The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) is dismayed to see the government pressing ahead with plans for home information packs (HIPs) despite the very real and obvious flaws, which continue to be highlighted by many stakeholders.
Read more »

Nici Audhlam-Gardiner, Head of Mortgages, at Abbey, has given some thoughts on long-term fixed mortgage deals.
Read more »

House prices in London are at their highest for 4 years, property website Hometrack has said.

Across the country, the headline rate of house price growth continues to accelerate. Average house prices grew by 0.8% in March and the year on year rate growth now stands at 6.7% – the highest since June 2003.

But London continues to distort the headline figure Hometrack added. A robust London housing market appears disconnected from the rest of the country where the impetus for price growth is far more subdued.

Average house prices in London grew by 1.8% over March, the largest monthly increase in the capital for over 4 years.

Last year levels of growth were being driven by the high value, prime housing markets of central London, but looking at the first three months of this year, house price growth has picked up in London’s suburbs where demand is being driven by the need for family housing.

The London effect is now beginning to ripple out to the commuter areas around the capital with average house price growth in East Anglia and the South East standing at 0.8%.

Away from those markets influenced by the London economy, house prices remain largely subdued, with house price growth across the remaining seven regions of the country ranging from just 0% in Wales to 0.3% in the South West.

Landlords who take deposits from their tenants under an assured shorthold tenancy agreement must belong to a tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme from 6th April 2007 or risk being taken to court and fined, says the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).
Read more »

With the Government’s national, consumer campaign on Home Information Packs (HIPs) launched at the weekend, estate agents are being advised to ensure their staff are fully prepared to face a growing number of queries from a more informed general public.
Read more »

Bank of Ireland’s quarterly analysis of the Irish property market, the Irish Property Review, reveals that the Irish housing market is cooling in the ‘soft’ manner, as predicted.
Read more »

Following the ECB interest rate increase of 0.25% which was announced on 8th March 2007, AIB is today announcing changes to its lending and deposit rates, with effect from close of business Wednesday, 21st March 2007.
Read more »