Hip view (Home Information Packs and Energy Performance Certificates EPC

If you are buying or selling a property you will probably be intending to instruct a solicitor to deal with the conveyance. Shopping about for the best quote can be time consuming which is why Pali have added a facility to their website www.paliltd.com enabling members of the public to access solicitors and licensed conveyancers directly to find the best deal.

Simply click here: http://www.paliltd.com/solicitor-quote enter your details and you will be contacted directly by up to four legal professionals with their own independent offerings. All quotes are no obligation.

If you are a legal professional and would like to be added to our database, please telephone Johanna on 0151 201 2712 or email jo@paliltd.com.

Many estate agents are concerned about the effects of the removal of the first day marketing concession which allowed a home to be marketed as soon as a Hip was ordered and formal arrangements for payment had been confirmed. This was widely abused and many estate agents did not order a Hip until an offer had been made and the buyers solicitor asked for a copy. This is largely why this concession was removed. The fear now is that it may take so long to obtain the required documents that days if not weeks will pass before the property can be marketed. We put these points to Nick Small of Pali.Ltd  His reply;

Fear not. The documents which need to be in place can all be provided by Pali before the estate agent can create the sales particulars. These are, The Index of the contents of the Hip. This will cause problems for some Hip providers as it has to be updated as the items are received. On the HipView site this will happen automatically as the documents are uploaded. The Sale Statement, completed on HipView at the time of placing the order. Title Deeds and Plan. Provided by Pali within minutes. EPC. Dependent on access by the vendor but could be same day. PIQ completed by vendor on line at HipView or taken to the client by the DEA. Confirmation of arrangements for payment. Pali will take payment on behalf of the agent by cheque, cash or card online, by phone, at their various offices or at the vendors property by arrangement. Deferred payment is available. So in summary all the agent has to do is say to the client, “we will be delighted to market your Home but first you need a hip. Phone Pali on 0151 691 1170, discuss when you can give access to the property and how you want to pay and we will start on the sales pariculars right now.” That’s it, no delay.

Nick Small.

As part of the government’s programme of action to cope with current difficulties in the housing market, an £18 Million Deal has been approved to provide more affordable housing.

The Governments National Clearing House has done the deal with Bovis Home which means house builders can sell their unsold plots to Housing Associations to use as affordable housing, as rent or low cost home ownership. This is to date the largest deal that has been agreed with one of the major house builders through the Clearing House Program.

A total of 4,800 homes have been brought into affordable housing at a total cost of £160 million. With this deal it will provide 379 affordable homes for families across the country that would normally be on waiting lists.

Housing Minister Margaret Beckett said:

“We are determined to support house builders to weather the current difficult climate, and this deal will help industry while also providing more affordable homes for families on waiting lists.
“This is one part of a range of measures we are taking to help ensure stability and security for those affected by the downturn, and we will continue to look at what more we can do.”Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency Sir Bob Kerslake said:
“By being flexible with our funding we have secured more much-needed quality new homes - for affordable rent or sale to local people priced out of the market - and maximised value for public money. And while I am pleased with this early success for the HCA, there is much more to be done as we seek to stimulate development and help maintain the housebuilding industry’s capacity through difficult economic conditions.”

Chief Executive of Bovis Homes, David Ritchie, said:

“Bovis Homes has formed a strong relationship with the Homes and Communities Agency and our partner RSLs through combining our mutual interests in housing delivery. The deal reported today has been made possible due to this relationship and demonstrates the positives which can be achieved when different organisations in the housing industry work together effectively.

“We are pleased to have been able to contribute significantly to housing delivery under the Government’s programme whilst at the same time providing positive returns for our shareholders.

“Thanks must go to the many staff at Bovis Homes who have worked hard to make this deal happen, plus our thanks to our RSLs partners and our colleagues at HCA.”

Housing Minster Margaret Beckett has agreed a deal worth more than £400 million to help first time buyers who aspire to buy their own home and help the tackle the current difficulties in the economy.

Over 130 developers will now be able to offer the HomeBuy Direct Scheme and help 18,000 first time buyers purchase a home to specific sites across England. This will be aided by an equity loan funded by the developer and the Government. The loan will be free for the first five years and can be used as a deposit for cover up to 30 per cent of the purchase price.

This will mean a first-time buyer can purchase a house for £180,000 for a little as £126,000. However with the other HomeBuy schemes you will be only available to apply for this scheme if your household earns less than £60,000.

First time buyers who are eligible will be able to apply for the scheme from early 2009 by contacting a HomeBuy agent in their region.

     Housing Minister Margaret Beckett said:

“We are determined to give families real help in the current economic climate. For many young families who aspire to own a home, the difficulties in the housing market have made the step on to the property ladder that bit harder. This deal will give them more support and put their dream of becoming home owners within reach. At the same time, this scheme will also help developers to weather the tough times in the market, by protecting jobs and helping to keep business going.”

     Sir Bob Kerslake Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency said:

“There has been a tremendous response from developers to this scheme and we believe there is demand from purchasers who want to get on the property ladder. Our flexibility means that we have been able to add in additional funding from the National Affordable Housing Progamme to meet demand and respond quickly to the market.”

HomeBuy Direct is designed to help families to get onto the housing ladder and have already helped more than 110,000 buy their own homes. The Government has been helping people since 1997 with shared equity and shared ownership deals and is investing a further £8 billion over the next 3 years (2008-2011) for the provision of new affordable housing for both low cost home wnership and social rent.

The monthly report from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).
revealed that house prices continued to drop in November.

However the survey also revealed that for the third month in a row the percentage of first time buyers in the housing market increased. The number of first time buyers as a percentage of buyers rose to 10.4 per cent.

Chris Brown, President of the National Association of Estate Agents, said: “November, and indeed December, is always a quiet time for the housing market because people are reluctant to move home over the festive period.

“Bearing that in mind, and after what has been the most difficult year for the market in a very long time, these figures are definitely not as bad as expected.

“In fact, while it may seem a meagre offering, the glimmer of positive news that some of these figures reveal can give estate agents across the country some hope for a more prosperous 2009.

“The market is still waiting to feel the impact of recent interest rate cuts, and if the major lenders commit to making mortgages available to those who want to buy then the market should improve next year.

“For tens of thousands of people, their New Year’s Resolution as 2008 draws to a close will be to get onto the property ladder, or to move further up it. We must all do what we can to help them achieve that goal.

“The demand for property is there – so in 2009 we need political will, professional integrity and financial commitments.”