Are you feeling Dippy?

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Property to rent

Nostalgic readers may remember the ‘double dip’ as the favourite sweetie of the late 1980s. With two flavours of sherbet to dip your lolly into, that double dip was a lot more palatable than the UK economy’s current sour version. A contraction of 0.2%q/q in Q1 puts the UK back in recession. But first estimates are often revised, and it’s where we go from here that matters now. Sadly, there are few hopes of a rapid pick up in growth on the horizon. Europe is struggling on but Spain’s fragile banking system is adding to tensions. Meanwhile the US recovery looks like it might be more sluggish than hoped. Inflation and unemployment are disappointingly stubborn and the housing market is still a drag. Whatever you call it, economic recovery is going to be a marathon, not a sprint.
After RBS

Anyway, you’d be really dippy to miss the latest Greatlets Flat offer on the St Andrews Road, really close to town, restaurants and shops.
£475 buys you modern purpose built space with;
Great Location
Nil £’s DEPOSITon selected.

Call Zane on 01604 636465 Now

Look on our Greatlets website for fantastic new properties in northampton >

Economic wows or woes?

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Economy and Property Rentals

Economic conditions across the globe are ‘somewhat improved’ according to the IMF, which edged up its global growth forecast for …

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£0.00 deposit till 31st May!

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Economy and Property Rental

Forgot to Tell that not only do we have great deals for our Landlords …but also £0.00 DEPOSIT on selected Houses, Flats and Rooms in Northampton and beyond.
Call Tom or Jackie to get YOURS today!

Tel 01604 636465

Move Over Mrs Markham…..for £1,600,000.00

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Property and Article 4. Localism Bill.

Move Over Mrs Markham… what will you do with our £1,600,000.00? Article 4 Northampton meeting NLA 15.4.12 At the National …

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Your Cash Injected?

Tags

economy

The European Central Bank’s (ECB) liquidity operation may have rescued the financial system but it cannot rescue the economy. Following a quiet Q1 the Eurozone is back in choppy waters and Spain is at the centre of the storm. This time concerns are as much about economic growth as they are about debt. Spain’s domestic demand is weak and austerity will make it worse. The economy will need to rely more on exports, and it’s not alone in this. Here the news is good and bad. China’s economy is relying more on domestic demand, which should be more supportive of global growth, especially for those countries that actually export to China (the UK could do better in this regard). In contrast, Germany’s continued reliance on exports is failing to offer succour to its weaker neighbours. Add lower expected global trade growth to the mix, and Eurozone tensions are likely to remain high for some time. (AFter RBS)

A greatlet place to live

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Great place to live. Property Rentals

Do you need a place to live that’s great value?

look at;

http://www.room4u2.co.uk

Thorium your answer to cheap safe energy? let’s get some in.

Tags

Economy. Energy. Property Rental.

Safe nuclear does exist, and China is leading the way with thorium
A few weeks before the tsunami struck Fukushima’s uranium reactors and shattered public faith in nuclear power, China revealed that it was launching a rival technology to build a safer, cleaner, and ultimately cheaper network of reactors based on thorium.

Thorium could be a much safer option for China which has been unsettled by the nuclear crisis in Japan where fears over radiation levels are rising Photo: AP
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard9:30PM GMT 20 Mar 2011661 Comments
This passed unnoticed –except by a small of band of thorium enthusiasts – but it may mark the passage of strategic leadership in energy policy from an inert and status-quo West to a rising technological power willing to break the mould.
If China’s dash for thorium power succeeds, it will vastly alter the global energy landscape and may avert a calamitous conflict over resources as Asia’s industrial revolutions clash head-on with the West’s entrenched consumption.

Oil warning light?

Tags

economy

With Wall Street closed for Presidents Day, European stocks nevertheless held on to early gains amid expectations of a Greek deal and China’s 50 bp cut to the bank reserve ratio requirement. The FTSE gained 40.18 (0.68%) to close at 5,945.25; while in Europe the DAX and CAC gained 1.46% and 0.96% respectively. Australia also reacted well to the cut in the reserve ratio and had a stronger day with the ASX200 rallying 1.4% to 4256.
Miners led the way in both Australia and Europe overnight as the market now begins to factor in a “better than expected landing” for China as its central bank freed up an estimated $60bn cash of lending in its latest move.
We recently suggested that the greater threat to the global economy is not Greece, but the oil price due to the geopolitical threat from Iran. The last major price move in 2008 saw Brent crude spike to US$145 then fall back to $60 within six months. This time Brent has been well above $100 for over a year, with several signs ominously suggesting higher prices yet.

