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Douglas & Gordon’s February 2010 Market Report

March 11th, 2010 by Ivor Dickinson

Residential Sales

For the second month running, the amount of property available for sale is steadily growing.  It is still less than this time last year, but only by 7%.  The number of new properties coming to the market is also healthy – not as many as in January, but still 40% more than February 2009 and likewise valuations are up 32% for the same period. 

There is still a strong desire to invest in London property with sales applicants remaining at the same high level as January and the number of sales agreed higher than in any of the previous 12 months and 38% more than February 2009.

Money for old rope…my a**e.

February 24th, 2010 by Ed Mead

Most know me as a straight talking agent so it’s difficult to keep my mouth shut when there’s so much utter rubbish being bandied about by supposed “property experts” about how estate agents are all bloody useless and that their fees are money for old rope. 

Blind spot…..

February 10th, 2010 by Ed Mead

Blind spot….. 

This has little to do with property really but driving around all day everyday my eyes have been opened to the perils of something that’s meant to actually help us drive around all day. 

I’d like to talk, if I may, about the unbelievable and clod hoppish phenomenon that is the screen mounted sat nav. Rather like mobile phones the penetration of these ubiquitous gizmos must now be close to 100% and you’ll see them in cars from Park Lane to Peterhead. 

The politics of house prices

February 5th, 2010 by Ed Mead

If I have one more person asking, with genuine interest in the answer for a change, what’s happening in the property market I’ll have to buy an even bigger megaphone and simply tell them that I’ve no idea. Whether we’re talking objective or subjective stats, expert or amateur opinion, boardroom or pub chat or as importantly, London or Country, North or South East or West we’re all just waffling. 

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

January 21st, 2010 by Ivor Dickinson

” The 500% increase in costs for the TenancyDepositScheme are exorbitant, monstrous and hardly in keeping with the biggest global recession in living memory!

Something must be done. I know the reason they have gone up, because a large majority of agents, particularly those new to lettings and with no experience of settling end of tenancy claims are now just forwarding every claim they have to the TDS and funnily enough TDS can`t cope. Maybe they should have thought about this when they launched the scheme! (why is everyone so incompetent, it beggars belief).

Buy yourself a pay as you go mobile when dealing with some agents.

January 19th, 2010 by Ed Mead

It depends of course which estate agent you’re talking about but the US style hard sell is here to stay and it takes various forms and involves differing levels of commitment from those paid to do the selling. 

Looking ahead

January 13th, 2010 by Ed Mead

There’s a lot being written about the year ahead and never have there been so many unknowns. Reading many opinions it’s easy to see whether their authors are vested in the property market as buyers or sellers and estate agents are always prone to talk the market up. Anyone who knows me and D&G will hopefully know that we will at least say it as we see it. Given that we have a 15% share of the market across our not inconsiderable area (not just central London) that also means that our opinion, if you chose to read it, should carry at least some weight.

Misdescriptions all the rage…..apparently.

January 7th, 2010 by Ed Mead

It struck me last night crashed out in front of the TV that there’s an awful lot of misdescription going on in the adverts we’re all forced to watch. It’s beginning to get seriously annoying, and I’m sure you feel the same, seeing actress after TV presenter after reality “star” all claiming some potion or contraption keeps their skin looking young and that we’re all worth it. As a Court decided in 08 a certain brand was misleading, and they weren’t the only one. What makes these ads all the more difficult to watch is the obvious point that most of those you see with lovely hair skin or lashes seem to be either wearing false extensions or owe their new found lack or wrinkles to a plastic surgeon. There are times when it’s so obvious you almost feel it must be a p*** take.
Now if millions are forced to watch this claptrap it seems a bit silly to allow the pastiche that is property descriptions to be legislated out of existence by a few jobsworths. These people don’t seem to realize that most property descriptions are treated with the same seriousness as the audience treats widow twanky not seeing the obvious baddy behind her. It’s pantomime stupid, always has been and always will be.
In 30 years of doing this I’ve never once had a complaint about a description from a buyer, but sellers now complain all the time because existing rules allow almost no artistic license or indeed scant regard for any form of flattering prose at all.
No doubt there’s some QANGO somewhere that continues to meet and decide that we can’t be let off the leash and as long as estate agents are threatened with a criminal record (!) for being a bit adventurous another potentially vaguely interesting part of our heritage will fall victim to the pathetic creep of political correctness.

A little about the Chancellor’s credentials

December 9th, 2009 by Ed Mead

There’s going to be a lot of waffle about the pre budget statement, but what amazes me is the credentials of the person who’s delivered it.

Alastair Darling’s university career was alarmingly close to my own in chronological terms which, I suppose, makes me feel even more qualified to comment.

Look it up, he was a solicitor for four years before becoming a public servant. I’m not decrying those who wish to serve, yet there seems to be a lowest common denominator amongst politicians that’s simply not found in the true altruist.

A return to good sense……

November 30th, 2009 by Ed Mead

My last blog was reminding us how quickly things can change and here we are barely a week later and Dubai is in the poo and those very banks you and I bailed out have now decided there is going to be a double dip and have raised medium term fixed rates accordingly. There’s obviously more going on than meets the eye in Dubai with Abu Dhabi perhaps witholding support until Dubai hands over State backed assets like Emirates that they’ve been coveting. But it’s a wobble none the less with consequences that no one has yet worked out. In the last year or two many rushed to open HSBC accounts thinking they were safe and now suddenly they’re talked of as taking a massive hit. Don’t you just love the rumour mill.

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