I'm thinking of buying a property somewhere in the Lincoln area possibly in one of the villages north of the city. I am a cash buyer.

When I've looked at the Estate agents and what is on offer I see a spate of properties some of which seem to have been on the market for some time. There are some very good houses around, but there is little sign of realistic pricing in a market which is beginning to slide. i.e. I would be expecting good reductions on properties given the dire news in the market. But house prices have not shifted in this way.

Apart from the aspect of pricing and trying to predict what will happen in the market [ eg Will the market go down dramaticlly over the next year? possibly by another 15% ? ], I really have some difficulty over the timing of any purchase.

What are other buyers thinking as they muse over purchasing sooner or later in the Lincoln area?

I have been watching the market every day for tha last 2 /1/2 years and I still haven't been able to bring myself to buying yet. Mainly because i haven't found 'the' house but a massive factor is the price. I have noticed that some properties are starting to come on to the market at a more reasoonable price but there are still loads hanging about that have been on for over a year with an inflated price. There are also a few nice drops too which I have picked up on, you can use propertybee if you have firefox. I'm looking south of the city but the properties north seem to be more reasonably priced, i guess as there is less out that way. Interestingly enough I got a brochure through the post today from an agent that we registered with over 18 months ago, funny thing is during the boom they weren't interested in us......

Looked on Rightmove today and was horrified that several of the cheaper homes were Sold subject to Contract. My search was for property registered in the last 24 hours.

Prices in Lincoln seem to be falling already.
http://www.home.co.uk/guides/house_prices_...&lastyear=1

and there are some real reductions

http://www.home.co.uk/search/price_info.ht...perty=107593221

Thanks for your comments & views :

tinecu
wheresitgone
jsync

I think I'm going to continue to look to see what happens to prices over the next few months. Each day the news seems to get worse about the economy, unemployment and further cuts in house prices.

By the end of the year I'm hoping the picture will be clearer.

Gorseinonboy,

I grew up in a village south of the city but live abroad now. I have toyed with moving back. I am curious, did you find anything?

I have followed the area very closely and I think there are more disillusioned sellers in Lincoln than a lot of places. The majesty of the cathedral (and it is breathtaking) may play a part in this.

Hi there MC.

We have looked at houses in Wales and Lincoln this Autumn. Our visit to Lincoln was a month ago.
We found:

Estate Agents were quite honest about the market in Lincoln with indications there were further falls to come.
Vendors were reluctant to put their houses on the market at realistic prices perhaps in the hope that some unsuspecting "mug" might come along.
Some houses had been around for up to a year.
There are signs that houses new on the market are more realistically priced.
Some houses are selling.

By the end of our visit ~ over a week in the Lincoln area ~ we are convinced it is the location where we will buy mainly because the city is great with the University, Cathedral and new developments etc. We liked in particular ~ Sudbrooke and areas around Skellingthorpe Road. Some really nice houses around these places.

Our house in France is up for sale but we can't see us buying until well into 2009 ~ and thn dependent on greater house reductions.

I would be interested in your views on Lincoln if you continue to consider the city for your future relocation.

Regards

Vrnon

Hi Gorsinonboy,

I definitely have noticed the few new properties on Rightmove come with a more realistic price tag. I expect Lincoln to see significant drops in 2009 as reality sets in. Glad to hear that the EA's you spoke to were realistic.

Skellingthorpe road and the village of Skellingthorpe have some nice properties. Try not to get to close to the Birchwood estate though, it has some good families there, but is very large and has a few rough spots. My gran lived there for years and some of the areas are not the best.

I am not too familiar with Sudbrooke but most of the villages around Lincoln are nice. You might want to check out Saxilby, and Doddington. These are nice spots and close to the areas you are looking at. I most familiar with the Southern part of the city and villages to the south.

At the moment I would need to see the pound drop to parity with the dollar to rethink my decision to stay put or suffer a job loss here in the States. Right now though it doesn't quite make sense. It might happen but is unlikely. If you want to ask me questions though let me know and I will be happy to provide whatever information I can. Especially which are the nice pubs with a good pint.

Thanks MC. I will keep in touch and let you know our progress.