Building Solutions (Midlands) Blog » House Prices

How to buy houses below market value

Richard — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:38:45 +0000

There are several ways to obtain houses below market value, but most methods require a high amount of time and commitment. They range from courting your local estate agent through to attending all the local property auctions. There are some companies that can provide portfolio building and source below market value properties. Some of these companies have suffered in recent times as their operations have become hampered by the recent drought in the buy to let mortgage lending’s markets. If you do chose to invest in below market property in the Midlands, Derby, Stoke-on-Trent, Belper, Ripley, Heanor, of Alfreton and the surrounding areas. There is one company with over 12years trading history and an enviable network of contacts within this area. ambervalleyhomes

Buy below market property

Richard — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:45:18 +0000

If you are looking for great property investments one of your main concerns will be getting your new investment property below market value. This way you have a head start compared with many other landlords and property investors in your area. There are several companies that can assist you in building property portfolios and help you find property below market value. It is always a sensible idea to go for a company with a well proven track record and a good trading history. If you are looking for a company to help you with your property investment strategies in the Midlands, we recommend Amber Valley Homes, with 12years of property trading experience they are always please to help new investors with sound advice. ambervalleyhomes

House prices stumble as fundamentals look tougher

Richard — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:39:36 +0000

With the recent abolition of the Home information pack the speculative house seller has returned to the UK property market. This coupled with a prolonged shortage of mortgage lending has been some of the cause of recent stumbles in the UK house price.
Many think that the UK property market is almost a failure of its own success with prices in many areas returning to 2007 levels. Those who have been stuck in the property trap have been taking advantage of recent gains in house prices and off loading their problem properties.

The ups and downs of UK house prices and the fundamentals of economics

Richard — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:19:03 +0000

The UK house price is affected by the fundamentals of economics but driven by sentiment, it follows the ups and downs of the economy and also the sentiment of the UK public. It would seem that both economics and sentiment have conspired for the third consecutive month to see the humble UK house price drop. The recent drop is thought to be partly as a result of the increased supply of homes hitting the market as many chose to chance their arm at a sale once the H.I.P. was gone.

First phase of the house price rally ends

Richard — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:50:06 +0000

The first signs of the end of the first rally in UK house prices have arrived, data shows house prices have dropped by 1% last month ending a nine month long rally in home values. This data ties in with news from the British Banking Association that mortgage approvals have also dropped to an eight month low.
One of the biggest issues for the UK housing market is not just the availability of mortgages but more importantly the lending criteria. Since the 70’s home buyers have enjoyed lending of 90% and over LTV (loan to value). It is very difficult for first time buyers to raise deposits of 25% that have been required in recent times. The good news is that in the last few months the mortgage market is producing more workable deals with Loan to values hitting 85%. On a £200,000 pound house that would mean buyers would have £20,000 less to rise and that is what really makes a difference to the housing market.

House prices rise by more than 10%

Richard — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 08:27:38 +0000

The annual level of house price inflation has exceeded the 10% mark with the average UK house price running at £207,516. This comes as the housing market is showing definite signs of cooling, the price rises have been driven mainly by large price increases in the London property market.
With the North East still lagging behind and offering the best value for a property purchases. This area could suffer a double blow as it has a higher than average public sector employment. The talk of an austerity programme could lead to job losses and downward pressure on the local property market.

Buying a renovation project

Richard — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:47:55 +0000

I recently received a leaflet through my letter box from an Estate Agent suggesting that now was a good time to sell my property. With banks charging low interest rates, and with the recent abolition of HIPS (House Information Packs), I would agree it is not only a good time to sell but also to buy. The comments expressed below might be helpful to someone contemplating both selling their home, and buying a new (different) property.
Before you sell your home you can make it attractive to buyers with a view to not only selling it quickly, but also achieving the best possible price for your property.
It is often said that kitchens and/or bathrooms with a “wow factor” sell your home.
If you feel that you do not want to do any major works to the property before you sell it to give the kitchen and/or bathroom/s the “wow factor,” or, you may feel it /they already have the “wow factor” then there are still other obvious things you can do to make your property more appealing to a potential buyer to get them to buy your property rather than some other property. Such minor and simple matters can help sell your property like :- tidy and clean the house, remove what you can in the way of clutter from the house, remove personal possessions such as many photos as you want the buyer to imagine it is their home, remove unnecessary furniture to give the impression of space, tidy the garden/ any outside space, decorate any areas inside or out which are in need of such attention.
Arrange for any necessary repairs to be done to as high a standard as possible. Failure to carry out any essential repairs to your property before you put it on the market, or to price your property to take fully into account the necessary work required for example repairs to, or provision of a new roof, could lead to your buyer making a much reduced amended offer some way along the process, (for instance when the buyer receives the Surveyor’s Report on your property). This could be at a time when you thought you had sold your house for the price previously agreed. The buyer might also back out entirely in the latter circumstances, or, prolonged delay may occur which of course will be unwanted by anyone who may be in the property buyer’s chain with several properties relying on your sale proceeding while the matter is sorted out. All of the latter maybe at a time when you are very eager to buy a particular property, and you thought this was within your grasp. Delay in selling your property puts the whole process in jeopardy if you ignore at the beginning an essentially required repair either by failing to repair it, or, by not acknowledging the fact and pricing your property accordingly from the very start.
You may agree with all, or some, or none of the above comments, but good luck with the exciting prospect of selling your home, and don’t be put off by any difficulties that may come along, and enjoy your new home and making a fresh start somewhere else.

Private equity investors backing new residential development sites

Richard — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:29:06 +0000

Experienced members of senior management from national house builders are being poached and backed by private equity investors in new ventures into residential property development. One such company has received one hundred million pounds of private funding to focus on new build residential developments in and around the capital.
These new ventures are thought to be focusing on London and mainly the top end market, and they must be confident that prices in this sector will remain relatively stable. Those who follow the UK property market closely look at a few key performance indicators of the markets future. They often follow prices achieved at auction, actual trading of house price futures and the top end of the London market. What happens to the top end of the London property market can often ripple through the rest of the UK housing market.

House sellers no longer feel any pain in the Hips, after the new government takes care of this Pickle

Richard — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:59:26 +0000

Hooray! The home information pack is dead! Long live the Energy performance certificate! The HIP’s have been very unpopular since the concept was announced and forced through by the previous government. The parliamentary order made yesterday took immediate effect, so sorry to all of you who purchased a HIP yesterday, but stay positive there is always someone worse off. They are the poor HIP providers that set up and based their business on this now redundant piece of legislation.

Rising market delivers blow to First Time Buyers

Amanda — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:35:28 +0000

House prices have risen for the fifth consecutive month, bringing the annual UK rise to 9.7 per cent and the average house price to £205,598.

As the prices increase, it becomes virtually impossible for young people who haven’t had the opportunity to save a large deposit, unless they have had some help from relatives, to even get within sniffing distance of the property ladder. With wages not increasing either, potential first-timers are destined to remain in rental properties.

Perhaps the new Government will make a difference? Capital Gains Tax is due to be increased; meaning investors and the like may want to offload their properties to avoid the higher rate from next April. Also, the scrapping of Home Information Packs may encourage more properties onto the market, but these things take time.