The Market
PCL market ‘on hold’ as uncertainty prevails
Values and volumes were generally steady across the prime postcodes last month, reports LCP, but the capital's new-build sector is really suffering...
Proportion of cash buyers sinks to a record low
Investors were responsible for just under a quarter of mortgage-free transactions in the first half of this year, down from nearly a third in 2009.
Mayfair’s newest street is London’s top super-prime hotspot
Created as part of British Land's record-breaking Clarges Mayfair scheme in 2017, Ashburton Place has seen more sales above £10m than any other address in London over the last 12 months
Conservative manifesto holds few surprises for the property sector
Tory election pledges on housing include a 3% Stamp Duty surcharge for foreign buyers, lifetime mortgages, and some planning tweaks - but no wider SDLT reform.
Reactions: On the Tories’ planned Stamp Duty hike for foreign buyers
Rounding up thoughts on the Conservatives' idea to ramp-up Theresa May’s 1% SDLT surcharge for foreign buyers to 3%
Tories plot Stamp Duty hike for non-residents
The Conservatives want to ramp-up Theresa May's 1% SDLT surcharge for foreign buyer to 3%
Westminster Council defends ‘gifting’ policy
Council fends off new questions over conflicts of interest after staff receive 240 individual gifts in a two-year period
Property markets to ‘remain stable’ in 2020, but prime buyers are ‘becoming less compromising’
Estate agency Jackson-Stops shares its predictions for country property markets next year
How England’s broken planning system has created (not reduced) the risk of floods
"Urban areas have been creating flood risk," writes Lee Bosher. "And this is largely due to the government’s focus on making land – low cost, flood prone land – available for development."
Labour manifesto moots rent caps & an end to property developers’ ‘free hand’
Jeremy Corbyn has set out his party's political stall ahead of next month's General Election; here's a summary of Labour's key property policies...
Lib Dem manifesto suggests linking Stamp Duty to home energy ratings; all new-builds to be Passivhaus by 2025
Jo Swinson's party has published its 2019 Election Manifesto; here are the Liberal Democrats' key property policies...
Hong Kong’s wealthy seek safe haven in London’s prime property market
HNW buyers from the troubled region have splashed over £25m with one PCL agency in recent weeks, snapping up apartments in Whitehall, Marylebone and Kings Cross...