Council tax bills are growing significantly faster than inflation. |
Despite this fall, the housing market remains underpinned by a combination of economic expansion, historically low interest rates and high employment. |
Further above inflation rises in fuel and council tax bills are expected to drive up further the costs of owning and running a home this year. Council tax and utility bills will overtake mortgage payments as the largest cost for homeowners this year. |
House prices fell slightly in January for the first time since May...Despite this fall, prices have increased by 1.6% over the past three months. |
Nationally the uppermost sector of the residential property market has held up relatively well with the 26% fall in sales of £1m properties comparing with a 36% decline in total house sales between the first halves of 2004 and 2005, |
Nationally the uppermost sector of the residential property market has held up relatively well with the 26% fall in sales of £1m properties comparing with a 36% decline in total house sales between the first halves of 2004 and 2005. |
The annual percentage increase in house prices nationally in 2005 was the smallest for 10 years. |
The buoyancy of both the housing and mortgage markets indicates that the marked slowdown in the world economy and the recession in the UK manufacturing sector have so far had little adverse impact on consumer sentiment, |
The buoyancy of both the housing and mortgage markets indicates that the marked slowdown in the world economy and the recession in the UK manufacturing sector have so far had little adverse impact on consumer sentiment. |
The combination of improving economic growth, low interest rates and high employment will continue to underpin a healthy level of housing demand over the next few months. |
The continuing high level of house prices in relation to earnings will curb the ability of many potential first-time buyers to enter the market. |
The easing in economic growth over the past year, together with a ratio of house price to average earnings that remains historically high, is expected to curb housing demand, and therefore prevent a renewed surge in house prices. |
The rise in prices in the first three months of 2006 was...slower than the gains recorded in the two final quarters of 2005. |
The UK housing market is set for a period of broad stability, with house prices forecast to rise by 3%, broadly in line with the predicted rise in retail price inflation. |
The UK housing market is set for a period of broad stability... low single digit growth is expected to be the norm across most of the country. |