TrueNorth

This is quite interesting, from Zoopla, a "heatmap" of UK property prices. Zoopla prices "heat-map"

US house prices in gold -- story from Forbes magazine An American friend sent me this written by Adrian Ash

From Business Insider Has Housing Bottomed?

Where's that rocket pic when you need it?!

Thank you for the updated chart.

Is anyone swapping gold for silver?

apologies for double post -- the forum has been playing up for me recently, not loading pages, etc.

PWC announces house prices will return to their 2007 peak by -- wait for it -- 2020. Story here from the Independent, but a mass of coverage of this this morning

PWC announces house prices will return to their 2007 peak by -- wait for it -- 2020. Story here from the Independent, but a mass of coverage of this this morning

Buy signal for bullion and PM stocks today from Bob Hoye/Ross Clark at Institutional Investors frpm 321gold

And this from BBC 6 July 2011 Last updated at 09:11 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14042621 Together, these seem to pour cold water on the property bulls' talk. Is the tide turning?

The Scotsman weighs in -- op=ed piece from today's paper http://business.scotsman.com/business/Only-when-property-prices-become.6796506.jp?articlepage=1

Delighted to hear you are getting a positive response across so many markets! Well done!

Surprised nobody has suggested this: sell the flat, invest the proceeds in precious metals, and rent either your old place or another, larger place. I expect your PMs will provide a lot more security than any other investment.

A february 2011 news release from Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) suggests something that would not only green britain, but create some much needed economic activity: There is no incentive, however, as the tenant is the one who foots the bill for a poorly-insulated building. Until the property becomes unrentable by virtue of a "failing" EPC, I doubt landlords will make any efforts to "green" their housing stock. I calculated the current energy costs of that pile I considered renting, plugging the EPC number the estate agent generated, oh, three years ago when it first went on the market. I input the EPC number into "EPCadviser" on t'internet and voila! Current costs? £7,500 pa. To heat it! Who can afford that?!

Pleased to hear you found it insightful.

A snip at 10k! Thought this was worth reading: CRASH 2: Banking crisis? Wait until the UK property bust really gets going…. from a blog called "The Slog": Wait til property crash. . .

BBC Radio 4 "Today" segment on the demand for rental accommodation as people postpone buying. No segment mp3 of this piece, but can be heard at front end of complete show podcast: Radio 4 Today

I agree. It seems very tough going for people looking to get mortgages now.

also on that website, news of how much mortgage availability has changed: shocking to think that more than half of the people who got mortgages since 2005 are not able to get a new deal.

If I could find a decent, big enough house to rent, I would be all over it like white on rice. I am renting at the mo, having STR, and am dying to get a place to call my own. I think it is the area we have just moved to (north of england), there is very little on offer. People are not interested in renting out their nice homes, as they need to sell them to get another place to live. In the biggest flat I could find (a large 2 br) I am feeling very squeezed and seriously thinking of buying for the first time since I sold. Places we are looking at are big vacant houses, whose owners have moved "down south" and who haven't yet shifted their homes here. It's no doubt too soon to buy, as I am anticipating further falls in the market, but I am just fed up renting.

I am very torn, STR pre-crash, been renting for ages now. Just moved to the north of England, very little on offer that is, let's say, as luxurious as I would like. The only option seems to be buying. Frankly, I am sick of renting. I'd like to be able to bang nails in the wall and hang some of my art collection. However, I still think places up here are overpriced. The selection is good, however, as far as for sale properties go, versus rental properties. Saw two places today, both were vacant family homes at the high end of the market. Both families have moved "down south", leaving their five bedroom town houses vacant and on the market. They don't seem to be in any rush to lower the price to get a sale. Perhaps they are not in a rush, and are taking a wait-and-see approach. While I am tempted to buy my dreamhome here, as it is discounted at the mo, I am equally tempted to buy something very affordable so that any further falls in the market have a proportionately smaller impact on my home. We expect to be here for five years. I suppose I may come out even if I buy. Really, quality of life is rearing it's ugly head and saying "Buy you suckah! Buy!"

Thanks GF and CC.

Goldfinger, please tell me, when did the chart hit the max (725)? Was it the spring/summer of 08? thanks.

Thanks.