Macquarie Bank is providing the £200 million warehouse facility. The Group’s intention will be to use the facility to warehouse loans prior to arranging term funding in the mortgage-backed securitisation markets, where the Group has considerable experience stretching back over 20 years. There has been increasing evidence of a recovery in the asset-backed market with numerous securitisations being launched by a number of major UK and European banks.

Paragon has held bond investor roadshows during 2010 and there is strong investor demand for Paragon residential mortgage-backed securities given the excellent performance of its historical mortgage assets. The number of accounts more than three months in arrears across Paragon’s portfolio of buy-to-let loan assets has continued to fall and is currently 0.86% of the book. This is significantly below buy-to-let market peers and also the wider mortgage market.

Lending strategy
It is Paragon’s aim to return to its market-leading position in the buy-to-let sector, specifically targeting professional landlords. This is an area of the market currently under served by buy-to-let lenders and one in which Paragon is well positioned given its expertise and experience in buy-to-let lending.

Paragon will offer a range of buy-to-let products through the Paragon Mortgages brand.
Paragon will continue to maintain a prudent and risk-averse approach to new lending, placing greater value on long-term customer relationships, credit quality and profitable products rather than simply market share.

This strategy has proved successful for Paragon and is a driving factor in the excellent credit performance of the Group’s assets.
During the eleven months to 31 August 2010, only £231.1 million of Paragon’s buy-to-let loan book has redeemed and the size of the warehouse facility, and its revolving nature, will provide the basis to support the expansion of the lending business.

Buy-to-let market
Competition in the buy-to-let mortgage market has reduced dramatically since the start of the credit crunch and the new lending sector has been dominated by just two lenders, accounting for up to 80% of new business written.

The number of available buy-to-let products has fallen from over 3,600 in July 2007 to under 280 in September 2010. Many of these products are focused towards the novice or small scale landlord, failing to cater for professional landlords’ more complex financial needs.

Strategy
The acquisition of loan portfolios and loan servicing of third party clients will remain a core part of the strategy going forward.

Trading
In addition to announcing its return to new lending, Paragon also today gave a trading update for the eleven months to 31 August 2010. The Board expects operating profits (before exceptional and fair value items) for the year to 30 September 2010 to be above the current market consensus forecast (£58.2 million) and around the upper end of analysts’ current expectations, which range from £40.5 million to £65.0 million. In addition, as previously disclosed, pre-tax profits will include an exceptional profit of £5.7 million on the purchase of Group securitised bonds.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Nigel Terrington, Paragon Group’s Chief Executive says:
“Despite the difficult environment over the past three years, Paragon has remained steadfast in its commitment to return the business to new
lending when conditions permitted.

“We are delighted to have secured funding on acceptable and sustainable terms to enable us to return to new lending and to work with Macquarie on this significant transaction. They are an ambitious and innovative institution and this transaction demonstrates clear evidence of their intentions to develop a leading role in the UK debt and equity markets.

“This is not only a significant development for Paragon; it is also significant for the wholesale funding and specialist lending markets. Paragon is the first independent non-deposit taking mortgage lender to secure funding to enable it to return to new lending. This shows that investor confidence is returning and the wholesale funding markets are recovering.

“Competition in the mortgage market has been sorely lacking, particularly as specialist lenders have largely been unable to secure funding or Government support to enable them to compete against high street lenders. Nowhere is this more evident than in the private rented sector where tenant demand is strong and expected to grow.

This is an increasingly important part of the UK housing market and competition is vital for a healthy and vibrant buy-to-let market and we aim to provide that competition.”
ENDS

For further information contact:
Paragon: Nigel Terrington
Chief Executive
0121 712 2024
Fishburn Hedges Andy Berry 020 7544 3044 / 07767 374421
Jane Padgham 020 7544 3061
Michelle James 020 7544 3056

* seasonally adjusted

Commenting on the figures Martin Gahbauer, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said:

“The price of a typical UK property rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.5% month-on-month (m/m) in May, following a 1.1% increase in April. The smoother 3 month on 3 month rate of increase rose from 1.1% in April to 1.7%, as February’s fall in house prices dropped out of the most recent three month average. The annual rate of house price inflation dropped from 10.5% to 9.8%, which reflects the weaker pace of increase in May 2010 relative to May 2009. Since reaching a trough in February 2009 – following a drop of 19.3% from their October 2007 peak – house prices have risen by 12.2% and are now just 9.5% below the October 2007 peak.

“Housing market conditions remain characterised by thin transaction volumes and a relative scarcity of properties for sale, despite a slow return of more sellers in recent months. The current supply-demand balance on the market is still consistent with relatively stable to modestly upward trending prices.”

Impact of capital gains tax changes on house prices depends on timing of implementation

“The coalition agreement between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats contains plans to increase the rate of capital gains tax (CGT) charged on the disposal of non-business assets, potentially including second homes and buy-to-let investment properties. Currently the CGT rate on such assets is 18%, and the coalition plans are to raise the rate to a level “similar or close to those applied to income.” Precise details, however, will not be known until the Emergency Budget announcement on 22 June.

“With regard to what the short-term impact will be on the housing market and house prices, the key question is around the timing and implementation of any CGT increase. If there is a significant time lag between the announcement of the increase and its actual implementation, then some second home owners and buy-to-let landlords may decide to sell in advance of the higher rate being introduced. Such a development could lead the supply-demand balance to shift more in favour of buyers and relieve the current upward pressure on house prices. However, it is difficult to know with any precision how many people would bring forward a decision to sell.

“The incentive to try to beat the higher tax rate is most pressing for those who have owned their properties for a relatively long period of time and therefore have relatively large unrealised gains. Conversely, those who bought their second homes or investment property within the last five years have little incentive to sell early in order to beat the tax change. House prices have only risen back to their mid-2006 level and the first £10,100 of capital gains is currently tax free.

“If the new rate comes into effect immediately on 22 June, then supply conditions are unlikely to be affected materially as any potential sellers would not have time to react.

“There are some examples of where tax changes have had a significant short-term impact on the housing market. Most prominent was the March 1988 announcement to end double Mortgage Interest Relief At Source (MIRAS) for cohabiting couples. The implementation of the tax change was postponed until August of that year, which prompted a rush of buyers to try to beat the deadline. The result was a temporary surge in property values, with house prices increasing by 18% between Q1 1988 and Q3 1988 alone.

“However, the most recent change in CGT rates announced in the 2007 Pre-Budget Report did not have any discernable impact on the supply of property on the market. At the time, the existing CGT rates of 24-40% – depending on taper relief and income status – were cut to a flat rate of 18%. New instructions to sell property remained very low even after the tax changes were introduced, although this may also have been due to the very weak market conditions prevailing at the time.”

Monthly UK House Price Statistics

* seasonally adjusted

Commenting on the figures Martin Gahbauer, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said:

The price of a typical UK property rose by a seasonally adjusted 1.0% month-on-month (m/m) in April, leaving house prices 10.5% higher than a year earlier. Over the lifetime of the last Parliament (May 2005 to April 2010), house prices have risen by 6.7%. This compares to a 13.5% increase in the consumer price index, the official target measure of inflation.

April’s figures show the first double-digit annual growth in UK house prices since June 2007. The year-on-year rate in this month’s figures, however, received an additional boost from the fact that April 2009 was one of the weaker months last year. Given the very strong performance of house prices from May 2009 onwards, it will take monthly increases in excess of 1% for the annual rate of inflation to be maintained in double digits going forward. The smoother three month on three month rate of inflation edged down further from 1.5% in March to 1.1% in April, which primarily reflects the impact of February’s 1.0% decline in house prices. April’s figures leave UK house prices exactly 10% below the October 2007 peak.

For further information please see  April 2010 report (PDF 64KB).

The NAEA has long campaigned for a major rethink on stamp duty – which it believes to be a tax on aspiration. Today in the final Budget before the election, Mr Darling listened and raised the threshold to £250,000 from midnight tonight.

Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the NAEA, said: “For thousands of first time buyers the dream of getting onto the property ladder was slipping out of reach.

“This announcement has added a new rung to the property ladder, one within reach of thousands of young families.

