Articles Published In January 2012

That Was January

One Is Not Amused Our poor old Queen awoke looking forward to her Jubilee celebrations this year only to have her day disrupted as a body was found in the grounds of Sandringham.  Her day got even worse when it [...]

95% Mortgage Back

Five years ago there were more than 800 different 95% mortgages available to first time buyers. When the financial crisis struck, they disappeared from lenders’ shelves almost overnight. But the first few weeks of 2012 are seeing a surprise turnaround – [...]

Pawn Brokers Expand

In a telling sign of the times, a high street pawnbroker has announced plans to open 50 new shops this year, creating 300 new jobs. The Money Shop said it has been having its busiest January ever, with rising demand [...]

Estate Agents Found To Hide Fees

Estate agents are often secretive about what they charge sellers, it has been alleged, whilst there is great variation in the levels of fees that they charge. A new survey found that only one agent in London disclosed its fees [...]

Energy Prices Down

Amid all the financial gloom, there are definitely some glimmers of sunshine breaking through the clouds. If you’ve been struggling to pay your gas and electricity bills, prices are on the way down. On Friday Npower became the fourth company [...]

The Real Aftermath

I have just been given a property to let by a despondent landlord. Whilst I appreciate most people love their homes even if they only rent them, this is an insight into the reality of what some tenants class as [...]

Don’t Blame The Property Market

Half of those claiming unemployment benefits would prefer to lose their handouts than do a stint of unpaid work. So when wondering why the UK is suffering a so called recession, don’t blame house prices, look upstairs! Figures show that [...]

The Year In Numbers

Statistics from the Land Registry, (which marks its 150th anniversary this year), has released the following information for last year. The most expensive property sold in England and Wales was £19.25m for a detached house in Hampstead, north London The cheapest [...]

The Year Ahead

Are you waiting with baited breath? Are we excited yet? Well here goes what is expected for the year ahead! I Love You (Leap Year) Yes ladies chase your fella and pop the question. Its your big chance. Tell him [...]