International Real Estate

The Commerce Department has today revealed sales of new homes in the US dived to a record low last month. According to the Commerce Department, new single-family home sales plunged 16.9% to an annual rate of 250,000 units – the lowest since records began in 1963. Analysts had expected a rate of 290,000 units. However, [...]

Source: http://www.financemarkets.co.uk/2011/03/23/us-new-home-sales-fall-to-record-low/

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The volume of house sales in Northern Ireland suffered a dramatic decline in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest University of Ulster Quarterly House Price Index, produced in partnership with Bank of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive

The survey – the broadest based and most authoritative of all those undertaken in Northern Ireland – showed the lowest number of quarterly house sales since it began in 1984.

Between January and March the University recorded 896 transactions from almost 120 estate agencies, compared with 2,120 in the same period the previous year, a drop of almost 60%.

Commenting on house prices, the survey’s authors – Professor Alastair Adair, Professor Stanley McGreal and Mrs Louise Brown of the University of Ulster – said that while there was an inevitable market correction, price levels had not collapsed.

The average price of a house in Northern Ireland, at £230,908, was still 7.5% higher than a year previously but prices in the first quarter fell by 4.6% compared with the last quarter of 2007 demonstrating the continuing correction in the housing market.

The authors said: "However, the short term quarter figures suggest a weak market during the first three months of 2008 which, if it continues into the second and third quarters of the year, may well see annual rates of change move into negative figures.

"Potentially of greater concern is the small volume of sales activity. The trend of reduced sales has been evident since mid 2007 but in the first quarter of this year it reached a new low, falling to the smallest ever volume of transactions since the start of the survey in 1984."

The survey report said this was impacting on both existing and new build markets. Many estate agents had indicated few or no sales during the three months. This, it said, was consistent with other indicators of the housing market, notably the sharp decline in the number of new mortgages.

According to the University’s research, price falls largely applied to properties worth less than £250,000. Higher priced properties faired better and appeared to be less exposed to the current market downturn.

The economist Alan Bridle, Head of Research at Bank of Ireland Northern Ireland, said:"With two consecutive quarters of negative growth, the local housing market is technically in recession for the first time since the early 1990s. The overwhelming theme of this survey is the lack of sales and the repercussions for the house building industry but, on an overall basis, the decline in average prices in the quarter has been relatively modest, contrary to some speculation.

"Price trends are not uniform across the region or property types, with significant discounting in some areas partially offset by increases and stickiness in others. As an observation we may have something of a stalemate, with vendors looking to sell at 2007 prices and potential buyers deferring purchase in anticipation of lower prices and easier access to credit later in 2008 or 2009. It is not certain how this will play out over the coming quarters but the risks to prices remain on the downside."

The Housing Executive’s Head of Research, Joe Frey, commented: "Although the fall in house prices at the lower end of the market will be welcomed by first-time buyers, it does not necessarily mean homes are becoming more affordable, with some banks and building societies – understandably in the current financial climate – taking a much more risk-averse approach to lending. It is important therefore not to take our eye off the ball, in terms of putting the policies and practices in place which will facilitate the delivery of affordable homes in the longer term."

Property Types 

Short term performance – the first quarter of this year compared with the final quarter of last year – showed falls in house prices in all sectors with the exception of detached houses which showed an increase in the average sale price of 4.4%. The average price for terraced/townhouses was down 8.8%, semi-detached houses by 6.5%, semi-detached bungalows by 12.3% , detached bungalows by 7.3% and apartments by 2.5%.

Annual performance – comparing the current average prices with the same time last year – meant that some property types continued to show an increase. Average prices for apartments at £213,327 were 16.2% higher over the year, boosted by a number of high-profile schemes in Belfast.
The detached house market was also showing annual increases. The average for detached bungalows at £310,787 was 15.3% higher and detached houses at £354,527 were 9.8% higher than a year previously. In contrast, the average price of terraced/townhouses at £170,912 was down by 3.6% over the year; semi-detached houses at £210,908 down by 1.2%; and semi-detached bungalows at £185,672 were down 6.9%.

Location   

Regional analysis showed a sharply variable picture, with average prices up in some areas and down over the year in others.

