General (main property discussion here) - Recent Charcol Survey - thoughts?

More than 3 million considering buying to let in next 12 months - encouraged by rising student population, first-time-buyers waiting longer, future pension-related tax breaks.

What do you landlords/letting agents think of this survey?

I hope not as the market cannot handle any more upward pressure on prices. Hopefully the market has recently stabilised suffiently over recent months! It doesn't need this.

Bob

That's one of the bulls' arguments, isn't it. "There's a fundamental lack of supply for housing in the UK. Less large families, more singles living on their own, more immigration..."

I think if you can pick an area with stable employment, sure there's high demand but fixed supply for houses where people want to live, but not at any price. Inflation is low. In order for yileds to increase, rents would have to increase, so incomes would have to increase, which I personally can't see capacity for.

Be interesting to see over next 6-12 months though.

I agree with Phil. This can not be healthy for the economy at large.

I just read the recently released Deutsche bank report and it is a great piece of research. Basically, soft landing but on the premise that growth in flat or negative in real terms over short to medium term. Picture will be bleak if there any further rises.

I agree with all of your comments so far but I also am not as negative as I was during the early 90s. Not sure but it does seem to feel very different. The ecomony is stronger and I also feel that perhaps property has been undervalued for the last few years due to the euphoria of the stock.

For these reasons I think the market will hold up just with lower growth.

This can only help the long-term capital appreciation players in the market.

Interestingly a number of economists are projecting higher than expected wage price growth over the next 12 months. This will also give the housing market a push. I have been unsure about the market recently but given the stabilisation of prices, low interest rates and rising wage growth things are looking positive. Gordon will be happy.

FS

I am thinking about creating an online poll on this forum to solicit people's views on what will happen to house prices over the next 12 to 24 months.

Watch this space!!

Julian