With house prices in decline now for a third consecutive month (as at 1st February 2008) and with some economists predicting further decline in the coming months one must ask the question whether home ownership is likely to be a good investment.
Although slowing growth often goes hand in hand with lower inflation, it seems that the latest surveys on consumer confidence indicate that inflation may be set to increase over the coming months. This makes the Monetary Policy Committee?s job of adjusting interest rates to balance the economy more tricky and many economists now seem uncertain as to whether rates are likely to fall as dramatically as previously predicted.
Lower interest rates which naturally ease borrowing criteria are an obvious benefit to all but none more so than the First Time Buyer. A very large percentage of house chains are closed thanks to the First Time Buyer and the market would suffer greatly should higher interest rates, tough borrowing criteria and uncertain house-price conditions prevail.
Despite this slightly gloomy outlook I have to say that I still feel home ownership is the way to go for the vast majority of people. Firstly, everybody needs a place to live and the only alternative to buying your home is to rent.
Although popular in some countries, I have personally never liked the idea of renting as a long-term proposition. When choosing a home to buy the location is as, if not more important than the property itself and the uncertainty with renting could mean that an ideally positioned home now is not available in 6 months time if the landlord chooses not to renew your agreement.
Secondly, the majority of UK citizens are falling short of making anything like adequate provision for their retirement. Even the small number of people paying their maximum contributions are likely to see dramatic reductions in income post retirement and who would want to continue to pay rent during these years when a mortgage could have been paid off already? Not I!
I often wonder whether pro-renting countries would have the same outlook if they were subjected to the appalling traffic conditions, ever-tightening school catchment areas and poor pension projections that we currently ?enjoy? in the UK.
Looking at the demographics, the number of people wanting to buy new homes is still exceeding the number of homes being built and this trend is likely to continue whilst land available for building remains in short supply. The laws of supply and demand should generally therefore ensure that prices remain buoyant in the medium to long term.
There are also ways of safeguarding yourself against the financial consequences of fluctuating market forces. Certainly a fixed rate mortgage can guarantee your payments for a chosen period of time and insurance can offer protection against the financial consequences of poor health or unemployment.
We all know that journalists create headlines which sell papers but its worth remembering that despite January being the 3rd month of consecutive decline is was only actually 0.1% (according to Nationwide Building Society) which is frankly a number almost too small to be hugely reliable and as a National statistic tells us nothing about individual areas. Lets also keep in mind that the annual rate of property-price growth is still 4.2% a figure which is well above the average price of inflation.
Article Tags: home, number, decline
|
Recommended kdl46xbr2 Items
Vantage Point AX2ACL01 B Articulating flat panel ceiling mount
 Its time to hang out with your new flat panel HDTV. Flat panels alone free up living room space, but in combination with a mounting system, your home theater area reaches a new level of spaciousness. With a ceiling mount design#32#151#32with a 360#176 range of rotation and 5#176 upward and 15#176 downward tilt#32#151#32 the AX2ACL01B saves you from having to reorganize your living room to fit your flat panel. Instead, you can adapt your flat panel to your home theater. The ability to support up to 100 lbs, flat panel sizes between 24 and 42, and VESA#174 100/200 compliance make this articulating ceiling mount a perfect match with your flat panel monitor.
Price: 129.95
Vantage Point UL02 B Tilt, pan, double extend flat panel wall mount
 A flat panel mounting system for all your spaces. The UL02B from Vantage Point delivers a design that allows you to customize your flat panels mount, whether in your home theater, the home office or gym or your RV. A double arm design with cable guides prevents the pinching of wires while giving you the ability to display your flat panel in a variety of locations#32#151#32on the wall or ceiling, under a cabinet or over a desk. A VESA#174 75-100 compatibility rating make the UL02B ideal for flat panels between 10 and 30 and under 30 pounds in weight.
Price: 149.95
Vantage Point AXWG03 B Three-shelf on-wall flat-panel HDTV component
 Designed with three vertically arranged glass shelves, each offering 230 sq in and 25 lbs of storage capacity, as well as a 160#176 range of rotation, the AXWG03B is the perfect complement to your wall-mounted flat-panel HDTV. Also, a hidden wire design keeps all of the unsightly wires running between your flat panel and AV components stylishly out of sight.
Price: 199.95
Denon ASD3W Wireless iPod network dock
 The Denon ASD3W is the perfect way to simplify your media collection. Rather than having some of you music on your computer, some of your music on your iPod, some of your music on CDs, and some of your music in your home theater system, keep it all connected. The ASD3W connects to a computer via either a Wi-Fi connection or an ethernet cable to transmit music from your computer to your home audio set-up, or it can charge Apple iPods while playing media from them. The ASD3N is the perfect to get your music (or even photos and videos) organized.
Price: 229.95
News about kdl46xbr2
All RSS Feeds »
Champions League
Apr 30 - AP MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United set up the first all-English final in the history of the European Champions League, beating Barcelona 1-0 ... (ESPN)
|
Josef Fritzl: the unanswered questions
Apr 30 - How could Josef's Fritzl's wife not have known? Police quickly ruled out the possibility that Rosemarie Fritzl had any knowledge of her husband's activities ... (guardian.co.uk)
|
Father of LSD Albert Hofmann dies at age of 102
Apr 30 - Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who discovered the mind-altering drug LSD seventy years ago, has died at his home at the age of 102. ... (Times Online)
|
|
|
Labels: pioneer pd f407 | 3mcrw156a | pdf407
Another Great kdl46xbr2 ArticleBuying A Home, A Sound Investment?
| |
Buying A Home, A Sound Investment? | | Submitted By: Paul Hunter | | | | |
|
With house prices in decline now for a third consecutive month (as at 1st February 2008) and with some economists predicting further decline in the coming months one must ask the question whether home ownership is likely to be a good investment.