“We have long argued that stamp duty is a tax on aspiration that smothered the natural demand of the market. We still believe that more reform is needed and there is more work to be done, but this is a good first step – a major victory for first time buyers.”

The NAEA has for years called for a major reform of stamp duty land tax, beginning with the threshold being raised. Most recently in the run up to this Budget the association led a coalition of property organisations in calling for reform, under the banner of the 1808 campaign. More information on the 1808 campaign can be found at http://www.nfopp.co.uk/1808/

ENDS

According to Iranzo, the banks are sitting on 100,000 of Spain’s 700,000 unsold new homes, which they will now have to dump on the market. Thanks to new rules from the Bank of Spain forcing banks to increase their provisions on unsold properties, which took effect in January, Iranzo also expects the banks to drop their prices in search of sales. He pointed out that banks need to improve their balance sheets by selling property, though it is unclear how selling property at a loss will help do that.

What green shoots?

There has been some talk recently in the mainstream Spanish media about an incipient recovery in the housing market, but according to Iranzo the housing sector will get “quite a lot worse” this year, thanks to the recession and increasing unemployment. “The outlook doesn’t favour the house purchases,” remarked Iranzo. He warned that prices still have room to fall, and that interest rates will go up towards the end of the year, putting further pressure on prices.

“Never again”

A glut of newly-built properties isn’t the only problem the market is having to deal with. Demand has also retrenched massively, and may not pick up until 2012 or 2013, says Iranzo.

When does he expect demand to return to the boom levels of 700,000 homes a year? “Never again,” says Iranzo, who expects demand to stabilise around 450,000 homes per year in 2012.

It is important to note that Iranzo is basically talking about the market for primary housing in and around Spanish cities, not holiday homes on the coast. Some experts expect the quality holiday home market to recover much quicker, thanks to supply limits and internationally diversified demand.

Link to original article and more Spanish property information

24 February 2010

Conference time: 0845hrs – 1630hrs

Background

The CML compile and publish a range of statistics on the UK housing and mortgage markets including key data on mortgage lending, arrears and possessions and market segments such as buy-to-let. This unparalleled knowledge and insight into the important role housing plays in the economy is the basis on which this conference programme is built.

The detailed content will help all organisations, not just lenders, operating within the world of housing. The content discussed will be crucial to understanding current and future housing market conditions.

Chaired by Sue Anderson, head of external affairs, Council of Mortgage Lenders

Expert speakers will include:

• Michael Coogan, Director General, Council of Mortgage Lenders
• Rt. Hon John Healey MP, Minister for Housing and Planning
• Peter Williams, housing consultant and Chairman, IMLA
• Steven Hall, director, KPMG
• Bob Pannell, head of research, Council of Mortgage Lenders
• John Stewart, director of economic affairs, Home Builders Federation
• Rob Thomas, senior policy adviser, Council of Mortgage Lenders

Delegates currently booked on include:

• Technical director, Allied Surveyors
• Head of sales, Halifax Intermediaries
• Head of product delivery, HBOS plc
• Team leader, housing regeneration and third sector team, HM Treasury
• Business project manager, Legal and General Assurance Society

Cost:

£275 for members (VAT exempt)
£325 for non-members (VAT exempt)

Our event fees remain highly competitive with prices for members and associates not having increased since January 2007

Location:

The Westbury Hotel, Bond Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2YF

This event is open to press

The latest Bank of England mortgage data published today confirms the likelihood that there may have been a “bunching” of house purchase transactions in December to beat the stamp duty concession deadline.The gross lending total of £13.4 bn in December 2009 was in line with the CML’s estimate (£13.5 bn) and seems to confirm the CML’s view that much activity was “rushed through” to beat the stamp duty deadline. Gross lending totalled £143.5 bn in 2009.

Net lending remains up from the near stagnation in the middle of the year. For 2009 as a whole net lending totalled £11.5 bn. This was the lowest level on record (back to 1987), but higher than the CML forecast of £8 bn. It was largely driven by the relative strength of house purchase activity, which picked up over the latter part of the year, and weak levels of repayments. The CML sees little if any evidence that households, in aggregate, are using low interest rates to pay down mortgage debt more quickly.

CML economist Paul Samter said:

“These figures confirm that the mortgage market ended 2009 in much better shape than it started, but it still looks like a slow haul back to meaningful levels of activity. It should be no surprise if January and February this year appear particularly slow, if we are correct in our view that many buyers rushed to beat the stamp duty concession deadline in December.”

Notes to editors

1. The December lending data is available from the Bank of England website.

Contact details

Name: Sue Anderson

Tel: 020 7438 8924

Email: sue.anderson@cml.org.uk

Name: Bernard Clarke

Tel: 020 7438 8923

Email: bernard.clarke@cml.org.uk

Name: Jayne Chichester

Tel: 020 7438 8922

Email: jayne.chichester@cml.org.uk

Surveyors in the West Midlands, East Midlands, Wales and Scotland predict that the end of the holiday will have a “detrimental effect” in areas that are yet to see a recovery from the recession, and widely expect to see a drop in market activity when the threshold reverts back to its previous ways. The temporary stamp duty holiday was implemented in September 2008 and will finish at the end of the year.

The 1% tax will be reintroduced for properties sold over £125,000 compared with the £175,000 currently in operation, with The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors calling for the tax to be restructured. The Council of Mortgage Lenders calculates that 132,500 houses that were bought funded with a mortgage had escaped paying stamp duty in the past year.

“This is one of those situations where we will have to wait and see what the long term affects are to the housing market, but there can be no doubt that the stamp duty holiday has been a huge help to various regions in the UK,” says Laurence Smith of Decision Homebuyers. “People looking to sell a house quick or who are looking to buy a property are now working under different market conditions, and will have to cater their budgets accordingly as a result.”

To find out more about Decision Homebuyers and their services:
Please call 08456 341 456
or visit: http://www.decisionhomebuyers.co.uk/

About Decision Homebuyers:
Established in 2006 and specialising in fast property purchase, Decision Homebuyers are experts in their field. Decision Homebuyers can buy your house fast and guarantee to make cash offers on all types of residential and commercial property, no matter what the condition.

Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 7.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate¹ of 6.54 million units in November from 6.09 million in October, and are 44.1 percent higher than the 4.54 million-unit pace in November 2008. Current sales remain at the highest level since February 2007 when they hit 6.55 million.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the rise was expected. “This clearly is a rush of first-time buyers not wanting to miss out on the tax credit, but there are many more potential buyers who can enter the market in the months ahead,” he said. “We expect a temporary sales drop while buying activity ramps up for another surge in the spring when buyers take advantage of the expanded tax credit, which hopefully will take us into a self-sustaining market in the second half of 2010. In all, 4.4 million households are expected to claim the tax credit before it expires and balance should be restored to the housing sector with inventories continuing to decline.”

An NAR practitioner survey² shows first-time buyers purchased 51 percent of homes in November, compared with an upwardly revised 50 percent of transactions in October.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 4.88 percent in November from 4.95 percent in October; the rate was 6.09 percent in November 2008. Last month’s mortgage interest rate was the second lowest on record after bottoming at 4.81 percent in April 2009.

NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox & Associates in Tucson, Ariz., said conditions are optimal for buyers in the current market. “Inventories have steadily declined and are closer to balanced levels, which indicate home prices in many areas are either stabilizing or could soon stabilize and return to normal appreciation patterns,” she said. “This means buyers still have good choices but are purchasing near the bottom of the price cycle with historically low mortgage interest rates. Throw a tax credit on top and it really doesn’t get any better for buyers with secure jobs and long-term ownership plans.”

Total housing inventory at the end of November declined 1.3 percent to 3.52 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 6.5-month supply³ at the current sales pace, down from an 7.0-month supply in October.

Raw unsold inventory figures are 15.5 percent below a year ago. The last time there was a lower supply of homes on the market was April 2006 when it was at a 6.1-month supply.

“Nearly all markets experienced a solid sales gain from one year ago,” Yun said. “The only markets with measurably lower sales were in San Diego, Riverside, and Sacramento, where inventory shortages for lower priced homes are limiting sales.”

For the second month in a row, sales have risen in all price classes from a year earlier. Prior to October, the only consistent gains were in the lower price ranges.

