Residential real estate news & headlines

Last month there were occasional jumps in the UK property prices but according to a recent report by Nationwide, the market recovery signs are set to come to a halt amid the Covid-19 pandemic. While house prices rose by 3.7% last month representing a three-year high, the impact of the pandemic was not factored in the percentage, the British mutual financial institution said. Nationwide’s House Price Index for April utilizes mortgage approval info...

Research by property consultancy firm Knight Frank shows that about 520,000 house sales are set to be lost this year in the UK, following a government directive that froze the housing market after the Coronavirus outbreak. According to the real estate firm, the 38% drop in house sales during the year is set to have a ripple effect across the sector, hitting retailers and even government coffers. If the social distancing directive by government st...

Whichever way you choose to look at it, real estate activities materially impact the climate. A study by Global Alliance for Building and Construction shows that building and construction activities account for about 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, and are also responsible for more than a third of energy use globally. Frequent changes in climatic conditions are resulting in extreme weather patterns that ultimately impact real esta...

2019 went down as the worst year for the UK real estate in a decade. The markets were mainly affected by the pending premiership elections and the Brexit. While the uncertainty hasn’t fully cleared, some parts of Europe are already experiencing modest to massive gains in their real estate rental prices.One such place is Croatia – where since last year, the market price per square meter for rental apartments has jumped by about 10%, pl...

A real estate investment trust yesterday reported that despite the economic and political instability in the region, UK rental rates have risen over the past year. Real Estate Investors PLC said that contracted rents increased to £17.7 million or by 3.9% in 2019. The trust, which boasts of a portfolio of about 1.6 million square feet of commercial property, renewed nine leases in the past year and closed 44 new lettings. “Despite high...

The UK house prices were negatively impacted by the Brexit uncertainty for the better part of last year, but tables started turning as we approached 2020. On average, the UK housing market closed off the year with a 1.4% gain; this is according to a report by Nationwide Building Society.The society indicated that the house prices in most parts of the UK took a hit up until October before the market started recovering to close the year with the mo...

In recent times, different real estate predictions from various experts on cities such as Boston and Washington show a thriving sector occasioned by tight inventory and low-interest rates. While property price increments have stalled in these cities, their demand and prices continue to stabilise.But when it comes to the overall US real estate outlook, statistics are less pleasant: most urban areas have seen home value growth decline to 2015 level...

The UK property market is expecting a short-term improvement in sentiment following last week’s massive win by the Conservancy party, enabling Prime Minister Boris Johnson to retain his seat in a tightly-contested election. However, fund managers are still concerned about the fate of the property market beyond next year.CEO of AEW, Rob Wilkinson expressed his concerns saying: “A Tory majority is the most positive or benign outcome for...

The demand for the UK’s newly built homes seems to be increasing during this festive period of December. According to a report released by Stone Real Estate last Thursday, the prices of newly built homes are largely not affected by the holiday seasons.The agency further noted that new building sales have been on the rise for the past five years during the months of December, while sales for existing properties tend to dip during the period....

The UK real estate could be headed for a major bounce back in the next five years, after months of plummeting prices. The crisis, which has now lasted across the country for several quarters, could not-so-long from now come to an end, this is according to a Wednesday report by Savills.Savills is a brokerage and real estate adviser based in London and its recent report predicts a 15.3% price jump for existing UK homes between the year 2020 and 202...

The United Kingdom’s opposition party, the Labour Party, has promised to broaden the tax base imposed on foreign trusts and companies looking to invest in the UK. This is part of the party’s long-term tax strategy, and it looks to impose a tax purchase charge on all properties bought by foreigners, in addition to the current surcharges and stamp duties. According to Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, the revenue is necessary to “...

Investors from all around the world are sensing an opportunity as the UK pushes for its exit from the European Union. But even as the UK grapples with the idea of exiting from the EU, foreign investors have been fishing for investment opportunities in the kingdom’s dwindling real estate sector, thanks to the weak pound. Smart investors are looking to cash in on the huge Brexit bargains, especially high net worth investors from the US and Ho...

The 2019 US housing market has largely been characterized by low supply and high demand, especially for the lower-priced houses. But should we expect the same next year? Industry experts say, yes and no. Forbes recently spoke to mortgage, real estate, and housing professionals and here’s what they had to say: Property prices will remain on the rise Thanks to high demand coupled with limited inventory, the prices of homes are expected to kee...

Buying property off plan can be a mine field. Make sure you don't get caught out by some of the underhand tricks out there in the property investment market

Other sectors that are isolated from the effects of Brexit include the retirement home investment sector, as the success of these investments is underpinned by Britain’s demographic changes rather than political.

Investing in a brand new home seems like the ideal route to take when investing in real estate. However, buying an older home may be more cost effective and fit your goals better.

A reverse mortgage works by allowing homeowners age 62 and older to borrow from their home’s equity without having to make monthly mortgage payments.