What the papers are saying this week
You can always rely on house prices to cause a stir, although the national press never seems quite sure who to believe.

On 2 June, The Guardian was claiming a "substantial" rise of 1.5% in May (according to figures from the Halifax). Three days earlier, The Times reported a "pre-summer resurgence" – so the message seems clear.

The papers said the surges were caused by low interest rates, low unemployment, high consumer confidence – but also cited a "feelgood" factor since the end of the Iraq war. In addition, both the Financial Times on 2 June and The Observer on 1 June predicted a further drop in interest rates, a move liable to hasten the price revival. The homeowners of Middle England can rest easy.

Or can they? On 29 May The Express seemed to be singing to a different tune. Not only did it show some sympathy with those yet to become homeowners: "House prices are still within your reach," it cried, citing a survey by the Cheltenham and Gloucester building society, but it also seems to be living in a wholly different world: "World house prices crash" screamed the front page, based on research by The Economist. There you have it. Clear as mud.

Source

Housing Today