The national median existing-home price⁴ for all housing types was $172,600 in November, which is 4.3 percent below November 2008. Distressed properties, which accounted for 33 percent of sales in November, continue to downwardly distort the median price because they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes in the same area.

Single-family home sales jumped 8.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.77 million in November from a level of 5.32 million in October, and are 42.1 percent above the pace of 4.06 million in November 2008. The median existing single-family home price was $171,900 in November, down 4.4 percent from a year ago.

Existing condominium and co-op sales in November were unchanged from a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 770,000 in October, but are 60.1 percent above the 481,000-unit pace a year ago. The median existing condo price⁵ was $178,000 in November, which is 3.1 percent below November 2008.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast rose 6.6 percent to an annual level of 1.13 million in November, and are 52.7 percent higher than November 2008. The median price in the Northeast was $223,400, down 13.1 percent from a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the Midwest increased 8.4 percent in November to a pace of 1.55 million and are 53.5 percent above a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $140,800, a decline of 0.4 percent from November 2008.

In the South, existing-home sales rose 4.8 percent to an annual level of 2.39 million in November and are 44.8 percent higher than a year ago. The median price in the South was $151,400, down 1.4 percent from November 2008.

Existing-home sales in the West increased 10.6 percent to an annual rate of 1.46 million in November and are 28.1 percent above November 2008. The median price in the West was $231,100, which is 4.1 percent below a year ago.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

# # #

NOTE: NAR also reports monthly comparisons of existing single-family home sales and median prices for select metropolitan statistical areas, and is posted with other tables at: www.realtor.org/research/research/ehsdata. For information on areas not included in the report, please contact the local association of Realtors®.

¹The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.

Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings. This differs from the U.S. Census Bureau’s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which generally account for 85 to 90 percent of total home sales, are based on a much larger sample – more than 40 percent of multiple listing service data each month – and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

Single-family data collection began monthly in 1968, while condo data collection began quarterly in 1981; the series were combined in 1999 when monthly collection of condo data began. Prior to this period, single-family homes accounted for more than nine out of 10 purchases. Historic comparisons for total home sales prior to 1999 are based on monthly single-family sales, combined with the corresponding quarterly sales rate for condos.

²First-time buyer and distressed sales data are from the Realtor® Confidence Index; prior month first-time buyer data was revised due to a computational coding issue after the questionnaire was updated to obtain more specific breakouts.

³Total inventory and month’s supply data are available back through 1999, while single-family inventory and month’s supply are available back to 1982.

⁴The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to the seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns. Changes in the composition of sales can distort median price data. Year-ago median and mean prices sometimes are revised in an automated process if more data is received than was originally reported.

⁵Because there is a concentration of condos in high-cost metro areas, the national median condo price generally is higher than the median single-family price. In a given market area, condos typically cost less than single-family homes.

Existing-home sales for December will be released January 25. The next Pending Home Sales Index is scheduled for January 5; release times are 10 a.m. EST.

A recent study of more than 3,000 potential first time buyers reveals that 28 per cent feel they will need to save for at least five years before finally getting the keys to their own home.

One in 10 respondents have been saving for more than five years and still do not have enough deposit, while 30 per cent have no savings to put towards a deposit at all.

However, there is still help at hand, with new homes builder Stamford Homes offering its own incentives as well as Government shared equity schemes to get first time buyers onto the housing ladder.

These include;
Easystart where customers can own 100 per cent of a brand-new home for 80 per cent of the price with just five per deposit required.

HomeBuy Direct a Government home purchase scheme to help first time buyers onto the property ladder where you own 100 per cent of your home for just 70 per cent of the price, and just five per cent deposit required. This offer was to come to an end in March 2010 but has now been extended until September 2010 and has limited availability.

Stamp duty exemption on homes under £175,000. However, the Government’s exemption holiday ends on December 31.
Stamford Homes regional sales and marketing director Peter Bond said: “While the statistics by themselves do make fairly depressing reading, it is still encouraging that so many people are thinking about buying a home.

“There is evidence that many of our first time buyers have been able to afford their dream home through one of our many incentives schemes available across our developments.

“We recognise that raising a deposit does have its difficulties, but there are other scheme which can take away that pressure of the house buying process.”

For details of new homes around the region, visit www.stamford-homes.co.uk

- ENDS -

Notes to the Editor:
Stamford Homes operates throughout the East Midlands and Lincolnshire and forms a part of Galliford Try’s Housebuilding Division: Galliford Try Homes.
www.stamford-homes.co.uk

Galliford Try Homes operates through four strong regional brands: Linden Homes, Stamford Homes, Midas Homes, and Gerald Wood Homes specialising in brownfield development. The business is capable of developing over 3,000 homes per year, covering the entire region from the West Country to Lincolnshire and the South-East.
www.gallifordtryhomes.co.uk

For further information please contact:

Cetti Long
Media Matters PR
Stamford Homes
Tel: 01733 371363.
E-mail: cetti@mediamatters-pr.co.uk

However, for potential buyers who are putting off moving until after Christmas, buying a brand new dream home is now easier, and less expensive, than you think.

Stamford Homes can help curb the cost of moving to many of its developments in and around the region – with savings and incentives to help customers make their money travel further.

Among the most popular are Stamford Homes’ own EasyStart scheme, and the Government’s shared equity HomeBuy Direct incentive.

Both of these are currently available on selected homes across the Midlands’ developments. However, as the HomeBuy Direct initiative – which has already helped numbers Stamford Homes customers to afford their dream home – comes to and end next September but has limited availability, so now is the time to act.

These include;
- Easystart where customers can own 100 per cent of a brand-new home for 80 per cent of the price with just five per deposit required.

- HomeBuy Direct a Government home purchase scheme to help first time buyers onto the property ladder where you own 100 per cent of your home for just 70 per cent of the price, and just five per cent deposit required. This offer has limited availability.

Stamford Homes regional sales and marketing director Peter Bond said: “The housing market doesn’t seem to be following tradition of late – whereby all goes quite at the start of December until the New Year.

“We are experiencing high levels of interest and sustained reservations as serious buyers who recognise just what amazing incentives are on offer to help them move efficiently and cost-effectively.”

For details of new homes around the region, visit www.stamford-homes.co.uk

Pic cap
There is still time to put a Stamford home on your Christmas wish list.

- ENDS -

Notes to the Editor:
Stamford Homes operates throughout the East Midlands and Lincolnshire and forms a part of Galliford Try’s Housebuilding Division: Galliford Try Homes.
www.stamford-homes.co.uk

Galliford Try Homes operates through four strong regional brands: Linden Homes, Stamford Homes, Midas Homes, and Gerald Wood Homes specialising in brownfield development. The business is capable of developing over 3,000 homes per year, covering the entire region from the West Country to Lincolnshire and the South-East.
www.gallifordtryhomes.co.uk

For further information please contact:

Cetti Long
Media Matters PR
Stamford Homes
Tel: 01733 371363.
E-mail: cetti@mediamatters-pr.co.uk

Martin Gahbauer

Commenting on the figures Martin Gahbauer, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said:
“The monthly rate of house price inflation was unchanged in November at a seasonally adjusted 0.5%, leaving the average price of a typical property 2.7% higher than a year earlier.

At £162,764, the average house price is at a similar level to where it was in early 2006. The 3 month on 3 month rate of change – generally a smoother indicator of the near term trend – dropped to 2.8% from 3.5% in October and 3.8% in September.
This suggests that house prices are now rising at a more moderate pace than in the spring and summer months, when they experienced a very strong bounce from the early 2009 lows.

Labour market has held up better than expected but uncertainties remain.

“The outlook for the housing market remains crucially dependent on labour market conditions, and here recent developments have been somewhat more encouraging than might have been expected. With the UK experiencing its longest and deepest recession since WWII, most economists expected unemployment to increase very sharply in 2009, perhaps breaching the psychologically important three million mark by
the end of the year.
While unemployment has indeed increased noticeably, the rise has not been as rapid and pronounced as previously feared.
Based on the latest labour market figures from September, it now looks unlikely that the jobless total will reach three million before the year is up.