Landlords! Lookout! 150% Council Tax in Northants?!

Punitive new Council tax loss of exemptions will be put in place from 1st April 2013 by Northampton County Council on all empty properties even if derelict and in need of structural work.

The answer to this problem could be held here at Greatlets where our turnround for letting suitably priced property is legendary ….you need back to back tenancies to avoid this tax.

We are assured that the 1st April date is not significant. They really mean it.

Landlords and tenants, Come and consult with us at the York Road Head office.

Call us on 01604  636465

 

British Gas Customer Service…ignored.

Our letters remain ignored …..£1000 gas pipe sales pitch and damage to a boiler…all ignored….”Offgas” watchdog is the only other option…or solid fuel.

Anyone else suffered this sort of neglect , let us know.

Anyway, we did save out landlord the £1000.00 unneeded gas main replacement

Not that this will affect the Share Price BUT if you have a gas boiler and it goes down for whatever reason it’s not good at this time of year….no heat from anything…no hot water…and if you have a baby or young children …very difficult indeed…even with so call “HOME CARE”….which name does not necessarily always live up to itself.

So….with a recent gas meter change started a week of misery and mayhem for 1 unfortunate family with a young baby  in Northampton, as follows (This is the short version);

21st November Meter CHANGED engineer finds pressure drop so isolates boiler and states all OK

23rd British Gas attend to fix boiler and refuse to do so saying new gas main needed so hob capped off despite hob being fine when pressure tested. Engineer also damaged boiler feed pipe and leaves it loose

23rd Nation Grid attend and cut off gas at the meter

23rd British Gas quote £1000 to install new 5 meter run of gas main through the house.

24th Private contractor attends to verify gas main is sound with no pressure drop as indicated by British Gas. The only work required is replacement of the boiler gas valve which is deemed defective

26th British Gas re-attend and then refuse to work on the boiler claiming “3rd party” damage actually due to previous work one of their engineers had carried out….they leave…SO Home Care Contract cancelled for the 2nd time

28th Private contractor re-attends to install new gas valve in boiler and passes system as safe and all working.

Well done and thanks Andy at A&S Gas!

Tenants relieved and we are all concerned about this encounter with British Gas on a not good week running up to Christmas…..how many other people have been sold repairs  (gas mains) they did not need and have had short shrift in this way….so if we had had this installed our Landlord would have been £1000.00 worse off plus would  still have had to have the boiler repair after the gas main.

The moral is not to take anything at face value, especially when presented with unlikely scenarios as above and to look out for job creation schemes and engineers covering for each other and possibly avoiding doing what they are paid to come out and do.

We’d love to hear from British Gas and any customers who have had scenarios like this in Northampton.

Was this dishonesty or just lack of training by the Gas engineers involved…..perhaps we will never know.

Anyway we saved our Landlord £1000.00 by being vigilant.

It could be you next time!

Landlords Needed

Don’t Look Now ….But if you can give us your Landlord’s details we will enter you in a FREE prize draw for an “iPad mini” and donate £1 for each returned Landlord’s details to the “Samaritans”.

Also, you can have a FREE Fridge Magnet and a useful Greatlets Pen when you call in at 39 York Road Northampton NN1 5QJ with your filled form. (sorry, only one per household).

Landlord’s Name………………………………………………………………….

Address……………………………………………………………………………..

Tel no…………………………  email……………………………………………..

Thanks!

Call Peter or Zane on 01604 636465 or 07725 792470

We are at 39 York Road Northampton NN1 5QJ, up the road from the General Hospital

Email us at                             info@greatlets.co.uk

www.greatlets.co.uk

P.S.      We May Have a Property for You When You Need It.

See Terms and Conditions when you respond for your Landlord’s draw

Oxford. Delightful one bedroom flat. Just re-available for immediate occupancy

This lovely flat is convenient for Oxford centre being only 1 mile from Magdalene Bridge and less that half a miles from the ring road

It has all that is necessary for a couple or single person to have delightful quiet retreat not too far away from the City centre and with easy access to all other places too.