Although slowing growth often goes hand in hand with lower inflation, it seems that the latest surveys on consumer confidence indicate that inflation may be set to increase over the coming months. This makes the Monetary Policy Committee?s job of adjusting interest rates to balance the economy more tricky and many economists now seem uncertain as to whether rates are likely to fall as dramatically as previously predicted.
Lower interest rates which naturally ease borrowing criteria are an obvious benefit to all but none more so than the First Time Buyer. A very large percentage of house chains are closed thanks to the First Time Buyer and the market would suffer greatly should higher interest rates, tough borrowing criteria and uncertain house-price conditions prevail.
Despite this slightly gloomy outlook I have to say that I still feel home ownership is the way to go for the vast majority of people. Firstly, everybody needs a place to live and the only alternative to buying your home is to rent.
Although popular in some countries, I have personally never liked the idea of renting as a long-term proposition. When choosing a home to buy the location is as, if not more important than the property itself and the uncertainty with renting could mean that an ideally positioned home now is not available in 6 months time if the landlord chooses not to renew your agreement.
Secondly, the majority of UK citizens are falling short of making anything like adequate provision for their retirement. Even the small number of people paying their maximum contributions are likely to see dramatic reductions in income post retirement and who would want to continue to pay rent during these years when a mortgage could have been paid off already? Not I!
I often wonder whether pro-renting countries would have the same outlook if they were subjected to the appalling traffic conditions, ever-tightening school catchment areas and poor pension projections that we currently ?enjoy? in the UK.
Looking at the demographics, the number of people wanting to buy new homes is still exceeding the number of homes being built and this trend is likely to continue whilst land available for building remains in short supply. The laws of supply and demand should generally therefore ensure that prices remain buoyant in the medium to long term.
There are also ways of safeguarding yourself against the financial consequences of fluctuating market forces. Certainly a fixed rate mortgage can guarantee your payments for a chosen period of time and insurance can offer protection against the financial consequences of poor health or unemployment.
We all know that journalists create headlines which sell papers but its worth remembering that despite January being the 3rd month of consecutive decline is was only actually 0.1% (according to Nationwide Building Society) which is frankly a number almost too small to be hugely reliable and as a National statistic tells us nothing about individual areas. Lets also keep in mind that the annual rate of property-price growth is still 4.2% a figure which is well above the average price of inflation.
Article Tags: home, number, decline
|
Recommended kdl46xbr2 Items
Vantage Point AX2ACL01 B Articulating flat panel ceiling mount
Its time to hang out with your new flat panel HDTV. Flat panels alone free up living room space, but in combination with a mounting system, your home theater area reaches a new level of spaciousness. With a ceiling mount design#32#151#32with a 360#176 range of rotation and 5#176 upward and 15#176 downward tilt#32#151#32 the AX2ACL01B saves you from having to reorganize your living room to fit your flat panel. Instead, you can adapt your flat panel to your home theater. The ability to support up to 100 lbs, flat panel sizes between 24 and 42, and VESA#174 100/200 compliance make this articulating ceiling mount a perfect match with your flat panel monitor.
Price: 129.95
Vantage Point UL02 B Tilt, pan, double extend flat panel wall mount
A flat panel mounting system for all your spaces. The UL02B from Vantage Point delivers a design that allows you to customize your flat panels mount, whether in your home theater, the home office or gym or your RV. A double arm design with cable guides prevents the pinching of wires while giving you the ability to display your flat panel in a variety of locations#32#151#32on the wall or ceiling, under a cabinet or over a desk. A VESA#174 75-100 compatibility rating make the UL02B ideal for flat panels between 10 and 30 and under 30 pounds in weight.
Price: 149.95
Vantage Point AXWG03 B Three-shelf on-wall flat-panel HDTV component
Designed with three vertically arranged glass shelves, each offering 230 sq in and 25 lbs of storage capacity, as well as a 160#176 range of rotation, the AXWG03B is the perfect complement to your wall-mounted flat-panel HDTV. Also, a hidden wire design keeps all of the unsightly wires running between your flat panel and AV components stylishly out of sight.
Price: 199.95
Denon ASD3W Wireless iPod network dock
The Denon ASD3W is the perfect way to simplify your media collection. Rather than having some of you music on your computer, some of your music on your iPod, some of your music on CDs, and some of your music in your home theater system, keep it all connected. The ASD3W connects to a computer via either a Wi-Fi connection or an ethernet cable to transmit music from your computer to your home audio set-up, or it can charge Apple iPods while playing media from them. The ASD3N is the perfect to get your music (or even photos and videos) organized.
Price: 229.95
News about kdl46xbr2
All RSS Feeds »
Champions League
Apr 30 - AP MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United set up the first all-English final in the history of the European Champions League, beating Barcelona 1-0 ... (ESPN)
|
Josef Fritzl: the unanswered questions
Apr 30 - How could Josef's Fritzl's wife not have known? Police quickly ruled out the possibility that Rosemarie Fritzl had any knowledge of her husband's activities ... (guardian.co.uk)
|
Father of LSD Albert Hofmann dies at age of 102
Apr 30 - Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who discovered the mind-altering drug LSD seventy years ago, has died at his home at the age of 102. ... (Times Online)
|
|
|
Labels: pioneer pd f407 | 3mcrw156a | pdf407
| | |
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home