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Opinion Pieces

Opinion Pieces (13)

Thursday, 10 January 2013 15:09

Are We Once Again Becoming a Nation of Shop Keepers? The Demise of the Large High Street Retailer Need Not Spell the End for High Street Businesses

Written by Robert Carroll

It was sad but not entirely surprising to see that Jessops had gone into administration yesterday, the latest in a long line of major retailers to have gone out of business. These are businesses that have found it impossible to compete with the internet-only companies who sell the same services and products. So, for industries that are competing with internet-only businesses, is this the end of the High Street retailer as the Press tend to dub these things? No, in my opinion! In fact, I think the High Street will thrive again, but probably in a very different format from how it has evolved in the past few years.

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Friday, 21 December 2012 15:20

Predictions for the Housing Market in Scotland in 2013

Written by Robert Carroll

We are very optimistic about the housing market in Edinburgh and the Lothians in 2013. Whilst property prices certainly haven't been flying upwards, they have remained stable through 2012.  So what's the outlook and why do we feel this way?

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Wednesday, 25 January 2012 00:33

Is the Perceived Wisdom About Selling a Property in the Spring Indeed Wisdom or is it Folly?

Written by Robert Carroll

Let me say, first of all, that my opinion on this is based on what I have seen happening in the property market over several years. Let me also say that, whether you want to put your property on the market now or in Spring, if it is well marketed and correctly priced, it will sell. The question here is not whether, if you put your property on the market in January rather than April, or vice versa, you have made a mistake. The question is rather: if you would be happy to consider putting your property on the market sooner than Spring, is this going to be a bad decision?

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Wednesday, 23 November 2011 16:02

Why Use MOV8 Real Estate to Sell Your Property? Check Out Our Funky New Video!

Written by Robert Carroll

Here's the funky new video, giving just a few reasons why, if you're thinking of selling your property in Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Lothian, Midlothian or the Scottish Borders you should give MOV8 Real Estate, Estate Agents and Solicitors, a call first!

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Wednesday, 23 November 2011 15:56

Three Year Anniversary of Home Reports in Scotland: Have They Been a Success or Failure?

Written by Robert Carroll

homereport

It's nearly three years now since the introduction of Home Reports in Scotland. The general consensus in the property and estate agency industry is that they have been bad news. So it might surprise you to know that, as someone who runs a firm of estate agents, I actually think that the Home Reports have been good for the Scottish property market. Why?

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Friday, 28 October 2011 13:22

Graph of UK Property Market Supply and Demand Since 2004: Very Surprising, and Positive

Written by Robert Carroll

I found a fascinating graph today on Twitter, created and posted by Henry Pryor, one of the UK's most well-known property market commentators (@HenryPryor).  The graph tracks the levels of supply and demand for property since 2004.  It basically seems to show that (a) you are just a likely to sell your property now as you were during some of the 'boom' times, and (b) levels of buyer interest in buying property are pretty consistent throughout the year, even through the winter months when many sellers are thinking that it's best to wait till spring to try and sell.  First the graph, then the comment...!

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Saturday, 08 October 2011 11:55

Do High Up Front Costs Put You Off Selling Your Property in Scotland? For Example Home Reports and Advertising?

Written by Robert Carroll

I'm trying to guage the fellings of potential property sellers in Scotland towards the level of up-front costs that they have to bear if they want to put their property on the market. In particular, is it putting people off selling?

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Wednesday, 05 October 2011 13:54

Predictions for the Property Market in Scotland for the Next Year or Two. Will Property Prices Fall, Will There Be More Buyers, Are Attitudes to Home Ownership Changing, and the Like...

Written by Robert Carroll

I was asked recently to provide some predictions for a national newspaper about where the property market was heading for the next couple of years.  The questions got me thinking in some detail about these issues and I ended up writing a lot more than I actually sent back to the paper: certainly more than they needed!  However, for anyone who's interested, this is what I saw when I looked into my crystal ball...

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Tuesday, 04 October 2011 13:11

Why Property Price Statistics Don't Tell Us the Full Story About the Property Crash AND Is the Auction Price an Accurate Reflection of What is Happening in the Property Market? Reaction to Moneyweek Blog Article.

Written by Robert Carroll

I was prompted to write this article by an article that I read in Moneyweek's Blog the other day:

http://www.moneyweek.com/blog/is-buying-property-cheaper-than-renting-dont-be-so-sure-55628

It was based on an example of a property that has 'fallen in value' by 37%. That property was sold at auction. The article then went on to outline that the property price at auction is a fair reflection of the state of the market than statistics based on the actual sales that are recorded on the basis that the actual sales recorded are the best examples of properties on the market.

There is a LOT that I disagree with in the article: mainly that an auction price is in any way reflective of the true state of the property market. However, I'll start with what I do agree with, that the property price statistics that are widely reported DON'T show us the full extent of the property market crash...

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Wednesday, 21 September 2011 08:00

Will property and house prices fall in Scotland? Will property and house prices fall in Edinburgh, Lothians, the Borders and Glasgow?

Written by Robert Carroll

Lots of surveys and statistics around, but which of them are true? And are property prices falling in Scotland?

Recently released statistics from the Department for Communities and Local Government show an annual fall in property prices in Scotland in the past year of 2.3%.

Meantime, Rightmove's latest House Price Index showed the average asking price increased by 0.7 per cent over the month to £233,139, following a drop of 2.1 per cent between July and August. This is a UK statistic, not a Scottish one, and I've already blogged about why asking price statistics aren't terribly useful: http://mov8realestate.com/blog/item/99-homecouk-september-home-asking-price-index-shows-property-prices-in-scotland-and-the-uk-are-down.html

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About This Blog

I'm Robert Carroll, Managing Director of MOV8 Real Estate, Estate Agents and Solicitors. MOV8 is an innovative and forward-thinking estate agency and solicitor firm with its Head Office in Edinburgh, UK. It is one of the fastest growing firms in the east of Scotland.

I see first-hand every day what is actually happening in the property market and am regularly quoted in the Scottish Press in property stories.

Through this blog I aim to give an honest, fresh and sometimes light hearted take on what is happening in the Scottish property market for anyone who is interested in that kind of thing...

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