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First-time buyers keen to take advantage of 0% stamp duty should act now - as from March 24, the land tax will become payable again on all homes costing more than £125,000.

The concession, which was announced by the government in the 2010 March Budget, meant those who had never before purchased a home would escape the first 1% threshold of the tax which usually applies to all property costing between £125,001 and £250,000.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps has hailed a new partnership between the Government and the National House Building Council (NHBC) to gain a greater insight into how efforts to get Britain building again are making a difference in communities across the country.

In an innovative new deal between the Government and NHBC, Ministers will have access to a wealth of information on the ins and outs of housebuilding - from details of the materials used to build a home, to insights on the journey from the start of the construction process through to the final sale.

An easing in the demand for rental property and a rise in the numbers of tenants struggling to meet their monthly rent payments signals that the rental market may be softening, new research suggests.

According to ARLA's latest research, in Q4 2011 just over half (55%) of ARLA members reported more tenants than properties available.

The sales market in Portugal remains subdued, according to the latest RICS/ Ci Portuguese Housing Market Survey.

Demand, supply and prices continue to fall. However, sales activity dropped at a slower rate than November.

Responding to the Court of Appeal's verdict that the Government's proposed cuts to Feed-in Tariffs would be illegal, Councillor David Parsons, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Environment Board, said:

"The notification of this cut and the decision to appeal has created huge uncertainty.

UK commercial property performance remained stable in the fourth quarter of 2011, despite continued economic uncertainty, according to CBRE.

Both occupier and investment markets remained neutral on fears that the economic recovery could reverse in coming quarters.

When it comes to forecasting the weather, most professional forecasters will not provide a long range view, but everyone can resonate with the uncertainty of the UK’s winter climate.

As temperatures plummeted during the past two winters the UK literally froze to a halt, and the ‘Big Freeze’ of 2010-11 was responsible for 25 deaths.

The British Property Federation has joined a growing list of voices calling on the Government to cap the annual business rates increase at 2%, in line with its target for inflation, to help struggling high street retailers.

Responding to the launch of the Association of Convenience Stores' campaign to cap business rates increase at 2%, the BPF reiterated its support for the cap which it first proposed in its response to Mary Portas' review of the high street.

Annual growth of 1.5% in the banks’ net mortgage lending continues to outstrip annual growth of 0.6% across the whole lending market in November.

BBA statistics director, David Dooks said:

The Government must make construction a priority, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), largest trade association in the construction industry, in response to the latest GDP figures released by the ONS, which show that construction and manufacturing have dragged the economy back into negative growth.
 
FMB Director of External Affairs Brian Berry said: