house prices

The buy-to-let market is inaccessible to the average investor and is now only an option for the wealthy, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

In its financial stability report of October 2007 the Bank of England identified categories of UK borrowers that it believed may be vulnerable to the "credit crunch".

House prices have continued to show strong growth in October, despite weak demand, according to Nationwide's latest house price index.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has been criticised by Assetz for taking an ‘overly cautious' approach to its house price predictions.

Monthly house price growth in London is now below that of Yorkshire and the Humber, according to the Land Registry's latest house price index.

This summer's credit crunch will lead to UK economic growth slowing next year but there will also be positive effects, according to Ernst & Young.

The average amount of stamp duty paid on a UK home has grown at five times the rate of average salaries, significantly increasing the tax burden on homebuyers, according to Stroud & Swindon Building Society.

The IMF has warned the UK housing market could be about to enter a slump like that seen in the US.

With the recent pressures on lending, and interest rates showing little sign of falling, at least in the short-term, home buyers are finding it harder than ever to afford to purchase for the first time, or move.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has joined forces with the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) to create a wide ranging review of the residential property sector.