Volumes have been increasing but the World Cup may slow it down..

Signs that the market is still not fully on the road to recovery have been reaffirmed this week as both Northern Rock and NatWest Intermediary Solutions reported that circa 600 jobs are to go. The cut backs are further proof that although positive signs have been outweighing the negatives recently, we cannot overlook the underlying financial instability issues endemic within the financial industry. And, of course, we all wait with baited breath to see what impact the forthcoming emergency budget will bring. The coalition government have been left with a huge debt/financial crisis to pick the bones out of and it appears to be much worse than we all imagined. No doubt we will get to know the full picture on the 22nd June.

In the meantime, we have been receiving a higher volume of mortgage applications for purchase transactions from across the country. The removal of HIPS does appear to have had some impact. Those looking to sell seem to be more active and yet there are some great deals to be had for purchasers whilst house prices remain relatively low in some areas.

However, with this in mind, market activity is predicted to lull during the World Cup and just as the market is showing signs of momentum. This is something we could do with out in the current climate. Obviously, I hope England win the tournament, but it would be nice if the housing market rides on the wave of success too! That said, pundits are predicting an increase in activity of up to 8% after the World Cup has finished.

Finally, as market activity has been buoyant over the last few weeks, so has the underhand tactics of some of the corporate Estate Agency chains in the area. We hear first hand from customers who have been ‘told’ to use to the internal Mortgage Adviser (who may not offer whole of market products) or their mortgage offer will not be put forward to the vendors. This is a clear breach of the Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents. To review all the Rules and Code of Practice, visit www.naea.co.uk . They are an interesting read and certainly something you should review before entering the house buying process so you know your rights.