http://www.theratandmouse.co.uk/weblog/ en-us 2008-05-12T08:28:38+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/crash_not_so_ba.html The BBC is trailing interesting research from its new series of The Truth About Property that suggests that not only are more people "crash-proof" than in the early 1990s (it would take a house price drop of 56% to... Property TV Ben 2008-05-12T08:28:38+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/property_sillin.html It's a blue and white beach hut near Southwold, and it's offers over £70,000. According to this, local agents are expecting something more like £80,000. According to the particulars it does come with some plastic chairs, windbreaks and a... For sale Ben 2008-05-09T12:19:12+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/repoman_busier.html Business is booming in the repo sector, with new figures showing that home repossession orders increased by a fifth in the first quarter of the year (compared to the same period in 2007). They're also up 9% on the... _Other Ben 2008-05-09T12:12:12+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/zoomf_gets_a_bo.html Property search engine Zoomf have announced a new feature they're calling "Boost". Aimed at estate agents, it borrows its MO from Google Adwords. Agents pay a set monthly amount to see a priority ad appear alongside relevant geographical search... Property online Ben 2008-05-09T08:56:07+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/a_little_extra.html Interesting, Australian, Web2.0 action from Streetfolio... a "simple property management" solution aimed at property investors and buy-to-let landlords. Plug in a few details of your portfolio... price paid for each property, current value, rental income, mortgage outgoing, and the... Property online Ben 2008-05-08T17:48:13+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/thursday_aftern_21.html Conservatives announce homebuying review [HotProperty.co.uk] Derivatives trader derives £1m discount on home [This Is Money] London rents up 20% in nine months [aboutproperty.co.uk] The Rat and Mouse - it's about your house Tuesday morning linkage - nest eggs in... Linkage Ben 2008-05-08T17:38:11+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/interest_rates_5.html At 5%. Few people expected back-to-back cuts; but there's a lot of talk of a cut to 4.75% next month. More here. Technorati Tags: property, real estate... _Other Ben 2008-05-08T12:17:43+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/1m_homes_hit_ha.html According to Hamptons estate agents, properties in the £1m region have been hit the hardest by the slump, with prices falling by as much as 15% since September 2007. Only the super-prime sector - propped up by overseas buyers... House prices Ben 2008-05-08T09:05:38+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/build_your_own.html Thanks to the Rat and Mouse reader who alerted me to the new flat-pack homes apparently available through Argos... although I can't find any sign of them in the online catalogue. According to this, in the Sun, they start... _Other Ben 2008-05-07T18:17:55+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/heading_for_the.html 2007 was the year the ‘lifestyle farmers’ bought more land than actual raised-on-the-dirt farmers. If you read the Sunday supplements you know the type, migrating London fops inspired by Blur’s Alex James to add a little country rosiness to... _Other Ben 2008-05-07T12:06:37+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/old_and_new_in.html The Independent gets a look inside an interesting Finchatton [warning, classical muzak] development in Eaton Square. It's a mixture of Victorian grandeur and very 21st Century glass-and-metal modernism... manifest in a giant rear extension and basement (housing cinema, swimming... SW1 Ben 2008-05-07T09:10:58+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/minimalist_and.html I am immediately conscious of my pink bag and purple skirt, which shout vulgarity in the harmony of grey, black and white. Only a hint of red is allowed in each room, in a cushion or a rug. The... Design Ben 2008-05-06T18:08:38+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/if_these_walls_12.html It's Highwood House in expensive Mill Hill, and it's significant because during the early 19th Century it was the home to Sir Stamford Raffles, the man who founded Singapore. That might not get you all excited, but it appears... For sale Ben 2008-05-06T12:05:12+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/tuesday_morning_22.html Mittal makes offer Hunt can refuse [Sunday Times] Nest eggs in danger [Daily Mail] Blairs buy Gielgud's former home [Telegraph] Elle Macpherson to quit London, expect to see house for sale soon [Sydney Morning Herald] How low could they... Linkage Ben 2008-05-06T11:54:32+00:00 http://www.theRatandMouse.co.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/four_thousand_e.html According to research by Debtwire, there were 13,000 estate agents offices in January and now there are only 12,000, with each office employing on average four agents. (If you think you've seen the missing 4,000 estate agents, please let... Estate agents Ben 2008-05-06T09:47:45+00:00