Christmas Eve brought the news that Boris Johnson had conclusively agreed on a Brexit deal for the UK with the European Union. This gave optimism that the economic turmoil of leaving the EU would be radically reduced, yet what will this ‘trade deal’ do to the value of your Dartford home and the mortgage payments you will have to make?
Read MoreWith tax bills about to go through the roof, is this the time to leave the Dartford buy to let property market?
Read MoreThe government’s decision to introduce new tier 4 restrictions for London, the south-east and east of England was announced this weekend. A recent surge in Covid-19 cases and a growing concern about a new strain of coronavirus spreading more rapidly into the region has left parts of the country pretty much having to cancel Christmas altogether, something that has left many families disappointed as their Christmas plans are thrown into disarray.
Read MoreIn the last few months, the Dartford (and UK) property market has resisted and flouted every economist’s prediction. With the economy a shadow of its former self, unemployment set to hit 11.9%, the Government on track to borrow nearly half a trillion pounds to pay for Coronavirus support packages etc., all of this has had no effect on Dartford homeowner’s enthusiasm or capability to want to move home. It highlights the influence of both the emotional impact of lockdown and the enticing appeal of saving thousands of pounds on your Stamp Duty Tax bill.
Read MoreThe pandemic hit mid-March, and the Dartford property market was put on ice for nearly three months (as was almost everyone else’s lives). Yet at the end of spring, the property market was one of the first sectors of the economy to be re-opened. Every economist predicted house price drops in the order of 10% in the best-case scenario and 25% in the worst, yet nothing could be further from the truth.
Read MoreEveryone wants to feel safe in their home, but sadly, there is a reality where many people face the real danger of eviction. When a tenant is struggling to pay their rent, it has a ripple effect that can cause stress to a number of individuals and families. Well, with the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme, legal aid will now be provided to the tenant in a difficult situation within England and Wales.
Read MoreWith the banks reducing the number of low deposit mortgages (i.e. deposit of 10% and below) since Covid-19 hit in the spring, this has meant that the number of Dartford first-time buyers has been decreasing quickly, meaning many of those would-be Dartford buyers wanting to make the first step on the Dartford property ladder are having to stay in the Dartford rental sector.
Read MoreAs you all know, the second lockdown came into force on Thursday 5th of November, but what does this mean for the property market here in England? In this article, I look at the facts and share with you reasons why you should still move during the lockdown.
Read MoreAs I am sure you are all aware, the Prime Minister recently pledged to turn generation rent into ‘generation buy’ by giving young first-time buyers the chance to take out a long-term fixed-rate mortgage of up to 95 per cent of the value of the home.
Read MoreWith the second lockdown already started, does this mean Dartford landlords can wave goodbye to their Dartford buy-to-let investment and see it go up in smoke on the bonfire of buy-to-let dreams, like a Guy Fawkes puppet?
Read MoreWith a no deal Brexit on the horizon, the end of the Stamp Duty holiday in March, an extension to the owner occupiers’ and landlords’ mortgage holiday; and an extension of the furlough system and ongoing on/off coronavirus restrictions... what will this do to the Dartford property market and the value of your Dartford home?
Read MoreThe truth is the risk of landlords and investors not receiving rent during the Covid-19 pandemic is far higher than now then it was previously predicted. Given the widespread economic impact of the pandemic, many landlords and investors who let their properties to working professionals and working families may suddenly find themselves receiving less or even no income at all.
Read MoreDartford homebuyers and Dartford landlords purchasing residential property have saved £226,790 since the Chancellor reduced stamp duty on 8th July 2020, yet many more Dartford homebuyers could miss out.
Read MoreBoris Johnson has attracted both praise and horror in equal measure with a new plan for 95% mortgages to help beleaguered first time buyers to get on the property ladder, but would that expose UK taxpayers to too much risk? In this article I discuss the implications of what that would mean both nationally and locally in Dartford.
Read MoreNotwithstanding an economic recession and forecasts of property values dropping, nobody seems to have informed the Dartford homeowners selling their homes and those Dartford people looking to buy them. As I have discussed in many recent articles on the locality, the Dartford property market is booming and property values in some sections of the market are rising, yet amidst enthusiastic reports of gazumping, there are disgruntled and malcontent grumbles about mortgage company surveyors down valuing property on survey.
Read MoreWith only 1 in 4 Dartford house sellers actually selling their home in the last month, Dartford sellers and buyers will need to continue to be pragmatic if the surprisingly strong current levels of activity in the Dartford property market are to be sustained.
Read MoreRoll the clock back 20 years and any self-respecting late 20/early 30 something would never say on their first date that they lived with their mum and dad. It was seen as a sign of immaturity being tied to your mother’s apron strings with as a failure to leave the family home. Yet over these last two decades, the age of leaving home has been increasing steadily from 20 years and 11 months in the late 1990’s to 22 years and 7 months today.
Read MoreGoing into lockdown in March, the Government proclaimed a ban on tenant evictions, pledging that no tenant in a private rented home, who had lost their wages due to Covid-19 would be kicked out of their private rented home until the late summer.
Read MoreThe biggest issue whenever you are selling your Dartford property is the properties that you are in competition with. Plenty of Dartford homeowners have jumped onto the stamp duty holiday bandwagon since the announcement and there are 19% more properties for sale in Dartford than there were during lockdown.
Read MoreThe Government is on track to borrow £400 Billion because of Coronavirus and that needs to be paid back at some stage. Last year alone, before Coronavirus, the Government brought in £824 Billion in taxes whilst they spent £887 Billion, meaning they had to borrow £63 Billion. In fact, the last time taxes were higher than spending in the UK was 1998, meaning since then the country has been living beyond its means.
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