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Social housing and the end of ‘right to buy’
18th November 2010I was recently at a Clydesdale Bank conference on social housing which was timed to coincide with the vote by the Scottish Parliament on the right to buy legislation. The Scottish Parliament voted to end the 1980s legislation. I am a great believer in social housing, and with the current turmoil in the property market … Continue reading "Social housing and the end of ‘right to buy’" -
House price data – mixed messages
10th November 2010There continues to be mixed messages regarding house price data, with some surveys showing the trend up and others showing that prices are falling. Only recently a national newspaper claimed that Scottish house prices were rising at the fastest rate in 3 years. This graph from the Registers of Scotland shows the residential sales volume … Continue reading "House price data – mixed messages" -
US housing turmoil – will the same happen in the UK?
4th November 2010There has been a recent report from Realtytrac, an organisation which monitors repossession activity in the US, which confirms that the foreclosure crisis has spread across a wider area of the country and also shows an increase in foreclosures. This trend is the latest sign that the US foreclosure crisis is worsening as homeowners facing … Continue reading "US housing turmoil – will the same happen in the UK?" -
Growing our estate agency coverage
29th October 2010Over the course of 2010 I have noticed an increase in requests for my firm’s estate agency services from other areas of Scotland. I think that the attraction of the website, the fantastic schedules, the use of modern technology and the highly trained estate agency staff has led to this demand. In light of this … Continue reading "Growing our estate agency coverage" -
Surge in buy to let market
22nd October 2010Readers of previous blogs will know of my interest in property investment and the buy to let market. There has recently been a report from ARLA indicating that tenant demand is at its highest level ever throughout the UK with landlords reporting rental voids at a new low-level. This surge has been caused by ever-increasing … Continue reading "Surge in buy to let market" -
V & A Dundee: an opportunity too good to miss
14th October 2010As someone who passionately believes in the City of Dundee, I was delighted to attend the V & A Exhibition at the University of Abertay. If you have not already attended I would strongly recommend that you do. At the exhibition you can see the six iconic designs that are proposed for the new V … Continue reading "V & A Dundee: an opportunity too good to miss" -
Mixed messages surrounding the mortgage market
14th October 2010Whilst a lot of recent press reports have been very negative in respect of mortgage lending and certainly there is a degree of difficulty with a certain type of lending, I have recently been involved in discussions with a leading High Street lender regarding Blackadders being given access to some semi-exclusive off-market products. With some … Continue reading "Mixed messages surrounding the mortgage market" -
Property market correction
8th October 2010Readers of previous blogs will know my deep suspicion of house price reports, however, the recent report out on 7 October from the Halifax indicating that UK prices fell 3.6% in September does, to me, indicate rather than a trend for house prices more a market correction that is currently taking place. I know from … Continue reading "Property market correction" -
Embracing new technology in the property market
7th October 2010I am very pleased to announce that our website has been nominated for a DADI in the category of Professional Services Website or Campaign (DADI stands for Drum Awards for Digital Industries). The DADI attract entries from some of the biggest brands in the UK including Adidas, Channel 4, BBC, Lucozade, Red Bull, Wonderbra, Tennents, … Continue reading "Embracing new technology in the property market" -
Major lender returns to buy to let market
1st October 2010It was interesting to hear that Paragon, which was one of the largest buy to let lenders during the housing boom, is returning to the market for the first time in 18 months. Paragon has arranged a £200m facility provided by Macquarie Bank which gives Paragon the money it needs to write new loans up … Continue reading "Major lender returns to buy to let market"
