cashinmattress Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Home Economics: the worst of the house price crash is behind us An important milestone was passed last month, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). For the first time since May 2007 — before the credit crunch — more surveyors expect house prices to rise, rather than fall, in the next three months.In a generally upbeat survey, Rics members reported rising demand, increased sales, limited supply and falling stocks. It is still, in many ways, a strange market, with prices apparently stabilising at levels of activity much lower than normal. There are many measures of prices, but the broad message is one of stability. Chesterton Humberts’s monthly “poll of pollsâ€, which takes the full range of indexes into account, showed a 0.1% increase in June, the first rise since April last year. Douglas McWilliams, chief executive of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, which compiles the figures, said: “We may yet experience further small falls in prices, but the worst of the house-price contraction is almost certainly behind us.†You would imagine that estate agents would be celebrating, but they’re not. They are more worried about the lack of sellers. So far, even the promise of getting something close to asking price is not luring vendors out of their shells, even though buyer inquiries are increasing at the fastest pace since Rics began asking the question 10 years ago. Perhaps this will pass. Sellers may be holding off because they have heard so much about intense mortgage rationing, they don’t believe there are enough buyers out there with the wherewithal to purchase. Certainly, funding is still a problem for lenders. Even here, however, there are signs of a thaw. Darren Winder, an economist with the financial adviser Cazenove, has been monitoring the mortgage multiples operated by the Halifax, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender. He found that slotting in an income of £35,000 in the “How much can I borrow?†part of the Halifax website last week gave an answer of up to £168,000, 4.8 times income. The corresponding figure was £150,000 just a few days before, and £120,000 earlier in the year. Halifax, now part of Lloyds and majority-owned by the taxpayer, is clearly taking its responsibility to keep the flow of mortgage finance seriously. Some would say a bit too seriously. The number of angry tenants complaining about their lettings agents to the Property Ombudsman has risen by 44% this year. Christopher Hamer, whose jurisdiction covers 6,255 lettings offices, received 110 calls a week about rental disputes in the second quarter of 2009. The main offenders are agents who do not explain charges and fees clearly. Hamer says the increase in complaints mirrors the increase in renting, a result of the economic slowdown. For once, luck is on the side of the first-time buyer — the annual average house price paid by people getting their foot on the ladder was 14% lower in May 2009 than a year ago, according to government figures. The sellers of those properties have not done as well: the average price they paid on their next house went down by only 11.6%. So, unless their new homes are much bigger, many upsizers have lost out. Lack of sellers = people who can't sell because of negative equity. And is this the same RICS who told us that everything was hunky dory in August 2007? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beggar Thy Children Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Every day brings another statement from some VI or body saying the worst is behind us, I hope someone is keeping track of it all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guillotine Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Oh look a new thread on a cut and pasted broadsheet article. Please stop stifling real debate by relegating interesting threads with your inane attention seeking compulsion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cashinmattress Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 Oh look a new thread on a cut and pasted broadsheet article.Please stop stifling real debate by relegating interesting threads with your inane attention seeking compulsion. Hamish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guillotine Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Hamish? Bruno?? Seriously, you post far too many threads, one a year should suffice to reflect the amount of original thinking you contribute here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Miller Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Every day brings another statement from some VI or body saying the worst is behind us, I hope someone is keeping track of it all! Is that the RICS ..................YAWN, must go to bed now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cashinmattress Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 Bruno??Seriously, you post far too many threads, one a year should suffice to reflect the amount of original thinking you contribute here. If you want smarmy, group hug stuff, Martin Lewis's forum welcomes you with open arms. You can go join your troll attack dogs over there. In the mean time, I will continue to post news and commentary just as I always do. But I do take your toothless barking as a compliment though, good to see that I have a new fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guillotine Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 If you want smarmy, group hug stuff, Martin Lewis's forum welcomes you with open arms.You can go join your troll attack dogs over there. In the mean time, I will continue to post news and commentary just as I always do. But I do take your toothless barking as a compliment though, good to see that I have a new fan. I'm trying to tell you politely in the dead of night that you are taking the mickey with your addiction at cutting and pasting any old rubbish as soon as it goes online. There is barely a single thread on the main page from this morning let alone from last week as typified the zenith of this site a couple of years back. The only discernable personality you project online is of an aging bedwetter, a comfort seeking Meldrew. The fact that you think you are being hunted across the internet is alarming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 (edited) I'm trying to tell you politely in the dead of night that you are taking the mickey with your addiction at cutting and pasting any old rubbish as soon as it goes online. There is barely a single thread on the main page from this morning let alone from last week as typified the zenith of this site a couple of years back. The only discernable personality you project online is of an aging bedwetter, a comfort seeking Meldrew.The fact that you think you are being hunted across the internet is alarming. I can't wait to be an aging bedwetter. With a huge rumped African nurse swearing at me. Edited July 19, 2009 by DissipatedYouthIsValuable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cashinmattress Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 I'm trying to tell you politely in the dead of night that you are taking the mickey with your addiction at cutting and pasting any old rubbish as soon as it goes online. There is barely a single thread on the main page from this morning let alone from last week as typified the zenith of this site a couple of years back. The only discernable personality you project online is of an aging bedwetter, a comfort seeking Meldrew.The fact that you think you are being hunted across the internet is alarming. Simple solution. Put me on ignore and pass over my threads, as I will do with you. However, I appreciate the nice comments. Well done wee man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guillotine Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Simple solution.Put me on ignore and pass over my threads, as I will do with you. However, I appreciate the nice comments. Well done wee man. Well if I am supposed to stop over your threads perhaps you would be so kind as to ask the mods to set up your own dedicated subforum instead of stinking up the Main forum. We could call it the "cut and pasted articles from newspapers as soon as they are posted online" forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnbull2000 Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 So Halifax are now lending nearly 5x income. If they give in to government and media pressure and reduce rates and LTV requirements, what's to stop another price bubble? I gather this would require the re-opening the of mortgage securities market, otherwise the banks don't have the funds?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selling up Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Oh look a new thread on a cut and pasted broadsheet article.Please stop stifling real debate by relegating interesting threads with your inane attention seeking compulsion. Are you serious? I think it's great that I can log on and find threads on all the day's relevant news articles. To me that is as worthwhile as any 46-page thread on the ramifications of fiat money / bi-flation / Andrea Turner. Long live short threads linked to news articles. Well done, CiM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sour Mash Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Bruno??Seriously, you post far too many threads, one a year should suffice to reflect the amount of original thinking you contribute here. It's great that posters take the effort to post a good article that they have found, for debate and discussion here. Well done OP, I hope you post many more more. What worthy threads have you started then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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