The Property Sales People

Councils to help first-time buyers on to housing ladder Extracted from BBC online news Councils are to help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder by topping up their deposits. Five councils are pioneering a scheme aimed at buyers who can afford the monthly mortgage repayments but do not have a lump sum saved up. Many first-time buyers find it difficult to purchase a home because lenders are asking for hefty deposits. The councils will put 20% of the price in a Lloyds TSB account, with the lender asking for a 5% deposit. The funds will not go to the buyer and the mortgage rate will be lower. The councils risk losing money if a buyer defaults, but they get a generous interest rate themselves. The scheme could benefit up to 300 first-time buyers in each area, but if other councils join, thousands could potentially benefit. Another 10 councils are waiting to join the scheme. The scheme is called Local Lend a Hand. "We know that a lot of young people turn to the Bank ...

Mary Portas 'Queen of Shops' does Estate Agents Well done Mary! You succeeded in finding the rare dinosaur firm of estate agents that choose to use cliches to describe property and whose sales staff know nothing about the property they are selling! How have they managed to get away with it for so long? Especially with Trading Standards having the power of the Misdescriptions Act to defend the public from agents not telling it like it is. We try to be factual, clear and honest and I believe over the last 20 years in business in Ely we have never stretched the truth. Having staff who don't know anything about a property they're selling or showing someone round, is counter productive. Several people and Ms Portas herself banged on about how much they were paying an agent to sell the property. Exactly, we only get paid if we sell it, no upfront fees, no abortive fees, no withdrawal fees. So we don't send people on viewings who know nothing about the property as we ...

SimplyBusiness.co.uk report on the Changing Face of Britain’s Landlords as Young Entrepreneurs enter the Market Analysis from SimplyBusiness.co.uk has indicated a significant change in both the age and gender of private landlords in the UK. The traditional face of the archetypal British landlord is changing according to the study which shows there is a new, younger breed of landlord entering the private rental market; which would indicate that when it comes to property, many still think that there’s money to be made. Comparative data of landlord insurance policies sold by SimplyBusiness.co.uk in 2006 (versus 2010) shows a marked increase in landlords aged 18-34. Likewise the gender gap is beginning to close as 39% of landlords insured via SimplyBusiness.co.uk are female, versus 36% in 2006. Interestingly, when comparing the types of property being insured, there hasn’t been a statistically significant change since 2006 with terraced housing still accounting for the largest...

Best wishes for Christmas 2010 and New Year 2011! This year we are closing our doors at lunchtime (12:00) on 23rd December and re-opening at 9:00 am on January 4th. For the benefit of our tenants and landlords you can still reach us during this period by dialing 01353 645809 . Please leave a message with your name, brief description of the situation and full contact details. Our system will e-mail the voice mail to the mobile of the duty person who will be back to you as soon as possible.

Well worth a read! What's the saying? "Don't believe everything you read in the papers" Comments from DC & Co in due course. http://issuu.com/tdpg/docs/tdpg_research_property_market_insider_winter_2010?viewMode=magazine&mode=embed

Ever wondered what 'period' your home belongs to? Or if the selling agent got the date right! Here's the (not exhaustive) guide: How to age a home Tudor (1485 - 1603): half-timbering, steep roof, tall and narrow windows, large chimneys Jacobean (1603 - 1660): flat roof, columns and pilasters, decadent detail Georgian (1714 - 1837): two chimneys, matching housefronts, large sash windows, brick walls, contrasting window frames, porticos Victorian (1837 - 1901): slate roof, three stories, bay windows, ornate finish, Gothic and Renaissance revival, ordered room layout Edwardian (1901 - 1919): red brick, gables, semi-detached, mansion blocks, functional design, less decoration 1920s and 1930s: functional, smaller, mock-Tudor and Georgian revival, plain doorways and lintels, Art Deco, geometric 1940s: angular and shiny surfaces, wooden panelling, tiled fireplaces 1950s: open plan design, streamlining, picture windows, minamalist, high-rise, prefabs 1960s: Lar...

When everyone is diving in then it's probably best not to be buying. The reverse is often true but Mike Woodfine from The Money Centre advises would be investors on the correct attitude to borrowing mortgage money. Read the Yorkshireman's advice here  http://bit.ly/arQLwu  !