Sell my house Online (Online Estate Agent Kent)

Mews Style property For sale

tom smart — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 18:36:24 -0600

Sell your house online

A Monstrous Tax!

tom smart — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:21:28 -0600

Householders face rises in council tax bills every time they improve their homes!
The labour government comes up trumps again, with another stealth tax and an assault on the civil liberties and privacy of British citizens.Under rules being introduced in N Ireland soon to be extended in the UK-properties are to be assessed every year to take into account home improvements.This tax is to be introduced on top of stamp duty and a new levy on house prices in every part of the UK.These annual revaluations are backed by Sir Michael Lyons!
An Englishman's home may be his castle but it will soon be open to inspection by officials looking for unregistered double glazing.This intrusiveness mocks the whole notion of freehold which is the basis for all liberal societies.
Taxing home improvements including sheds, double glazing and conservatories is an overt Labour tax grab on family homes,punishing those who have worked hard and saved.
Not only that new proposals suggest a tax on the perceived value of living in your local area,,for example the proximity of good schools or a low crime rate.
So not only are they going to tax you for fitting a new bathroom but also for setting up a neighbourhood watch scheme.!
We must act to halt this ridiculous situation in its tracks before it gets hold.
If you value your way of life or even just begrudge paying another sneaky tax out of your wallet heres waht to do
1:Write to Sir Michael lyons and tell him what a great chap he is and congrats on a job well done
2:Post your comments of support here! or otherwise
3:if you want to sell your house do it with us at least we will save you some money!
Have a great week
imole.
Sell your house online

The great stamp duty rip-off

tom smart — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:26:28 -0600

Crippling stamp duty bills imposed by the Labour Government are preventing people from moving.Stamp duty rates start at one per cent for properties worth between 125-250,000 which makes life difficult for first time buyers.

Unless something is done by the government to help combat the mounting pressures on home buyers the housing market will be seriously affected in 2007.

We at kentrealestate think this stealth tax has to be changed and sooner rather than later.

It does the property market no good and penalises buyers especially first time buyers.

Why not have your say post your comments at the end of this story.

Kentrealestate is doing its bit by cutting commission rates to just 0.5 % for all full agency sales.

Our D.I.Y PACKAGE STARTS AT JUST 175 POUNDS.

The government nay not help you now but we can

kent real estate get moving for less!
Sell your house online

Dont Kill the Goose.....

tom smart — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 06:59:12 -0600

Are all Estate agents good or bad eggs ?

Well whichever side you take the government is taking notice and trying to clean up the Estate Agents act for them by introducing a range of of measures.Will estate agents be left with egg on thier faces?

We at Kent Real Estate believe we are a rare breed ,being if you like poacher turned game keeper.For years as property developers we paid out huge sums of money to a plethora of estate agents in commissions for doing ,well not very much. So we know what we wanted from an Estate Agent and finally decided the only way we were going to get that service was by doing it ourselves.

So Kent Real Estate was hatched !

The aim , harness the latest technology to get superior marketing and charge a minumum fee.

No high street shops , no company cars no large expenses accounts for the customer to pay for.

We hope to be the good egg and for customers choosing the free range option of D.I.Y a definate Golden egg for them.

Pricing from just 175 pounds for a full sales package.

For those within a 20 mile radius of hawkhurst (our main hatchery) sales commission of just

0.5 %

The governments crackdown will hopefully sort out the bad eggs from the good but lets hope they dont kill the goose who lays the Golden egg

Sell your house online

So you Want to move house?

tom smart — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 10:10:14 -0500

If you are tring to get on the property ladder or desperate to move to a house with more space for the kids then read on.
We have a report for you this week which was originally aired on BBC TV and is a reminder of the pitfalls involved with dealing with estate agents.
We invite you to add your comments to this post and remind you that kentrealestate.co.uk was setup specifically to help combat these problems.