Belfast performed significantly better than the rest of Northern Ireland. The average price of a house was £254,011 which was 22.4% higher than a year previously but on a quarterly basis the average price for all property types fell, with the exception of detached houses. South Belfast is still the highest priced location, followed by the east, north and west of the city.

North Down’s average of £250,678 was up 10.7% over the year and 3.1% over the quarter, the latter boosted by the apartment sector.
The average of £257,190 in Lisburn was down by 0.7% over the year and by 9.8% on the previous quarter.
In East Antrim the average of £211,662 was 12.6% higher than a year previously but down 2.4% on the last quarter of 2007.

The average in the Antrim/Ballymena area was £188,147, a fall of 9.9% over the year and down by 10% on the previous quarter.

In Coleraine/Limavady/North Coast, the average price of £264,055 represented a small annual increase of 3.1% but it was down 5.7% on the previous quarter.
In Derry/Strabane, the average of £218,979 was still 21.1% higher than a year before and showed a 4.6% rise over the quarter but the volume of house sales continued to be very low.

Mid-Ulster had an average of £200,942 which was down by 7.9% over the quarter and by 17.7% over the year – a response to the unsustainably high rates of growth seen early in 2007.

In Enniskillen/Fermanagh/South Tyrone the average of £228,917 was up 7.2% over a year and by 8.6% over the quarter but the sample was small reflecting the continuing low levels of transactions.

The average in Craigavon/Armagh of £172,644 showed a sharp correction falling by 24.2% over the quarter and by 22.4% annually.

In Mid and South Down, the average price of £259,570 was 18.2% higher than a year previously and was up by 1.3% on the quarter mainly because detached properties continued to perform strongly.

Notes to Editors

House Price Index

The long-term house price index, calculated relative to the base quarter for the survey in 1984, now stands at 865.98, marking a consolidation following the sharp fall in the index in the previous survey.

TABLES

Performance by Property Type

Market sector	Annual change	Average Price
Terraced house	-3.6%	£170,912
Semi-detached house	-1.2%	£210,908
Detached house	9.8% >	£354,527
Semi-detached bungalow	-6.9%	£185,672
Detached bungalow	15.3%	£310,787
Apartment	16.2%	£213,327

Average house price by region

Location	Average Price Quarter 1 ’08
Northern Ireland -All	£230,908
Belfast – All	£254,011
North Belfast	£172,543
South Belfast	£298,227
East Belfast	£279,279
West Belfast	£170,418
North Down	£250,678
Lisburn	£257,190
East Antrim	£211,662
L’derry/Strabane	£218,979
Antrim/Ballymena	£188,147
Coleraine/Limavady/N. Coast	£264,055
Enniskillen/Fermanagh/S.Tyrone	£228,917
Mid Ulster	£200,942
Mid & South Down	£259,570
Craigavon/Armagh	£172,644

Media contacts: 

For University of Ulster: David Young, Press Office, University of Ulster 02890365131

For Bank of Ireland: Alan Watson or Catherine Agnew at SMARTS 028 9039 5500 or Julie Sherlock, Bank of Ireland +44 (0)28 90433520

Sandra Grandison, Bank of Ireland +44 (0)207 634 3477

For NIHE: Imelda McGrath or Jim Murray 028 9031 8700

Source: http://www.propertynews.com//blog/764/

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There is unlikely to be a significant rise in house prices in Northern Ireland next year, according to a report by Davy stockbrokers.

It said a lack of credit, poorer loan to value ratios, the prospect of higher taxes and interest rates and employment uncertainty were all factors.

Mike Irvine, from the company, said their findings indicated that house prices may still continue to fall. He said: “There are a number of factors that will keep prices under pressure.”

The report was published as the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) said the number of new mortgages approved by the main UK banks for house purchase was rising.

Banks, which currently account for most new mortgages, approved 42,100 home loans for house buyers in September, up from 40,100 in August.

Bank mortgage approvals are now 77% higher than a year ago. The BBA said approvals had now been “rising steadily” for the past eight months.

Earlier this month, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said that although house prices in Northern Ireland were becoming more stable, nearly one in three estate agents were still reporting falling values.

