Latest COMMUNITY News and Information

Eurostar makes French market a Euro-star - (Community)
Eurostar's improved service is already having an impact on the French property market... ... more

Eurostar commuters fuelling French property market - (Community)
The improved Eurostar service has already fuelled increased interest in buying properties in France, reports HiFX... ... more

Government ramps up funding for home adaptations - (Community)
Communities Minister Baroness Andrews yesterday announced the increases in the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) as part of a package of measures designed at helping people live independently in their own homes for longer... ... more

Homeward bound - (Community)
Living close to our ?nearest and dearest' is becoming a top priority for house-hunters when searching for a new home, reveals Alliance & Leicester Mortgages' movingimproving index... ... more

Nearly 290000 empty homes in England - (Community)
New Halifax research shows that there were 288,763 empty private homes in England in April 2006... ... more

English Adventurers branching out - (Community)
Brits are becoming more adventurous when it comes to buying property a broad... ... more

Murcia vs. Aquitaine - (Community)
Despite competition from emerging markets, demand in Spain and France remains high... ... more

Boomers driving the US market - (Community)
US 'baby boomers' have a wide variety of future housing needs, according to a recent study... ... more

Brits escaping in record numbers - (Community)
The NAEA is advising homebuyers to think carefully when considering a move abroad... ... more

Romanias little Paris excites investors - (Community)
The bustling city of Bucharest continues to attract overseas investors... ... more

Second homes blighting Tuscany - (Community)
Pressure group Legambiente is renewing its call to restrict development in Tuscany... ... more

British tourists amongst worst in the world - (Community)
New research reveals extent of Brits' noisy habits and bad behaviour abroad... ... more

It takes two to get on the ladder... - (Community)
Today's generation of first time buyers realise that pooling funds is the most affordable way of getting on the housing ladder, reports Linden Homes... ... more

Mass confusion about retirement provision - (Community)
Less than half of people aged 50-66 know what their retirement income will be, reports Norwich Union... ... more

Call for new regulator to protect residents - (Community)
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has called for the role of a new regulator to ensure all residents in affordable housing are protected to the same degree... ... more

Property is no longer a mans world... - (Community)
New research by Bradford & Bingley has finally banished the stereotype that female property involvement only goes as far as choosing paint colours and soft furnishings... ... more

Rising rates dent mortgage take up - (Community)
The latest statistics from the Building Societies Association (BSA) show that mortgage lending was down in June, as consumer confidence in the housing market collapses... ... more

To swap or not to swap - (Community)
A recent survey by propertyfinder.com reveals how house swapping is on the rise... ... more

Romania will rule Europe - (Community)
Romania is set to be Europe's number one investment destination over the next 10 years... ... more

UK missing out on £2.7 billion of pensions cash - (Community)
UK pensioners are collectively throwing away £2.7 billion through not claiming pension credits and making unnecessary tax payments, reports Unbiased.co.uk... ... more

Average house prices to pass £300k by 2012 - (Community)
The average house price will rise by 40 per cent over the next five years to reach £302,400 ? according to new research published this week by social housing pressure group the National Housing Federation... ... more

Greening new build around the world - (Community)
With the world feeling the effects of climate change, developers around the world are becoming ever more aware of the need reduce their carbon emissions... ... more

SW home owners urged to sign up to flood defences - (Community)
The Environment Agency has renewed its appeal for people to sign-up to the free Flood Warnings Direct system... ... more

Investors eye thermal turkey - (Community)
The third most populous city in Turkey is attracting more and more investors... ... more

Time to invest in German property - (Community)
After over a decade of being left out in the cold, recent media reports would suggest that the German property market is now one of the hottest prospects on the investment block... ... more

Where can you double your money in 3-5 years - (Community)
Intrepid Investments are delighted to announce the launch of a brand new portfolio in Europe's most exciting property market... ... more

Tourists defiling the Dales - (Community)
The Yorkshire Dales Society estimates that visitors in cars are responsible for 38,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, reports the Yorkshire Post... ... more

Interest in New Zealand reaches boiling point - (Community)
Interest in New Zealand from visitors to TheMoveChannel.com has really hotted up over the last month, bringing the country up from a simmering 19th position to the boil in 8th place in the Top of the Props chart. But what's all this heat about? ... more

Healthy future for Cyprus - (Community)
Cyprus plans to improve the quality of life for visitors, reports Assetz Property... ... more

