Jul 11
6
Luxury flats on the Thames
With Neo Bankside Thames-side living has certainly come a long way since Dickens’s day, says Christopher Middleton
Forget the Côte d’Azur. You’d be hard put to find a more expensive piece of waterfront real estate in all of Europe than the stretch of River Thames between Blackfriars and London Bridge in south London.
The price of a three-bedroom flat in the newest development here is £5 million, and that’s for a place right next to a power station. Mind you, it’s not just any old power station, it’s the Tate Modern art gallery, which was converted from its electricity-producing role in 2001 and now generates five million visitors per year.
And these aren’t just any old flats, either. This bespoke quartet of apartment blocks is Neo Bankside, designed by Richard Rogers’s world-famous architectural practice Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners. There are 199 apartments, all held together by a set of screwdriver-shaped steel braces attached to the outside of the buildings.
Posted in Construction Interesting Real Estate by .
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Manchester, known across the globe for having one of the world’s most famous football clubs, has come a long way over the years and is now firmly one of England’s biggest and most popular cities not just for football or leisure attractions, like The Trafford Centre, but for excellent property investment opportunities, it is claimed.
Currently, the Manchester metropolis is doing well on several fronts seeing an increase in turnover in retail businesses by 2.7% in the year up to March 2011 according to data from CityCo, in addition to the Civil Aviation Authority recently publishing new research showing a 12.8% increase in passenger numbers at Manchester Airport between February and March this year, a rise of 137,000 passengers, the highest monthly increase since May and June 2010.
Recently, the city of Manchester was dubbed a top spot for investment according to a report by Knight Frank suggesting that it is now one of the best cities with the strongest investment potential in the UK.
Posted in Important News Real Estate by .
There’s no stopping our appetite for Italian holiday homes, with food-lovers enjoying the opportunities on offer in Tuscany
By day, they press their own olive oil from the groves around their farmhouse, peruse the produce at local markets and organise tours of the vineyards. By night, they cook meals for their guests, or host wine-and-food matching events. Martyn and Margaret Lewis, from Oxfordshire, are living every food lover’s dream.
They bought Casa Lavanda, a beautiful six-bedroom farmhouse in the Florentine hills just north of “Chiantishire”, with eight acres of wild-rosemary meadows and gardens with fig, apricot and cherry trees, in 1999.
“We were always switched on to the Mediterranean lifestyle, particularly the food,” says Martyn. “It was meant as a semi-retirement holiday home, but we found a way to spend more time here.”
Posted in Interesting Overseas Real Estate by .
It has been a red-letter week for the UK property market, with the Government’s FirstBuy initiative opening up to first-time buyers (FTBs) and the announcement that mortgage and investment firm Castle Trust will launch its partnership mortgages later this year.
While innovative new products that aim to breathe life into the housing market should be encouraged, experts warn that homebuyers should not follow blindly.
Under FirstBuy, the Government and housebuilders such as Persimmon, Bovis Homes and Barratt Developments will join forces to offer new homeowners a loan of up to 20 per cent of the property price, so that they need only a 5 per cent deposit to qualify for a 75 per cent mortgage. Several lenders including Barclays, Halifax and Nationwide have already agreed to offer FirstBuy mortgages. However, this scheme is expected to help only about 10,000 people.
Posted in Finances Real Estate by .
Chalet Sous Les Bois has made it though to the shortlist of The UK & International Property Design Awards 2011. The awards are hosted by leading interior design magazine design et al, and reward the best in interior design from around the globe.
Chalet 1802’s recently launched flagship luxury chalet, Chalet Sous Les Bois, has been shortlisted for the best chalet or hotel located in a ski resort for The UK & International Property Design Awards 2011.
Chalet Sous Les Bois is located in Chamonix in the French Alps. The chalet crowns the Chalet 1802 portfolio, and is not only impressively chic but also has impeccable eco credentials.
Posted in Interesting News by .
May 11
30
Millions trapped by property slump
HUNDREDS of thousands of young Scottish homeowners – among millions across the UK – have little hope of climbing the property ladder any time soon, a new report states.
The study reveals 53 per cent of homeowners aged 18-34 would like to buy a new home within the next two years but 44 per cent think it is unrealistic that they will be able to do so because of the low value of their property, the difficulty in finding a mortgage and a lack of suitable properties for sale.
As a result of buying during the property bubble, an estimated two million homeowners across the UK are “trapped” and have no chance of trading up.
Posted in News Real Estate by .
Confidence in property investment has reached eight-month high says the Worldwide Property Group.
“With the commodities markets looking decidedly shaky, property is once again increasing in investment popularity,” the Worldwide Property Group told OPP this week.
Results from the company’s April UK Confidence Tracker Survey reveal that 80% of people rank property as their number one investment of choice. This is the highest figure since August 2010 and the second highest figure since the survey began in August 2009.
Now that Silver has lost a third of its value in recent weeks, and substantial declines have taken place in many other commodities including Copper, Nickel and Tin, “investors are looking for a steadier and safer place in which to put their money,” says WPG. “Four out of five people surveyed believe this to be property.”
Posted in Finances Interesting News Real Estate by .
May 11
26
Mortgage market in UK improving but
… property deposits too high for many
The gap between London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and base rates narrowed to 0.37, only slightly above the long term average of 0.2, indicating that the banks’ confidence in one another has improved, says CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) and this is essential to engender a fully functioning mortgage market.
Posted in Finances News Real Estate by .
Real story, real people. Story behind this short text. An encouraging, inspirational and what I like about it is this: if you want to achieve something you can do it without showing-off.
on Friday 13 May 2011 by Harry Miller
Xiuli Hawken, 48, is the highest self-made female entry in this year’s Sunday Times Rich List, thanks to her £1.06billion fortune.
The mum-of-one, who many would pass without giving a second glance, is now part of more than 100 women part of the country’s 1000 wealthiest people.
Posted in Interesting News Real Estate by .
on Apr 2011
In just a matter of weeks, Prince William will marry Kate Middleton in what’s set to be an unforgettable lavish ceremony watched by billions. The country has gone wedding-mad in the countdown to the celebrations and has been busy stocking up on memorabilia including royal wedding-themed tea towels, mugs and even fridges!
But for the most dedicated of fans, the ultimate souvenir is now up for grabs… Kate Middleton’s childhood home!
Posted in Interesting News Real Estate by .