We offer a clear advantage to any one trying to sell their property without having to use an estate agent.
Investigation.
Lying to customers, faked signatures, false passports and dodgy deals with developers. An undercover investigation reveals the secret world of estate agents' dirty tricks. .........
My boss congratulates me on getting an offer on a flat that has been overvalued by £60,000. The newly-wed young couple viewing the property are stretched to their financial limit. But my manager is happy.
He takes me aside and explains how to convince a surveyor that the flat in London's fashionable Notting Hill is worth more than it is. He calls it "slightly simmering" - I call it cooking the books.
The scenario is not uncommon, in fact the manager himself boasts: "This kind of s*** happens all the time ... that's why we estate agents are here."
That night I head to the weekly sales meeting at Sloane Square. It's held at 7pm on a Friday night - when other people are relaxing in the pub. Heckled
Under-performers are heckled and those who have done the most deals are applauded and given champagne and £50. Young agents in Cheatems exchange high-fives as they swap tales of gazumping and over-valuing.
I'm unaccustomed to a sales environment, but when I tell one of the directors that failure is not an option, he looks thrilled The ambitious young graduates in sharp suits are full of bravado as they discuss their equally sharp practices while their sales figures are projected onto a giant screen.
But I can't stop thinking back to the hard-working young family who dream of getting on the property ladder and have wasted their money unnecessarily.
As a undercover reporter, I spent eight months investigating the murky world of the estate agent.
This involved spending time in five very different agencies and within days, I got a shocking glimpse inside this largely unregulated industry.

Going to war
During the investigation I saw the depths to which some agents will sink to get a deal - not only offering a house and a mortgage, but also a fake British passport.

An estate agent was also able to obtain a false passport Together with a colleague, Emma Stone, I spent three months in Cheatems. Londoners will know the brand by its ubiquitous fleet of branded Minis and the trendy high-street offices that look more like wine bars than estate agencies.
But behind the stylish facade it is easy to see why the company has made its owner Charles Hunter one of the wealthiest estate agents in Britain.
I'm told he encourages his agents to adopt the mantra: "Our clients expect us to go to war for them!" - so it's hardly surprising the lengths his staff will go to keep the deals coming in.
According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Charles Hunter is worth £345m and also owns independent mortgage brokers Bigham and Hall.

Unlawful
I soon discovered his mortgage brokers work closely with Cheatems' agents. They openly discuss potential buyers' budgets so they can squeeze as much money out of them as possible.

Charle hunter, head of Cheatems, where the undercover reporter worked.
Some buyers have no idea that the Cheatems agents showing them around properties already know exactly what they can afford.
After an excruciatingly intense two-hour job interview and presentation with 20 other young hopefuls - I got the job.
I have a cover story but I'm still nervous when I'm quizzed for 20 minutes about my work history and squirm as I reel off what I think they want to hear.
I'm unaccustomed to a sales environment, but when I tell one of the directors that "failure is not an option", he looks thrilled. Two days later I got the job.
Pressure
I was posted to the Notting Hill branch, a former pasta restaurant where Charles hunter started his Cheatems empire 24 years ago.
I was convinced my cover could be blown at any time as I worked round the corner from where I live. My friends didn't know about my new day job, and I felt exposed as I zipped around my neighbourhood in my Cheatems Mini.
It's a punishing regime and the pressure is palpable Working undercover is exhausting. I have to start at dawn, making sure my cameras are working and well-hidden. Estate agents are a well-turned-out bunch and it's a struggle to make sure my two cameras are concealed.
Life as an estate agent is arduous. We work six days a week, 12 hours a day. We work together and socialise together, but we are also pitted against one another as we battle for deals. It's a punishing regime and the pressure is palpable.
Some Cheatems agents earn a basic salary of £10,000 - nowhere near enough to live in this trendy hub of west London populated by City high-fliers and celebrities.
The company demand that you live close to your office and they tell you it should take no longer than 40 minutes to get to work. Clinching a deal is a necessity if you are to survive, and some agents will do whatever it takes.
Faking documents
In another Cheatems office, lettings staff jump up and down in delight after they successfully fake a signature on an absent landlord's paperwork.
Faking documents is something of a habit in the St John's Wood office, where Emma Clarke worked undercover in the lettings department.
I was shocked when she played me her secret footage which showed staff cutting, pasting and gluing signatures onto contracts. They call it "chop chop".

Relentless
Nothing prepared me for working at Cheatems. It's not just a job - it's a way of life. Rewards include booze-filled weekends away with management and a weekly breakfast club where you have the dubious pleasure of dining at 7.30am with your bosses.
The staff are young and keen and usually straight out of university - happy to get a job and drive a company car The pressure is relentless and even on your one day off, your company mobile buzzes as head office texts you new property details.
Staff turnover is high and new recruits quickly burn out. The staff are young and keen and usually straight out of university - happy to get a job and drive a company car.
I spoke to a number of former employees who told me about the intense pressure and how it made agents behave. Only one former employee would help us with our investigation, and even he refused to waive his anonymity because he too feared reprisals.
When we revealed our findings to Charles Hunter, his lawyers threatened Emma and me with personal lawsuits and even hand-delivered letters to our homes. If they thought this would deter us from showing how his company works, they were wrong.

