The figures show that there has been a drop in the number of people that are expecting property prices to go up over the coming six months. This has fallen to 78 percent this month compared to 81 percent three months ago. The figures also showed that many people still thought it was very difficult to get a mortgage, and this is thought to have impacted on expectation over property prices.

According to the Zoopla survey 77 percent of those that were polled thought that the availability of mortgages had not improved over the last three months. 27 percent of those polled thought that it was now more difficult to get a mortgage than it was in May. Another 34 percent of those polled said that they found that trying to get a mortgage was their biggest obstacle when it came to buying a property.

Another 21 percent of those that were polled said that the public sector job cuts that were outlined in the recent emergency budget by George Osborne would negatively affect the health of the property market, and 25 percent thought that rising interest rates would impact negatively on the property sector.

Nicholas Leeming, commercial director of Zoopla.co.uk, said: “The fear remains that the revival in the housing market will be derailed unless the banks make a concerted effort to increase lending. With job cuts looming in the public sector and interest rate hikes expected at some point, the new government has its work cut out for it to ensure that home ownership remains affordable and attainable for most people.”

Expectations over house prices hit by mortgage concerns is a post from: Glitec

With the very real threat of a hung parliament following the general election next month homeowners are panicking about what might happen if they wait around to sell their homes. It is thought that many of these people may have been considering selling for close to two years and that the up and coming election may spur them on.

RICS officials claim that the number of homeowners now putting their properties up for sale has increased to its highest level in around three years. The number of sellers is now outstripping the number of buyers, and officials believe that this could help to bring house price inflation under control.

The report for March from RICS showed that whilst the number of people registering to purchase property remained flat 21 percent more surveyors reports a rise in properties being put up for sale as opposed to a fall. This comes after a year of lack of supply to meet demand caused property prices to be pushed up.

A spokesperson from RICS said: ‘With the election approaching and uncertainty growing over the political direction of the country, many vendors now appear eager to put their properties on the market. For the time being, many of the key housing market indicators are still positive or stable. However, with stocks increasing and sales decreasing we may see some modest price falls in some regions although London, the South East and Scotland are continuing to perform well.’

Pre-election property sales rush is on is a post from: Glitec

Whilst some form of recovery appears to have positively affected the mortgage and property markets there are still many challenges that face buyers that are looking to get some sort of mortgage. Certain groups have suffered more than most, such as first time buyers and lower income families who have been unable to raise the high deposit levels that lenders have been demanding.

However, with spring now in full swing more and more people will be considering either buying a new home or moving home, and this means that more people may be looking for a mortgage in order to fund their purchase. Many of those considering purchasing a property may be looking at ways to improve their chances of getting a mortgage in the current challenging climate, and there are a number of ways through which you may be able to boost your chances of success.

For many people now is the perfect time to buy a home, not just because of seasonal reasons but also because the stamp duty exemption threshold has been increased, which means that buyers can now avoid having to pay stamp duty on a property up to the value of £250,000, which represents a potential saving of up to £2,500.

The first thing to remember is that this stamp duty holiday will bring a rising number of people to the property market, and competition for properties that are for sale will become tougher. You can stay one step ahead of the competition by getting a mortgage agreed in principle, which would make you a more attractive prospect to sellers compare to someone that puts in an offer before having any idea of whether they can get a mortgage.

In order to improve your chances of getting a mortgage make sure that you check your credit report to ensure that all information is accurate and up to date so that this does not adversely affect your chances. Also, make sure that you save as much as possible towards a deposit, as lenders these days want to see some form of financial commitment in order to provide people with mortgages.

Getting a property in a difficult climate is a post from: Glitec

There could be some good news in the pipeline for homeowners that are thinking of selling their properties in the future, however, following a report from the Office of Fair Trading. Officials from the OFT have said that they want to try and make it easier for homeowners to sell their own properties. If their plans to make this process easier are successful then homeowners could make big savings on the cost of selling their property, which will prove invaluable in the current financial climate.

Should the OFT plans be successful homeowners that want to sell their properties will be able to enjoy a greater number of options when it comes to selling their property. Whilst some people may still prefer to go through an estate agency so that they have less involvement in the sale of the property others may be able to benefit from revised regulations to get more involved in the sale of their property, which gives them more control as well as potentially saving them money.