“Part of the explanation for why unemployment has not risen to the levels implied by the recession’s depth is that in many cases employers have opted to reduce working hours and pay rather than make employees redundant. This is reflected in rising part-time employment at the expense of full-time employment , and record low growth in average earnings.

The strategy of cutting hours and pay rather than headcount probably reflects a fear among many employers that they could find themselves short of labour when the economy recovers, thus leaving them less competitive in the longer term. Whether this strategy is sustainable will depend on how quickly the economy recovers.
If output is too slow to recover, then firms may find it necessary to reduce their payrolls further in order to improve productivity and profitability.
Another reason to remain cautious about the future outlook for employment is that the public sector has not yet experienced any significant job losses, but presumably will begin to do so when fiscal policy is tightened from next year onwards.

“Despite continued uncertainties about the future, the better than expected performance of the labour market has probably contributed to the surprise rebound in house prices this year. Even though workers who have been forced from full-time employment into part-time work will have experienced a reduction in income, the impact has been less severe than it would have been if they had lost their jobs completely.

Together with the fact that mortgage rates have fallen sharply as a result of base rate cuts, this has meant that far fewer borrowers have
fallen into arrears than would normally be the case in such a deep recession. In fact, the percentage of borrowers in arrears across the mortgage
industry has even edged down slightly in the most recent quarterly figures (chart 3). As such, the downward pressure on house prices from distressed sales has so far been significantly lower than expected.”

Martin Gahbauer,
Chief Economist
Tel: 01793 655434
martin.gahbauer@nationwide.co.uk

CFA Roy Beale
External Communications Officer
Tel: 01793 655689
roy.beale@nationwide.co.uk

More information

Notes:
Indices and average prices are produced using Nationwide’s updated mix adjusted House Price Methodology which was introduced with effect from the first quarter of 1995. The data are drawn from Nationwide’s house purchase mortgage lending at the post survey approvals stage. Price indices are seasonally adjusted using the US Bureau of the Census X12 method. Currently the calculations are based on a monthly data series starting from January 1991. Figures are recalculated each month which may result in revisions to historical data.

The Nationwide Monthly House Price Index is prepared from information which we believe is collated with care, but no representation is made as to its accuracy or completeness.
We reserve the right to vary our methodology and to edit or discontinue the whole or any part of the Index at any time, for regulatory or other reasons.
Persons seeking to place reliance on the Index for their own or third party commercial purposes do so entirely at their own risk. All changes are nominal and do not allow for inflation.

More information on the house price index methodology along with time series data and archives of housing research can be found at www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi

The annual change stands at minus 3.4 per cent. This is the sixth month in a row in which the fall in annual change has decreased. The average house price in England and Wales is now £159,546.

All regions in England and Wales experienced a decrease in their average property values over the last 12 months. The region with the most significant annual price fall was the West Midlands with a movement of  minus 6.3 per cent. The North West experienced the greatest monthly rise with a movement of 1.9 per cent. Wales was the region with the most significant monthly price fall with a movement of minus 2.3 per cent.

The most up-to-date figures available show that during August 2009 the number of completed house sales in England and Wales rose by 11 per cent to 53,236 from 48,109 in August 2008. Transaction volumes, while no longer falling at 2007 rates, remain relatively low.

For more information and to view the report in full, visit www1.landregistry.gov.uk/houseprices/

Notes

1. Since 2006, Land Registry’s House Price Index (HPI), which is available free at www1.landregistry.gov.uk/houseprices/ has gathered its own momentum to become a leading indicator of property movement within England and Wales. It is widely viewed as “the most accurate barometer of the housing market”.

2. The HPI is published on the twentieth working day of each month. The November index will be published at www1.landregistry.gov.uk/houseprices/ at 11:00 hours on Friday 30 December 2009.

3. The HPI uses a sample size that is larger than all other statistical measures available. It is calculated using Land Registry’s dataset of all residential property sales completed in England and Wales since January 1995.

4. Land Registry’s dataset contains details on 15 million residential transactions. Of these, over five million are identifiable matched pairs, providing the basis for the repeat sales regression analysis used to complete the index. This technique of quality adjustment ensures an “apples to apples” comparison between properties.

5. With the largest transactional database of its kind detailing over 22 million titles, Land Registry underpins the economy by safeguarding ownership of many billions of pounds worth of property.

6. As a government department established in 1862, executive agency and trading fund responsible to the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Land Registry keeps and maintains the Land Register for England and Wales. The Land Register has been an open document since 1990.

7. For further information about Land Registry visit www.landregistry.gov.uk

Contacts

Marion Shelley 020 7166 4543

marion.shelley@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Esther McWatters 020 7166 4487

esther.mcwatters@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Press Office 020 7166 4215

auctionmove.co.uk will provide estate agents with the opportunity to add an auction arm to their existing business, without impacting on commission.

Estate agents will also be able to have a branded presence on auctionmove.co.uk, generating valuable exposure for both the brand and for properties that are proving difficult to sell through the traditional estate agent route.

In the same way that a traditional auction works, auctionmove.co.uk will invite motivated purchasers to bid on a carefully chosen selection of residential and commercial properties, as well as land and development opportunities.

Buyers can bid anywhere, at anytime and at the end of the auction, if the reserve price is met, the highest bid wins the property.

auctionmove.co.uk’s experienced staff will always be on hand to help with any enquiries relating to the properties or the auctions.

Promising a competitive bidding process and sales that will be completed within 28 days, auctionmove.co.uk is a useful tool for buying and selling property online, whilst also being extremely helpful for estate agents.

Every property on auctionmove.co.uk is also advertised on rightmove.co.uk, the UK’s largest property website, which provides a steady throughput of traffic to the website.

Lisa Obertelli, Sales Director of auctionmove.co.uk, said: “We hope that by providing this service, estate agents will feel they can place their properties on our website. It allows an additional form of advertising for estate agents who are looking for new promotional avenues in a difficult market, with our property finder.

“We offer an auction service for estate agents, as well as offing any estate agent from anywhere in England the opportunity to advertise and promote through our website.

“We envisage this becoming an extremely useful tool for estate agents that will aid many stifled sales in the estate agency industry.”
For more information visit www.auctionmove.co.uk

Press Release Contact Details:

Andrew Barton Corby House, 38 Chorley New Road, Bolton BL1 4AP 01204 399440 auctionmove@inspia.co.uk www.auctionmove.co.uk

As of 11.00am on Saturday, eager buyers will have the chance to secure their very own part of this widely anticipated project. King’s Gate offers a selection of family homes in an ideal location and has proven a popular development having gained a significant amount of pre-launch interest.

Once complete, King’s Gate will comprise a variety of properties, including three-bed semi detached homes and three and four-bed detached villas with prices starting at £139,995.

Situated in a stunning coastal setting, King’s Gate provides the perfect location for family living, with excellent commuter links to both Dundee and Aberdeen and a range of local amenities, including schools, shops, pubs and restaurants.

King’s Gate will open Saturday 28 November, from 11am until 5.30pm. Thereafter, the marketing suite will be open Thursday to Monday. For further information call 01224 747 400 or visit http://www.stewartmilnehomes.com.

Press Release Contact Details:

CM Porter Novelli 45 Hanover Street Edinburgh EH2 2PJ 0131 470 3400

The housebuilder picked up the award on Friday 20 November, surpassing a host of UK-wide competitors.

John Slater, Stewart Milne Homes, group managing director, said:

“Winning this award is a great coup for Stewart Milne Homes. The collection of townhouses at Greenwood Manor is a real showpiece for the company, illustrating our excellence in building the highest quality, stylish product that is designed to meet the needs of the modern buyer.

“The award for Best Interior Layout recognises the level of innovation and flair demonstrated in these designs and rewards the expert combination of imagination and practicality offered by each home, particularly our approach to space and flexibility.”

The What House? Awards are considered to be the Oscars of the housebuilding industry and showcase some of the UK’s most exciting and dynamic new developers as well as highlighting the innovations of the industry’s major players. This year’s awards mark an even greater achievement for house builders who have successfully sustained quality of product despite the economic downturn.

