Housing Market Confidence Cools In November

Confidence in the UK housing market cooled in November, with fewer people thinking that their property increased in value compared to last month. Bankers Halifax said that just 14 per cent of people surveyed said that they believed their home had become more valuable this month, compared with 17 per cent in September and October. Despite the slip, the figure remains high above the four per cent recorded during the first national lockdown in May. Read more on the CityAM website.

https://www.cityam.com/housing-market-confidence-cools-in-november/

Landlord Confidence Falls Amidst Covid Pandemic

Almost two thirds of private landlords in England and Wales expect their rental business to be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic according to new research. The latest survey of just over 2,000 members of the NRLA found that 48 per cent felt they would face a ‘slightly’ negative impact to their business as a result of the pandemic and 18 per cent said they would face a ‘significant’ negative impact. This has caused landlord confidence to fall with 56 per cent saying that they were less, or much less, confident of being able to achieve their goals over the next year compared to three months ago. Read more on the NRLA website.

https://www.nrla.org.uk/news/landlord-confidence-falls-amidst-covid-pandemic

Renewed Confidence Sees House Prices Bounce To New High

Confidence is returning, prices are rising over and above seasonal expectations in all regions and momentum is increasing. According to the latest report from Home.co.uk, the market is in great shape and showing considerable potential for growth this year. Home's data has revealed that, in particular, the London market has recovered from several pitiful price correction years and now looks set for considerable growth. The mix-adjusted average home price for England and Wales has risen to 1.8% year-on-year, the highest such growth seen for two years. Low stock levels and low supply remain key drivers in both the sales and rental markets. Read more on the Property Reporter website.

https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/renewed-confidence-in-the-market-sees-house-prices-bounce-to-new-high.html

89% Of British Public Have ‘No Faith’ In Government To Solve Housing Crisis

Just 11% of UK consumers have confidence in the government’s ability to solve the housing crisis, new research from Experience Invest has found. In a survey of over 2,000 UK adults, the property investment firm aimed to uncover public attitudes towards the housing crisis – just days before the General Election on the 12th December. Revealing an overwhelming vote of no-confidence in the government’s ability – the research found that over half of those surveyed think that prolonging Brexit is “counterproductive” in working towards solving the UK’s housing shortage. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/89-of-british-public-have-no-faith-in-government-to-solve-housing-crisis/

Brexit And General Election ‘Weighing Down On Housing Market Confidence’

Consumer confidence that house prices will rise over the coming year is stronger than 12 months ago, according to building societies. But issues stemming from Brexit and the General Election are seen as significant risks to the housing market in 2020, the Building Societies Association (BSA) found. Nearly three in 10 (28%) people expect house prices to increase over the coming year – up by five percentage points compared with a year ago. Brexit, selected by 43% of people surveyed, and the General Election result, selected by 30%, are seen as being among the factors posing the biggest risks to the stability of the housing market in 2020. Read more on the AOL website.

https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2019/12/05/brexit-and-general-election-a-weighing-down-on-housing-market-c/?guccounter=1

Landlord Confidence Hits Seven-Year Low

Only 29 per cent of landlords had positive expectations for their letting business over the next three months, down from 44 per cent the same time last year and an “historic low”. The BVA BDRC Landlords Panel surveyed over 700 active landlords in Q2 2019 using five confidence indices – capital gains, rental yields, UK financial market, UK private sector and own letting business. Confidence in capital gains fell to 23 per cent in the quarter, from 32 per cent in Q2 2018, and prospects for rental yields dropped 10 per cent from 49 per cent in the second quarter of 2018 to 39 per cent in the second quarter 2019, the lowest recorded in more than nine years. Read more on the Mortgage Solutions website.

https://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/specialist-lending/2019/08/22/landlord-confidence-hits-seven-year-low/

