Many home owners have decided to rent their homes out instead of selling their property.  This is because they can’t sell or they don’t want to sell in the current slump of the property market which is costing & affecting millions of home owners across the country.

To ensure you say the right side of the law contact Empire via email or call us on 02476 551 400 to arrange a FREE NO OBLIGATION property appraisal and rental valuation.

And remember we offer  NO LET NO FEE on every property with competitive rates.

The demand for rented properties remains strong as rising mortgage bills and calls for larger deposits put many buyers off, a report has claimed.

The Association of Residential Lettings Agents (Arla) said that 39% more agents reported that demand had outstripped supply in the last three months.

The Arla research, based on responses from 444 letting agents, showed a fall in the average length of time that a property remained empty between tenants, dropping from 24 days to 22 during the last three months.

It also found that 77% of landlords said they were not planning to either buy or sell properties in the near future.

Suffering homeowners were offered a ray of hope yesterday with a prediction that house prices are likely to rise by 25% over the next five years.

In defiance of a welter of doom-laden figures on the property market, research for the National Housing Federation claimed the downturn would be over by 2010, leading to a return of rising prices.

Its optimism was based on the shortage of property being so acute that the decline will not become a full-blown bust.

But in the short-term there is no relief. The research, carried out by Oxford Economics, forecasts prices falling by a further 2.1% next year before beginning to rise in 2010, edging ahead by 1.3%.

It predicts a rise of 5.2% in 2012 and 9% in each of the following two years.

10 Reasons to Invest In Goa

1. India's property industry has been growing at an average of 14% annually and is currently worth $14 billion. Over the next 10 years, it is expected to reach $102 billion driven by a demand for malls, premium housing and multiplexes.
   
   
2. Goa has one of the highest per capita income ratios in India.
   
   
3. One of the highest literacy rates. 75.5%
   
   
4. The highest road network density in India.
   
   
5. The highest Doctor to patient ratio
   
   
6. The highest bed to population ratio
   
   
7. The lowest Crime rate in India
   
   
8. 2nd largest English speaking population
   
   
9. Tourism figures to increase by 5% in the next year. Increasing the demand for quality accommodation.
   
   
10. The nations GDP is expected to grow by over 7% this year; with Goa’s tourist industry contributing to a huge percentage

With agents dropping prices, auctioneers setting lower reserves and a slump in property confidence taking hold, buyers are now firmly in the driving seat

Experts agree the heat has gone from the property market, after two robust years of price rises following the mini-slowdown of 2005.

The National Association of Estate Agents reported just five homes per agent were sold on average in December 2007, compared to eight per agent in December 2006.

Putting a positive spin on the slowdown, it said: 'For those choosing to enter the market now, there is plenty of opportunity.'

However, if buyers can purchase without over reaching themselves and are willing to accept their asset may dip in value, the upcoming months represent an opportunity to test a soft market and perhaps bag a bargain home.