Tag Archives: real estate
Property market recovery in the Alps spreads out from top resorts
The recovery in the Alpine residential real estate market, led by the ultra-prime resorts, has spread to the rest of the region with infrastructure investment spurring new development, according to a new report. British buyers are returning as a weak euro poses buying opportunities in France, Austria and Italy but a strong Swiss franc has made property in Switzerland more expensive for foreign buyers, says the report from Savills World Research and Alpine Homes. Courchevel 1850 tops the Savills ultra-prime ski resorts index with typical prices of €31,340 per square meter for the best properties. The French resort is followed by the Swiss resorts of Gstaad, St Moritz, Zermatt and Verbier at between €26,450 and €31,220 per square meter. In spite of limited price growth, a strong Swiss franc has pushed these markets up the rankings in currency terms, the report explains. In North America, only Vail is on par with the top European competition at €25,200 per square meter. ‘A home in a top tier Alpine resort is a key component of global property portfolios for the world’s wealthy. A property in Courchevel 1850, Gstaad or St Moritz complements a city residence in London, Paris or Moscow,’ said Paul Tostevin, associate director of Savills World Research. According to Jeremy Rollason, managing director, Alpine Homes, 2015 has been a tale of two currencies for UK buyers in the Alps. ‘The de-peg of the Swiss franc caught markets off guard, but sterling has since recovered and now trades within a 5% range of the pre-January 2015 exchange rate,’ he said. ‘The weakening euro has helped buyers in euro denominated countries. Currency swings have the effect of either suppressing or stimulating markets through affordability, but the net effect has little influence on property values per se,’ he added. The report shows that buying activity in the Swiss resorts cooled in 2015 with foreign buyers, particularly important to the top end of the market, impacted by the strong Swiss franc. However, despite limited supply of second homes, investment in infrastructure continues and the cache of Swiss resorts remains. Grimentz gained a new lift in the 2014/2015 season linking to neighbouring Zinal and new apartment schemes have followed. La Tzoumaz is also set for revival thanks to a planned lift upgrade, improving connectivity with neighbouring Verbier. Villars, a year round resort with high quality international schools, has seen high levels of new supply in recent years and has suffered from poor snowfall. This has had some impact on pricing and, for those who shop around, there are deals to be done. Prime apartments here trade at between CHF10,000 and CHF12,000 per square meter. The Austrian Alpine resort market has remained strong on the back of a vibrant local economy, which has generated house price growth nationally of 41% since 2008 and the report says that Austria continues to offer excellent value for money compared to the more established French and Swiss resorts. Committed investment in resort… Continue reading
UK mortgage sector competition to be examined
The UK’s financial watchdog has launched a consultation process on competition in the mortgage sector to seek input from interested parties to identify both good points and potential areas for improvement. ‘For millions of consumers a mortgage is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, financial transaction they will enter into in their lifetime. The mortgage sector also plays a vital role in the financial services industry and many areas of the economy,’ said Christopher Woolard, director of strategy and competition at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). He explained that competition can play a key role in ensuring that the sector works well, delivering consumer benefits through lower prices, better customer service, and more product choice. ‘We are seeking stakeholders’ views on competition in the mortgage sector. These views, together with evidence from the FCA’s wider programme of work on mortgages, will help inform any future FCA work on this key sector of the economy, including any future competition market study,’ he added. The FCA is interested in the range of factors that might affect competition in the provision of loans secured against a property, whether regulated or unregulated, including as a result of changes introduced following the Mortgage Market Review and any other barriers to entry, expansion or innovation. It also wants to examine consumers’ ability to effectively access, assess and act on information about mortgage products and services and firms’ conduct and relationships and the deadline for input is 18 December 2015 with feedback scheduled for the first quarter of 2016. The Council of Mortgage Lenders welcomed the announcement and described it is an excellent opportunity for the regulator to review the effect of regulation, as well as market practice, on lenders as well as their customers. ‘The FCA's role in promoting competitive markets is the part of regulation that best helps foster creativity, innovation and a sharp focus on what drives customers,’ said CML director general Paul Smee. ‘It's also essential in delivering the kind of environment in which reputable lenders of all shapes and sizes can thrive. We will be working with all our members to ensure that their perspectives are fully reflected as we work with the FCA on this vital issue,’ he added. Continue reading
British women say strict mortgage rules are discriminatory
A number of women who apply for mortgages in the UK believe that they have been discriminated against by lenders because starting a family would have an impact on their finances. Getting a mortgage in the UK has become tougher since new regulations were introduced in 2014 and applicants are now asked to fill in a form detailing their monthly outgoing, including things like gym membership, and how they would fair when interest rates rise. Now new research shows that 25% of women have intentionally not disclosed plans to start a family as they fear this would lead to their application being refused and 9% said they have been discriminated against by lenders over their plans to have children. Indeed, the research from comparison website uSwitch also found that 11% would delay having a child in order to secure a mortgage while 48% save up to cover payments during maternity leave. The research also found that the pressure of disclosing information for a mortgage application is having a significant emotional impact. Some 71% of women who concealed their family plans from lenders experienced high levels of stress and anxiety during the mortgage application process. Overall 27% of women think the current affordability criteria is out of step with modern family finances and many said savings should be taken into account. ‘There is a strong feeling that mortgage lenders, rightly or wrongly, may be penalising women for starting a family,’ said Tashema Jackson, money expert at uSwitch. ‘A worrying outcome is that some female mortgage applicants are feeling forced to withhold information from potential lenders. Not only can this have severe implications in terms of invalidating any mortgage offers, but it is causing stress and anxiety for home buyers at a critical time in their life,’ she pointed out. ‘While it’s vital that lenders help people only borrow within their means and ensure they can afford future payments, it’s not fair for lenders to make blanket assumptions. Those planning a family may be able to manage their repayments even with a drop in household income, thanks to careful planning or savings,’ she explained. ‘We believe lenders should be making decisions based on a broader picture of an applicant’s financial situation, including the amount that they have in savings, rather than on assumptions about a woman’s personal circumstances or intentions,’ she added. She also pointed out that anyone who feels that they may have been discriminated against for any reason should lodge a complaint with the mortgage provider and if there is no resolution they can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Continue reading
