Don’t just visit properties at the weekend.

Try to get along during the week, says Alex Dolley, at loft apartment specialists Urban Spaces.

Visiting a property during rush hour is essential, because it gives you an idea how busy the roads are and what parking is like.”

If the street is clogged every morning on the school run, you might want to think again.

Not checking mobile phone coverage

You may get a good mobile phone signal where you live, but not everybody is that lucky, Dolley says. “Check mobile phone reception within the home.

“Politely excuse yourself to make a call, to confirm the quality and coverage throughout the property.”

Don’t assume the house has a broadband connection either. “You should be fine in cities, but some outer suburbs and rural areas still have limited access to broadband.”

For more information visit www.express.co.uk/posts/view/274062/How-to-avoid-pitfalls-buying-a-new-home/

Greene & Co Belsize Park are proud to sponsor and support events in our local community. The latest being the 4^th annual Belsize Green fair which took place on Saturday 24^th September. Fun was had by all. Greene & Co organised a colouring competition for the local children where every child was a winner in our eyes, we also had a apple bobbing game which was a great success! Our local Budgens very kindly donated some mouth-watering freshly baked muffins for all to enjoy. Jonny Pirouzi manager of Greene & Co Belsize Park.

‘At the fourth annual Transition Belsize green fair, Greene & Co certainly proved they were ‘Green’ & Co with a great  fruity stall featuring apple bobbing, the longest apple peel competition and a quirky vegetable colouring page, a ‘pop up’ sensory herb bed which was built in a builders palette, now to be seen outside the Belsize Park store. Thanks Greene & Co from all at Transition Belsize for really helping bring the community together in NW3’ Debbie Bourne Transition Belsize

To see more photos’s visit our Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greene-Co-Belsize-Park/124529524286128

They rose by 6.9 per cent to £1,006 in the year to this month as tenants locked out of the mortgage market scrambled to secure a place to live.

David Newnes, estate agency managing director of LSL Property Services, said: “Tenant demand continues to reach higher peaks - and there isn’t enough rental property coming onto the market to match it. It’s not unheard of for rental properties to be let within a day of coming onto the market.

“There’s no sign of a let-up. Despite several new deals on the market, securing a big enough mortgage remains a tall order for the average buyer.”

In some cases, gazumping and sealed bids - normally limited to home purchases - are occurring.

Agents say they have also see a sharp rise in the number of corporate tenants looking for accommodation in central London for senior executives.

Amelia Greene, residential lettings partner at Cluttons, said it had recently let a 6,500 square foot house in Onslow Gardens in South Kensington for almost £10,000 a week.

At the other end of the scale, tenants on housing benefit will have caps on their claims imposed next April forcing an estimated 82,000 London households to move as they will no longer be able to afford the rent, according to London Councils.

Housing charity Shelter said 22 per cent of 18- 34-year-olds have had to move back in or continue living with their parents because they can’t afford to rent or buy a home.

Source: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23970719-tenants-start-to-gazump-as-average-rent-hits-pound-1000.do

Photo: BEN KIRCHNER

Greene & Co’s Managing Director David Pollock, and author of a new property guide, gives Christopher Middleton his top tips for buying and selling.
For many of us, buying or selling a house is war – both psychological and financial. We don’t so much purchase a house, as prise it out of the hands of the people who own it. We don’t so much sell a house, as surrender it to invaders. And right up until the last minute, the deal can be sabotaged by an act of panic or greed on either side.

“The whole business is a mass of contradictions,” says David Pollock, a north London estate agent who has been selling houses for the past 34 years. “The dynamic of people, money and property is fraught with emotion. That said, there is nearly always a key to a successful resolution, and that’s being able to see the situation from the other person’s point of view.”

And it’s not just hot air. “David is one of those rare breeds in his profession that actually makes an effort to understand the needs of both the buyer and the seller,” says Harry Handelsman of the Manhattan Loft Corporation.

“He succeeds because he looks at everyone’s position in the deal,” adds John Hitchcox, chairman of the upmarket developers Yoo. “As a result, he finds the best outcome for everyone.”

Cast in the role of peacemaker, then, Pollock has set out to bring Buyer and Seller tribes still closer together, by writing an outspoken, new book entitled 101 Things Your Estate Agent Should Tell You.

Read the full article in the Telegraph Property Section www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertyadvice/8611016/Confessions-of-an-estate-agent.html

You can pick up a copy of ‘101 things an estate agent should tell you when buying or selling a property’ on Amazon now www.amazon.co.uk/Things-Estate-Should-Selling-Property/dp/0956734103

David Pollock, Greene & Co. Managing Director

The research looks at the current asking prices and rents of two-bedroom flats around the country and assumes interest-only mortgage payments of 5% p.a. to provide a comparison to the cost of renting.

Even in London, which has by far the highest property prices in the country and where the average 2 bedroom flat is going for £431,366, buying is still 16% more cost-effective than renting. With average rents at £2,137 per month in the capital versus an average cost of a 5% interest-only mortgage at £1,797 per month, renters pay an extra £4,080 annually compared to owners.

Nicholas Leeming, business development director of Zoopla.co.uk, commented: “The relative cost of renting as opposed to buying has increased over the past 12 months as rents have risen and house prices and interest rates have remained flat. Almost 750,000 would-be first-time buyers have reluctantly ended up as renters over the past 3 years as a result of being unable to get a mortgage. With current house prices and interest rates where they are and with rents on the rise, for those who can get a mortgage, there may never have been a better time to buy.”

