All Comment articles 鈥� Page 524
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Thousands of homebuyers in negative equity
Figures provided to the BBC by the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that 23,000 homebuyers took out 100% mortgages in the 12 months to March this year.With house prices as measured by HBOS (Halifax) back to the level of January last year, this means that many if not most of ...
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House price falls - but not 'alf
The Guardian yesterday reported that traders were pricing in a 50% drop in house prices over the next four years. Firstly and personally, I think prices may fall quite deeply. But I don't think they will drop by 50% in "real" terms, unless the economy takes a pretty freaky turn ...
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Big freeze in the housing market threatens the wider economy
The May survey from the property body RICS once again points to house price falls - not deep, but widely spread. But the real threat claim its economists is from a freezing up of the market.Official figures point to a drop of about a quarter in the level of transactions ...
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Construction recession looks likely this year
On the face of it things look fairly steady in construction land. Thanks to a strong showing from publicly-funded work and a timely rise in private non-housing repair and maintenance, construction output remained steady in the first quarter of 2008, despite falls in private housing and commercial work.It is no ...
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CommentSecret things
Another perilous descent into the turbid underworld of the industry鈥檚 psyche, where we discover Bouygues鈥� secret shame, spy on Sir Terry Farrell and make a surprising discovery in the underwear department
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CommentMe and my pod
The podcast was fun. First of its kind here at 星空传媒. Rudi Klein and yours truly were interviewed by 星空传媒鈥檚 ace interviewer, Chlo毛 McCulloch, about the government鈥檚 changes to payment rules.
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CommentOpen mike: Sun seeking
Instead of relying on small-scale on-site renewables, Europe could benefit from importing solar power from countries that have plenty of it, says David Weight
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The job's the thing
With reference to your consultants鈥� salary guide feature (16 May, page 42), you herald surveying as being 鈥渨here the real money is鈥�
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CommentWeb watch - In your face
If people want to build big horses in Kent towns or vast pylons in city squares, all in the name of art, then good luck to them, says Alex Smith. Of course, it helps that these schemes look good on the web too 鈥�
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Cutting corners: a warning
I read with interest your Open Mike column about ditching the main contractor (9 May, page 41). As head of development monitoring at Malcolm Hollis, I have also seen developers appointing works packages or trade contractors directly to save the main contractor on cost 鈥� and it is not just ...
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CommentConcurrent delays: Doing the splits
The City Inn case throws up a logical approach to granting extensions of time due to concurrent delays 鈥� if the delay has two causes, then why not apportion responsibility accordingly?
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Comment星空传媒 buys a pint for 鈥� Millbridge
Venue: Pitcher & Piano in Mayfair聽Ambience: young, bustling and heavily mirrored after-work chainDrinks drunk: 12 pints of Kronenbourg, three white wines, two vodka and cokes, two cokes, two fluffy cocktails, three pints of Guinness, one gin and tonic, three sparkling waters
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CommentVAT: Gimme a break
With margins being squeezed in the current economic climate, developers cannot afford to ignore valuable tax breaks. But, Jackie Richmond asks, what are they and where do you find them?
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Bravo for builder-bashing
Sir John Egan is spot on with his castigation of housebuilders, but not all of them I should add.
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CommentWonders & blunders
Tony Benn finds peace and tranquility in the heart of New York, before going on the warpath against an old foe
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Ignorance is bliss: but it鈥檚 no defence
With the OFT breathing down our necks, it would be wise not to get caught out on competition rules because you didn鈥檛 know they existed
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Commencing arbitration: Taylor Woodrow Construction vs RMD Kwikform Ltd
This was an application under sections 32 and 45 of the Arbitration Act 1996 (鈥渢he Act鈥�) to determine a preliminary point of law in relation to arbitral proceedings.The claimant engaged the defendant for the design, supply and erection of scaffolding. In 2000 the scaffolding collapsed onto adjoining roads and onto ...