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Minister for Communications, Ed Vaizey welcomed new guidance from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) on business rates for broadband networks.

Following discussion with the industry, the VOA has issued revised guidance on how it values fibre optic networks.  VOA has made it clear that it is committed to working with broadband providers to ensure the fair and accurate rating of this emerging market.

The housing market experienced one of its strongest months of the year so far in July, according to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).

The NAEA’s monthly market report found that demand for housing had increased, more sellers were putting property onto the market and the average agent made more sales than in June.

The freezing up of the buy-to-let mortgage market that emerged as an unwelcome side-effect of the credit crunch appears to have eased a little, according to the latest buy-to-let survey results from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

While buy-to-let lending still remains very subdued and ongoing challenges remain, in the second quarter of 2010 the number of buy-to-let mortgages taken out was 24,900. This was 13% up on the 22,000 in the first quarter, and 15% higher than the 21,600 in the second quarter of 2009.

48% of new borrowers took out a fixed rate mortgage in June, the highest proportion so far in 2010, according to new data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

Fixed rates had proved unpopular this year compared to the last several years due to an historic low bank rate with little prospect of the rate rising. But with fixed rate prices falling they are starting to find favour again.

For the price of an average UK home, Brits could own a large detached house with a pool in the Sunshine State or a bijou studio apartment in trendy Nice.

With a sustained high number of Brits looking to buy a second home overseas or even to emigrate permanently, Primelocation International has explored what they could get for their £169k in the most popular destinations in five favourite countries.

Paying attention to the smaller details could make all the difference to selling your home and perhaps even boost its value, says Email4Property.co.uk.

Just following five cost effective tips will instantly increase a property’s charm.

Almost 65,000 people with disabilities – including those with profound physical disabilities and mental health problems – are at risk of losing their homes because of a government decision to cut support for mortgage interest payments for vulnerable people.

The National Housing Federation says 64,000 people who rely on Support for Mortgage Interest payments will be at risk of plunging into arrears in October when mortgage support from the Government is reduced from the current rate of 6.08% to bring it into line with the Bank of England average mortgage rate – identified by the Government as 3.67%.

Buy-to-let investors have proven that interest rates are more of a worry than price drops, government spending cuts and douple-dip recessions.

The survey conducted by property investment education group YPC showed that 78% of the investors surveyed said that raising interest rates was their biggest concern, 18% said government spending cuts, 9% a double-dip recession and 3% falling house prices.

Quarterly house price growth slowed to 0.4% in July, down from 2.6% in January according to the latest Chesterton Humberts/CEBR July House Price Poll of Polls.

Although generally house prices rose by 0.7% over the month to July, having been consistently one of the fastest growing parts of the UK, house prices in London grew by 0.4% in July as prices showed a small correction.

Modern life is such that things change more quickly than they used to. We no longer stay in the same jobs for thirty years, preferring to move to several different roles either for pay reasons or to broaden our experience.

Likewise, these days we are unlikely to stick with the same utility suppliers, broadband providers or cable television companies for years on end.