News Review - May 14th 2009

An amazing wave of positivity has come over the press in the last week or so - it makes a refreshing change from the doom and gloom. So here's your more than usually cheery, free news updates and useful links from the world of BMV investing and Complete Property Investment...

Latest News

'Email enquiries to agents soar by 109% compared to the same period last year' at Rightmove This is a strong indicator that buyer optimism is on the up.

30% jump in mortgage approvals according to the CML – admittedly from historically low levels - but it’s an encouraging sign nonetheless.

Money Blog: The shrewd buy-to-let seller buys again An ex boxer who sold his portfolio right at the peak of the market in 2006 is back in the market to buy.

Right Move is luanching a service called property deal weekly to show all price reduced properties in one place. Might be a useful tool for both sourcing and helping with vendor negotiations in lowering their price expectations.

London buyer levels on the rise according to Kinleigh Folkard and Hayward - despite the lack of supply

'With economic activity reviving, oil and gold prices rising and central banks printing money like wallpaper', inflation is the new deflation according to Anatole Kaletsky in the Times. Good news for those of us with fixedrate interest only mortgages then.

But on the other hand, Government interference, sorry, regulation, of private landlords continues as proposals emerge where all landlords will be forced to pay an annual fee of £50 to register with national body

Buy to let mortgage market has now shrunk by 95% - 4,384 products were available in April 2007 now there are just 213 (although where they’ve found that many I don’t know).

Croydon, a popular property investment destination, is apparently 'sitting empty'. As many as 900 commercial properties in Croydon have been abandoned as a result of the recession. 

According to a report from Nottingham University entitled ‘We all live in a Robbie Fowler house: the buy-to-let market in retrospect and prospect', the outlook is bleak for smaller landlords as they will get muscled out of deals by more cash rich property tycoons.

Tax freedom day (the day when we've on average earned enough to pay all of our taxes for the year) arrives at the earliest since 1973! So everything you earn from here on in is yours to keep. If only it worked like that!

One of the hidden costs of the credit crunch – getting stuck living with your ex! If anyone can work out how to get in touch with these guys, they’d be prime candidates for a lease option deal...

Useful Links

Don't forget to check out our list of the latest and greatest property events here.

If you'd like to take advantage of a free tax consultation with Cranleys accountants (based just outside London by Basingstoke) please just This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it It's a great time to start getting your house in order following the changes from the recent budget.