John Slater continues: “Despite these challenging times, we have remained committed to delivering the same quality products and service that our reputation has been built on. This national award for Greenwood Manor is a superb recognition of this, especially as we continue the company’s drive into England.“

The award-winning townhouses at Greenwood Manor bring a whole new class of property to the newbuild market. Interior layouts combine traditional design features with key elements of modern living to offer practicality with style. Spread over three floors, each layout makes the very most of the space, whilst maximising light and offering flexibility. Designed to make an impression, key property features include grand entrance halls with oak staircase, exceptionally large living rooms with twin sets of windows providing elevated views of the garden, and spacious open-plan breakfasting kitchens. Additional spaces include an entrance vestibule, separate dining room, utility room, allocated storage and integral garage.

The townhouses also incorporate exclusive attributes such as a top floor master suite with private balcony, walk in closet, and luxurious ensuite. Combined with a ‘platinum’ specification and highest quality finish, these homes are effortlessly set apart in the newbuild marketplace.

Greenwood Manor four bedroom townhouses are priced from £425,000. For further details, contact the showhomes and marketing suite on 0141 639 9990, open Thursday to Monday from 10.30am until 5.30pm. Alternatively, visit http://www.stewartmilnehomes.com

Press Release Contact Details:

Debbie Standen CM Porter Novelli 45 Hanover Street Edinburgh EH2 2PJ 01314703400

STAMP DUTY REDUCED BY A THIRD FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS BUYING IN THE SEVEN MILE BEACH AND GEORGE TOWN AREAS The Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands has announced that there will be a temporary stamp duty reduction as part of an incentive package to investors to encourage activity within the cayman islands property market and maintain Cayman’s position as one of the world’s most desirable off shore property investment locations. Buyers will save substantial amounts on property purchases from April 1st 2009, when stamp duty will be reduced to 5% for a period of six months. The represents a significant 2.5% reduction from the usual 7.5% payable on purchases in the popular Seven Mile Beach and George Town areas.

There are no income taxes, annual property taxes, and inheritance or capital gains taxes in the Cayman Islands so unfortunately these cannot be reduced any further. However the Financial Secretary has simultaneously announced reductions in the import duty rates for building materials to help stimulate the local cayman property industry. The Cayman Islands have positioned themselves as the ultimate Caribbean island offering residents and visitors fabulous beaches, a safe and relaxed atmosphere with world class infrastructure and the highest standard of living in the region. Their economical and social stability have buffered the islands from any cayman property price fluctuations over the years and instead have shown gradual and steady appreciation in value, unlike the major markets in the world.
for more details: www.irg.ky

Press Release Contact Details:

P.O. Box 2390GT, Grand Cayman, KY1-1105 Cayman Islands Phone: 345-623-1111

PEMBROKE, NH.  2009 – Epoch Homes, a leading manufacturer of fully custom designed modular homes took first place for Green Building at the annual BSC Excellence in Marketing and Home Design awards program. The Building Systems Councils (BSC) of the National Association of Home Builders presented the award for the best green prefab home at their annual Showcase event in Marco Island, Florida. Epoch also won first place for Excellence in Design- Modular Homes over 4,001 sq. ft in this years awards.

The award winning home was certified under both the LEED and NAHB green Building Guidelines. The home was Platinum LEED certified and was the first to achieve Gold under the Build Green NH Guidelines. Epoch Homes has been involved in Green Building since the late 1990’s when they partnered with the Department of Energy on the Cambridge Co-Housing project. Their first LEED Platinum project was a duplex, certified in 2007. This home was built for ABODE Builders of New England.

John Ela, Epoch CEO and owner stated, “Epoch continues to explore new technologies to make green building affordable and to simplify the process, encouraging our Builder Network to try new approaches. While building in a controlled factory environment is inherently greener than traditional site building, we try to go beyond that by offering new materials, insulation and wall systems.” He added that “Green Building and Custom Building are two approaches that go hand in hand to meet the needs of today’s discerning home buyer. Our willingness to listen to the customer has allowed us to build some of the greenest homes in the country. It is an honor to be recognized by our peers for our leadership in building beautiful green homes.”

These, along with other award winning homes can be seen at www.epochhomes.com. The award winning projects will also be on display at the 2010 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.

About Epoch Homes:

Epoch Homes, of Pembroke, NH, is the leading manufacturer of fully custom designed modular homes, cottages, and mansions. For 26 years, Epoch Homes has sold to a growing network of quality builders serving New England, NY and NJ, and has built some of the Greenest homes in the country. The Green Approved factory supports LEED, The National Green Building Standard ICC-700 and Energy Star certification programs.

Press Release Contact Details:

John D. Ela President & CEO Epoch Corporation Route 106 P. O. Box 235 Pembroke, NH 03275 JohnEla@EpochHomes.com www.epochhomes.com

The twice-yearly survey, conducted between 26 August and 16 September 2009, shows that while 12% of firms increased their occupied space in the last six months, 25% reduced it, giving a balance of -13%. This was slightly less negative than the expected balance of -25%.

The survey also reveals, however, that a similar fall is expected in the coming half-year period (a balance of -15%).

Financial services firms recorded the sharpest property contraction over the past six months, with the engineering sector and transport, warehousing and distribution companies seeing the next steepest falls. The sharpest decline in the next six months is expected to be in the financial services sector again.

Three sectors – leisure (including hotels, bars & restaurants), retail and construction – reported an increase in property holdings over the past six months and the same sectors anticipate a rise in the next six.

During the recession, cost reduction and cash flow remain the most important issues affecting companies’ property decisions.

Firms were again asked about the impact of the credit squeeze and the slowing economy on their business. Access to credit was having at least a noticeable effect on 68% of firms and the economy on 85%. These were up from 62% and 81% respectively last time.

Howard Cooke, Director at leading property consultant GVA Grimley, said:

“With little let-up in the impact of the recession, firms have continued to reduce property holdings in the past six months. Unfortunately, these cuts will continue as long as the poor economic climate persists.

“Yet again, most firms feel some impact from the recession, with slightly more blaming tighter credit conditions than six months ago.”

The survey shows an increase in the number of companies that would consider moving at least part of their business abroad. Almost a third (32%) said there were issues that would make them relocate away from the UK, a significant rise on 15% a year ago.

This time the two most important reasons given by firms for considering relocating are the tax system and the economic environment, with larger firms more likely to consider a move than smaller ones. Among the different sectors, financial services firms are the most likely to say there are issues that would make them relocate (73%), followed by engineering (68%) and manufacturing (42%).

The number of firms considering exercising a break clause in their lease, which gives one or both parties the right to terminate a lease before it has ended, has increased. In this survey, over a half (51%) of firms with leasehold property are considering exercising a break clause over the next two years, up from a third (35%) in the spring. Among companies with more than 5,000 staff, 90% are considering using breaks as a method of reducing property holdings.

Since empty property rate relief was reduced a year and a half ago, occupiers must pay full business rates on empty property after a very short period, and the CBI has lobbied for the relief to be re-instated.

Matthew Farrow, CBI Head of Infrastructure and Planning policy, said:

“In the recession, firms are looking to cut their property costs wherever possible, but the Government’s failure to restrict next year’s rate rises to 7.5%, as we had proposed, together with the ongoing loss of empty property rate relief risk is making a difficult situation even worse.

“As a start, the Government should use the Pre-Budget Report to restore the original level of empty property rate.”

November, 2009

Notes to Editors:

Attachments:

Media Contact:

Stephen Cooke in the CBI Press Office on 020 7395 8239 or out of hours pager on 07623 977854.
Edward Dewar in the GVA Grimley Press Office on 0207 911 2664 or email: edward.dewar@gvagrimley.co.uk

Rental income from lodgers is exempt from income tax up to a threshold of £4,250. This threshold has not changed since 1997/98, even though rents in most parts of the country have more than doubled.* ‘Rent-a-Room’ was originally set up to encourage people to rent out spare rooms, but given the significant rent increases over the past 12 years the value of the benefit has dwindled.

Sixty per cent of rooms in the UK are rented for more than £4,250 per year.  In London this figure rises to 91 per cent. Even more startlingly, 78 per cent of UK homeowners could cover the average mortgage arrears by renting out a spare room.*

The NLA is supporting the ‘Raise the Roof’ Campaign which is lobbying for a tax-free threshold increase to £9,000 per year. Not only could the increase help to prevent repossessions but it could add much needed affordable housing stock.

