Breaking News
Warning for ‘Rogue Landlords’ at Conservative Party Conference
The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, announced yesterday at the Conservative Party Conference, that from December, landlords who knowingly rent out their property to illegal immigrants will be committing a criminal offence, and that they could go to prison for doing so. Addressing conference she unveiled a wide-ranging clamp-down on migrants coming to the UK, she…
Allen Walkey
New measures to build more houses, more quickly
Press release published yesterday 4th October on the GOV.Uk website headlined ‘Sajid Javid and Philip Hammond: Let’s get Britain building’. The Chancellor Philip Hammond and Communities Secretary Sajid Javid, have announced new measures to build more houses, more quickly, in the places people want to live. Measures see the launch of a massive £3 billion…
Allen Walkey
ZPG report continued growth in their Audience
News release from Zoopla Property Group yesterday headlined “ZPG reports over 53 million visits and 2 million leads in September” Over 53 million visits to its websites in September is up 13% year on year, the ZPG property apps also saw strong growth with total downloads now at in excess of 8.3 million. Mark Goddard,…
Allen Walkey
Ringing the changes for Auction House Cheshire
There’s change at the top for leading property brand Auction House in Cheshire as company managing director Peter Humphreys steps down from the role this month. Peter set up Humphreys of Chester in 1994 and joined Auction House in July 2008. Since then his work, selling property under the hammer, has gone from strength…
Allen Walkey
How to get more LOVE than your rivals down the road
BLAND IS BANNED I’ve been doing a lot of work recently adding some personality to agents’ websites, in particular the About us sections. It’s pretty simple when you know how. Don’t be bland, don’t be too serious and use a tone of voice / way of writing that doesn’t sound anything like a stereotypical estate…
Alex Evans
Reminder to Landlords and Letting Agents in Wales
A reminder to Landlords and letting Agents in Wales that from the 23rd November this year they must be licensed to be able to carry out letting or property management activities. The new rules require that all landlords with property in Wales must register themselves and their rental property addresses with Rent Smart Wales by…
Allen Walkey
Help-to-buy mortgage guarantee scheme to finish
The Government help-to-buy mortgage guarantee scheme which has helped more than 86,000 households so far will close at the end of this year according to the Chancellor Phillip Hammond. The scheme was specifically designed to help first time buyers get that foothold on the property ladder, however in a letter to Governor of the Bank…
Allen Walkey
Four more agents expelled from The Property Ombudsman scheme (and from registration for lettings redress)
Four separate estate and letting agents have been expelled from membership of The Property Ombudsman (TPO) and from registration for lettings redress for two or more years, after failing to pay awards made by the Ombudsman or to comply with parts of the TPO Code of Practice for Residential Letting Agents. The decision to expel…
Christopher Walkey
Article 50 to be triggered within 6 months
Theresa May opened the 4 day Tory conference in Birmingham yesterday, it presented her with the first real chance to define her premiership and to detail the key policies that will go to make up her radical agenda. Prior to attending the conference; Theresa May said she will introduce a “Great Repeal Bill” in…
Allen Walkey
Banks under pressure to reduce prices on unsold properties in Spain
The Spanish property market has been recoverying slowly over the last year, prices have stabilised and in some areas are showing increases. However recent reports suggest that the country still faces a large backlog of unsold property, banks still own homes from struggling developers and repossessions. In an effort to reduce bank’s real estate exposure…
Allen Walkey
Nationwide (HPI) September
Nationwide House Price Index (HPI) September released today headlines ‘Annual house price growth softened in September’ House prices increased by 0.3% in September. Annual house price growth slowed to 5.3%, from 5.6% in August. Commenting on the figures, Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said: “The pace of annual house price growth slowed to 5.3% in…
Allen Walkey
Tougher buy to let lending rules for landlords
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), the supervisory arm of the Bank of England, has confirmed it will bring in tougher underwriting standards for buy-to-let lenders following an earlier consultation. Tougher lending restrictions are to be imposed on Landlords when applying for buy to let mortgages, the new rules will require banks and mortgage providers to…
Allen Walkey
Government Helps over 185,000 buy a new home
Announcement published on the Gov.UK website yesterday from HM Treasury, Department for Communities and Local Government, Simon Kirby and Gavin Barwell MP headlined ‘Help to Buy helps over 185,000 people buy a new home’. Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Simon Kirby, said: “Through the Help to Buy schemes, we have helped 185,000 people buy a…
Allen Walkey
Increase in Number of households reporting to be homeless
Governement figures released yesterday showed that Local authorities accepted 15,170 households as being statutorily homeless between 1 April and 30 June 2016, up 3% on the previous quarter and 10% on the same quarter of last year. These are households that are owed a main homelessness duty to secure accommodation as a result of being…
Allen Walkey
Launch of new (BTL) cashback mortgages
Launched today by The Mortgage Works (TMW) part of the Nationwide Building Society is a new selection of Buy-to-Let (BTL) mortgages with £250 cashback and free standard valuations, available to both remortgage and house purchase customers. Paul Wootton, managing director of TMW, reportedly said: “We have launched new products with both a cashback of £250…
Allen Walkey