The decision to shake up the property selling market was made after the OFT carried out a study into the buying and selling of properties. Officials from the OFT believe that sellers could get a far better deal if changes are made to the property sales market, and in addition to this small firms that want to benefit from getting involved in the online sale of homes could also benefit because the changes would provide them with new opportunities.

The OFT has also stated that current regulations are outdated and need to be changed, but added that sometimes home sellers do themselves no favours because they fail to shop around for the best deal when it comes to finding an estate agent that charges reasonable commission.

The decision to make changes has been welcomed by many people, and one buying agent stated: ‘The OFT is keen to encourage new businesses to challenge the traditional estate agent model and this is positive news for buyers and sellers alike. It’s saying “bring change on, let it happen” and this is fantastic news for the property market moving forward. The fact that it is recommending legislation be updated shows it is serious about the way the industry needs to be changed. The findings of the report are by no means anti-estate agent, in fact they are quite the opposite. The OFT has merely concluded that additional cost and service benefits can be provided to buyers and sellers through innovative new business models and it wants to create an environment where these can thrive.’

DIY homes sales could be easier with new regulations is a post from: Glitec

For many people the cost of selling a home can run into thousands of pounds, and in the current climate this is something that most people can ill afford, particularly in cases where they have already seen the value of their property drop following the financial crisis.

The OFT has carried out a study into the buying and selling of homes, and officials from the watchdog believe that the market needs a shake up. The OFT believes that changes could be made in the way that homes are sold that could result in the homeowners getting a much better deal.

The move would also make it easier for smaller firms that want to set up online to help homeowners to sell their properties.

According to the OFT the current legislation is out of date, and has made it difficult for firms that have wanted to start operating online to help people to sell their own homes.

It believes that changing the regulations to make it easier for these firms would ultimately help both property owners that are looking to sell their homes and buyers who are looking for a good deal.

The proposed changes have been welcomed by some industry workers, with one buying agent stating: “The OFT is keen to encourage new businesses to challenge the traditional estate agent model and this is positive news for buyers and sellers alike. It’s saying “bring change on, let it happen” and this is fantastic news for the property market moving forward. The fact that it is recommending legislation be updated shows it is serious about the way the industry needs to be changed.”

OFT to make DIY home sales easier is a post from: Glitec

Ideally the company should rent back the property to the former homeowner for life, but often this is not the case and the former homeowners find themselves being evicted within a short period of time.

However, this could all change as a result of new regulations that are being brought in. More and more homeowners have had to turn to sale and rent back schemes as a result of being unable to sell their home during the credit crunch or because they have fallen into negative equity or are struggling to make mortgage repayments and could risk being repossessed.

The rising number of people that are now at the mercy of more unscrupulous sale and rent back companies has spurred the authorities to take action and do something about the problems that are rife in this industry.

Under the new regulations those that sell their homes to sale and rent back companies will be guaranteed at tenancy at the property for at least a five year period, which means that the company will not be able to purchase the property at a knock down price and then evict the former homeowners.

The new regulations are set to come into play in June of this year and will bring some of the unscrupulous practices that were being exercised by some of these companies to an end.

Ed Harley from the Financial Services Authority stated: “For some people in financial difficulty, staying in their home remains very important [and] selling their home and renting it back in this way can be right for them. But we are aware of some firms exploiting vulnerable consumers at a difficult time. So, it is right that we introduce these further protections, and we will take swift action where they are not met.”

Five year tenancies to be given with sale and rent back schemes is a post from: Glitec

However, some industry officials have said that there is one way in which homeowners could generate money from their properties whilst they are away on holiday, offering the double benefit of the home being occupied whilst they are away and the ability to make some money.

A couple of companies are said to have launched that deal with renting out the homes of people in and around London to tourists whilst the homeowners are away. The money that can be made by renting out the home means that you can cover the cost of your own holiday if you are heading off abroad, or if you are simply going away to stay with friends or family you can use the extra money raised to make payments on debts or pay extra towards the mortgage.

The companies focus on renting out the homes of those that are heading off somewhere to tourists, and this can work out as a cheaper alternative to hotel accommodation for the tourist and could raise hundred of pounds of even a thousand pounds or more for the lucky homeowner depending on the location and the type of property.

The founder of one of the companies, Ivy Lettings, said that he came up with the idea after losing his job, when he and his wife were spending more time away from home and with relations. He said: ‘We wanted to let our home while we were away, and I couldn’t find a way to do it. It’s nice to know, from a security point of view, that there is someone housesitting, too.’

