Merry Christmas!

We hope everyone has a very Happy Christmas! Celebrate, eat excessively, and spend time with the family in your own Castle!

Looking back on 2012

2012 was a great celebratory year in the UK; both the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics managed to give us weeks of excitement, taking our minds off of the economic downturn. However, even though the Olympics was said to have boosted the economy slightly, there's no running away from the reality of it; the economy is still at a slump, as is the housing market.

In light of the bad news, however, it's comforting to see that there is still confidence within the housing market. Earlier in the year, we heard of reports that homeowners remained confident that house prices would rise; housing costs did indeed rise slightly earlier in the year. In recent news we have also heard how first time buyer mortgage rates have fallen, making life slightly easier for people looking to own their first property. And very recently, we heard in the chancellors autumn budget, that he plans to bring 50,000 homes to the market. This is all great news!

On the other side, however, Halifax are claiming that even though house prices rose in November, the market is 'more unclear than ever', and that prices may remain flat throughout 2013. Now, this may be good news for first time buyers, but existing owners, specially those willing to sell, may be made slightly un-easy at the news.

Still, even though there are many tosses and turns right now, owning your own property is a great investment. If you are a first time buyer, then take advantage of the lower costs and mortgage rates, and invest in a property. You can search our lists online, and get in touch with us with any enquiries you may have. Our friendly team is here to help!