Latest mortgage rates

A selection of the current leading mortgage rates

Residential
Trackers          from 2.45%           APR 4%
2 year Fixed     from 2.79%           APR 5.4%
5 year Fixed     from 3.69%           APR 4.5%

Buy to Let
Trackers          from 2.94%           APR 5.3%
2 year Fixed     from 3.39%           APR 4.4%

For further information contact 0800 389 9986.

Latest investment properties

For a complete list of properties that maybe suitable for investment purposes click here

What's on in Essex

Here are a selection of upcoming events that are happening throughout the County over the next couple of weeks.

Half Term Horrors
Royal Gunpowder Mills, Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey
Saturday 11th February 2012 – Sunday 19th February 2012
Open every day during the February half term week with ‘Half Term Horrors’. In addition to the usual exhibits and attractions, Professor Nitrate will be exploring some of the yuckier experiments from the history of science in his Mad Lab. Plus, children’s activities, face painting and much more.

Spring Bulbs and Lambing
Kentwell Hall
Saturday 11th February 2012 – Sunday 19th February 2012
Kentwell’s Gardens & Farm (but not the House) are Open for Spring Bulbs (Snowdrops & Aconites followed by Daffodils & Narcissi). Lambing should commence in mid-March and you will be able to visit expectant ewes and nursing ewes and lambs and maybe even see a lamb being born!

Medieval Medicine and Surgery
Colchester Castle Museum
Monday 13th February 2012 – Friday 17th 2012
Find out what it was like to visit a doctor in medieval times. Hear about the many treatments for illnesses and injuries from amputation, drilling and blood-letting to a course of leeches! You can drop by and help mix plague cures using herbs, or if you’re feeling brave you can watch the surgeon in action. WARNING – the performances are not for the faint-hearted!

Busy Birds Week
Marsh Farm Country Park
Monday 13th February 2012 – Friday 17th 2012, 10:00 am.
“Tweet yourself! Come to the farm this February half term and get busy with our bird activities. Make a bird feeder or bird box from recycled materials, make a bird bath for your garden in the craft room, bird bingo challenge, help to make bird bunting to decorate the farm and look out for the birds that live in the country park from the tractor and trailer. You can also book on the day to make a wooden bird box (age restriction and additional charge applies).

Everything but the Squeak Week! Audley End House and Gardens
Wednesday 15th February 2012 – Sunday 19th February 2012, 11:00am – 4:00pm
This half term come to Audley End and watch Mrs Crocombe – Audley End’s resident cook – prepare a whole host of traditional Victorian pork recipes as she includes everything but the squeak in her unusual recipes!”

Heart FM Wedding Fayre
Brentwood Centre
Saturday 18th February 2012 – Sunday 19th February 2012
In 2011, around 5,000 people attended the show, travelling from London, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex to do so.

Brentwood Farmers Market
Brentwood High St/Baytree Shopping Centre
Saturday 18th February 2012, 9:00am – 4:00pm

Hike Essex : Beginners’ Walk
Kelvedon
Sunday 19th February 2012, 2:00pm
A 4m circular walk from the historic town of Kelvedon, taking in the River Blackwater.

Lambing Nightwatch
Marsh Farm Country Park
Saturday 25th February 2012, 8:00pm-10:00pm.
Be lucky enough to join the shepherd for this rare opportunity to help out in the lambing shed at night. Get close to the sheep and lambs, help bottle feed orphan lambs and learn how to look for the signs of a ewe lambing. Refreshments will be provided. Tickets will be available on a first come first served basis.

History’s Hard Times
Colchester Castle Museum
Saturday 25th February 2012
Journey through time and meet some unhappy characters from the past and hear their stories. Meet characters that include a witch, plague victim, Celt and an air raid warden. You may even bump into the gaoler, watch out…he may invite you to stay for a while!

Brentwood Spring Craft & Gift Show 2012
Brentwood Centre, Doddinghurst Road, Brentwood
Saturday 25th February 2012 – Sunday 26th February 2012
Returning after 11 successful years, The Brentwood Spring Craft & Gift Show will be packed full of amazing items for you to purchase. With so many products on offer and fantastic special show offers, there really is something for everyone. Over 150 stands all under one roof!