Click here to view thousands of ’For Sale’ properties

Source: http://www.propertynews.com//blog/871/

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EPCni has launched a Spring initiative to coincide with the traditionally busy Spring listing season to offer Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) at a fixed price of only 99 + vat for ANY HOME, ANYSIZE, ANY WHERE in Northern Ireland!

EPCs for resales have been in place since last summer and the legislation came in to effect for rental properties on 30^th December 2008 making the owner or landlord liable to fines should an EPC not be available to a prospective purchaser or tenant on request.

This promotion is to run for a limited period but should help those many owners and landlord who perhaps do not realise they are at risk if they fail to get an EPC. Homes that have been on the market for some time also need to have an EPC but as the life of the Certificate and associated Recommendation Report is up to 10 years, home owners need not be concerned that the documents will expire before they attract a purchaser or tenant!

The existing energy efficiency of the property is shown in the familiar ‘rainbow graph’ format and also the potential rating should various energy saving improvements be undertaken. The Department of Finance and Personnel have started an advertising campaign to remind purchasers and tenants of their right to see this information at the outset which must highlight the possibility of fines being enforced soon on those home owners and landlords who are not yet complaint!

EPCs can easily be ordered on-line at http://www.epcni.com/ or by telephone to Belfast (028) 90 328 020 – or simply click the link on Propertynews.com home page.

Source: http://www.propertynews.com//blog/814/

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Northern Ireland’s property price crash may have run its course, according to recent surveys, but who are the winners and losers in the local house market?

The latest figures from the University of Ulster’s House Price Index pointed to a modest 2% hike in house prices during the last quarter, but sales are still sluggish.

Meanwhile, industry experts have claimed any talk of dramatic house price growth is premature.

And while house prices are on the up, so too are the province’s repossession figures. They rose by 12% in the third quarter of this year to 1,124. This figure has almost doubled since 2005 when there were 623 repossessions.

And it’s a far cry from the heady days of the 2006 boom when the average price here rocketed to £250,000. Now it’s a more affordable £164,017 following the bust of July 2007 when prices plummeted by up to 40%.

Despite the white knuckle ride of recent years, house price reports earlier this year painted an optimistic picture and the market appeared to have found its form with property values on the up, albeit by the smallest of margins. And while the lucky few watched their humble abodes more than double in value when the market peaked, others are now paying the price following its crash and are stuck in a negative equity trap.

The credit crunch and ensuing banking crisis have made 100% mortgages a thing of the past with aspiring homeowners having to stump up a 10% plus deposit in a bid to get the best home loan deals and most competitive interest rates.

Unsurprisingly, homeowners now want to know what is going to happen next, while housing experts have claimed there is evidence of a market in recovery. But who has emerged unscathed in the game of property snakes and ladders?

Who won, who lost, who’s still playing …?

The owners who are stuck in negative equity

Room for improvement – Bangor couple Jenni McKnight and Jamie Mendez with son Owen

Jenni McKnight (25) lives with her partner Jamie Mendez (23) and their two-year-old son Owen in a two-bedroom end terrace just off the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor

We bought our first house in Grovehill Gardens in October 2007 for £180,0000. It is very well furnished and modern with a long back garden, so in some ways it is slightly different to others nearby. Similar houses in this area are currently on the market for between £140,000 and £145,000, although there are new houses in the area for sale at £120,000. Our house is older and needs work done to it.

It is very hard when you see your friends living in brand new houses with three or four bedrooms, with no work to do, which cost £20,000 less than what we paid. We bought a house in a good area and I didn’t think it would drop like this. When we bought this house the asking price was £185,000 which we thought was expensive at the time. The buyer eventually accepted £180,000 but we had to push ourselves to the limit to afford it.

We decided to buy when Owen was born and we wanted to be independent and have a go at owning our own home.

My parents have always lived in a large house and there was enough room for all of us, but we wanted our own space.

We wanted a good area that was near the primary school we had in mind for Owen and this was perfect. I don’t drive and it’s near the park and just a short distance into Bangor town centre. But as Owen is getting older, we have noticed there is not enough space for his toys. We have walk-in wardrobes, but the attic is too small for storage.

