British Airways Christmas strike curbed by court ruling

There must be so many people who breathed a big sigh of relief today when British Airways won a High Court injunction blocking a 12 day cabin crew strike that would have brought Christmas travel chaos to almost one million travellers.

British Airways said it was "delighted for our customers that the threat of a Christmas strike has been lifted by the court."

There must have been a giant cheer by hundreds of thousands of families in the UK and around the world.

The strike had been planned for December 22 to January 2 and threatened to ground much of the BA fleet and would have brought travel chaos to hundreds of thousands of passengers.

I do hope the BA cabin crew look at the Globespan collapse this week and see that their union leaders could have risked the entire BA company going under. When the Royal Mail recently striked many companies found alternative postal arrangements and haven't gone back to using Royal Mail, costing the Royal Mail thousands of pounds in revenue. BA can ill afford any financial loses at the moment. Do BA staff really believe that striking and risking the wrath of a disgruntled public, would bring them job security?

Hip debate reignited

Shadow housing Minister Grant Shapps’ recent confirmation that he would scrap home information packs (HIPs) has re-ignited the debate over what should replace them.

We have been preparing Legal Sellers Packs, which involves the Conveyancer collating all of the relevant documentation in relation to the sale transaction immediately upon receipt of instructions, for our clients for the best part of ten years. This process has helped to reduce transaction timelines by several weeks. The existing legislation is ill founded as it presumes that it takes a long time to obtain searches and that adverse search results are a major reason for transaction failure, neither of which is true. The delays in property transactions are often caused by certain important documents such as guarantee certificates, planning documentation or leasehold management information not being readily available or not being sought out early enough in the transaction to avoid delay.

The Conservatives can change the legislation easily and effectively by insisting that a Conveyancer is instructed to collate a Legal Sellers Pack immediately or before the property is placed on the market for sale. This service is likely to be provided on a no sale no fee basis by the lawyer, at no up front cost to the seller, and hence encouraging more properties onto the market place. This process will allow the purchaser, and their lender, to choose their own searches, which they can rely upon and avoid the duplication process that exists at present.

I hope that Grant Shapps and the Conservatives will listen to the views of practicing Conveyancers, unlike the Labour Party who were keen to rely on the opinion of Estate Agents and Surveyors who, whilst playing an important role in the transaction process, do not fully understand the logistics of conveying property. Let’s hope that the Conservatives consult appropriately and make the correct decisions – we can’t afford another HIP debacle.

With the ‘Office Do’s’ in full swing, How do you avoid a hangover?

Well it’s that time of year again, office parties, soirees of one kind or another.

Now I do enjoy the odd tipple or two and like thousands of others I hate that awful morning after feeling. So, if you’re like me and often wonder what would be the best alcohol to drink - to minimise that awful hangover? Here are a few booze facts from an article I’ve recently read that may help all you other party goers this season.

 

 

VODKA or GIN - HANGOVER SEVERITY: 3/10

Vodka is the least likely alcoholic drink to leave you with a hangover, said a study by the British Medical Association.

 

WHISKEY- HANGOVER SEVERITY: 8/10

Bourbon Whiskey is twice as likely to cause a hangover as the same amount of vodka.

 

WHITE WINE - HANGOVER SEVERITY: 6/10

The sulphites formed naturally or added to white wine as preservatives cause the 'white wine hangover' many people complain of. Also white wines can wear away tooth enamel faster, making teeth more sensitive. Great for spilling on your clothes, no stains.

 

RED WINE - HANGOVER SEVERITY: 7/10

Red wine drinkers can get worse hangovers than beer or white wine drinkers. Because of the way it's made, red wine produces two types of alcohol - ethanol and methanol. The liver processes the ethanol part of the drink first and leaves methanol until last. Awful for spilling on your clothes, stains, stains and more stains - not a good look for your teeth and lips either.

 

BEER - HANGOVER SEVERITY: 4/10

Beer is the least dangerous to drink and makes you feel you’ve drunk the slowest. It has the lowest alcohol content - between 3 and 6 per cent for lager, and up to 8 per cent for ale and stout.

 

BRANDY - HANGOVER SEVERITY: 9/10

Could give you the worst headache of all, according to research at London's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. This was though very closely followed by red wine, then rum, whisky and gin.

 

CHAMPAGNE - HANGOVER SEVERITY: 7/10

The bubbles speed up the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. And contrary to popular belief, Champagne won't lift your spirits - alcohol affects brain receptors in the same way, whatever its source.