Available at £799 pcm plus bills

see www.greatlets.co.uk

Parachuted in to boost the economy?

 

Thank heaven for the Olympics – we all need something to cheer us up as economies across the globe falter. If only Her Majesty the Queen could parachute in a surprise solution as stunning as her entrance to the Games. The UK economy shrank sharply in the second quarter while US growth slowed to just 1.5%y/y. China is faltering and all the evidence points to the Eurozone being in recession too. Even Germany came under threat of a downgrade from Moody’s, a credit rating agency, as problems in Greece and Spain got worse. But like a dedicated Olympic coach, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) promised that he would do ‘whatever it takes’ to set things straight again. It was enough to calm the markets for a while, but with no signs of growth on the horizon we need to see some brilliant performances from the Eurozone underdogs soon. 

Cowes Week? What’s that? Nothing to do with dairy farming….

One of the world’s best sailing events if you want to escape from the Olympics…which will only be just down the Solent at Weymouth

 

Follow the link to Tallships Cottage

View full details

Best available flat in Oxford

This delightful 1 bedroom flat is just re-available and is so well located for access to the City centre and also to the righ road

 

call 01604 636465 for more details and see pictures

Best Value Room to Let in Northampton

Must be the Best Value Room in Northampton this week

Fully inclusive and can have a double or single bed, and is avaialble now

Best Value Room

Spanish happy ending?

It ended well, especially for Spain, but it was another week of glum economic news across the globe. In the UK, the Governor of the Bank of England admitted his surprise at how quickly things had deteriorated in the last six weeks. Rather worryingly, he wasn’t just talking about the Eurozone but of the worsening situation in emerging markets. That doesn’t bode well for the UK, particularly as it turns out the recession and public finances were worse than feared. But at last there was some good news in the Eurozone – especially for the countries in need of bailout funds. The agreement among EU leaders to allow funding to recapitalise banks without impinging on government finances, was particularly welcome in Spain. The lift may not have been the reason for the sublime performance on the pitch, but it can’t have hurt. This latest agreement isn’t a panacea for all Eurozone problems, but it is a welcome chink of light at the end of the Eurotunnel.
The UK recession was deeper than first thought in Q1, despite strong Government spending. Official estimates confirmed that the UK economy shrank by 0.3% in the first three months of the year. But the decline in Q4 2011 was revised down to -0.4%, from -0.3%q/q. Service sector output rose by 0.2%q/q, but output in the construction sector was just awful. It fell by 4.9%q/q. It turns out households are being squeezed even harder too. They have got used to inflation eroding their after tax income, but now income has fallen in cash terms too, for the second quarter running. No wonder household consumption fell by 0.1%q/q. With this news, we should be grateful that Government spending rose by a hefty 1.9%q/q.

Backing Germany or Spain?

Unsurprisingly, no concrete policies to sort out the Eurozone crisis came out of the G20 meeting of the world’s leading economies last week. But a renewed commitment to keeping the euro intact and a 130 billion euro growth stimulus package agreed at the meeting of Eurozone leaders did help a bit. Borrowing costs fell a little, but it’s not a game-changer. The markets are still very worried about Spain (and so are fans of German, Italian and Portuguese football!). On the other side of the Atlantic fears that the US recovery is slipping led the Federal Reserve to activate a second ‘Operation Twist’ in an attempt to rev things up a bit. It’s not alone in this desire. Judging by the minutes from the last Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting it won’t be long before the Bank of England joins the party with more quantitative easing.
UK inflation continues its slide. The consumer price index rose 2.8% in May, down from the 3% rate in April. Cheaper petrol had a big effect, as lower crude oil prices filtered their way through to the forecourt. The cost of food also helped, as big price rises last year weren’t repeated. May’s reading is the closest inflation has been to the Bank of England’s 2% target for two and a half years. This is good news for savers and everyone who has seen their income fail to keep pace with prices. But it doesn’t mean the squeeze on consumers is over. The price of essentials, such as gas and electricity, are still 15% and 8% higher respectively than last year.
MPC minutes show further shift towards easing. Another dose of quantitative easing was a close run thing earlier this month. Four of the nine members of the Committee voted in favour of more easing. The continued deterioration in the domestic and global economic outlook, coupled with a further retreat in inflation, increases the likelihood that a majority will vote for more easing, maybe as soon as July