Farmers Market
Barleylands
Saturday 25th February 2012, 08:30am – 12:30pm
Enjoy a morning out wandering round and picking up delicious food for the weekend from our undercover Farmers’ Market. This is a great opportunity for you to buy all of your fresh, local produce from farmers and growers. Every second and last Saturday of the month, throughout the year from 8.30am to 12.30pm. Free entry and Free Car Park. Arrive early to avoid disappointment!”

Hike Essex : Langdon Hills Country Park
Basildon
Sunday 26 February 2012, 11am
“A wander through the woodlands of Langdon hills country park and the surrounding area. Lots of variety makes this an old firm favourite with views across the Thames into Kent and views into London. Come prepared for a bit of exercise as for Essex it is deceptively up and down. Bring a packed lunch; there will be a pub at the end.

Courtesy of www.essexdaysout.com

Consumer confidence in housing market

The 14th quarterly Property Tracker survey from the Building Societies Association shows that consumer confidence in the housing market remains remarkably stable, despite the general outlook for the economy.

Consumer sentiment is a key indicator of future activity in the property market and provides an early snapshot of potential activity in 2012.

A cross section of 2,069 adults across England, Wales and Scotland were asked for their views and intentions about home purchase in early December by YouGov plc.

44% of respondents felt that now was a good time to buy compared to 25% who did not. This is a slight improvement on March 2011 when 41% were positive about buying in the current market and 29% were negative.

Overall, 12% (about one in eight) of respondents intend to buy next year which shows consumers views on the housing market remain remarkably solid.

For further information contact your local Beresfords office, details of which can be found by clicking here.

Sell or let your property with 0% VAT!*

Beresfords are offering clients the opportunity to sell or let their property without having to pay VAT for newly signed instructions up until the 29th February 2012.

Following on from the huge success of last year’s promotion, Beresfords will once again cover the cost of the VAT.

Paul Beresford, Chairman/Managing Director of Beresfords, commented: “The housing market remained resilient throughout 2011, despite a difficult economy overall, and we are therefore looking at initiatives to help support the market and clients as we enter a New Year.

Our 0% VAT campaign proved very popular at the start of 2011 as it enabled us to market more properties on behalf of clients and gave purchases and tenants a wider choice of potential new homes. We therefore had no hesitation in bringing the promotion back.

For further information contact your local Beresfords office, details of which can be found by clicking here.

*Terms and conditions apply

Cherry Tree Park in Billericay now launched!

Cherry Tree Park is a brand new community in one of the most popular parts of Essex, Billericay. Comprising of 2 – 5 bedroom homes with a refreshing variety of styles from terrace to detached, all with Banner Homes signature attention to detail, building excellence and quality of specification.

This desirable address in Billericay will bring to the market:

• Two bedroom end and mid terrace houses
• Three bedroom end and mid terrace homes
• Four bedroom detached, link detached, semi-detached and mid terrace houses
• Five bedroom detached homes

Prices from £270,000

For further information contact the Beresfords Billericay office on 01277 626262.

1 in 5 landlords bought additional rental property in 2011

The latest Young Index report of Private Rented Sector (PRS) shows that 19.1% of landlords added additional residential property assets to their portfolios during 2011.

This activity was driven by strong positive expectations for both capital growth and income returns for the year ahead.

Undoubtedly, current low costs of finance represent an incentive but landlords clearly see the PRS as a long term investment option. Data from Young Index Q4 2011 show that 36.9% of landlords intend to hold their property under 2031. The average future hold period across all respondents was 15.4 years.

Without a doubt the appetite from private investors for additional investments is extremely strong.

Headline statistics are:
• 97.8% of all landlords intend to hold their property for the next 12 months
• 58.7% intend to hold their property assets for the next 10 years or more
• 36.9% intend to hold their property assets for the next 20 years or more
• 19.2% of active PRS investors added additional assets to their portfolios during 2011

If you are considering investing in property, or would like to further expand your property portfolio, contact Beresfords dedicated Property Investment Division on 01245 397497 or email investment-team@beresfordsgroup.co.uk