Property prices are at their peak, with no sign of things changing anytime soon. As if this wasn’t making things hard enough for first time buyers, especially in London, landlords and investors are dominating sales in and around the capital.

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In the first quarter of 2016, 36 per cent of all sales in London were procured by buy to let (BTL) investors, who also boosted the recorded number of cash purchases. The second highest procurer of property was second homeowners. This type of buyer almost doubled since the previous reporting period, accounting for 23 per cent of all purchases.

Cash buyers

In total, 59 per cent of London property was acquired by landlords or second homeowners, with this figure rising even higher in central London to 79 per cent. 40 per cent of these purchases were completed by cash buyers. Investors will always hold a prime position in the property market, as it is a great way for them to get high returns; however, the increase in the number of second homeowners was not expected. There is speculation that much of the most recent activity is due to the additional layer of stamp duty for both types of buyer.

With changes such as these, landlords and homeowners wanting more than one property, such as those available from property buying experts http://boweryldn.com/, are naturally going to rush out and buy what they can before the amendments come into effect. Property buying agents in London are naturally happy to help.

Supply and demand

It is all about supply and demand, with the rates varied across the capital. In outer London demand has soared to 19 per cent in a year, while in central London it has fallen by four per cent in the same period. The number of properties for sale in these areas has also changed. In outer London supply has dwindled by 12 per cent each year, with homeowners preferring to stay put, while in central London it has risen by 11 per cent. As a knock-on effect, this has seen property prices soar.

While there is still a significant price premium for purchasing property in the centre of the capital, landlords will continue to snap it up while first time buyers are pushed further afield to find their dream home.

The inconceivable now seems to be near inevitable, as Donald Trump lines up to be the frontrunner Republican candidate and sets his sights firmly on The White House. It’s a staggering state of affairs for many reasons, not least the fact that the billionaire has never held an elected office.

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From a political perspective, this means that two of the least popular candidates on record are now going head to head – Clinton and Trump. Polls do currently point towards Clinton, but Trump has the lead in economic polls, with his new campaign pledge to make the USA ‘Great Again’.

Concerns for investors

What about investors? Nervous investors across the world are already dealing with the uncertainty of China and Britain’s Brexit vote, so the spectre of a Trump presidency simply adds another layer of concern to the mix – all of which affects market prices.

The effects of this have been seen by Robert Stones Target Markets already. Fluctuations in financial markets continue on a daily basis and Robert Stones Target Markets has been observing these developments carefully.

However, would the news be all bad? Trump’s hardline views on immigration have made headlines – but his economic views also represent a significant departure for the party that has traditionally supported the free market economy. Trump, however, has protectionist views, seeking to bring trading tariffs into play.

Instability beckons?

Trump’s economic plans could indeed pose a danger of instability, especially if trade wars began as a result of heavy tariffs. Other measures however, such as planned tax cuts, can look pro-growth. This could, of course, just be a campaign headline, but the US government system is very different from the EU’s, with Congress having already greatly limited Obama’s moves during his term.

On the plus, America does have its powerful central bank, and the Fed is the primary liquidity provider to the world’s entire financial system, with its monetary policy decisions having knock-on effects for currencies worldwide.

British investors therefore needn’t wait to see the outcome of the US election, as market indicators already suggest that American shares are overpriced. Regardless of who gets the presidency, investors can continue to make their investment decisions based on underlying fundamentals, and may well decide to look elsewhere for better prospects for the time being.

Looking for a job can be difficult, especially when competing with dozens of other candidates for the exact same job. The mere thought of writing a CV can transform even the most confident person to a timid shadow of their former selves. So, how can you defeat the self-doubt blues and bag your dream job? The first step is to write an impressive CV your employer won’t be able to put down.

According to the BBC, employers receive around 60 applications for a “low-skilled” job, and 20 for jobs requiring candidates with a lot more skills. With so many people applying for the same position, it can be difficult to make yourself stand out from the crowd. After all, how many times have you heard a career advisor say things like, “You need to make yourself stand out from the rest,” and “make a lasting impression” etc. But how can you do this with just a piece of paper? It’s simple, follow these 7 tips for writing an unforgettable CV and it won’t be long until you receive a call back for an interview:

1. Make sure that your CV uses proper spelling and grammar. Use commas where necessary and whatever you do, don’t repeat the same mistake twice. An employer will notice your blunders and assume if you can’t provide an error free CV, you must not be that keen on the position.
2. Focus attention on your notable achievements. Did you win any awards in your school days? Have you done something you are especially proud of? If you can, quote figures where possible to add an extra level of substance to your CV and to act as evidence of these achievements.
3. Put the most important information first. If you don’t have much experience, but did well in school, position your grades closer to the top of your CV.
4. Include relevant and key information such as personal contact information (address, phone number and email address) and any professional social media channels you may have such as your LinkedIn profile etc.
5. Tailor your CV. Instead of sending out the same generic CV to any job going, tailor it to suit the specific job that you are applying for. Make sure that it is relevant and reflects your passion for the said position.
6. Include other relevant skills that could give you a keen advantage over the competition. These skills could include anything from great IT skills to languages etc.
7. According to Jobs, it is important to appeal to your online audience, you can do this by “including relevant keywords in your CV”. This can help you to grab employer’s attention on sites such as LinkedIn.

It can be difficult to write a “perfect” CV, and nobody expects you to! Just make sure that your CV provides the right information and is an honest representation of who you are as a person and potential employee. You may wish to drop your CV with a Recruitment Agent in Belfast such as www.lynnrecruitment.co.uk.

Sales of VW cars across Europe have begun to grow again for the first time since the diesel emissions scandal hit the company in September 2015, causing a dent in its reputation and its profits.

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The news that the company was found cheating on diesel emissions tests in the US last year has hit the Volkswagen group hard, with profits down by 20 per cent in the first quarter of this year. The company was found to be using so-called “defeat device” software that was able to detect when the car was being driven on a test cycle, allowing it to deliver much lower exhaust emissions than it would produce during normal road driving.

It seems that there is now light at the end of the tunnel for the beleaguered company. Against a background of rising new car registrations across Europe, sales of Volkswagen cars rose by 2.7 per cent in April.

Growth across Europe

All of the major European car markets recorded growth in April, with Spain and Italy leading the way and Germany, France, and the UK also seeing increased sales, indicating an upturn in consumer confidence. This has been the highest month for car sales volume growth in Europe since April 2008, with sales reaching 1.3 million vehicles.

The sales of used VWs don’t seem to have been badly hit by the scandal, and it hasn’t caused a slump in used car prices as some industry experts predicted it would. If you’re looking to acquire a new VW via car leasing in Leicester from a company like http://leasing.totalmotion.co.uk/, you don’t need to worry that you could lose out on the deal due to a drop in the car’s residual value.

Slowest brand

Despite the good news about its return to positive growth, with 2.7 per cent growth overall, Volkswagen was still the slowest-performing brand in the VW group. Compared to its premium Audi and Porsche brands, which both showed growth in double figures, Volkswagen still has some catching up to do. Sales across the VW group as a whole – including the Seat and Skoda marques – rose by 5.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, other car makers have shown a strong performance in April, with Renault sales up by 5.1 per cent and Ford showing a 4 per cent growth.