On:

Property often makes the news be it the latest house price index, the impact of a Budget or a global health emergency, or the seemingly endless debate of how many homes need to be built, for whom and where. Newspapers and broadcasters need commentators, experts and practitioners who can explain what is going on, what the outcome might be and what it might mean for the man or woman on the Clapham Omnibus! I’m often asked by newspapers to provide a comment and the BBC is always looking for a balanced perspective to explain to their audience what is goingContinue Reading

On:

Their son James is self-employed and unable to get a mortgage so mum and dad Pam & Keith are taking out a 40 year mortgage to help him to buy a home. I have some problems with this as I explained to Peter White via LuciLive whilst on holiday in Umbria. Original story from The Times hereContinue Reading

On:

Persimmon, the UK’s second biggest volume housebuilder announced half year results. Turnover of £1.75bn and profits of £500m were both down slightly as was the number of homes built in the first 6 months as the Company said that it was concentrating on improving the quality of their homes after stinging criticism of the firm in recent years.Continue Reading

On:

In what might be just a mis-speak the Chancellor Sajid Javid is said to have suggested in the Times that “he was looking at various options when asked about stamp duty reforms including reversing liability from those buying property to those selling.” Personally, I doubt that he is – it’s The Silly Season but these days, who knows. Maybe it’s just something to distract us from Brexit? No commitment in the piece but of course this would have huge implications if true. While we all try and work out exactly what buyers and sellers will sit on their hands andContinue Reading

On:

If you ever wondered what two middle-aged white property men might talk about in a pub then here’s the answer. 25 minutes in the company of buying legend Phil Spencer chatting about how I got into the business and how of course I’m really just following in his footsteps. For more information about Phil’s really useful buying advice site visit www.MoveIQ.co.ukContinue Reading

On:

One possible solution to the housing crisis? My comments on a scheme devised by a house builder in Essex that provides ‘Almshouses for the young’. Affordable rents for nice homes plus enforced saving towards a deposit. Something that Community Right To Build could help other communities to do – if they wanted to.Continue Reading

On:

To Osterley to Sky News to update Stephen Dixon and Gillian Joseph on the housing market on what is usually the busiest weekend of the year for estate agents.Continue Reading

On:

“Lower house prices doesn’t mean that they are more affordable” I explained to John Humphrys – as RICS issues a downbeat market update Today want to know what the impact of Brexit might be. I’m in the studio with Simon Rubinsohn from RICS.Continue Reading

On:

A report from the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies published today suggested that middle earners (those on £24k-£36k a year incomes) were now half as likely to own a home as the previous generation but is this really that surprising and what if anything can be done about it? I spoke to LBC, to the BBC, to Eamonn Holmes on TalkRadio and finally to Lucrezia Millarini on ITV News about the report.  Continue Reading

On:

Despite warnings of a fall in transaction volumes and a slump in Stamp Duty receipts the latest numbers published by HMRC show a 16% rise in tax take to £9.5bn and an increase in the number of homes sold between £1m-£2m. Even for sales of homes over £2m there hasn’t been the predicted fall. I debated the warnings on the Today Program in December 2016 with the boss of London Central Portfolio. At the time there were a number of research folk in the biggest estate agencies who were perplexed by the numbers being floated but I had the chanceContinue Reading