Britain’s biggest building society turns screws on mortgages

Britain’s biggest building society Nationwide has tightened up on its lending criteria – with a clampdown on loan to income multiples that appears to go considerably further than Bank of England guidelines.

It has also tightened its stress testing, as warnings mount on impending rises in interest rates.

As of yesterday, it capped all of its new lending to 4.75 times income. It had previously applied caps on individual cases but the new ceiling is to be applied across the board.

The Bank … Continue Reading…

The importance of kerb appeal

From the moment they arrive at a property, a potential buyer is asking themselves, ‘Could I live here?’ When it comes to buying a house, judging a book by its cover is a phrase that all sellers should be mindful of. Don’t lose the sale before the viewing has even begun!

In a recent survey by estate agent network, Relocation Agent Network, 98% of respondents (including us), recommend that sellers ensure outside areas are well presented. From painting the front door … Continue Reading…

Calling All Landlords!

According to a recent estate agency survey, now is a good time to be a landlord. Conducted by Relocation Agent Network, of which we are a member, not only is it a strong buy to let market, but re-sale values have also increased in the last three years.

Relocation Agent Network, the national network of independent estate agents asked its members whether the re-sale value of a typical two bed investment property has increased or decreased in the last three years. … Continue Reading…

Richard James Celebrates Relocation Agent Network’s 20th Anniversary

Richard James Estate Agents is helping Relocation Agent Network celebrate its 20th Anniversary this year. We are East Northants member of Relocation Agent Network, a national network of independent estate agents across England, Scotland and Wales.

When Relocation Agent Network began in 1994, the property market was in a very different place. According to Nationwide Building Society, property values have risen by over 230% in the last 20 years, so a house that cost £70,000 back then would be worth over … Continue Reading…

Chris Wise becomes first Relocation Agent Specialist in Central England

Heather Smith of Relocation Agent Network presents Chris Wise with his certificate after becoming an accredited Relocation Agent Specialist, the first in the Central region of the country.

The accreditation was awarded by Relocation Agent Network and is achieved by completing a comprehensive online training programme, The Importance of Service.

A national network of independent estate agents (of which Richard Jamees is a member), Relocation Agent Network introduced the training programme to ensure each of their members provides the very … Continue Reading…

A New Year’s resolution that may add value to your property

With New Year’s resolutions in full swing (or falling completely by the wayside in my case), we take a look at the most popular house-related New Year’s resolution and its potential impact on the value of a property…home improvement.
From putting up that shelf in the bedroom to giving the kitchen a lick of paint, these jobs are all completed with the end goal of making your home look and feel nicer to live in. But when it comes to selling, … Continue Reading…

The Early Bird Catches the Buyer

Many potential sellers wait until well into the New Year to enter the property market, thinking that few people are considering buying or selling a house in the first few weeks of January. But with many property websites reporting an increase in page views during the Christmas period, we recommend that potential sellers enter the market as soon as possible.
Indeed a recent survey amongst Relocation Agent Network estate agents (including us!) found that nearly all respondents (97%) recommend that sellers … Continue Reading…

Richard James Selected as Wellingborough & Irthlingborough’s Local Expert

We recently joined Relocation Agent Network to mark its 20th National Conference and celebrated our status as East Northants Local Expert.

We met fellow Relocation Agent Network members from across England Scotland and Wales for the National Conference at London’s Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel on Friday 15 November.

Celebrating its 20th National Conference, the Relocation Agent Network event culminated in a glittering black tie Awards Dinner and ceremony, which was endorsed by leading UK relocation HR magazine Re:locate. The sold out evening event … Continue Reading…

Richard James named BEST Agent in the central region by the Relocation Agent Network! (3rd Year in a row!)

We are delighted to announce we have won Relocation Agent Network’s prestigious 2013 Best Agent Central Regional Award at the Network’s 20th Annual Conference, held at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel, London on Friday 15 November.

The annual prize gives the winning Network member the title of ‘Best Agent in the Central Region’ and is awarded on a number of criteria measuring the agent’s overall contribution to Relocation Agent Network, their ability to achieve customer satisfaction, a strong market share locally and … Continue Reading…