If it wasn’t for the negative equity we would definitely be trading up to a bigger house, but we are looking to the future. One possibility is to extend the house as we have a large garden – it’s another option.

There are other homeowners near us in the same boat, and they too are considering extending. We will save up the money for the building work. Although we are very happy with our home and its location, we do need more room.

We will just keep paying our mortgage and saving up for what we need, and hope the house prices will go up soon. Jamie doesn’t think it is that bad, and the market will recover quite soon.

We were really worried about it until it happened, but now we know so many other people in the same situation as us.”

Buyers who bought at just the right time

High hopes – Jimmy and Maria Cano moved into a new home in Duffield Park in Belfast

Filipino nurse Jimmy Cano (35), moved into a three-bedroom semi-detached house off Belfast’s Ballygomartin Road with his wife, Maria and their three children Marty (16), Colleen (11) and Justine (7) three weeks ago

I moved to Northern Ireland six years ago because there was a need for nursing staff here. Initially I lived in accommodation at the Royal Victoria Hospital where I work, then stayed with friends and subsequently rented various houses. I have moved five times during my time here.

We decided to buy a property for family reasons and put a bid on a house in West Circular Road in July, but the sale fell through. Then we found this house in Duffield Park off the Ballygomartin Road in September and the sale was completed very quickly – in seven to eight weeks. The only delay was the mortgage as we had to apply again despite being given a home loan for the property that fell through. It took over two weeks for the mortgage to clear.

I believe we have bought at the right time. I spoke to the neighbours before we put a bid in and found out that houses locally were selling for £15,000 less than what we paid, but that was five years ago.

We paid £123,000 which I think is okay. Had we bought two years ago this house would have cost £200,000 and I would not have even considered it. We had to put a 10% deposit down so the mortgage is £111,000.

I was disappointed I couldn’t get a 100% mortgage, as the deposit was a lot of money and took up most of our savings.

Nearly all of my friends who bought houses a few years ago didn’t have to pay a deposit. However, it is a good thing as we now have some equity in the house and don’t have the high interest rates to pay.

I have been following the property stories in the news so I know house prices here have gone up 2% recently, and I really hope my house goes up in value.

The recession is worrying, although I think the situation in Northern Ireland is different to other parts of the UK. In one sense it doesn’t really matter as we are planning to stay here for a long time, it’s not like we need to sell the house really soon. We have a home and that is the most important thing. But obviously I hope the prices will go up. I think they will, but perhaps not for two years.”

Trapped by the house price crash

Niall Little (37), who runs businesses in photography and quantity surveying, lives with his wife Suzanne and their three daughters Jessica (11), Charlotte (7) and Olivia (3) in a four-bedroom detached house in Comber

I bought my house in Carnasure, Comber, five years ago from a developer for £330,000 as it was a good opportunity to own a family home. By early 2007 I wanted to emigrate to America with my family to really grow my business in another country.

At that time my house was valued at £650,000, and there was even talk of it reaching £700,000 as the market was still booming. However, the day my house went on the market another similar property also in the development went for sale at slightly less than our asking price. We had a couple of viewers, but then the drops started in September. The price started to go down in increments of £50,000 and bottomed out at £450,000.

I had already lost heart when it went under £500,000 as I needed the equity to relocate and put into a new business in America.

I just got fed up with the price dropping all the time. Even if I had just been trying to move to Belfast, a similar house there would have cost £950,000 at the time, so I needed to make money.

In addition, house prices outside Belfast fell faster than those in the city.

I took the house off the market by the end of 2007 and shelved any plans to emigrate. I decided to just ride out the decreases. Now, however, I think the market has found its natural home.

Affordability is better in Belfast now. And as all my daughters are in school in the city, I’m hopeful I could sell in the New Year and afford a move there. House prices have stabilised and I feel there will be an opportunity between now and the spring to sell at the right price. That opportunity wasn’t available a few years ago.

It would certainly help with the daily commute. Our house is still a good, sensible buy and there should still be a demand for it.

And while I wouldn’t think there will be healthy house price rises in the New Year, there should be enough demand to push prices up more than the small increases of this year.