David Salusbury, Chairman, NLA, said:

“There is no way of telling just how many potential ‘live-in’ landlords are not letting out their spare rooms because of the hassle-factor of having to complete a self-assessment tax form. Today we are sending a clear message to the Chancellor: a fair deal for those looking to rent a room by increasing the tax-free threshold will help homeowners and the economy. It is a win-win situation that helps both parties and it is about time the exemption reflected the increase in market rents.”

* Data on residential landlords by www.spareroom.co.uk (Matt Hutchinson, 0845 644 4029)

All media enquiries to:
Steven Hilton
Media Relations Manager, NLA
Email: steven.hilton@landlords.org.uk
Tel: 020 7840 8906
Mob: 07508 031 084

Notes to Editors:
The National Landlords Association (NLA) exists to protect and promote the interests of private residential landlords. With over 18,000 individual landlords from around the United Kingdom and over 90 local authority associates, it provides a comprehensive range of benefits and services to its members and strives to raise standards in rented accommodation. The NLA seeks to safeguard landlords’ legitimate interests by making their collective voice heard by local and central government and the media. The NLA seeks a fair legislative and regulatory environment for the private-rented sector while aiming to ensure that landlords are aware of their statutory rights and responsibilities towards their tenants.

A return to the previous bands for stamp duty, when the current holiday is due to end on the 31st December 2009, could have a detrimental effect on the recovery of the housing market in regions that are already lagging behind, according to the latest research from RICS.

More surveyors in the West and East Midlands, Wales and Scotland believe that they will see a drop in activity in 2010 following the end of the stamp duty holiday for properties priced between £125k and £175k at the end of the year. Tellingly more surveyors in Wales and the East Midlands were still seeing price falls rather than rises in the last housing market survey. Meanwhile in the West Midlands, only 3 percent more surveyors saw prices rising in October.

Overall, however, the majority of Chartered Surveyors are not expecting the end of the stamp duty holiday to have a distorting effect on the housing market despite the benefit it has provided first-time buyers. Unsurprisingly it is those working in London and the South East who overwhelmingly agree that it is not forcing more houses onto the market now, and will not lead to a drop in activity once the old system is re-introduced. However, this is more a reflection on the fact that the holiday has had limited impact in these regions as the average house price is well above that of the stamp duty threshold.

Similarly in the North, where the average price is well below the threshold at £116,051, there is less concern about the impact of the end of the stamp duty holiday. However the regions that are most concerned about the impact are those whose average prices sit well within the margins that are directly affected by the holiday. These are the East Midlands (£133,973), the West Midlands (£142,969), Wales (£134,690) and Scotland (£140,175).

At the time of its introduction, we did question how great an impact this policy would have and judging by the fact that only surveyors in certain parts of the country are particularly concerned about the ending of the holiday, it could be said that some areas of the UK hardly even noticed the change.

“However the additional transaction cost is still a worry to many, particularly first-time buyers, and is a threat to the market  in the areas of the country that are still seeing a weak price environment. A return to the status quo will be of benefit to no one, and as such RICS believes that rather than simply reverting back to the old structure for Stamp Duty, the imminent change provides an opportunity for the Government to introduce a wholesale restructuring of the tax. Specifically RICS favours moving from the current slab structure to a marginal system with no homebuyer paying anything on the first £150,000 of their new home.”

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist

The additional questions asked in the RICS October Housing market Survey were:

1. Is the planned ending of the Stamp Duty holiday on properties priced between £125K and £175K contributing to the higher level of activity in the housing market?
2. Do you expect this decision to lead to a drop in activity in the early part of 2010?

Further reading:
RICS has suggested the referenced change to Stamp Duty Land Tax as part of its Pre-Budget Report submission to the Treasury. The full submission is available at http://www.rics.org/externalaffairs

All of the brands in the Zoopla portfolio – Propertyfinder.com, HotProperty.co.uk and ThinkProperty.com (recently acquired from Guardian Media Group) – will become ‘powered by’ Zoopla and there will be significantly increased marketing investment put behind the Zoopla.co.uk brand from November onwards. UKPropertyShop.co.uk, the leading online agent directory, also owned by Zoopla will remain separate for the time being but members will continue to enjoy enhanced exposure in the directory as part of their membership.

The combined platform will offer huge advantages for agent members and an unrivalled set of features. By uniting the 3rd and 4th most visited property businesses in the UK, agents will benefit from greatly enhanced exposure for their listings and their brands. The Zoopla group will also power an impressive range of property partnerships with leading UK websites including MSN, Yahoo!, Guardian, Tiscali, UpMyStreet and Virgin.

There will be no change to fees for existing members but the combined group will now offer a unique dual pricing structure, giving agents the flexibility to choose between paying a fixed monthly fee for ‘unlimited’ leads or paying on a ‘pay-per-lead’ basis. Agent members will also soon be offered a whole range of new features exclusive to Zoopla.co.uk including appraisal leads from potential vendors and a variety of premium placement opportunities to enable the agent’s brand and listings to be featured more prominently.

Alex Chesterman, CEO of Zoopla Ltd, commented: “The driving force behind our recent acquisitions was a desire to combine the expertise in the businesses and to create a unique, market-leading proposition for our member agents and the millions of home-movers using our websites every month. We plan to continue to transform the online property landscape in the UK and partner with our member agents to deliver more leads, more viewings, more services and help them to win more instructions and business. It is our intent to be the most efficient marketing partner for UK estate agents and provide them the widest possible exposure and best value online marketing services.”

- Ends -

For further information please contact Lawrence Hall on 020 7620 4618 / 07890 078 945 lawrence.hall@zoopla.co.uk.

Notes to editors

Zoopla! awards

We are proud to have won numerous awards and added several trophies to our cabinet:

• Winner: ‘Best Property Portal 2009′ (Daily Mail UK Property Awards)
• Winner: ‘Best Real Estate Website 2008′ (Websiteoftheyear.co.uk)
• Winner: ‘Best Property Website – Gold Award’ (Web User Magazine)
• Winner: ‘UK’s Most Promising Internet Company 2008′ (First Tuesday)

About Zoopla.co.uk

Zoopla.co.uk is a unique property website offering users information and tools to help them make better-informed property decisions. Our aim is to provide the most comprehensive source of residential property market information in the UK to help buyers, sellers, owners and estate agents alike and give them an advantage in the property market.

In 2007, following the success of bringing DVD rental to the web with LOVEFiLM.com, Zoopla! founders Alex Chesterman and Simon Kain realised that the UK property market had yet to fully enjoy the benefits of the internet in terms of its ability to deliver transparency and efficiency. They set out with the mission to transform the property market for both professionals and consumers by:

• offering users FREE access to instant value estimates, sold house prices and local information and trends
• enhancing estate agents’ marketing efficiency by providing exposure/leads on a pay-for-performance basis
• helping users find local agents and other property professionals to assist them in the transaction process
• letting buyers make offers on ANY UK home and owners test interest in their homes before choosing to sell
• creating an environment where anyone can ask/answer questions and share their knowledge about homes

By providing FREE value estimates for EVERY UK home, sold prices and local information as well as hundreds of thousands of property listings for sale/to rent, Zoopla.co.uk is fast-becoming the ultimate destination for users to both search for property and to do their market research. We continue to be the UK’s fastest growing property website and largest and most active property community, with over a million user contributions to our website in the past 12 months alone. We also offer unique features, like TemptMe!. and AskMe!., which allow consumers to gain an insight into the market and discover information they won’t find anywhere else. Our estate agent directory, FindAnAgent and our unique AskAnAgent feature also help guide users to local professionals directly for their expertise.

We launched our website in January 2008 and since then we’ve been on a non-stop path to transform the UK online property sector. Our user numbers continue to grow impressively and we have consistently been the UK’s fastest growing property website for the past 18 months, now attracting over 1.5 million visits per month to our website.

In July 2009 we acquired Thinkproperty.com from the Guardian Media Group and in August 2009 we added Propertyfinder.com, one of the UK’s largest property portals, which we purchased from News International.