Time to tackle BANANA mentality - (Community)
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) fears that a recent developer merger is a worrying sign of land famine... ... more

Second homes ruining Tuscany - (Community)
Pressure group Legambiente is renewing its call to restrict development in Tuscany... ... more

The rise in gated community living in Sofia - (Community)
www.bulgariarevealed.com discuss the rise of the gated community in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia... ... more

Young look abroad to get on property ladder - (Community)
New figures reveal the emergence of BARBies (Buying Abroad, Renting in Britain)... ... more

Seaside towns neglected by government - (Community)
Government policy is failing communities in coastal towns, an influential body of MPs has warned... ... more

Eco-towns to get government funding - (Community)
The government is to fund planning costs for a number of eco-towns on brownfield land... ... more

NZ property prices double in a decade - (Community)
New Zealand's national residential property median price has exactly doubled in ten years, according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand's 2006 Annual Review... ... more

Green light for flat-pack housing estate - (Community)
Ikea gets planning permission for its first UK housing development... ... more

Thailand property market overview - (Community)
The Thai property market continues to thrive with sophisticated destinations like Phuket leading the way... ... more

Young investors choose Spain for home in the sun - (Community)
Younger families are flocking to buy second homes in Spain, reports SmartNewHomes.com... ... more

New website to predict house prices throughout US - (Community)
A new website which forecasts housing markets in all 50 U.S. states has been launched, providing forecasts for more than 250 local housing markets... ... more

France has the worlds highest quality of life - (Community)
A new international study has concluded that France has the world's highest quality of life... ... more

Has the Spanish coast had its day in the sun - (Community)
Brits and other overseas investors are moving away from the traditional Spanish coastal resorts and are looking to buy further inland, reports www.1casa.com... ... more

Pensioner ex-pats could be wasting £300 million - (Community)
British citizens living abroad could be wasting over £300 million a year when claiming their state pensions, HiFX has claimed... ... more

Interest in German property goes into overdrive - (Community)
Interest in Germany from visitors to TheMoveChannel.com went into overdrive in January, as it raced into the Top of the Props Top 10 for the first time... ... more

Rural homes warning - (Community)
A strange alliance of pressure bodies has warned that future generations will not be able to afford to buy homes in the countryside unless the government takes action... ... more

Little Hampshire town set for 8000 new homes - (Community)
A group of planners want to build thousands of homes on a site in north east Hampshire currently occupied by a military base... ... more

Festival fun in Phuket - (Community)
The tropical island of Phuket is probably the second most popular holiday destination in Thailand and it's not very hard to see why... ... more

Will Spain and Morocco get their own Chunnel - (Community)
The governments of Morocco and Spain are currently in talks about constructing an underwater tunnel to connect the two countries, reports Craig Whitlock of Washington Post Foreign Service... ... more

Third of over-50s planning to buy abroad - (Community)
A third of people aged over 50 are considering buying a holiday home abroad according to a report by over 50s specialists Saga... ... more

Good neighbours dominate UK communities - (Community)
A new survey reveals strong neighbour relations and a nation of proud homeowners... ... more

New tax policy to affect tourists to Italy - (Community)
Italy is planning to allow its towns to tax tourists up to EURO 5 ($6.30; £3.40) per day, reports Jet-to-Let Magazine... ... more

Air Malta seeks a new generation of travellers - (Community)
Air Malta has launched a new campaign to enliven the image of historic Malta, and to increase the number of young Australian visitors to the tiny Mediterranean nation, located just south of Sicily... ... more

Slovakian market to boom in 2007 - (Community)
Slovakia's property market is set to boom in 2007, according to a leading industry analyst... ... more

Golf in Portugal to get 50 million Euro investment - (Community)
Portuguese tourism officials have recently announced a 50 million investment in promoting golf throughout Portugal... ... more

High Asian housing costs criticized - (Community)
According to the Global Property Guide, exceptionally high tax, transaction and other costs discourage the provision of housing in Asia... ... more

Investors to benefit from Cape Verde tourism boom - (Community)
A new survey published by Expedia lists Cape Verde as a top 10 holiday hotspot for 2007... ... more

Bangkok property outlook dented by surprises - (Community)
The prospects for the Bangkok property market are not looking quite so rosy after several recent "surprises" including bombings in the capital on New Year's Eve and government proposals to tighten up the Foreign Business Act, Jones Lang LaSalle reports... ... more

Residents vote gas-guzzlers out - (Community)
The time has come, Lib Dems have said, to drive in other things... ... more

