Frozen Britain

Report Headlines Rightmove: “Home-owner confidence sets the scene for higher prices in 2016.” NAEA: “Sales to first time buyers highest in six years.” RICS: “No easing in supply constraint.” Nationwide: “Slight softening in house price growth in November.” Home.co.uk: “Stock of property for sale hits new low.” Hometrack: “Prices accelerate in large regional cities.” Land Registry: “October data shows a monthly price increase of 0.4 per cent.” Kate says: “The property market used to be relatively easy to predict from a business perspective. Things were often quiet for the first few weeks of January then the rush began to the end of May, quiet-ish summers, a flurry of activity post summer holidays and a quietening down to Christmas. Not anymore! Since the credit crunch, from one month to the next, we are never quite sure what is going to happen. This difficulty in forecasting the short and long term future of the property market from an industry perspective is now exacerbated by one government housing announcement after another, many of which are being made at too short notice, causing mayhem in the market! The main game changer though, is that both George Osborne (Chancellor) and Mark Carney (Governor of the…