 

After reading all those facts maybe the best drink for me this festive season would be water? Or maybe not. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hopefully now that you are armed with the above alcohol facts, you won’t get too painful a hangover.

Why is youth unemployment at such a record high?

High in the news again this week is youth unemployment with the unemployment rate reaching a record high of almost 20per cent as the jobless total continues to increase.

 

Here are just some of the figures published:

 

• The number of people out of work increased by 30,000 between July and September to just under two and a half million.

 

• Jobseeker's allowance rose by 12,900 in October to 1.64 million, the 20th consecutive monthly increase, giving the worst total for 12 years.

 

• The number of people classed as economically inactive, including those on long-term sick leave, looking after a relative or who have given up looking for work, reached a record high of eight million after a 41,000 increase over the latest quarter.

 

• Youth unemployment also continued to rise, with the number of 16 to 24-year-olds up by 15,000 to 943,000, giving a rate of 19.8 per cent, a record high.  

 

Call me old and maybe cynical but when youth unemployment continues to rise at such a rate, I think you can’t help but begin to wonder if it is because there aren’t enough jobs out there for the young? or is it because we’ve created a generation that have no work ethic and no sense of drive and ambition?

Christmas burglaries

An interesting article caught my eye this lunch time, (not just randomly reading ‘Grazia’, a proper informative work article) “Christmas time for burglars” stated the heading. It started me thinking. Is my own property vulnerable? Have I left the ten foot tree bedecked with baubles and twinkling lights, surrounded by mounds of enticing gifts, all to the mercy of the overworked Christmas burglar?

Granted the ‘sweater’ from Gran could go, but how devastating to find it all gone, and that feeling of having uninvited pillagers in your domain.

We all at some point over Yuletide leave our properties  empty, shopping trips, social events and visits, while with the elongated break, some of us even take holidays in the sun, (If only). Add this to the fact that the prospective booty is fantastically easy to target- conveniently left either in the hall or sitting room, well its like heaven for the potential thief!

 

The statistics tell us; burglaries peak not in the holiday month of August, but in the November to January period. One poor lady told of how she was visited on Christmas day!

"We had gone to visit my parents in Wales, and spent a lovely Christmas day with the family," she says. "We were enjoying the break from London - in fact, we were in the middle of a country walk when we got the phone call. It seems the burglars had got in on Christmas morning. Our holiday came to an abrupt end and we went back to face a ransacked flat. Everything had gone - cameras, video recorders, jewellery and my brand new computer."

It seems that the burglars had come through a communal front door that should have been secure, but the security lock had been left undone.

 

What can we do? Well, apparently most burglars are essentially opportunist, zoning in on the weakest link in a property’s security. There are a few things that can be done to strengthen a property’s defense-

Strong, secure doors with adequate locks are the first line of defense. Over half of all burglaries involve the thief gaining access from the back, so back doors and windows need at least as much attention as the front entrance. But security awareness and cooperation is equally vital - however advanced the specifications of the locking system a nifty thief can rapidly burgle several flats in one property given just one communal entrance carelessly left undone.

 

Well, I am going to check all our locks. While away at the outlaws I will ask our nosy neighbour to check on our house (she has been dying to do that) I will leave lights on. Not a problem in our house, as no one turns them off! So with a bit of care and attention, we won’t be visited by the ghost of burglaries past this Christmas!

Top 10 Tips for Selling Your Home during the Christmas period.

The Christmas season from December through January is often considered the worst time to put a home on the market. While the thought of selling your home during the winter months may dampen your holiday spirit, the season does have its advantages: holiday buyers tend to be more serious, and competition is less fierce with fewer homes being actively marketed. First, decide if you really need to sell, really. Once you've committed to the challenge follow these tips below.

Deck the halls, but don't go overboard.
Homes often look their best during the holidays, but sellers should be careful not to overdo it on the decor. Adornments that are too large or too many can crowd your home and distract buyers. Also, avoid offending buyers by opting for general winter decorations rather than items with religious themes.

Hire a reliable real estate agent.
That means someone who will work hard for you and won't disappear during, Christmas or New Year's. Ask your friends and family if they can recommend a listing agent who will go above and beyond to get your home sold. This will ease your stress and give you more time to enjoy the season.

Seek out motivated buyers.
Anyone house hunting during the holidays must have a good reason for doing so. Work with your agent to target buyers on a deadline, including people relocating for jobs in your area, investors on tax deadlines, college students and staff.

Price it to sell.
No matter what time of year, a home that's priced low for the market will make buyers feel merry. Rather than gradually making small price reductions, many real estate agents advise sellers to slash their prices before putting a home on the market.