NAEAs top tips for people moving abroad - (Community)
The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) is offering advice to homebuyers to ensure that dream of moving abroad doesn't turn into a nightmare... ... more

Granada now most popular Spanish province - (Community)
Granada has beaten the traditional Spanish favourites of Alicante and Malaga into the top slot as most popular province with property investors in 2006, reports Kyero.com in their 2006 Spanish Property Review... ... more

Confidence high in Adelaide housing market - (Community)
A buoyant spring selling season and buyer confidence in the market has helped push Adelaide's median house price up to $290,000 in the December quarter, the Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA) has said... ... more

Interest in North African tourist hotspots soars - (Community)
Egypt and Morocco enjoyed a surge in interest from visitors to property website TheMoveChannel.com in December, as both countries stormed into the Top of the Props Top 10 for the first time... ... more

Plymouths Berlin Wall tumbles - (Community)
The first section of a three-metre high security wall that has divided Plymouth's Devonport community for over 50 years has been breeched opening a temporary vista through to Cornwall... ... more

Britons head for Bulgaria - (Community)
As Britain braces itself for the expected influx of Bulgarians following EU accession this month, a significant number from the UK are heading the other way, according to Quest Bulgaria... ... more

South Africa acts to limit coastal construction - (Community)
South Africa's government has recently passed a draft bill limiting property development and ownership in coastal areas which many are interpreting as a step to restrict foreign investment in these areas, reports www.fly-2let.co.uk... ... more

Africa has fastest tourism growth - (Community)
In 2006, Africa will be for the second consecutive year the fastest-growing region in international tourist arrivals, confirms the World Tourism Organization... ... more

4 hotspots to look out for in 2007 - (Community)
International property company escapes2.com are tipping Panama City, Jersey, Istanbul and Slovakia as hot prospects for 2007... ... more

Rental ROI in Cyprus is 6.3 survey reveals - (Community)
With Cyprus earmarked as one of the investment hotspots for 2007, leading ?for rent by owner' holiday home site, www.holiday-rentals.co.uk surveyed its owners in order to quantify the actual rental return on investment potential buyers can expect... ... more

Australian growth and inflation picking up - (Community)
The last 4 weeks in Australia have proved frustrating and fascinating. The cricket has been depressing but the chance to see most of East Coast Australia has been a revelation, writes Douglas McWilliams of the Centre for Economics and Business Research... ... more

Brits top for time off - (Community)
The Brits are no slouches when it comes to taking an extended break during the Christmas holiday season, a TripAdvisor survey has found... ... more

Nearly one in ten Brits live abroad - (Community)
More than 198,000 British nationals moved overseas last year, bringing the total number of Brits abroad to more than 5.5 million, according to new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research, published this week... ... more

Post offices vital to urban communities too - (Community)
The vital role played by post offices in deprived urban areas has been overlooked, according to research... ... more

Locals help developer towards national award - (Community)
Local enthusiasm for a new development in Devon helps a short-listing for prestigious national award... ... more

Liverpools Edge Lane project starts - (Community)
Demolition starts today on the Edge Lane West area of Liverpool paving the way for new homes and regeneration of the area... ... more

Call for government to fix rural PO threat - (Community)
One-stop rural access to life services are under threat, says a charity calling on the government to rescue rural post offices... ... more

Foreigners key for Spanish market - (Community)
According to www.spainrei.com, more than 13% of the homes sold in Spain within the first quarter of the year were acquired by non-Spaniards... ... more

London to get new parkland - (Community)
A new conservation park that will double the size of Hampstead Heath is to be created... ... more

Clampdown on Ayia Napa antics - (Community)
With Cypriot authorities clamping down on loud music and typical '18-30s' antics, Ayia Napa is fast becoming an upmarket holiday destination and a serious hotspot for property investors, says Assetz... ... more

Nude Britannia - (Community)
84% of Brits would buy a home next door to naturists, reports Propertyfinder.com... ... more

Pay-as-you-throw scheme proposed - (Community)
A report due to be published this autumn will recommend that local authorities are given powers to charge a ?pay-as-you-throw' fee for collecting un-recyclable rubbish... ... more

Thames Water withdraws drought order application - (Community)
Thames Water announced today that it has withdrawn its application to Defra for a Drought Order for London... ... more

Norwich gets UKs largest free wireless network - (Community)
Norfolk Open Link, the largest community wireless broadband network in the UK, went live in Norwich this month... ... more