Had to drop price to sell

Jenni Barkley (28), a public relations executive, has just sold her two-bedroom apartment in east Belfast and is trading up to a three-bedroom semi-detached house also in the area

My first home, a new-build two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in Lewis Square cost me £95,000 in December 2005. I liked the first floor flat as all the houses I had looked at had tiny halls and narrow stairs, and just felt claustrophic. I felt secure at the apartment as it was the first time I had lived on my own, having previously lived with my parents. I thought the price was all right and it was before the market went mad.

It was September 2007 when I decided I wanted to move. I wanted a garden, and it might sound silly but I just wanted somewhere with my own front door and my own wheelie bin. My confidence had grown after living on my own and I wanted to live in a house that didn’t have a communal front door. I just got fed up carrying everything up and down stairs all the time.

My apartment was valued at £189,950 which I thought was rather ambitious. I even said at the time ‘that’s too much’.

But there were other similar apartments for sale at that time for that price so I went along with it.

Over the next two years I dropped the price to £150,000 then £120,00 as prices started to fall. I had lots of viewers but no real offers. I think there were serious buyers among them but they just couldn’t get finance. I stopped looking at houses for myself as there was no way I was going to buy without a sale. I just didn’t want two mortgages at my age.

At one stage I did consider withdrawing the property from the market as I was fed up with people traipsing round the apartment. But then I got an offer of £110,000. Everything happened really quickly from that point and about 40 minutes later, when I looked at what I could afford, I accepted the offer.

I sold my apartment in October and just as quickly bought another house for £137,000. It took two years to sell my apartment, but I wouldn’t have bought the older property I have now which needs refurbishing, if my flat had sold quicker.

When I put my apartment up for sale I thought I would just buy another new property where everything was done.

Now having made a £15,000 profit I feel I can justify a new bathroom and kitchen at this house.

Thanks to my savings I still have the same mortgage. And hopefully I will get moved before the stamp duty holiday finishes at the end of December.

Source: http://www.propertynews.com//blog/881/

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Propertynews.com, the Provinces No.1 property website has teamed up with the Belfast Telegraph to offer one lucky reader the chance to live mortgage free for one year!

One reader will have their mortgage paid for one whole year up to the value of £12,000 courtesy of Propertynews.com. Collect twelve Propertynews.com tokens to spell the word ‘PROPERTYNEWS’.

A token with a different letter will appear in the Belfast Telegraph every day from Monday 4th to Saturday 16th October 2010. Each token will also be featured here on Propertynews.com along with an entry form. Click here…

Enter as many times as you like!

Terms & Conditions: The prize on offer is your residential mortgage paid for twelve months subject to a maximum payment of £12,000 for the year. Entrants must have an existing mortgage at the date of entry pursuant to a valid written mortgage agreement secured on their principal private residence in Northern Ireland. The winner must provide Propertynews.com with documentary evidence from their mortgage provider of the monthly mortgage repayments due for the next 12 months. The prize will be paid monthly by cheque made out to the name of the entrant only and sent to the winner’s home address. The winner shall allow 28 days for receipt of the first payment from the date of notification. The closing date for receipt entries is midnight on 31th October 2010.

Proof of postage is not proof of receipt of entry. The prize draw will take place on Monday 1st November.

Winners will be notified by phone. WINNERS WILL BE SELECTED AT RANDOM AND IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU LEAVE A DAYTIME NUMBER AS WE CANNOT CONTACT YOU OUTSIDE THE HOURS OF 9AM – 5PM.

By entering, the winner agrees to take part in any promotional activity. The prize is not transferable. Employees of the promoter and Independent News & Media (Northern Ireland), their families and agents in Northern Ireland are not eligible to enter.

This competition does not and is not intended to constitute a legal relationship between entrants and the Independent News & Media (Northern Ireland).

Source: http://www.propertynews.com//blog/957/

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Last week saw the Turkish parliament approve June 12th as the day that the general election will be held. Few people doubt that the AK Party will be re-elected for its third term, but this is hardly surprising given what they have achieved for Turkey, and what they have helped Turkey achieve and become.

