Value of UK property tops £5 trillion

The value of the UK's housing stock has surpassed £5 trillion, according to new research. A report by Halifax shows that the private housing market's total worth has risen from £3.22 trillion in 2004 to £5.06 trillion - a rise of 57 per cent, or £1.83 trillion, in the past decade. That increase is equivalent to £79,262 per household in the owner-occupied and private rented sectors, a rise...

Miami property sales surge

Miami property sales surged in October, according to the Miami Association of Realtors. The group's latest report reveals that single-family home sales in Miami-Dade County totalled 1,204, up 13.6 per cent from October last year, while condo sales jumped 6.5 per cent. The growth is driven by a combination of expanding population and interest from both overseas investors and local buyers, says 2014 Chairman...

US home sales up for first time since October 2013

US home sales have risen in the past 12 months, according to new figures, the first annual leap since October 2013. Data from the National Association of Realtors shows that existing-home sales rose in October 2014 for the second straight month in a row, Existing-home sales, which consist of completed transactions for single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, jumped 1.5 per cent to a...

Home sales edge higher in Canada

Home sales edged higher in Canada in October, reveal new statistics from the CREA. The Canadial Real Estate Association's latest report shows that national home sales increased slightly in October, rising 0.7 per cent from September.  This marks the sixth consecutive month of rising resale activity and the strongest activity for the month of October since 2009 - a significant turnaround compared to the...

Slowdown? What slowdown? Property sales in England and Wales surge

Any talk of a UK housing market slowdown was shrugged off this week, as new figures revealed that property sales surged last month in England and Wales.Transactions in October jumped 9 per cent in October 2014, the highest level of sales completed in a month since November 2007. As a result, that demand pushed up prices further, with values edging up from 0.4 per cent growth in September to an increase of...

UK lending caps weigh on seasonal slowdown

Lending caps have weighed on the seasonal slowdown of the UK housing market this autumn, with activity falling in October. Figures from Connells Survey and Valuation show that the number of property valuations fell by 20 per cent compared to September 2014. The slowdown is broadly in line with seasonal expectations, though says Connells, is "not an alarm bell". Indeed, every since 2010, there has been an...

1 in 5 Brits would pay more for faster broadband

1 in 5 brits would pay more for a faster broadband connection, according to a new survey from Halifax. In an increasingly connected modern age, Internet is fast becoming an essential utility for homeowners, alongside gas, electricity and water. Now, it is a deciding factor in the house buying process, with 20 per cent of UK adults saying that would stump up a higher sum for a home with a good...

Cambridge leads UK house price rise

Cambridge is leading the growth in UK house prices, according to new figures from Hometrack. The first UK cities house price index, which monitors 20 urban areas using Land Registry data (approximately a third of all the homes in the country), reveals that Cambridge has enjoyed the biggest increase in the past seven years. Property values in the city jumped £53,000 in the past 12 months to be a third...

Mind the gap: Second rung on housing ladder moves further away

Recent homebuyers should mind the gap, Lloyds Bank has warned. The second rung on the UK housing ladder is moving further away, as second steppers - those making the move from a first time purchase to another home - are faced with a £60,000 leap. Thought being a first time buyer was tough? Try being a second time seller: Despite increasing house prices boosting equity levels for Second Steppers, they...