Paula Higgins
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Latest property news
Estate agents ‘failing to give flat buyers basic material information’
Paula Higgins of the HomeOwners Alliance tells MPs potential buyers are often not told whether a flat is leasehold or freehold.
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Features
Scrap stamp duty!
HomeOwners Alliance calls on the Government to scrap Stamp Duty… or give a 12-month Stamp Duty holiday to kick start home sales, says CEO Paula Higgins.
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Latest property news
Property particulars should include prominent fraud warnings, says leading finance firm
ABC Finance says the Land Registry's programme of digitising its property titles and processes has opened the doors to rising property fraud attempts.
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Latest property news
Moving on! 6,500 moves expected on Friday 30th August
Research by The Homeowners Alliance based on figures from the Government's English Housing Survey, say it is this year’s most popular day to move.
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Latest property news
The Homeowners Alliance now blames builders for the state of peoples’ homes!
The Homeowners Alliance frequently castigates estate agents for their repeated failures to please homeowners and movers… now it’s all the builders’ fault! Which makes a change, at least. Homeowners, according to the new research, do not make improvements to their homes because of the costs; because of having to pay VAT and because good builders are hard to find… and when they do find one, homeowners then break the law by paying in cash. Almost half of homeowners (42%) hit a brick wall finding a builder (pardon the pun). A third (31%) pay cash to avoid VAT to afford home improvements (criminal). 8 in 10 (79%) homeowners have faced obstacles with their home improvement plans – levels highest in London at 87% Difficulty finding a reliable builder is top obstacle – approximately 7.2 million homeowners (42%) affected VAT costs are deterring almost a quarter (23%) – roughly 4 million homeowners – a much bigger issue than Brexit (15%) A third (31%) – approximately 5.3 million homeowners confess to paying cash to avoid VAT costs on home improvements ‘SHOCKING’ DELAYS The Homeowners Alliance also says that Planners are to blame. “… planning permission is stopping or delaying 27% of homeowners from…
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Latest property news
Eleven million households ‘stuck’ outside or on property ladder, claims lobbying group
Over 11 million households in the UK cannot progress either into home ownership or up the property ladder for a variety of reasons, according to lobbying group Home Owners Alliance. Its latest research among 2,000 adults suggests that 7.5 million renters are stuck at the start of the property ladder while three million potential second-steppers can’t move and a million retirees can’t downsize. The organisation claims this proves the housing market is “broken at every level”. This is down to higher Stamp Duty, high house prices and a lack of properties available to buy. The detail of the research reveals that 74% of those who rent want to own a home but can’t because either properties are too expensive, they are struggling to save a deposit or can’t get an affordable mortgage. Second steppers Also, second steppers are struggling to move up the property ladder because bigger homes are too expensive and the Stamp Duty bill too high, while retirees can’t find suitable properties to buy that offer the ideal size and amenities they want. Home Owners Alliance’s figures highlight the huge opportunity for the government and the property industry if only homes could be made more affordable, one that…
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Latest property news
‘Estate agents are putting too many buyers and sellers under pressure to buy in-house services’
Estate agents are pressuring too many buyers and sellers into using their in-house services to source mortgages, conveyancing, surveys, insurance and EPCs, it is claimed. Campaigning organisation the HomeOwners Alliance surveyed 2,000 buyers and sellers and found that 55% had felt under pressure to buy a mortgage through the estate agent handling the sale, while 49% felt obliged to buy conveyancing services through them. The figure for surveys was slight better at 41% of buyers and sellers, life insurance at 28%, EPC certificates at 17% and home insurance at 12%. The Homeowners Alliance also says their research shows 25% of all sellers and buyers felt under pressure to use an agent’s in-house services of one kind or another, which the organisation claims indicates some 300,000 people every year, based in industry figures. “It’s not good if buyers and sellers feel under pressure to use an estate agent’s services because they are led to believe doing so will put them in a better position for securing their dream home or get them a preferential treatment by the estate agent,” says its Chief Executive Paula Higgins (pictured, left). “They should be encouraged to shop around to find the best deal.” “Any estate…
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Features
The Negotiator Conference & Expo 17
It was the biggest agency networking day of the year, attended by over 500 property professionals, Iain Duncan Smith and hosted by Radio 4’s Justin Webb.
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Latest property news
Prime price discounts widening, says Home Owners Alliance
The extent of the pain being endured at the top of the sales market has been revealed by research from the Home Owners Alliance (HOA). Properties are being sold for up to 14.5% less than their asking price in the prime market within England and Wales, the research suggests. Using its estateagent4me estate agent comparison tool, which tracks agents’ achieved prices versus asking prices, HOA says homes in the prime £2 million-plus price bracket are being sold for £296,000 or 14.5% less than their asking price. “There are significant reductions at the top end of the market,” says HOA Chief Executive Paula Higgins (pictured, left). Also, homes for sale in the £1.75 million to £2 million bracket are being sold at an average discount of £225,000, she says, while homes for sale between £1.5 million and £1.75 million are being sold at a £142,219 discount on average. Properties with an asking price of £1.25 million and £1.5 million are agreeing final offers for £92, 970 less, the research shows. HOA’s estateagent4me tool, which is available on its website, was built by Oxfordshire-based tech firm United Legal Services (ULS) which also has a stake in HOA. Home Owners Alliance Although used…
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Features
Is this what makes a good agent?
People dislike estate agents, says Paula Higgins, CEO, Homeowners Alliance, but come on, let’s talk about how that could change!
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