How the housing market has become harder since 1988

According to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies’ recent 30 year retrospective, the housing market was much better for buyers in the late 1980s than it is today, especially for younger homebuyers. According to this historical data, in 1988 homes were smaller but also far more within the reach of young homebuyers. This is […]

Who’s Buying What? A Look at the Data on Montreal Homebuyers

Recently, the CMHC studied the demographics of Montreal home buyers. They learned that a whopping 80% of homebuyers resided on Montreal Island before they became home owners. The appealing areas of Ville-Marie, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, and Île-des-Sœurs lured the majority of buyers. Most Montreal natives purchase a condo for their first home. Montréal and Laval homebuyers […]

Live where you love, buy where you can afford

Australian data tends to agree that between buying and renting, buying is the more fiscally sound decision. However, it’s not always feasible to put together the needed deposit to live where you truly want to live and getting stuck where you do not wish to live shouldn’t have to be an option. There is a […]

The 19 areas that have seen property prices rise more than 250 per cent since the turn of the century

Land registry numbers in the UK show that Southend-on-Sea, which is an Essex town designated specifically as a ‘leisure pier’ for a longer period of time than has any other spot on the globe, has seen its property values ascend nearly 300% since the turn of the century. Three other east end UK towns have […]

Thousands reclaim overpaid inheritance tax as house prices falter

A combination of British estate law and a stagnant housing market has resulted in thousands of families paying too much inheritance tax because of rules requiring the tax to be paid based on values calculated before the property is actually sold. Since 2013, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has received refund petitions from 15,000 families […]

The great leasehold rip off – how firms are cashing in on housebuyers with charges that DOUBLE every decade

Although leasehold agreements are theoretically supposed to protect residents from rent increases, they are often abused by home builders to trap residents in houses they cannot sell while prices escalate. These agreements can cause ground rent to grow at rates so fast as to render a home essentially impossible to sell, and can also include […]

Bidding to win:how to buy a property at auction and bag a bargain home

Rightmove’s House Price Index shows that homes in the London area moved much more slowly this spring than they did a mere two years ago, almost 30% slower. Realizing this, it could be in your best interest to consider getting a home at auction. Often, you can have keys in less than a month and […]

Are You Ready To Buy Your First Home?

You very much want a new home, possibly your first home. And, of course, it’s a very big deal. But, before you go wistfully mooning and drooling over possible contenders, pull yourself together and do a bit of planning and homework first. Create a list for yourself of every possible feature you would want your […]

Pound to euro exchange rate: UK inflation defies estimations as sterling falls

Although the British pound was recently lagging behind the euro before it made a final recovery, the poor exchange rate showing should not be taken as a signal to be overly pessimistic about the UK’s economic status, or so asserts some analysts. Although the country’s inflation did not waver during May, housing prices have started […]

Hot property:how to sell your London house for more — maximise its design appeal

Did you know that those on the lookout for London homes will invest over 12% more in homes that have appealing designs? Fortunately, there are many ways that you can enhance the style of your home in affordable ways to increase equity. Even just adding structures such as sky lights can create a unique and […]