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.

Click here for more…

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

Click here for 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).

Click here for 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.

Click here for 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.

Click here for 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.

Click here for more…

Attendees at the prestigious National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) Land and New Homes forum in Warwickshire recently were given unique insight into the key issues facing the industry as guest speakers enlightened a packed audience on subjects such as the new PPS3 planning policy, affordable homes, green design, new homes marketing and land contamination issues.

Click here for more…

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has renewed its concerns over UK land supply following the announcement of the merger between two of Britain’s largest housing developers Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey.

Click here for more…

Nationwide has said that interest rate rises are having an effect on the UK house prices as it reports inflation slowing down in March.

Click here for more…