Young families suffer property shortage - (Community)
An acute shortage of new family homes continues to blight young families, reports SmartNewHomes.com... ... more

Warning over bogus parcel scam - (Community)
Homeowners are being lured into a bogus parcel scam which could net the fraudsters involved thousands of pounds... ... more

Neighbour relations drop to new low - (Community)
?Sorry to bother you, but can I borrow a cup of sugar please?? Sadly this is seldom heard in the UK any more... ... more

Brits fail to realise foreign retirement dreams - (Community)
New research by engage Mutual Assurance shows that despite dreaming of foreign adventures, in reality, few pensioners ever fulfil their retirement aspirations... ... more

A To Z of Spanish property jargon - (Community)
As Britons look for their ideal home across the villages, towns and cities of Spain, ranging from Abalario to Zurgena, it is easy to get lost in Spanish 'home buying' words and phrases... ... more

Not only sufferers are using anti-noise website - (Community)
A new noise concern website has already had a massive hit rate, but it's not all been from sufferers... ... more

Queensland on brink of affordability crisis - (Community)
The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) has warned that the northern state of Queensland may be on the brink of a housing affordability crisis... ... more

Revival of traditional neighbourhood values - (Community)
The 21st century homebuyer seems to have embraced a homecoming of traditional neighbourhood values... ... more

How to buy a house with a single paperclip - (Community)
Sounds ludicrous, but this is what a 26-year-old Canadian has managed to do in just one year... ... more

Fear of yobs is Britains biggest fear by far - (Community)
Anti-social behaviour remains Britons' number one safety concern, according to new research by Legal & General... ... more

Retirees boost Spanish market - (Community)
One in five Britons and a third of Germans are considering retiring to Spain, according to a new survey by property consultants King Sturge... ... more

Dream home in nightmare location - (Community)
Looking forward to settling down in your dream property? You may need a modicum of neighbourly consideration first, suggests Halifax Estate Agents... ... more

Town crime figures could be misleading - (Community)
A huge variation between the safest and most dangerous urban areas has been masked by the way crime is recorded, argues a new report... ... more

Hands off sacrosanct property say elderly - (Community)
State care ?cliff edge' is unfair, say older people who have worked hard all and saved all their life to build a legacy for their family... ... more

Parking toolkit offers better communities - (Community)
Well-designed car parking can help create safer and better communities, according to a new guidance document... ... more

Will ETA ceasefire boost Basque property - (Community)
Last month saw ETA declare a permanent ceasefire. Does this herald a property boom for the region?... ... more

What would your community do with 10000 - (Community)
The grant available from the Lottery's Award for All scheme has been bumped up to £10,000. What could you do for your community with money like that? ... more

Taking a stand against crime gains recognition - (Community)
Residents are recognised for standing up for respect. Following a nationwide competition the gold awards are announced... ... more

Mixed developments dont hurt prices - (Community)
Housing developments which contain a mixture of private and council housing as well as households with differing income levels do not have a negative impact on property values or marketability, according to new research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)... ... more

15m for Gateway transport and homes - (Community)
Residents of the Thames Gateway are set to benefit from a funding boost of around £15 million for transport to support new homes, announced yesterday by Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman and Minister for Housing and Planning Yvette Cooper... ... more

Southend-on-sea top for retirement - (Community)
Southend-on-Sea came out as the best UK retirement destination in research commissioned by Yours magazine... ... more

Cardiff airport plans 100m expansion - (Community)
In response to a UK government White Paper on air transport, Cardiff International Airport have unveiled a 24-year expansion strategy costing £100m, reports the BBC... ... more

Malta real estate increase highest in EU - (Community)
The Mediterranean island of Malta has recorded the strongest growth in property prices from countries in the European Union, and recent news could help see property inflation in double figures for the next few years... ... more

Detached properties hit by inheritance tax - (Community)
More detached property owners are potentially liable to pay inheritance tax (IHT) than five years ago with one in three (29%) detached property sales in the UK above the 2006/07 IHT threshold of £285,000, Halifax have warned... ... more

4.5pc council tax rise to hit pensioners - (Community)
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) announced yesterday that the average council tax paid by Band D properties will rise by 4.5% over the 2006-07 financial year, sparking criticism from pensioners groups angered by the above-inflation increases... ... more

Less waste being sent to landfill - (Community)
The amount of municipal waste being sent to landfill has been cut by a million tonnes during 2004/05, new provisional national statistics from WasteDataFlow indicate... ... more