Sure, they have helped Turkey reach economic stability; taking it to the point where it is not only the fastest growing economy in Europe, or one of the fastest in the world, but also one of the most stable and with a banking system that is the EU’s envy. But that is not the only or even the main achievement; right now Turkey’s influence in the world is growing. Turkey is becoming a real regional power, and shaping up to be a global power in the next 50 years.

Combined with the current economic stability and growth, Turkey’s growing international presence is boosting investors’ confidence in the country, including property investors. Confidence is one of the main drivers of property sales, and Turkey’s growing international prowess is almost certainly having an impact on property sales in the country — especially to foreigners.

Look at the last couple of weeks alone. At the tail end of last week the press reported that Turkey and the EU have provisionally agreed on the return of immigrants. Under the deal, illegal immigrants entering the EU from Turkey — both those residents of Turkey and those coming through the country — would have been deported back.

The issue was seen as the final hurdle to a visa-free deal between Turkey and the EU, and Turkey said clearly that it would accept the readmission agreement, only if the EU gave the European Commission full authority to begin visa liberalization negotiations with Turkey. When the EU watered this down to starting a "visa dialogue", Turkey firmly stated that this was not good enough.

"Today’s reports are talking about a visa dialogue without a clear target for visa exemption. Our stance is clear. Turkey in no way accepts different treatment," said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu.

"We are expecting the EU Council to fully authorize the commission to begin talks on visa liberalization. It seems now that this has not happened. The process on [implementation of] the readmission agreement will begin whenever this happens. Nobody should expect Turkey to take one-sided steps on this matter," he said.

"What we anticipate is that the EU Council will give a mandate to the EU Commission to start the negotiations with Turkey in a way that will fully meet our expectations. As long as these expectations are not met, the readmission agreement will not be signed, initialled or implemented," said a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

This response may seem measured, not least because it is 100% justified, but that does not mean it isn’t brave, because it is. The EU so blatantly tried to get around Turkey’s stipulation because they are so used to Ankara rolling over to get a belly-tickle, but no more, and the EU must come to grips on how to deal with the newly empowered Turkey.

Hot on the heels of that we have Cemil Çiçek deputy Prime Minister and state minister for Cyprus affairs stating that Turkey would not sacrifice Turkish Cypriots rights and interests for an institution like the EU.

"If you place Turkish Cyprus on one side of a scale and EU membership on the other, Turkey would prefer Turkish Cyprus a thousand times,” Çiçek stressed, adding that the EU cannot be a political force without Turkey and that Turkey would not sacrifice Turkish Cypriot’s rights and interests for the EU, whose future is shrouded in doubt. Çiçek acknowledged that there is a standstill in Turkey’s EU membership talks because of Cyprus, but that Turkey is ready to pay the price.

And finally we have requests from Tunisia, for Turkey to help them hold the first democratic election in the nation’s history.

“We are open to Turkey’s support for our election operation. We need at least 15,000 election officers. We don’t have sufficient trainers or the time to train these people,” Yadh Ben Achour, a prominent legal expert on constitutional law told Today’s Zaman.

Turkey’s growing place in the world comes as no shock. The country is now one of the world’s fastest growing and most dynamic economies, with a rapidly growing population and a huge young work force.

It is also the only stable Muslim democracy in the Middle East and in the last 18 months has signed agreements to increase trade and/or ties many countries including: China, India, America, Britain, Russia, Brazil, Albania, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. These included a "strategic alliance" with Brazil, a deal to increase trade with the US by a factor of 3, and free-trade with Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, as well as visa-free travel deals with Russia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Albania, Libya, Kosovo and Sudan.

During this time sales of Turkey property have been growing steadily, and Turkey is now one of the hottest sellers according to many real estate agents. Istanbul Property is particularly popular, not least because it was recently voted the world’s fastest growing cities in terms of economic growth and employment by the Brookings Institute.

Article written by Aydin Cakir – Director of New Home in Turkey. Antalya property agency offering properties across Turkey.

Source: http://www.propertyshowrooms.com//property/news/turkey-s-growing-standing-boosts-property-investment_311238.html

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Propertynews.com, Northern Irelands definitive property portal, is now ranked within the top ten UK property portals in terms of total website visitors according to the latest independent figures from comScore, a leading marketing research company providing global Internet and marketing data.

