Bricks and mortar: Commercial property and pension investing

The observation that property holds a special place in the hearts of British investors is by now so trite that it requires little expansion. Unrealised speculation concerning high-end Italian sports cars aside, one of the characteristic themes in the run-up to the pension reforms in April - in the mass media at least - was the suggestion that flexible access would prompt a surge in residential buy-to-let activity.  There is currently little evidence that such a boom is underway, and thankfully so given the tax implications involved. The principle of investing in property as a means...