The Housing Market in Meltdown!

I was reading in the paper recently that while the General Election is still months away the effect of published Party policies is having an adverse effect on the Housing Market-the advice appears to be Sell Now.

CHOOSING YOUR ESTATE AGENT-PART THREE

What has to be done before I sell my  property?  Make sure the property is in a presentable condition and in good decorative order, reasonably tidy and uncluttered, before you agree to any viewings by potential buyers. Appoint your Property Lawyer so that the HIP can be prepared and the agents terms of business approved The law presently requires that every residential property must have a “Home Information Pack” (“HIP”) commissioned, i.e. requested, on or before the “first date of marketing” by the agent or the seller. A HIP contains certain specified information and documents which is considered to be of interest to a potential buyer. The “Required” documents are:-

CHOOSING YOUR ESTATE AGENT-PART ONE

What must I look for in an Estate Agent?  Do they have a website?  Is it easy to navigate Are they members of a recognised professional body, i.e. National Association of Estate Agents?  It should be noted that estate agents are not legally required to have any formal qualifications to be or practice as an estate agent. Are they members of the relevant Ombudsman Scheme? Do they give a professional and businesslike image? Do they have Professional Indemnity Insurance, should they make a serious error or if they are negligent? How long has the firm/company been in business? What areas or districts does the firm/company cover?  Are they local or have wider or national coverage. What methods of communication do they use, i.e. telephone, e-mail, text messaging, fax, post. What are their terms of business? What do they do for

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Health Warnings about Home Information Packs-Its a Trap for the unwary

Consumers are warned that  Estate Agents may use the Home Information Packs (HIPs) legislation to tie-in hundreds of thousands of property sellers thereby creating a situation comparable to the sole agency agreement critisized by many industry professionals.

What came first – the credit crunch or the downturn in the property market?

 The government have, with others, attempted to bring an end to the current crisis by investing millions into the banks hoping that this will, in turn, revive the property market.  This has been beset with uncertainty since 2006, when it was proposed changes needed to take place in the way that property was transacted.