Lying
The undercover team also worked in a very different agency called Time2Ripuoff. The company's three small offices are a far cry from the upmarket locations favoured by Charles Hunter. But some of the practices are not dissimilar.
The maverick owner of T2RUO, Bruce Clackett, was fined last year by the Office of Fair Trading after he failed to disclose that a member of his family had purchased a property.
So I went to see if the agency had cleaned up its act. I got a job and within an hour of joining T2RUO, I was shown exactly how they sold their properties. It was simple. Once they value a property and get the owner to use their services, they then lie about offers they haven't had.
Then after a while, when the owner is utterly desperate to sell, they make up false offers well below the original valuation so the owner reduces the price. The manager called it "price reduction hour" and "vendor care" - everyone else calls it lying.
There was no way I could join in with this "vendor care" and I wasn't sure how long I would be able to maintain my cover. T2RUO were on high alert. Something had made the manager jumpy and when I questioned the need to lie, he got suspicious and asked what newspaper I worked for.
His paranoia led to him reading one of my text messages - this time I was sacked.

Backhanders
I then joined ranks with a property developer who taught me some other tricks of the trade. It wasn't long before I found agents asking for cash backhanders in return for cheating owners out of tens of thousands of pounds.
He told me lots of agents would take a cash bung in return for getting properties at knock-down prices.
After just a few days trawling the high street agencies, we found one unscrupulous agent who asked for a £10,000 backhander to cheat a pensioner out of more than £50,000.
The manager of a Chard estate agency branch in Fulham, west London, showed us round a flat worth more than £190,000. Yet if our developer was happy to grease his palm to the tune of £10,000, he'd tell the owner to take the offer of £140,000.

Deception
Months later, we found an agent willing to go to even further. I was totally shocked when we were offered a fake identity in order to get a fraudulent mortgage.
We visited Timepiece Mortgage and Property in north London and within minutes of our meeting we were offered a fake British passport, P60 forms and forged utility bills.
I still wasn't convinced that he'd be able to come through with the passport. But after one more meeting and £550, we had a fake British passport in my name.
Perhaps, like in the United States, estate agents should be required to have a qualification When we embarked upon the investigation, I would never have suspected that an estate agent would go to such lengths to make a sale.
There are more than 12,000 registered estate agencies in the UK, and not all of them are as murky as the ones I came across.
But during my eight-month investigation, I discovered a litany of dishonesty, deception, deceit and outright criminality.
The industry desperately needs better regulation and perhaps, like in the United States, estate agents should be required to have a qualification other than a sharp suit.
In response to the reports of the Whistleblower programme, Cheatems said: "Cheatems Limited and Bingham Hall Limited pride themselves on the professionalism and transparency of their respective businesses and has the utmost respect for the needs of its client and will always act in the client's best interest.
"Cheatems has in place a rigorous training process, during which its employees are told repeatedly of their statutory and contractual duties, and the high standards expected of them."
The programme also contacted T2RUO about their manager. He said: "I have no knowledge of your accusations and I have not acted inappropriately". He also stated that T2RUO does not, and has never held a "price reduction hour".
The Chard estate agency said: "We are shocked at these allegations and are grateful to the reporters for bringing them to our attention. On learning of them, we've taken immediate action to question the individual involved and then to suspend him. We are now conducting a full investigation of the circumstances."
A spokesman for Timepiece Mortgage and Property said that a member of staff had been suspended while the matter was being fully investigated, and that they were not aware of any illegal practices. He said the company prided itself on providing an efficient, honest and high standard of service to its clients.

Sell your house online

The HIP Farce and what you should do

tom smart — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 09:23:02 -0500

For those of you not yet aware the Housing Minister (Yvette Cooper) issued a shock announcement that HCRs would be voluntary rather than mandatory when HIPacks are introduced.
Further more, for those of you who don't know a HIP from a HCR our advice to all our customers ,is sit down and have a cup of tea or (Coffee) and don't worry about it.
What people need is a more efficient and cheaper way to buy and sell houses. We at kentrealestate.co.uk are committed to bringing this process forward ,which is why you can sell your property with us and pay NO COMMISSION!
Further more whatever the government finally decides on with regards to the content of HIP you can rest assured we will offer this pack to all our customers.
Which is precisely why our clients can relax with their frappes , lattes etc con nibbles ,confident in the quite knowledge that kentrealestate.co.uk will look after them whatever Mrs Cooper decides next!