Our value estimates are calculated using a proprietary algorithm (secret formula) that we have developed by analysing millions of data points relating to property sales and home characteristics throughout the UK. The algorithm works by comparing relationships between home prices, economic trends and property characteristics in given geographic areas. Our estimates are constantly refined, using the most recent data available and a variety of statistical methodologies, in order to provide the most current information on any home.

Zoopla Ltd is a privately held company with a highly experienced and proven management team, backed by well-respected angel investors and leading venture capital firms Atlas Venture (atlasventure.com) and Octopus Ventures (octopusventures.com).

The number of million pound properties in the UK has shrunk by 35% over the past two years, despite the recent upturn in property values, according to Zoopla.co.uk, the UK’s leading house price resource. The sharp decline in house prices stemming from the credit crunch has hurt the ranks of property millionaires in the UK where, at the height of the market in late 2007, 1 in 97 properties was valued at over £1 million but today that figure stands at just 1 in 1500.

Despite the decline in house prices, certain parts of the country remain awash with property millionaires, notably London and the South East, where four fifths (81%) of all million pound homes can be found. The capital is home to 57% of all property millionaires, with the largest share residing in Kensington (W8) where 48% of all properties are worth over £1 million. Outside the capital, Virginia Water in Surrey leads the property millionaire stakes, with 28% of homes in the area worth more than a million pounds, compared to a national average of just 0.88%.

Property millionaires in the North East have been hit the hardest over the past two years, with an 83% reduction in the number of those who can now claim to be property millionaires. Wales has also been hard hit, losing 56% of its property millionaires over the same period.

Alex Chesterman, CEO of Zoopla.co.uk, said: “The housing market downturn has taken its toll on the exclusive ‘property millionaires club’, reducing the number of those who can claim membership from 283,168 in November 2007 to only 183,630 today. London remains the property millionaire capital of Britain, whilst other parts of the country have seen their property millionaire ranks decimated over the past two years, with many of the former million pound pads sitting close to the threshold.”

Decline in number of property millionaires

Areas with highest proportion of property millionaires

- Ends -

For further information please contact Lawrence Hall on 020 7620 4618 / 07890 078 945 lawrence.hall@zoopla.co.uk.

Notes to editors

About Zoopla.co.uk

Zoopla.co.uk is a unique property website offering users information and tools to help them make better-informed property decisions. Our aim is to provide the most comprehensive source of residential property market information in the UK to help buyers, sellers, owners and estate agents alike and give them an advantage in the property market.

In 2007, following the success of bringing DVD rental to the web with LOVEFiLM.com, Zoopla! founders Alex Chesterman and Simon Kain realised that the UK property market had yet to fully enjoy the benefits of the internet in terms of its ability to deliver transparency and efficiency. They set out with the mission to transform the property market for both professionals and consumers by:

• offering users FREE access to instant value estimates, sold house prices and local information and trends
• enhancing estate agents’ marketing efficiency by providing exposure/leads on a pay-for-performance basis
• helping users find local agents and other property professionals to assist them in the transaction process
• letting buyers make offers on ANY UK home and owners test interest in their homes before choosing to sell
• creating an environment where anyone can ask/answer questions and share their knowledge about homes

By providing FREE value estimates for EVERY UK home, sold prices and local information as well as hundreds of thousands of property listings for sale/to rent, Zoopla.co.uk is fast-becoming the ultimate destination for users to both search for property and to do their market research. We continue to be the UK’s fastest growing property website and largest and most active property community, with over a million user contributions to our website in the past 12 months alone. We also offer unique features, like TemptMe!. and AskMe!., which allow consumers to gain an insight into the market and discover information they won’t find anywhere else. Our estate agent directory, FindAnAgent and our unique AskAnAgent feature also help guide users to local professionals directly for their expertise.

We launched our website in January 2008 and since then we’ve been on a non-stop path to transform the UK online property sector. Our user numbers continue to grow impressively and we have consistently been the UK’s fastest growing property website for the past 18 months, now attracting over 1.5 million visits per month to our website.

In July 2009 we acquired Thinkproperty.com from the Guardian Media Group and in August 2009 we added Propertyfinder.com, one of the UK’s largest property portals, which we purchased from News International.

Our value estimates are calculated using a proprietary algorithm (secret formula) that we have developed by analysing millions of data points relating to property sales and home characteristics throughout the UK. The algorithm works by comparing relationships between home prices, economic trends and property characteristics in given geographic areas. Our estimates are constantly refined, using the most recent data available and a variety of statistical methodologies, in order to provide the most current information on any home.

Zoopla Ltd is a privately held company with a highly experienced and proven management team, backed by well-respected angel investors and leading venture capital firms Atlas Venture (atlasventure.com) and Octopus Ventures (octopusventures.com).

The competitive house prices and rents seen over the past two years have opened up the prime property market to a wider variety of homebuyers and tenants, says email4property.co.uk, with many more now looking to make their move as the market shows signs of recovery.

While seasoned investors were quick off the mark to snap up prime property at bargain prices as the market showed the first signs of bottoming out earlier in the year, less experienced cash-rich buyers are now looking to act quickly amid signs of sustained price growth. Tenants have also benefitted from price falls in the rental market. Many are now hoping to trade up to better homes in more desirable locations and tie into a year-long contract before prices rise out of their reach.

Email4property.co.uk, the UK’s largest online network of estate agents, has seen a 20% increase in the use of its ‘Premier Property’ search option since August this year. It has some essential tips for those looking to capitalise on current market conditions and enter the prime market:

How much is a prime postcode worth to you?

Even if you can afford to buy or rent in a more upmarket location, it might not always be worth your while doing so. If you are stretching yourself financially to secure a particular street or district, you may not achieve the prestigious lifestyle you had hoped for. Consider how important the locality is to your living needs and whether you might be better off seeking more for your money elsewhere. A studio flat in Chelsea is still a studio flat, regardless of its postcode!

Premier property needs a premier agent

Different agents cover different sectors of the market. Those that focus on prime markets and list higher-end property will also be best placed to advise you. Not only will they have access to the best range of homes in your area, but they will also have the experience and expertise to be candid with you on your expectations and restrictions. Visit the ‘Premier Property’ function for your chosen location on email4property.co.uk. For example: www.email4property.co.uk/chelsea/premier-property

Make sure you are precise and accessible

Be upfront with your agent on exactly what it is you are looking for and how much you are willing to pay. Having opted to go for a prime property you may be unwilling to compromise, particularly if you are buying, but the agent will be able to advise on whether your criteria is realistic. Be as forthright as possible with them about the property you want to view, so that no time is wasted in your search. Rest assured you will not be the only person in your area on the look-out for a prime bargain, so ensure you are also readily available to receive updates from your agent.

Don’t neglect the home-searching basics

While the location and/or style of the property may be sufficient enough for you to make a decision, you should not neglect the standard home searching procedures. Judge the property on all the merits you would in normal circumstances – such as the local amenities, transport links, schools etc. Depending on how long-term the move is, consider how the home will suit your changing needs over time. And of course, do not neglect any assessment of the general state of repair! A bargain priced conversion property in a dream
location is likely to need as much work as any other – it could soon lose its bargain status if significant work needs to be done to make it liveable for the long-term.

Steven Lees, Head of Marketing for email4property.co.uk, comments:

“Those lucky enough to have had sufficient capital to secure a mortgage over the past two years have been in a strong position to capitalise on the low prices available across the market, and many have been able to secure homes that would previously been out of their reach.

“With strong signs of firming house prices and rents starting to improve across the sector, people are now realising that the prime market may not remain open to them for much longer. However, there are still options available and plenty of specialist agents across the
country who are well-equipped to advise buyers/renters on their options and help them source the best properties available.”

For a comprehensive list of estate agents in your area visit: www.email4property.co.uk

– Ends –

Nov 09
Gross lending in the buy-to-let mortgage market grew in the third quarter for the first time in two years, according to data published today by the CML. At £2.1 billion, lending was 10% higher than in the previous three months. The third quarter also saw a similar first increase in two years in the number of buy-to-let loans advanced, from 21,600 to 23,700. But the welcome recovery in buy-to-let lending was from a low base, with current lending volumes sharply lower than their peak in 2007.

The number of outstanding buy-to-let loans grew to 1,205,000, representing 11% of all mortgages by the end of the quarter (compared to 1,180,000 three months earlier). The value of outstanding buy-to-let mortgages increased by 2.5% to £144.2 billion.

