Bargains
According to organisers of the Property Investor Show, there are already signs of bargains emerging in the south-east region. According to the experts at the show, a rise in repossessions has meant more properties going under the hammer at auction for knock-down prices, up from 799 in the first half of 2005 to 3,102 in the first six months of this year, an increase of nearly 300 per cent.

The managing director of EI Group David Sandeman said: "Repossessions now make up over 20 per cent of the properties on sale at auction. Banks and lenders offering repossessed properties are often keen to secure a sale on the day and are less worried about achieving a high price. As a result these properties are selling extremely well compared to other lots, with investors bagging some excellent deals. New build flats are also selling at huge discounts."

Those looking to buy in this way might wish to concentrate on those counties just north and west of London, with 69 per cent of auctioned homes in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire selling on the day they were put up in May. This suggests quick sales - at low prices - are available in abundance in these locations.

The Investalist website lists all of these repossesions and is well worth subscribing as a Corporate Member to get the full details on the latest bargains.

www.investalist.co.uk

Spending
Received wisdom is that falling house prices spell disaster for the economy by diminishing both consumer wealth and consumer confidence. Because the potential for equity release decreases, so does our spending.

And yet… in a recent BBC survey, more than a thousand people were asked whether a property price drop of at least ten per cent would make any difference to their household spending. Eighty-eight per cent claimed it wouldn’t.

www.investalist.co.uk