The figures place propertynews.com in the list of the top ten portals based on compiling average number of visitors to the website – a real achievement for the local portal which has an indigenous Northern Ireland home audience.

The announcement comes as Propertynews.com experienced it’s busiest July ever, despite the summer holiday period, with over 530,000 visits from eager house hunters logging onto the website  – a 15% jump from the same period last year.

Emma McNally, Managing Director of www.propertynews.com commented on the rankings: ‘We are delighted to appear among the top 10 UK portals. 2009 has marked a record year for traffic to Propertynews.com with monthly page views now exceeding 16 million.The latest ComScore figures demonstrate the popularity of Propertynews.com as the definitive website for new builds, rental and resale properties in Northern Ireland.’

Top 10 UK Property Portals for July 2009

1. Rightmove
2. The Digital Property Group
3. PropertyFinder
4. Globrix
5. Homeswapper
6. Nestoria
7. Trovit UK
8. Zoopla
9. Fish4Homes
10. PropertyNews

Source: comScore

ABOUT PROPERTYNEWS.COM

Operating since 2001 Propertynews.com is Northern Ireland’s definitive property portal for resale, rental, new build and commercial property.The website is supported by all leading Estate Agents and boasts the largest database of property listings in Ireland. The website attracts over 16 million property viewings each month. Propertynews.com is part of the Independent News & Media Group.

ABOUT COMSCORE

comScore, founded in 1999,  is a global leader in measuring the digital world and the preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. Through a powerful combination of behavioral and survey insights, comScore enables clients to better understand, leverage and profit from the rapidly evolving worldwide web and mobile arena.

comScore provides syndicated and custom solutions in online audience measurement, e-commerce, advertising, search, video and mobile and offers dedicated analysts with digital marketing and vertical-specific industry expertise. Advertising agencies, publishers, marketers and financial analysts turn to comScore for the industry-leading solutions needed to craft successful digital, marketing, sales, product development and trading strategies.

comScore data are truly global – the company tracks more than 3 million unique websites worldwide and the comScore panel includes consumers from 170 countries.

Source: http://www.propertynews.com//blog/850/

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Property developers in Thailand are continuing to acquire land for new residential projects, new research has found.

The news comes despite recent announcements from the Bank of Thailand that it would be decreasing LTV’s for condominiums to 90 per cent and the LTV’s for houses to 95 per cent to cool the property market, according to CB Richard Ellis (CBRE).

It could lead to an increase in the number of individuals looking to buy property in Thailand, with a number of new homes due to enter the market.

Over the past year, there has been growing concern about the level of foreign investment heading into the country, which has resulted in the national bank raising interest rates.

However, CBRE noted that yield for property investment did not change significantly and money is still being driven into the market.

"There have been significant foreign inflows into the Thai bond and stock markets but virtually no significant foreign investment into the Thai property market," the consultancy said.

Source: http://www.propertyshowrooms.com/thailand/property/news/developers-still-after-new-land-thailand_311250.html

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BT is bringing it all back home as it launched a new marketing campaign that focuses wholly on Northern Ireland. A reworked version of Johnny Cash’s iconic ‘I’ve been Everywhere’ names over 45 local towns, villages and cities, just some of the locations where BT currently offers products and services.

BT travelled over 700 miles across Northern Ireland for the making of the campaign, which is fronted by local BT customers, features BT staff and was created and produced locally. The campaign was developed as a response to customer needs and to reinforce that BT is the only locally based communications provider offering an unrivalled range of products and services including BT Total Broadband, BT Vision and BT Unlimited Anytime to the mass market.

To celebrate the success of this campaign, BT is teaming up with Property News to offer consumers the opportunity to win a year subscription to BT Total Broadband and BT Vision, BT’s digital TV service. To find out more logo onto http://btiseverywhere.com/home/competition 

Pictured launching the BT Everywhere campaign are (l-r) Peter Morris, Consumer Director, BT; Johnny Cash look- a- like Matthew Poole and James Devlin, Head of Business Sales, BT.

 

Source: http://www.propertynews.com//blog/960/

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