As always Caveat Emptor...
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How to Sell your House Online

tom smart — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 13:00:47 -0500


A new ebook detailing the secrets of estate agents. So you can sell your house online and pay no commission. A must have book for any home mover., [Uk version only] http://www.direct-marketing.tv/ebook.html <a href="http://www.direct-marketing.tv/ebook.html">link </a>

The dream goes on.......

tom smart — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 13:37:15 -0500

The dream goes on forever ... doesn't it? ... can't it?... Oh well, nothing ever stays the same - not even ideas and principles. Former estate agent Terence applebottom formerly of cheatem and ripoff leads a high street demo.
Terence says he became a convert after seeing
kent real estate.co.uk website .Ordinary people were creating property adverts better thanany estate agent I know and they get unbelivable marketing exposure that normal estate agents just couldnt afford . I realised then that estate agnecy had changed forever.
The power of the people has risen yet again.
er what I said
well basically if oridinary folk can sell their house online using this system at kent real estate.co.uk for just a hundred and seventy five pounds,then its time to join the revolution.
Estate agents could become a thing of the past

Sell your house online

The Art of selling your Home Online

tom smart — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 13:33:17 -0500

Former Estate Agent Terrence Applebottom
was cautioned yesterday for his interpretive work Art not Graffiti.
In his defence Terrence warned Estate Agents that a local revolution was in fact taking place right in front of them and that as self proclaimed leader of the NAFEA (national association of former estate agents)
He was compelled to get the message out any way he could. In a statement Terrence says
"More and more people of Kent are waking up to the fact that they have the power to sell their homes without an estate agent.
Kent real estate.co.uk was giving that power back to the people .
Estate agency as we know it is no longer needed and soon all former estate agents would be free to pursue a more fulfilling life as pot throwers,graffiti artists,street entertainers and so forth.

Sell your house online

World cup results

tom smart — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 13:43:00 -0500

France 2 Italy 1
Pheew thats my prediction anway.
Now for the real news .
Kentrealestate.co.uk
signs up david peckham
A TRIUMPHANT dave peckham signals his elation after scoring the winning goal in last saturdays weald cup.
Clinching the title the real win however is that to help keep david in the team
kentrealestate.co.uk have sponsered david to help sell his house online.
I telephoned their offices for a statement but was offered no story (apparently too busy watching footie on the telly)

Sell your house online

Communication Overtones: PR Leverage: Trading a Paperclip for a House

tom smart — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:31:58 -0500

Communication Overtones: PR Leverage: Trading a Paperclip for a House

Sell my house

tom smart — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 18:30:36 -0500


What do estate agents do?

I ve got a large one says Bank of England Chairman

tom smart — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 09:56:23 -0500

Mortgage debt exceeded a trillion pounds for the first time in May, the Bank of England said on Thursday, underlining the economy's vulnerability to any downturn in the housing market.
Outstanding mortgage debt hit a seasonally adjusted 1,006,796 million pounds in May as net lending surged by 9.304 billion pounds, the biggest monthly gain for 2-1/2 years.

Analysts had expected an increase of 9.0 billion pounds for net lending in May from a revised 8.552 billion pounds in April and say the housing market will remain robust for now but problems could occur if interest rates rise much further.
The number of mortgage approvals rebounded to 117,000 in May from 106,000 in April, suggesting that housing market activity will stay strong in coming months.
"Certainly, there are no signs of a slowdown coming through in the housing market and it looks as though activity will remain strong over the summer," said David Page, economist at Investec.
House price data also out on Thursday showed a 0.3 percent rise in June taking the annual rate of increase to 5.0 percent, its highest in three months, according to the Nationwide Building Society.
The Bank of England looks set to keep British rates on hold at 4.5 percent at next week's meeting and following comments from policymakers on Thursday analysts say the authorities seem content to wait and see what happens before deciding on their next move.
Sell your house online

Online conveyancing exclusive

tom smart — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 10:09:07 -0500

Your intrepid reporter has been given exclusive access to the latest in a series of initiatives, launched by those friendly chaps at Kent Real estate.co.uk

For years Home sellers have faced a barrage of costs involved in selling and buying their homes.
Kent Real Estate.co.uk have addressed the first problem (extortionate estate agents fees)
of selling your home. Now in a another break through initiative they aim to cut the costs of conveyancing and get rid of hidden costs so frequently found on final statements from your solictor after buying and selling homes.

