Is the UK property sector really starting to recover?
The encouraging news from UK housebuilding giant Persimmon caught many in the market by surprise, with the confirmation that further land bank write-downs are not required perhaps the most positive note. However, while the group appears to have called the bottom of the market there was no indication as to when UK house prices will start to rise again and when hundreds of thousands of UK homeowners can expect to move out of negative equity. So what exactly is going on?
As we enter the reporting season for the housebuilding sector of the UK it will be interesting to see how other companies in the sector react and report their findings. Many people have for some time believed that the UK property sector was starting to bottom out but confirmation by such a leading light as Persimmon will give further faith to those who were uncertain. However, as we have seen in recessions in the past, at the first sign of a recovery in the property market it is highly likely that many UK banks will call in "bad mortgages" knowing that they are likely to get a better price for the property than they would have just a few months ago.
The road to recovery in the UK property sector will not be a V shape and could take some time to take hold.
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