Within the buy-to-let market, both lending for house purchase and remortgaging grew in the last three months. As with the mainstream mortgage market, however, house purchase lending was appreciably stronger. Remortgaging capacity was constrained by the unavailability during the quarter of any buy-to-let mortgages at over 80% loan-to-value (LTV). Landlords with existing mortgages at a higher LTV are therefore effectively obliged to stay on their existing lenders’ reversion rates. But with variable interest rates remaining low, it is relatively painless for them to do so and there is little pressure to re-finance.

Low borrowing costs are also contributing to a continued improvement in cases of buy-to-let arrears and the number of landlords facing enforcement action. For the third quarter in a row, there was a decline in the number of buy-to-let mortgages with arrears of more than 1.5% of the balance. In the last three months, the number has fallen from 22,900 to 20,500, representing 1.7% of outstanding buy-to-let mortgages.

The number of properties taken into possession rose in the third quarter, from 1,400 to 1,600, equivalent to 0.14% of all buy-to-let mortgages. Over the same period, however, there was a sharp decline – from 2,500 to 1,700 – in the number of arrears cases in which a receiver of rent was appointed, often as an alternative to seeking possession of the property.

Commenting on the newly-published data, the CML’s director general Michael Coogan said:

“At this stage, the recovery is modest - but the figures show that buy-to-let is here to stay. Buy-to-let lenders are among those facing some of the biggest challenges in raising mortgage funding, so the improved figures are all the more welcome.

“Future demand for housing in all tenures supported by lenders will remain strong, despite mortgage funding constraints and low construction rates. With funding for social housing under pressure, the private rented sector has a strong future. Mortgage lenders will have an important role to play in it, and will continue to help improve choice and standards for private tenants.”

Notes to editors

1. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ members are banks, building societies and other lenders who together undertake around 98% of all residential mortgage lending in the UK. There are 11 million mortgages in the UK, with loans worth over £1.2 trillion.

2. The CML buy-to-let press release for the final quarter of 2009 will be published on 11 February 2010.

Contact details

Name: Bernard Clarke

Tel: 020 7438 8923

Email: bernard.clarke@cml.org.uk

Name: Sue Anderson

Tel: 020 7438 8924

Email: sue.anderson@cml.org.uk

Name: Sarah Robson

Tel: 020 7438 8922

Email: sarah.robson@cml.org.uk

Investors hit by the downturn who choose not to complete property deals can still be forced to buy after court orders, lawyers have warned.

By Kevin Peachey
Personal finance reporter, BBC News

Many buyers who agreed to purchase city apartments being built in the boom now find values have plunged or have difficulty in finding a mortgage deal.

Some wrongly believe they risk only their deposit by pulling out after exchanging contracts.

But lawyers said the legal obligation to complete the transaction was clear.

Average flat prices fell by 19.5% in England and Wales from peak to trough.

The average price had risen to £175,776 by January 2008, according to the Land Registry, but then plunged by £34,211 to £141,565 by May 2009.

Quick profit

Many buy-to-let investors – including so-called amateur landlords – jumped on the property bandwagon as prices continued to rise.

If the completion dates were six months earlier…it would have been a completely different story Administrator Chris Stirland Financial shadow cast by city apartments

Some who exchanged contracts, often agreeing after seeing plans of construction work, have since been hit by the squeeze on mortgage finance, or simply realise that a fast profit is no longer available.

This, in turn, has affected developers and they have put pressure on buyers not to pull out of contracts.

A developer can apply to a court to seek an order of “specific performance” – an injunction that makes the buyer perform his or her part of the contract and complete the purchase agreement.

“Such actions were rare in the boom times when finance was readily available and the value of property was ever-increasing,” said Paul Lewis, a partner in commercial litigation at Gordons law firm in Leeds.

“But with the economic downturn, builders and developers are now seeking legal advice on ways to enforce the contract or at least seek advice on how to recover their losses.”

However, he pointed out that judges would only make such an order if an award of damages was not adequate. Generally, they would be cautious when asked to force somebody to buy. Other options for the seller included:

• Rescind the contract – this is when the seller cancels the contract, keeps the deposit and retains the property in an attempt to resell it
• Rescind the contact and sue – the seller goes to court to claim any unpaid deposit and then tries to resell
• Sue for damages – if successful, the buyer who pulls out must pay the seller the difference between the contract price and the value at the date when completion should have taken place.

Suing for damages is often the better option if the buyer does not have the funds to buy the property. City-centre apartment investors might have equity in other properties and so an award could be enforced.

However, many investors remain ignorant of the rules, lawyers warned.

“There is a worryingly widespread and entrenched belief among buy-to-let investors that if they decide to withdraw from a purchase for which they have exchanged contracts, that only their deposit is at risk,” said Jeremy Raj, of City law firm Wedlake Bell.

“The legal position is quite clear. They are legally obliged to complete on the transaction.”

Administrators are currently considering legal action after the collapse of a development company which renovated a block of 112 apartments called Thames Tower in Leicester city centre.

Brampton Asset Management (Leicester) Ltd called in the administrators after contracts were exchanged on 111 apartments, but only 14 completed.

“If the completion dates were six months earlier, all those people would have paid. Mortgage products were still in hand then. The bank and creditors would have been paid and it would have been a completely different story,” said administrator Chris Stirland, of Vantis Business Recovery Services.

Defence?

Generally, buyers have a defence against these actions by developers if the development was “not substantially completed”, if the property was not adequately described or misrepresented, or if the value of the property overtakes the contract sale price or is sold for a higher value (in which case the buyer might be able to reclaim their forfeited deposit).

When a developer becomes insolvent some buyers also find that their deposits have been swallowed up by the developer instead of kept by their solicitors in a separate account.

A reputable builder will usually offer insurance to a buyer of a newly built property to cover defects and some of these policies provide for repayment of deposits in cases such as this.

Original article link

They fear thousands of people who sought to cash in on the buy-to-let dream during the boom years of 2004 to 2007 may turn out to have been victims of organised fraud.

The Sunday Times – David Leppard

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is investigating alleged scams that have cost government-owned banks such as Northern Rock, Royal Bank of Scotland and Bradford & Bingley millions of pounds on loans that should never have been made.

Senior police officers said the full scale of the buy-to-let scandal was only beginning to emerge in the wake of the credit crunch and the collapse of house prices.

One chief constable said: “We can expect to see one or two of the same type of [scheme] emerging in every major city.”

The SFO said last week it was investigating two alleged buy-to-let frauds, involving properties in Leeds, Cardiff, Nottingham, Derby, Liverpool, Hull, Newcastle upon Tyne, Glasgow and London. Police in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire are also involved in the inquiries.

At the centre of one of the biggest police investigations is Morris Properties, which specialised in student new-build flats and refurbished homes in Leeds and the northeast. It sold 1,000 properties before going bust last summer.

The firm was established by Simon Morris, a local developer who built up a £69m fortune by selling buy-to-let properties.

Morris’s firm lured investors with promises of substantial “discounts” on flats that were allegedly overpriced, and guaranteed rental income, which in many cases failed to materialise. Investors, drawn in by the mirage of ever-increasing house prices, were easy prey.

With property prices now falling in some areas by as much as 50%, many of those investors are facing ruin. The victims include doctors, nurses, teachers and builders who have seen portfolios worth hundreds of thousands of pounds vanish. Many have had their properties repossessed or been forced to sell at knockdown prices.

A whistleblower who once worked for Morris and fell into debts of £500,000 after making buy-to-let investments with the firm said he had received threats after helping the police. Morris denies any wrongdoing.

Last week Morris was accused by lawyers representing 133 of his former clients of overseeing a scheme in which flats were sold to innocent investors for as much as 100% above their real value.

Hammad Ahmad, a solicitor with Max Gold Partnership, said his clients would launch a group legal action in the new year against the Morris companies and several conveyancing solicitors and valuers involved in the sales.

Experienced property investors had been waiting for some time for the wheels to come off this organisation.

Champion of buy-to-let boom succumbs to credit crunch

· School for ‘property millionaires’ collapses
· Mortgage famine hits sales in UK, US and Spain