive2009.phpMore mortgages were taken out in November than at any time since March 2008, triggering fresh hope for the housing market.Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:33:07 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news212.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news212.phpBritain's biggest mortgage lender revealed today that house prices have risen by more than £11,000 in Britain since their trough in the spring following a sixth successive increase last month.Thur, 26 Nov 2009 14:33:07 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news195.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news195.phpBarratts will launch a £500 million discounted rights issue alongside its full-year results at the end of this month.Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:33:07 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news194.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news194.phpThe UK faces a housing shortgage unless more land is granted planning permission, the Home Builders federation will tell Government today.Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:33:07 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news180.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news180.phpYou might be tempted: this year started with buyers calling the shots as desperate sellers slashed prices but now agents are jostling to secure the few homes for sale and prices are leaping.Thur, 19 Nov 2009 14:32:08 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news184.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news184.phpThe average price of a home in England and Wales climbed by 0.2 per cent in October according to the latest survey by Hometrack.Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:31:32 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news185.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news185.phpTwo of Britains biggest lenders raised the cost of new mortgages last week - one day after Bank rate was kept on hold for the sixth consecutive month.Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:30:39 GMT http://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news179.phphttp://www.maximproperty.co.uk/news179.phpHouse prices continued to rise in October, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:29:21 GMT