Property Articles

Appleton Letting Agents in Reading and Maidenhead has been advertising in the top 6 out of 7 property web portals in the UK, according to the results of the Key Measures Report by ComScore as of today.

ComScore is an internet marketing research company and it has recently carried out an independent analysis of UK property websites.

There is usually a lot of argument in the world of UK property portals about the statistics and the amount of visitors those sites have been receiving and in turn directing to the individual estate agency websites.
According to the ComScore data, RightMove has just made it to the top of the pile.

Our detailed research shows that our website is actually not only registered in the 6 of the top 7 web portals but also registered with a considerable amount of other portals in the top 100 list.

Additionally, our ongoing effort in optimising our website for the Reading, Maidenhead, Cookham and Marlow areas is paying dividends. Appletons website is really well placed within the top 5 listings of the major search engines as well.

Landlords, please remember that more internet referrals means more viewings at your property, which means quicker lets or sales!!!

According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders, more first-time buyers are opting for fixed rate mortgages this year with the expectation of the interest rates going further up in 2007.

Although most people think that even the steep rate increases haven’t slowed down the house prices going up so far and in general people are expecting further rises, Nationwide have claimed there were signs of the housing market cooling off.

According to some analysts, the forecasted £9 billion of bonuses in the City has a very impact on the housing market. These analysts estimate that approximately 60% of these bonuses get invested in the property market. This then starts pushing up the property prices; starting in London and trickling out to the rest of the country.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders reports that, in January, 85% of first timers took out a fixed-rate deal, which is the highest proportion on record.

70% of all the house movers preferred a fixed-rate deal.

Following the three rate rises since last August, The average interest rate of these mortgages was 5.27%.

The Government has come up with some new proposal of reforms for the HIPs. It also clarified the mandatory contents and the introduction deadline.

From the 1st of June 2007 in England and Wales, legally the sellers of residential property or their estate agents will be required to have a Home Information Pack before putting it up for sale.

The latest information we, at Appletons, have received from the Government indicates that the following documents have to be present in the HIP:

• An index (i.e. a list of the contents of the Pack)
• A sale statement (summarising terms of sale)
• Evidence of title
• Standard searches (i.e. local authority enquiries and a drainage and water search)
• An Energy Performance Certificate
• Where appropriate, commonhold information (including a copy of the commonhold community statement)
• Where appropriate, leasehold information (including a copy of the lease, information on service charges and insurance)
• Where appropriate, a New Homes Warranty
• Where appropriate, a report on a home that is not physically complete

Also all the searches and the Leasehold information have to be produced within 28 days of the property being marketed and there will be fines for marketing the property without the HIP.

For more information, please refer to the official information at www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk.