House prices on the up - though owners need to 'accept reality'

We've come across a few interesting stories on house prices this week which we thought we'd share.

In Scotland, property owners looking to sell have had to settle for less than their asking price, although Lindsays Solicitors have noticed an increase in closing dates, suggesting more properties are being sold. So whilst prices may not yet be back to what they used to be, it looks like there is more activity in the property market, particularly in the city's most popular areas.

It's a different story south of the border. Here, the slowdown of property sales has now created a shortage of properties on the market, leading to increased house prices.

Whilst Edinburgh isn't currently showing any such trend, there has certainly always been competition for properties that are well placed and - especially for investors - bound to generate great yields. Contact the team for more information

Competitive BTL rates buoy up mortgage market

Buy-to-let mortgage rates are being credited with buoying up the UK mortgage market: whilst residential rates are climbing, BTL finance remains competitive. At the same time, there are news of property prices rising slightly in Edinburgh. If you are considering investing in the city, now would be a great time to start looking for suitable property. Contact the team with any questions!

Which way for house prices?

It seems house prices are able to create two trends at the same time and even mortgage providers are somewhat perplexed as this story based on the Nationwide's information shows. Let's see if May will produce a clearer trend!

Buy-to-let gaining in popularity

The last few days have seen quite a number of stories related to lettings and buy-to-let finance being published. Some of those are especially interesting to those considering property investments in Edinburgh: while the Association of Residential Letting Agents reports a decline in demand for rental property, we’ve seen evidence that the opposite is the case and are still enjoying over 99% occupancy rates throughout the year.

Mortgage providers are starting to see an increase in buy-to-let investments, suggesting that overall confidence is growing. Where Edinburgh is concerned, we have seen the city continuously outperform UK averages where rental yields are concerned. The city’s secret? Its universities are attracting larger numbers of students each year, but as always with property it’s choosing the right flat in the right location to ensure maximum returns.