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Scottish prime property market sees strongest year start since 2008
The prime residential market at £400,000 and above across Scotland experienced a strong performance last year, with a 22% annual increase in activity. In this sector there were 2,536 transactions during 2013, according to the latest analysis report from Savills which shows that the market was robust from spring 2013 onwards with deals being done throughout the winter period. A further 188 prime transactions were registered in January 2014 across Scotland, making it the busiest start to the year since 2008. Savills says that the prime market is being boosted by the hubs of Edinburgh, the Aberdeen area and Greater Glasgow, where prime activity increased annually by around 25% in each location. The prime market in Edinburgh was heavily supported by the hotspots of Grange, Morningside and Merchiston. Prime transactions in this combined area increased by 29% last year. The West End of Edinburgh and the northern suburb of Trinity also enjoyed a better market in 2013, following slightly lower activity in the previous two years. Similarly, the prime southern Glasgow suburbs of Pollokshields, Newlands, Giffnock and Newton Mearns experienced a strong market last year with a 31% increase in activity. These areas continue to be supported by top quality education facilities and excellent transport links. ‘We have noticed a change in the buyer age group over the course of the last year. In previous years there was an over reliance on those aged 50 and above driving the market. However, the prime market in the city hotspots of Edinburgh and Glasgow is increasingly being driven by younger professionals aged from 30 to 39, comprising around 40% of Savills sales last year,’ said Faisal Choudhry of Savill’s research team in Glasgow. ‘This target market had been somewhat subdued following the housing market downturn, mainly due to affordability issues. However, there was an ever present pent up demand among this age category aspiring to upsize. This age group is now more active and is enabling the whole of the market to move again following low levels of sales during 2011 and 2012,’ he pointed out. ‘The market strength in the core locations of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow has spilled out to some of Scotland’s provincial locations, such as Tayside, where prime transactions increased last year by 19%. The prime markets in Ayrshire and the Borders also improved The analysis report explains that prime values across Scotland have fallen over the last few years due to the high levels of stock available on the market. However, the significant increase in prime sales has created a net reduction in stock levels. ‘Supply in some hotspots in Edinburgh and Glasgow has been decreasing, resulting in a slight rise in values, particularly towards the end of last year. The rebalancing of supply and demand has started in the country locations of Scotland with values beginning to stabilise during the last quarter of 2013. We expect a gentle rise in Scottish prime values during 2014 when supply and demand eventually rebalance,’ added Choudhry. Continue reading
Rising prices and bad weather hit home sales in the US in February say agents
Home prices in the US continued to show solid growth in most of the country due to limited inventory conditions, but rising prices and severe winter weather caused existing home sales to slip in February. According to the latest existing home sales index report from the National Association of Realtors, completed transactions fell 0.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.60 million in February from 4.62 million in January. Sales were 7.1% below the 4.95 million unit level recorded in February 2013 and the month’s pace of sales was the lowest since July 2012, when it stood at 4.59 million. ‘We had ongoing unusual weather disruptions across much of the country last month, with the continuing frictions of constrained inventory, restrictive mortgage lending standards and housing affordability less favourable than a year ago,’ said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. ‘Some transactions are simply being delayed, so there should be some improvement in the months ahead. With an expected pickup in job creation, home sales should trend up modestly over the course of the year,’ he added. The median existing home price for all housing types in February was $189,000, which is 9.1% above February 2013. ‘Price gains have translated into an additional $4 trillion of housing wealth recovery over the past three years,’ Yun explained. The NAR data also shows that distressed homes sales, that is foreclosures and short sales, accounted for 16% of February sales, compared with 15% in January and 25% on February 2013. Some 11% of February sales were foreclosures and 5% were short sales. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 16% below market value in February, while short sales were discounted 11%. Total housing inventory at the end of February rose 6.4% to two million homes available for sale, which represents a 5.2 month supply at the current sales pace, up from 4.9 months in January. Unsold inventory is 5.3% above a year ago, when there was a 4.6 month supply. The median time on market for all homes was 62 days in February, down from 67 days in January and 74 days on market in February 2013. Short sales were on the market for a median of 94 days in February, while foreclosures typically sold in 60 days and non-distressed homes took 61 days. Some 34% of homes sold in February were on the market for less than a month. First time buyers accounted for 28% of purchases in February, up from 26% in January, but down from 30% in February 2013. NAR president Steve Brown believes that student debt appears to be a factor in the weak level of first time buyers. ‘The biggest problems for first time buyers are tight credit and limited inventory in the lower price ranges. However, 20% of buyers under the age of 33, the prime group of first time buyers, delayed their purchase because of outstanding debt,’ he said. ‘In our recent consumer survey, some 56% of younger buyers who took longer to save for a down payment… Continue reading
Estate agents see signs of improved property supply in the UK
A sharp rise in home owner equity in the UK is set to increase the property supply as even first time buyers in London seem undeterred by property price increases, it is claimed. Indeed, the latest data from haart estate agents shows that first time buyers in London reached a new annual high with registration up 55.3%. This comes at a time when UK property prices have increased 7.9% annually to £191,375, while in London prices are up year on year by 23.6% to £474,359. The firm also says that the national property market is buoyant with a 21.3% increase in property sales. ‘Home owners across the UK, who have on average accumulated equity of over £14,000 in their property over the past year, are expected to take advantage of their growing assets by remortgaging or downsizing this spring,’ said Paul Smith, chief executive officer of haart. ‘The downsizers will ease the current shortage of supply which will help to quell rising house prices. The increase in equity is now more than £90,000 annually in London. First time buyers are undeterred by property price rises and are now at their highest level in London over the past 12 months as banks continue to support lending to this group of buyers,’ he explained. He also said that a lack of reform for the much criticised Stamp Duty property tax means the continuation of a dysfunctional housing market. ‘In one fell swoop the Chancellor George Osborne could have increased the supply of homes for sale and capped rising house prices helping every level of the housing ladder,’ Smith pointed out. ‘Instead he’s turned a blind eye and given nothing to the majority of home buyers and sellers rather than throwing them a lifebelt,’ he added. Continue reading