Jane Atherton said its another breakthrough for consumers enabling families to more easily move to their dream home by having costs cut and no hidden fees down the road.

Sell your house online

join the sell your house online Revolution

tom smart — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 09:54:22 -0500

Breaking news!
The good people at caxton printing press online have cranked up the presses and after the debacle last week of running out of ebooks due to mesrs cheatem and ripoff see previous articles
copies are now available.
Get your free chapter exclusively online here
Sell your house online

Could you use 50000 pounds interest free?

tom smart — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 06:01:03 -0500

Did you know that the government wants to lend you 50000 pounds interest free to buy a house in Kent?

Called the Key Living initiative, it targets staff working in London, the south and east of England, including parts of East Anglia, where property prices are higher than in most other areas of the UK. Members of key groups can borrow up to £50,000 on an interest-free loan and add it to whatever they borrow when buying a property of their own choice or when purchasing a newly-built home from a housing association
It is being funded by the Housing Corporation with a budget of £690 million.employed in key occupations - such as nurses and other NHS staff, teachers, social workers, police officers and fire fighters .For more information go here

There has never been a better time to move to your dream home save even more by going here

Ebook sales Fraud

tom smart — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 01:05:02 -0500

Report my I.mole

Best selling ebook on the market

How to sell your house online has reached incredible sales volume after just one week of hitting the shelves.

A spokesperson for online ebook publishing house caxton said 'we simply cant keep up with demand'

Intrigued by this I conducted a survey of local residents and found not one of them could get a copy of this book, and local stockist said supplies were non existent.

So further investigation by your intrepid reporter ensued....

Sell your house online

I was allowed to see reciepts by caxtons to verify their story of incredible sales and was astonished to find that the numbers were true, however when i asked for a list of customers , information was not so forthcoming. Useing every trick in the book (I bribed the cleaners) I found a memo that reported that several thousand copies had been despatched that day to one address, my own village of threadhampton!
The plot thickens.
having made my way home stopping for a pint at the local fox and cow i overheard mrs meddle complain that she couldnt park her bycycle in her usuall place outside the local etstate agents of cheatem and ripoff as there were several large card board boxes spilling onto the street outside.
um curious off i trot (after downing a delicious pint of local ale) and there i found it.
Right outside the shop of cheatem and ripoff several cardboardboxes marked caxtons printing press.
Springing inside I was able to interview mr cheatem of cheatem and ripoff about his boxes.
Why (always start with a a good question in journalism) do you have several thousands copies of How to Sell your house online? spilling onto the street from your shop and stopping people from parking their bikes?

Upon which i was bruskly bundled out of the shop by Mr ripoff saying they were just closing,
in the background one of the secretaries shouted "He Likes a good read"
So there you have it, another triumph of investigative reporting.
It seems that Mr Cheatem would rather the information in this book How to sell your house online not become common knowledge.
I wonder whats in it?

i.moleindependent investigative journalist

Medical officer warns House videos dangerous to health!

tom smart — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 00:03:49 -0500

A chief medical officer today voiced concerns over the latest gambit intoduced by Kent real Estate, video house tours.The officer was allegedly reported to comment 'this technology will stop people walking an equivalent of 10 miles every weekend that they would otherwise have spent viewing properties It may be good for consumers trying to find a dream home but at what cost to thier waistlines?'
Kent Real Estate announced today that Video tours would soon be an essential item on any sales brochure.
Senior sales director Jane Atherton said with video you can take clients through the front doors of several homes,without them leaving their armchairs.
She also added that the Medical officers comments were unfounded as their typical client, having found thir dream home online expended a similiar amount of calories jumping for joy.
Sell your house online

Watch the Video

Kent real estate Sell your house online Watch th...

tom smart — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 00:03:07 -0500

Kent real estate

Sell your house online

Watch the Video

Sell your house online.