With rental prices increasing all over the city, it appears to be more cost effective to look into getting a mortgage again. Check out properties for sale in the area you are currently renting in - buying your next home might be cheaper than you think.

Source: www.zoopla.co.uk

Greene & Co. are thrilled to have scooped a gold award for Best Small Lettings Agency at the 2011 Lettings Agency of the Year Awards.

Described as being ‘head and shoulders’ above the competition in terms of our marketing and innovation in customer service, Greene & Co. caught the judges attention for a number of new, market leading approaches we have taken to separate us from the rest of the market.

A bespoke CRM programme is helping to build long term relationships with customers and the team has recently launched e-books on a variety of topics. The website has been re-launched with some excellent new features including the option for potential tenants to match lifestyle preferences to rental properties. We  also have video blogs and property book reviews.

Ricky Stone, Greene & Co’s Lettings Director undertakes a series of roadshows to meet landlords face to face, making up to 60 visits per month. This level of customer services again went some way to help bag the gold.

‘It is obvious Greene & Co. is constantly striving to give its clients the best possible experience.’ Estate Agency Events

David Pollock, Managing Director, Greene & Co. said:
“We are delighted to have our marketing and customer service excellence recognised at these industry awards and to have Ricky singled out for the enormous effort he makes to give our lettings clients the best possible customer experience.”

This prestigious award was presented to Greene & Co. at the ceremony as part of Lettings Live, is association with The Sunday Times and The Times. Christopher Hamer, The Property Ombudsman was chairman of the judges.

Priory Park N8 Crouch End www.ymcahornsey.org

Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
“I think that confidence has improved since the end of the year but it remains fragile and has a strong regional dimension. Confidence in London and the South East is more upbeat than in many other parts of the country, in particular parts of the Midlands and the North.

“Our headline forecast remain unchanged with prices projected to be 2pc lower in the last quarter of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. However, there will be significant regional variation with London the only area to be slightly up.
“May still seems highly likely [for an interest rate rise] unless the activity takes a marked turn for the worse – with the ECB set to move this month and inflation continuing to push upwards it will prove difficult for the BOE to stick with its current position – however we only expect one more move this year taking the base rate to 1pc at end 2011 – there will be further tightening in 2012.”

Martin Ellis, head of housing economics at Halifax
“There are signs that both house prices and the level of sales have stabilised in the early part of 2011. This would be consistent with the evidence of improved confidence.

“Overall, we expect a modest 2pc decrease in house prices in 2011. Uncertainty over the economic outlook is likely to weigh down on housing demand this year.

“There is considerable uncertainty over the timing of the first interest rate rise. We expect it to be around the middle of the year but do not expect it to be followed quickly by further increases.”

Melanie Bien, director of independent mortgage broker Private Finance
“I find it surprising that confidence in the housing market has significantly risen since the end of last year. On the contrary, the soaring cost of living, fears over job losses and rising interest rates, seem to be making buyers and sellers sit on their hands and adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude. The number of transactions is extremely low as a consequence.

“House prices are likely to remain flat at best this year but this national average will conceal significant regional differences. The north-south divide is set to become increasingly pronounced with prices rising in London and the south-east, particularly in the prime markets, while falling in the north, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“Interest rates will start rising in the next few months but I believe this will now happen at the end of the summer – September, rather than May. The economy is simply too fragile and the impact would be so devastating for many home owners already struggling to make ends meet that I think a move will be delayed for as long as possible.”

Opinions are conflicting, but the general consensus seems to be that confidence in the market has strengthened since last year. Greene & Co. have experienced a positive end to the first quarter of the year and feel good about the year ahead.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/borrowing/mortgages/8429426/Experts-view-what-next-for-house-prices.html

AMI director Robert Sinclair, Tenet Lime managing director Gemma Harle and Private Finance director Melanie Bien agreed the MPC Minutes the morning of the budget and the Chancellor’s prediction inflation would remain up at between 4 to 5% this year make a rise within the next two months less likely.

Sinclair said the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) revised projections for GDP growth for 2011-12 down to 1.7% from 2.1% meant tax take will also be lower than hoped.

“As such, any rate rises could stifle the economy and are less likely to happen because any stop on the economy could increase the danger of a double dip, which would be catastrophic,” said Sinclair.

“That’s the real juggling act that follows now,” he added.

Harle agreed, adding: “Hopes of a rate rise are largely wishful thinking on the broker front.”

Bien predicted the first rate move in “September at the earliest.”

Robert Sinclair suggested there might be a vague chance of a move in July, but agreed with Bien September was more likely and then probably just 0.25% basis points.

Bien said: “Because we’ve had it so low for so long, rates won’t need to rise by much to have an impact. Actually, just by starting to rise, rates should affect the market.”

Source: www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk

Bank of England interest rates staying at all time lows is great news for existing borrowers with loans outside of their initial rate as it keeps Standard Variable Rate low (this is the rate mortgages automatically move to after their initial period).

Unfortunately, mortgage companies are predicting rate rise this year and have therefore increased the rate for new borrowers and will continue to do so. If an individual is thinking of purchasing a property it is (purely from a mortgage point of view) beneficial to do it sooner rather than later.

There are strong indications that BBR will rise in May but no indication of by how much for now.

Source: Saul Conway – AS Financial

www.atlanticswiss.com/