Brickonomics

The stagnant housing market: More a problem of first-time movers than first-time buyers

First-time buyers are increasingly becoming trapped in their first-time homes and unable to move on to homes that better suit their needs. That at least is the implication of some figures that caught my eye recently when I was looking...

Posted by Brian on November 10, 2009 8:41 PM

Food for thought for would-be housing minister

The Building and Social Housing Foundation has emailed its latest report "The Future of Housing", which has just been published. It would be rather tricky to summarise the document other than to say it provides a critical look at the...

Posted by Brian on October 19, 2009 10:49 AM

Are falling rents a prelude to a further nasty correction in house prices?

The latest survey of the rental market by the surveyors' body RICS suggests that the flood of "couldn't sell" properties into the lettings market has led to a sharp fall in rents. And the expectations are that rents will fall...

Posted by Brian on March 18, 2009 1:09 PM

Is this Government ignorance which I see before me?

The latest report from the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee called Housing and the Credit Crunch is well worth a read for a run through of the current travails of the industry. It seems broadly to "welcome"...

Posted by Brian on February 24, 2009 9:31 AM

Prepare for a bleak winter on house prices

On the face of it the steady easing over the past three months in the monthly rate of decline in house prices measured by Nationwide is encouraging to those who want to see the market stabilise. For the policy makers...

Posted by Brian on November 27, 2008 11:51 AM

Government needs to lay firm foundations for its housing policy

I admit it, my response to Caroline Flint's housing rescue plan Part II, "Facing the housing challenge - Action today, innovation tomorrow", was borne out of frustration. I admit that lapsing into frustration is a huge fault in my character,...

Posted by Brian on July 17, 2008 11:42 AM