Make curb appeal a top priority.
When autumn rolls around and the trees start to lose their leaves, maintaining the exterior of your home becomes even more important. Bare trees equal a more exposed home, so touch up the paint, clean the gutters and spruce up the yard. Keep buyers' safety in mind as well by making sure stairs and walkways are free of snow, ice and leaves.

Take top-notch real estate photos.
When the weather outside is frightful, homebuyers are likely to start their house hunt from the comfort of their homes by browsing listings on the Internet. Make a good first impression by offering lots of flattering, high-quality photos of your home. If possible, have a summer or spring photo of your home available so buyers can see how it looks year-round.

Create a video tour for the Web.
You'll get less foot traffic during the holidays, thanks to inclement weather and holiday plans. But shooting a video tour and posting it on the Web may attract house hunters who don't have time to physically see your home or would rather not drive in horrific weather.

Give house hunters a place to escape from the cold.
Make your home feel cosy and inviting during showings by cranking up the heat, playing soft music and offering homemade Christmas treats, even the aroma is enough to evoke a warm homely feeling in potential buyers. When you encourage buyers to spend more time in your home, you also give them more time to admire its best features.

Relax -- the New Year is just around the corner.
Christmas is stressful enough, with gifts to buy, dinners to prepare and relatives to entertain. Take a moment to remind yourself that if you don't sell now, there's always next year, which luckily is only a few days away.

High net worth investor confidence in property is back.

1/12/2009

High net worth investor confidence in property is returning, with 76% of investors seeing opportunities in residential investment and 68% seeing opportunities in commercial investment, according to a report by Barclays Wealth.

Investors in nine of the 10 biggest markets are planning to increase their property allocation over the next two years, the survey found. Internationally, nine in 10 investors planned to hike their portfolio allocation by 1-4 percentage points. In Spain, where there is a glut of property, investors planned to pare back their allocation by 15 percentage points.

Twice as many investors – 35% of the 2,000 surveyed – plan to increase their property allocation rather than decrease it over the next two years.

The global report in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit, Prospects for Property: On Solid Foundations, showed that investors believe that property has better long term prospects than other asset classes.

In the survey, 25% of investors also believed that recent price falls have made property seem cheap.

Respondents rated the US as the most popular nation for investment, with 16 per cent saying they expected to see the best returns there, followed by China and the UK, with 7 per cent expecting the best returns in each of those markets.

However, Lloyd Davies,CEO of Convey Law, comments,

“The fall in property values has shaken the most seasoned investors’ confidence. Despite this, these findings suggest that investors believe we are approaching the beginning of the end of the downturn. It appears that those surveyed are prepared to not only exploit undervalued opportunities, but also to commit further to property over the next two years in the belief that they will benefit from favourable returns. Given the past turmoil in other investment opportunities it is not surprising that investors are looking at bricks and mortar as a good sustainable investment that can provide solid returns.”

Extracts taken from Property week.com and Wealth Briefing 

High net worth investor confidence in property is back.

1/12/2009

High net worth investor confidence in property is returning, with 76% of investors seeing opportunities in residential investment and 68% seeing opportunities in commercial investment, according to a report by Barclays Wealth.

Investors in nine of the 10 biggest markets are planning to increase their property allocation over the next two years, the survey found. Internationally, nine in 10 investors planned to hike their portfolio allocation by 1-4 percentage points. In Spain, where there is a glut of property, investors planned to pare back their allocation by 15 percentage points.

Twice as many investors – 35% of the 2,000 surveyed – plan to increase their property allocation rather than decrease it over the next two years.

The global report in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit, Prospects for Property: On Solid Foundations, showed that investors believe that property has better long term prospects than other asset classes.

In the survey, 25% of investors also believed that recent price falls have made property seem cheap.

Respondents rated the US as the most popular nation for investment, with 16 per cent saying they expected to see the best returns there, followed by China and the UK, with 7 per cent expecting the best returns in each of those markets.

However, Lloyd Davies,CEO of Convey Law, comments,

“The fall in property values has shaken the most seasoned investors’ confidence. Despite this, these findings suggest that investors believe we are approaching the beginning of the end of the downturn. It appears that those surveyed are prepared to not only exploit undervalued opportunities, but also to commit further to property over the next two years in the belief that they will benefit from favourable returns. Given the past turmoil in other investment opportunities it is not surprising that investors are looking at bricks and mortar as a good sustainable investment that can provide solid returns.”

Extracts taken from Property week.com and Wealth Briefing