Italian homes: Tuscany
Discovering and restoring a Tuscan castle is a dream of almost every Briton who takes a flight to Pisa and spends a fortnight in an agriturismo apartment, eating pasta, chilling by the pool and visiting the museums of Siena. Most dismiss the idea on the flight home. But the dream does not quite die, which is why millions of people watched the episodes of Channel 4?s Grand Designs that charted the renovation of the 1,000-year-old Castello di Brancialino in Arezzo, on the eastern, more mountainous, side of Tuscany.

Focus on Bristol
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How first-time buyers can get a foot on the property ladder
First-time buyers are a rare breed, and in London, rarer still. Dips in house prices haven?t come close to making even tiny flats affordable for most twenty and thirtysomethings who don?t have massive financial backing from parents or the kind of job that means you can endanger a multinational banking corporation before lunch. And yet, we?re the same as previous generations: we want homes of our own, enough space for ourselves and our stuff, and an address that the local pizza place isn?t afraid to deliver to.

The Numbers: House Prices
House prices are stabilising, according to the latest key surveys. If this trend continues, it is possible that the collapse forecast for this year may not come to pass. But while property commentators express some relief, they remain cautious about proclaiming that the recovery has arrived. We rate the tone of the surveys from (doomladen) to (happy days are here again).

What you need to know about historic country homes
The description does not appear in any medieval document as a name, or part of the name, of a house. In some cases, the name was added only in the mid-19th century when properties suddenly required a a postal address.

Brief encounter: for sale signs
Q My next-door neighbour has had a ?For Sale? sign up for more than a year. I hate the things. Two weeks ago another board from a different agent also appeared. There are already far too many in my street and it really blights the area. My neighbour is obviously desperate to sell and says that the agents insist on having a board up. Can I do anything about the proliferation of signs?

Bidding war breaks out as the housing market shows signs of recovery
Can the property market really be all slumped out? Unexpected indications that the worst of the price falls may be over include reports of newly emboldened buyers bidding it up in the auction room. This is not merely bottom-of-the-barrel bargain hunting. Six months ago, auctions were the preserve of steely investors with privileged access to cash and a taste for unprepossessing but rentable repossessions. But now auctioneers report that fewer distressed sales are ending up in catalogues and bidders include a healthier range of potential buyers ? not only property companies and buy-to-let investors, but also owner-occupiers, even including those elusive first-time buyers.

London villages: exploring Wimbledon
The hordes are bearing down on SW19. Thousands of tennis-mad spectators may be obsessed by the delicious prospect of an Andy Murray triumph this weekend, but as they tramp their way to the All England Club, there is a chance some may have been distracted momentarily by another local delight: the large Victorian and Edwardian terraces and plentiful green spaces that make this one of London?s most desirable locations.

Sir Cliff Richard told to demolish conservatory by planners
Sir Cliff Richard has been ordered to demolish his £30,000 conservatory after planners said it was too big and was put up without planning permission.

Confusion in Whitehall over funding for social housing programme
Seven Whitehall departments were in a standoff with the Treasury over how a £1.57 billion social housing programme announced by Gordon Brown will be funded.

Commercial Mortgage Broker ? Your Priorities Come First 2rj7eu5pmn
Why should you use a commercial mortgage broker rather than a bank, when looking for your commercial mortgage? To answer this question, here?s another: What are your main priorities when looking for a commercial mortgage? For ...

Loan Insurance ? Is It Worthwhile Or Not?
When you take out a loan or other type of credit, you will have to decide whether to take out loan insurance. There are differing views about whether loan insurance is worthwhile or not. To decide ...

Increased identity fraud pushing half a million people into debt
As online fraud looms at a record high, with a recent report showing seven out of ten Internet users are regularly targeted by fake banking emails, consumers are now being warned of the implications of ...

Mortgage Advice ? For People Just Like You
These are rather difficult times for anyone looking for a mortgage, but perhaps especially for you if you are hoping to buy your first home. Perhaps you?ve been waiting years for house prices to come ...

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