Landlord Confidence Hits Record Low

Landlord confidence in their own lettings business has reached a record low, according to research* by the National Landlords Association (NLA). In the NLA’s survey for Q2 2019, only 29 percent of landlords said their business expectations for the next three months were good or very good, the lowest level since the survey began in Q4 2006. Confidence levels dropped significantly in the second half of 2015 in response to George Osborne’s changes to landlord taxation, but had until now remained above 35 percent. This represents a marked shift in confidence since the Government announced its proposal to abolish section 21 no-fault evictions. Read more on the NLA website.

https://landlords.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/landlord-confidence-hits-record-low

BTL Confidence Remains High Despite Challenging Market

The latest data and analysis from online agency, yieldit, has revealed that sales agreed and new listings both saw significant numbers during January, boosting investor confidence and showing little proof of a market slowdown. According to the data, there were 191% more sales agreed during the first month of the year compared to June 2018. New listings followed a similar trend, with a 146% increase on June 2018. This indicates that despite some Brexit uncertainty the UK buy-to-let market is busy, with levels of trade up significantly on last summer. Read more on the Property Reporter website.

https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/btl-confidence-remains-high-despite-challenging-market.html

‘True Impact’ Of Universal Credit On The Rental Market

Research finds 73% of landlords still lack confidence in renting to tenants on the benefit due to uncertainty that they will be able to recover rent arrears. Brandon Taylor from Lowestoft provides homes to rent to around 130 Universal Credit claimants, of which 70% are struggling to pay their rent in full and on time. In one extreme case, a tenant who was on Universal Credit accrued £2,848 in rent arrears. When he has applied for Alternative Payment Arrangements, Taylor has found requests to the DWP have been ignored. Taylor warns that landlord confidence in UC has been damaged and that it will take years to regain that confidence back. Read more on 24housing.

Landlords Losing Confidence In Rental Profits

Landlords are losing confidence in their ability to rely on steady rental yields, according to recent figures from the NLA. The figures show that the proportion of landlords who are optimistic about their ability to rely on a steady rental yield has fallen 15 per cent in the past two years – down from 64 per cent in Q2 2015 to just under half (49 per cent) in Q2 2017.  However, the sentiment contrasts with actual rental yields achieved across the UK, which have remained fairly stable. Over the past few years, the average yield has fluctuated around the 6 per cent mark. Read more on the NLA website.

Confidence In Housing Market Declines After Election Result

Consumer confidence in the housing market dipped in the days following the General Election, a survey has found. Just over one in five (21%) people think now is a good time to buy a home, down from 29% in March, according to research from the Building Societies Association (BSA). The survey took place four days after the election. Nearly a third (30%) of people in the survey disagree that now is a good time to buy a home - the highest figure since 37% of people felt this way in December 2008. Nearly a quarter (23%) said they expect prices to fall, up from 10% in March. Read more on the Belfast Telegraph website.

Landlords Report 'Crisis In Confidence' Amid Osborne's War On Buy-To-Let

George Osborne's tax hikes on the UK's booming buy-to-let sector has left landlords feeling less confident about their prospects than in the darkest days of the financial crisis, according to a group that represents them. A survey by the National Landlords Association found confidence in their business expectations was 43%, down by a third over the year and an all-time-low. Confidence in buy-to-let is 5% lower than its 2007 nadir. Osborne is raiding the buy-to-let sector to raise money for doubling the government's house-building budget to £2bn. The chancellor wants to increase home ownership and the government has a number of policies to help first-time buyers get onto the property ladder, such as the Help to Buy scheme and the building of 200,000 discounted "starter homes". Read more on the International Business Times website.

The 'Worst Time to Buy a Home for Three Years'

Homebuyers' confidence in the housing market is at its lowest since April 2011 after being dented by soaring prices and fears over higher interest rates, a report shows. The proportion of people who believe now is ‘a good time to buy’ has fallen to its lowest level for at least three years, according to mortgage lender Halifax. More than a third of people asked, or 35 per cent, said rising house prices were a barrier to buying, up from just 20 per cent a year ago. Read more on the Daily Mail website.