One of the biggest difficulties that need to be overcome in property investment is getting financing agreed. This has become more and more difficult during the last few months due to the recession, with companies being reluctant to lend. Some experts have commented that it will be difficult for the property market to recover unless more organisations are prepared to lend.
It now seems, though, that the situation is starting to change. The most recent figures from the Bank of England which was published on 29th June, revealed mortgage approvals had risen in May for the fourth month in a row. 43,414 mortgages were granted in total which was up more than 5,000, in comparison to a 3,000 increase in March and 200 in April.
The British Bankers’ Association has also reported an increase in mortgages for May in the report dated 23rd June. It reported 31,162 mortgage approvals at an average £133,600 during a 31-day period. This was an increase of 7.4% from April.
Although the figures might not fully indicate market recovery, it may show that the worst is hopefully over.
Nationwide Building Society reported a rise in house prices by 0.9% in June.
The 3 month rate of change was a positive statement for the first time since December 2007. But Nationwide stated that sustained recovery could still face risks.
The most recent rise brought the yearly decline rate to 9.3%, down from 11.3%, which saw the average house price increase from £154,016 to £156,442.
House prices have risen in three out of the last four months, showing the steady recovery that began in March could be more than just hearsay.
This in an encouraging sign that was not initially expected in the beginning of 2009. However there is still a challenge regarding property demand and there appears to be a long way to go to restore people’s confidence in the market’s recovery.
The availability of property currently remains a vital influence of the fate of the property market. Therefore there should soon be a rise in new instructions to influence the market in a positive way in order to keep up with demand, especially for the property investment market.
30th June 2009
The economic struggle has had a major effect on the UK property investment market during the last 12 months. Prices have dramatically dropped to levels not seen for over 5 years. Although the media reported the discouraging stories about the recession and its impact on people with property investment portfolios, many experts said that the downturn was a positive thing for buyers. However, it would not last long, so when it reaches its bottom it would cause a brilliant opportunity for investors to buy property at lower prices and watch the equity grow in the next few years.
Since April, property sales have started to increase, showing that buyers sense we are nearing the bottom of the market and prices won’t get much lower, so they are realising now is time to be buying investment property.
26th June 2009
It has been noted recently that city centre apartments in the main regional centres are the way forward for property investment. The key to a promising lifestyle for young professionals are a good way for property investors to increase their wealth through rental income or property equity.
It’s now known that there was an inundated supply of these properties causing many to remain empty with values falling. One reason many investors lost out was because they moved into a new market meaning they had no track record to work with. New accommodation in particular locations are an untested market.
In an already populated area where most properties are resale, the situation is better as investors can do their own due diligence on the district and trends. Of course, investors with the local knowledge may be aware of the trends already.
Investors who carry out their research can ascertain how likely it is that a property will retain its value. So it is of benefit to buyers that they do their due diligence before making a property investment, especially in areas they have no local knowledge.
25th June 2009
Property investors have had bad press in recent quarters. During the years property prices boomed, they were being blamed by many for rising house prices, saying that by purchasing houses they were denying first time buyers the opportunity to purchase a house. However, some defended the industry saying that the type of property first time buyers would go for are different to investment property for landlords.
Although many attitudes are still much the same, they really should change. It is important to have a strong rental sector as some people do not wish or need to buy therefore need property to rent.
It is thought by some that we are not far off the bottom of the market, and it is estimated that property prices will rise again within three to five years.
Therefore it may be those investors who stick to their principles that the long term is the period the money is to be made who will do the best out of the current property investment market.
24th June ‘09
The general attitude to property investment is improving.
Over the last few months there have been many signs of improvement in the property market. Rising interest from buyers has been followed by an increased number of sales and more mortgages are also being approved.
It does come as significantly encouraging that recent research suggests an improvement in the property investment market. Recent surveys show that an increasing number of people believe it is now a good time to invest in property. The reason for this is that they believe values will begin to increase from this year, 2009.
So although there is some economic uncertainty still ahead, it seems like it isn’t enough to diminish the rising sense that the future for buy-to-let is looking better.
Saturday, 20 Jun 2009
Good news for the property investment market. The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) performed a quarterly survey revealing an increase in landlords buying investment property.
According to the survey, almost twice the number of ARLA members said that for the 2nd quarter of 2009, landlords are buying more investment property.
The decision of the Bank of England to cut interest rates to a record low for the previous four months has helped landlords who were struggling. Half of those who were surveyed thought that the cut in interest rates has helped tempt property investors back into the market due to the low savings rates.
The ARLA survey also showed that the increased activity with buy-to-let could be as a result of increased rental return. Houses had risen from 4.8 % to 5.1%, with flats up from 4.9 per cent to 5%.