Generate money from your home whilst you are away is a post from: Glitec

However, with the onset of the global credit crunch and the property market crash all of this has changed, and plunging property prices have left many homeowners with little or no equity in their homes. This has resulted in many people being unwilling or unable to sell their home in the current climate.

However, industry experts have been offering advice to homeowners to help them to make money from their homes without having to sell up, and for many people this could be the perfect way to make a little extra cash to keep on top of mortgage repayments and other financial commitments.

One of the obvious ways in which homeowners can earn some money from their home is by renting out a room, as there are many people that cannot afford to get a mortgage or rent out a whole house who would be willing to rent a room in a house

Of course, there are many people who will not want to share their home with someone else, and there are options available to these people as well.

Those with a spare room, attic space, cellar space, or other spare rooms can consider renting out storage space, which could earn a fair amount of money.

This would mean that you don’t have to share your home with anyone but can make money from simply renting out the spare space in your home.

Another option is to look at renting out space in your garden, as many people are looking for land to grow their own vegetables and fruits. With allotment space now short many may be willing to pay for a portion of your garden.

Homeowners given advice on making money from their home is a post from: Glitec

Some industry officials have indicated that there could be a turnaround in the housing sector, with more people now willing to purchase a property because of the historically low rates.

However, officials are warning that whilst some reports may indicate that the housing market is set to improve there is still little respite for first time buyers, many of whom are still struggling to get onto the property ladder.

Whilst lenders have now launched some mortgage with very competitive rates of interest given the low base rate, these are only being made available to those with a large deposit such as 40 percent to put down, leaving first time buyers still struggling to get finance and buy a property.

One woman explained that she decided to carry on renting because she was unable to get an affordable mortgage deal for buy a property, and could not afford the deposit levels that lenders were asking for. She said it worked out cheaper to just keep renting for now because of the cost of getting a mortgage and the restricted access to affordable mortgages for first time buyers.

She said: “It was proving very difficult to secure the finance and find anything suitable. Our landlord offered to redecorate our bedroom and make improvements in time for the baby’s arrival. There was no other option but to stay put.”

It is likely that first time buyers will continue to struggle for the foreseeable future when it comes to getting an affordable mortgage, and even those that are lucky enough to find mortgages with competitive interest rates will find that they need to put down a large deposit of tens of thousands of pounds in most cases, which is impossible for most first time buyers as they have no previous property from which to take equity.

Getting into the property ladder still a problem for first time buyers is a post from: Glitec

The good news is that interest rates have fallen twice in the last few months, and house price inflation has slowed down, which means that affordability may be increased for the average first time buyer, increasing the chances of getting onto the property ladder. It is also important to remember that whilst the traditional way of getting onto the property ladder is to get a mortgage, find a property, put the offer in, and hopefully complete the purchase, there are other options that you can look at.

Property prices are still out of the reach of many first time buyers, but it may be an idea to go to a property auction, where there are often bargains to be found. Of course, you will most likely find yourself up against investors with shed loads of cold hard cash to throw around, but it is still worth a shot just on the off-chance that you get lucky and bag a bargain property at a price that you can afford.

If you don’t fancy the idea of facing the competition at auction you may want to consider shared ownership, where you only have to raise the mortgage for a set percentage of the property and you pay rent on the remainder. Over time you can increase your share in the property through a process known as staircasing, or you can continue with your original share and then sell your share when you want to move on. This has become a popular way for some people to get onto the property ladder without having to take out a huge mortgage or raise a massive deposit.

The government has also recognised the difficulties that many first time buyers are experiencing when it comes to getting on to the property ladder, and has introduced the HomeBuy scheme, which is a government funded scheme to help first time buyers purchase a property on the open market. Benefits of this scheme include access to an equity loan, which does not have to be repaid until the property is sold.

The increasing range of options means that it will hopefully become easier for the average first time buyer to get onto the property ladder in the future. Another option has been for buyers to team up with friends, relations, or partners to purchase a home, but this has caused problems in the event that the relationship turns sour and should therefore be given careful consideration.

Recent additions:

• House builder warns on house prices
• Buy to let mortgage figures soar
• The Benefits of a UK Mortgage Broker
• Repayment and Interest Only Mortgages
• Is it time to remortgage?

Tips to get onto the property ladder is a post from: Glitec