Teesside homes suffer price slump
20.05.12
Teesside property experts said the slump raised the spectre of some homeowners facing negative equity - when the value of their mortgage is greater than their home.
Michael Poole, owner of Michael Poole Estate Agents and regional executive of the National Association of Estate Agents in the northern region, said: “We are still following a period of high prices and some of these falls are some of that washing out of the system.
“In some areas there are properties remaining on the market for a long time because people can’t afford to drop their prices.”
He added that difficulties for first-time buyers in saving enough deposit to go towards a mortgage was also dragging on prices.
The figures show that the average house price in Middlesbrough stands at £82,327, while in Stockton and Redcar & Cleveland, prices average at £113,178 and £100,416. In Hartlepool, the average price is £76,818.
The Land Registry data is seen as one of the most reliable gauges of the property market, as it is based on actual property sales.
Source: Gazette Live