The Property Sales People

There is something that I'd like to share with every reader of this blog article whether they are relatively young or very old: Make a will and 100% make sure you have created a lasting power of attorney (LPA). If you own a property and have even the smallest amount of savings you owe it to your nearest and dearest to organise things so that there is as little stress as possible. If you have a partner then each appointing the other is a good idea or your children may be the right people, or a brother or sister but you never know when you will be struck down in such a way that you are not capable of running your financial affairs and personal care. The national statistics for road accidents, heart attacks, strokes etc should serve as a pointer as to why this action is necessary. You may have guessed that I'm speaking from personal experience and indeed I am. My 83 year old mother finally ended up in hospital after worrying me for some time. Her condition was brought on by a seri...

Over the course of 2007 from June onwards HIPs (Home Information Packs) have been introduced to the UK property market and now every property marketed must have one. I have always been a supporter of HIPs (unlike a lot of estate agents) but in their original ‘pure’ form with compulsory Home Condition Reports as well as the domestic energy assessment and legal documentation. The purpose of this Blog entry is not to argue the rights and wrongs but to draw the public’s attention to the Tories’ ‘Home Buying Review’. They are anti-HIP but are looking at ways of improving the current process. This is an opportunity for everyone to have their personal say about the home buying and selling process. The review is being conducted by Grant Shapps, Kirstie Allsopp (from Channel 4’s ‘Location, Location, Location’) and Owen Inskip (a chartered surveyor and former estate agent) Among the areas where views are specifically sought are: · Professionalism of estate agents: should there be a requirement f...

I would hate to appear like HBOS, Nationwide and all the others making predictions about the house sales market in that they don’t agree and have conflicting views, but I do have my own opinion! I don’t believe we’re looking at a ‘crash’ in the same way that we had in the late 1980’s and early ‘90’s. I do believe that we will find it tougher than it has been and necessary to use every marketing tool available. Agents who have been used to just taking orders will need to relearn how to work at servicing those buyers that are out there to make sure they view and buy through them. Sellers will need to be kept closely in touch with how the market is reacting to their home and advised about how it is faring. Initial marketing price will be important and will need regular review as things develop. At David Clark and Company most of us have been through poor markets before and you can rely on our best advice. Happy New Year!

Good news! The Bank of England has today reduced the bank rate by 0.25%. This is a step which in itself will have little impact on mortgages etc but it does send a positive signal to hard pressed borrowers. If nothing else it indicates light at the end of the tunnel. Many people have experienced £150 a month rises in the cost of their mortgage and this has come about because most mortgages these days are adjusted annually or are fixed rates or discounted rates. Add in to this scenario the recent hike in fuel costs – diesel locally at £1.09 per litre! and you can see why consumer demand has slowed. In my opinion interest rates have always been something of a blunt instrument when it comes to slowing down the property market. In the late 1980’s and early 90’s interest rates rose to, albeit briefly, 15%. The property market was decimated and what needed a touch on the brakes began to appear as though someone had removed the wheels. It isn’t necessary to go to this extreme. They need to be...

When Will House Prices Finally Crash? – 24/11/2006 Money Week Is there going to be a house price crash? – 2/11/2007 Thisismoney UK house-price bubble about to burst – IMF 18 October 2007 Nick McDermott, Daily Mail Every newspaper, pundit, lender, estate agent, developer, builder and householder would like to know the answer to ‘What’s Going to Happen to House prices’. If you read the newspapers last weekend from broadsheet to tabloid then your only conclusion could really be that they don’t know! I think the Sunday Express probably came close when they said that the Government/Bank of England probably has 90 days to avert the same sort of crash that occurred in the late 1980’s to early ‘90’s. Of those 90 days 30 have already gone so the clock is ticking and the next 30 days are mainly holiday time over Christmas when not a lot happens in the property market anyway. A reduction in interest rates by the Bank of England may not actually have an impact on mortgages but it would send a sign...

The idea of being subscribed to a blog is to receive information that is relevant to your interest as early as possible. When I'm out and about visiting properties that often come onto the market I can get this information into the public domain very quickly, in fact, there and then. This post came from my Blackberry - easy as that! If you would like your home valued and marketed quickly and efficiently to the widest possible audience just call me on 07909 680642 or e-mail david@clarkhomes.co.uk Let your email find you with BlackBerry from Vodafone David Clark DAVID CLARK & COMPANY The Property Sales People 01353 665020

There is a new feel and look to the double front office window of David Clark & Company estate agents on Market Place in Ely. The windows have always been well lit in the early evening but David had become concerned about the heat generated by the spotlamps and the obvious energy wastage. In addition some of the bulb holders had disintegrated with the heat so bulbs could not be replaced. In conjunction with a local electrical wholesaler the window spot lights have been re-fitted with low energy LED lamps which produce the same, if a different colour, light. The original lamps were 50 watts per bulb and the new LEDs are only 1.5 watts. This should result in some energy savings and lower bills. The introduction of Home Information Packs has had an impact on people’s focus on energy use within their home as a Domestic Energy Assessor calls to provide an indication of a property’s current energy use and it’s potential after any improvement to insulation etc. David said “This got me thi...