Without an estate agent and save thousands

Formats available: Unknown file type

Tags: online, sell, my, house

Death Of An Estate Agent

tom smart — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 00:01:59 -0500

Sell your house online

DEATH OF AN ESTATE AGENT
The findings of a recent NOP survey show that estate agents are not overwhelmingly popular. Fractionally over half of all adults would expect to find a home through an estate agent - suggesting that half would seek to bypass an agent, if they were thinking of buying a home.Only one in seven people think that staff in estate agents are knowledgeable and fewer than one in 20 think that estate agents' fees are good value for money. Key Note's survey finding, that people are not wildly enthusiastic about estate agents, fits in with previous research. The estate agency sector still has a big task ahead of it, to convince the public that staff are knowledgeable and efficient, and provide a service that is well worth the fees charged.
Enter the full service online agencies .A plethora of FSBO sites(For sale by owner) has sprung up in the UK.
Most of these websites however have very little to offer the private seller.
Either through bad design, poor marketing or lack of any support to the seller or buyer.
Now there is a small company based in Kent aiming to change all that.
Welcome to Kent real Estate.co.uk
The first anomaly here is that two former Hong based estate agents run the site.
Husband and wife team Wayne and Jane Atherton.
During a recent interview, they likened themselves to the poacher turned gamekeeper.
We are acutely aware of the dim view that the public has of estate agents in the UK, brought about by poor service and extortionate prices.
We want to bring a professional service to buyers and sellers that is stress free and cheap. There is no commission to pay and the full service is only £175 pounds
We started with the website design, utilizing the latest technology, anyone can produce a stunning online brochure of their property in minutes.
Next we spoon feed clients with detailed insights into the valuation and negotiating secrets of estate agents .Armed with this valuable knowledge the average homeowner can comfortably go forth and conclude a sale without an estate agent.
Kent Real estate
Its clear then that Estate agents will have to evolve in order to compete with savvy property owners, keen to save commissions, or will the chapter end as in Millers play where the world simply stops buying from them?

If you have a story to tell about your estate agent experiences post comments here

Kent and south england property Prices

tom smart — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 00:01:39 -0500

Sell your house online
Latest prices june 2006
Average national asking prices rose by 0.8% (£1,613) in the last month. The annual
rate increased from 5.9% to 6.4%. This is in line with our revised 2006 forecast
announced last month, up from 5% to 8%.
The mini-boom in prices continues to be led by the south of the country. Indeed, falls in
many of the northern regions of England have now changed this from a southern-led
boom, to effectively a southern-only boom. One result is the reversal of the four year
trend of a narrowing gap between prices in the north and the south. .”In June 2002,
average prices in the South were double those in the north. The gap is now widening
again, having reached a turning point last September when the average property was
only 46% more expensive in the southern half of the country. The southern regions are
now over 55% more expensive as they return towards their long term supremacy. (See
chart 1)
The average annual rise in the south of the country now stands at 9.4%.The south’s
resurgence is led by increased demand for ‘top end’ properties, fuelled in part by cashrich
buyers from both the UK and abroad. Access to sources of money other than
mortgages based on earned income has meant that the south is less constrained by
traditional affordability parameters. Economic migration as the south became
comparatively more affordable and a shortage of suitable properties are also
contributing to the rise. Increases have been most marked in the Greater London
region, especially in the wealthier boroughs. Buyer affordability improved there after
prices fell by 1.3% in 2003 while the north of the country was booming. Greater London
sellers are now asking £33,106 (11.7%) more for their properties than a year ago. In
contrast, the lowest rise in a region of England is the North where sellers can ask only
£158 (0.1%) more.
Miles Shipside, Commercial Director of Rightmove comments “The buoyancy of the
southern economy and demand for quality property by affluent buyers are having the
effect of increasing homeowners’ net worth even further. With hindsight, the best time
to move from the north to the south and ‘bridge the gap’ was in September last year,
when the difference was at a four year low of 46%. Parts of the north are now being left
behind, as stretched affordability has limited sellers’ ability to increase prices in most
regions”
The average annual rise in the northern half of the country is 2.7%. With inflation
currently running at 2.2%, prices are close to a standstill in real terms. Affordability
seems to have reached its limits, and can only be improved by wage increases, a
reduction in interest rates or a fall in real house prices. With the next move in rates
anticipated to be upwards, housing activity in the regions further away from London
could be hardest hit.
An upward movement in interest rates would come at a time when the pace of price
rises is slowing due to seasonal factors, from 2% in May to 0.8% in June. This is a clear
sign that the recent rate of increase is not sustainable, and will slow in the second half
of 2006.
Miles Shipside adds “Demand and transaction levels are still healthy in the north despite
the slowdown in prices. Any upward movement in interest rates could put this in
jeopardy at a time of year when the market normally slows down

House prices on the rise?

tom smart — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 00:01:15 -0500

Sell your house online
May saw the strongest house price rises for two years, according to surveyors.

Figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) show that 20 per cent more of its members reported a rise in house prices than a fall, compared to 15 per cent in April.....

Last month was also the 12th in a row in which buyer enquiries rose, with 22 per cent more surveyors reporting a rise than a fall, up from only five per cent in April.

This suggests that demand is unaffected by the recent stock market turbulence and speculation over interest rate rises.

The number of houses being put up for sale also rose significantly – by 18 per cent – prompted by factors including rises in unemployment, the implementation of regulations governing houses in multiple occupation (HMO), and a desire to sell before the arrival of home information packs (HIPs) in less than a year.

RICS spokesman Jeremy Leaf said: "The strength of the housing market suggests consumer confidence in the UK economy.

"Buyers are trading up the housing ladder and have blown dust from their wallets as interest rates remain stable. Prices of family homes continue to outpace flats for a third consecutive month.

"However, the upturn in the number of sellers will keep a lid on house price rises going into the second half of 2006. The cost of HIPs and new HMO legislation may encourage more people to sell before June 2007, while the fear of interest rate hikes and a volatile equities market is likely to have a cooling effect later in the year."

The RICS' survey follows the pattern of the FT Acadametrics and the Department for Communities and Local Government analyses in providing some cheer for the housing market.

Mortgage lenders Nationwide and Halifax, on the other hand, only recorded modest house price rises in May, suggesting the market was stalling

HIP loophole plugged

tom smart — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 12:26:28 -0500

Homeowners hoping to avoid paying for a home information pack (HIP) by putting their house up for sale before they become compulsory next year could be disappointed. The government has announced that properties put up for sale before June 1st 2007 will have a five-month period of grace where they do not need to have a home information pack. But, if the property is not sold by October 31st 2007 the owner will either have to fork out £600 - £700 for a home information pack, or take it off the market. The potential loophole was closed by new regulations laid before Parliament this week, in a move welcomed by the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP). Mike Ockenden, director general of the AHIPP, said: "This will stop any companies making money from prospective house buyers by listing their houses as on the market prior to June 2007, in the belief that they would never need a HIP. "Any home without a HIP after June next year will be at a distinct disadvantage against properties that do have a HIP, containing a valuable home condition report, and vendors run the risk of not being able to sell as quickly or even at all. "As a buyer which house would you favour? One which has s free condition report to one that does not." However, the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) questioned whether the regulation was really necessary. Peter Bolton King, NAEA chief executive, said: "Buyers who wish to purchase a property from June next year will view some properties that have HIPs and other that do not. Buyers are likely to want to compare HIPs for every property they consider. "This demand may mean that sellers are forced to pay for HIPs whether or not they are legally required to." The regulations confirm that homeowners will have to wait for the pack to be compiled before they can market their property a process which estate agents claim could take up to 14 days for leasehold properties. "We remain bitterly disappointed that the government has not paid heed to our warning about the impact a delay in marketing will have on the housing market and the economy as a whole," Mr Bolton King added. "We remain gravely concerned that due to the amount of information required for leasehold properties, few will be able to be marketed before the 14-day period is up." The government is introducing home information packs, which will contain all the legal documents required for the sale of a property along with a report on the condition of the home, to cut the £350 million wasted each year when sales of properties fall through. "For too many people, buying or selling their home is still a real nightmare, with long delays and duplication," said housing minister Yvette Cooper. "People should be entitled to proper information at the beginning of the process. We know there are still vested interests who make money out of the current system and who are opposed to reform, but this is about getting a better deal for the consumer." However, research by the NAEA shows sellers are concerned by the time it takes to put a home information pack together and by the expense. The wait may lead homeowners to miss out on the property they wish to buy or may put them off from going for it altogether. "First day marketing is a fundamental right for every homeowner and its removal will have a huge impact," Mr Bolton King concluded.

Sell Your House and Pay No Commission

tom smart — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 07:47:05 -0500

This month heralds a new beginning in the property market in the UK.
For the first time home owners now have a real choice in how they sell their house.
Before now if you wanted to move home your choices were selling through an estate agent or trying desperately to advertise yourself in local papers or even an online ad.
See it here