No better time to buy, say agents ESTATE agents from across the region have reported a growing confidence in the housing market.

The third meeting of The Northern Echo’s Property Forum heard that for many people, there has never been a better time to buy a house.

The meeting, which involved representatives from several of the North-East and North Yorkshire’s leading estate agents, agreed that they were now at the bottom of the economic slump.

David Jackson, of Sanderson Weatherall, said: “There’s a general feeling that the market’s hit the bottom and gone as far as it’s going to go.

“People who are wanting to buy something are seeing that this is a real opportunity to get out there and do stuff.

“They’re starting to drive things forward.

“A lot of investors who dropped out are now starting to come back.”

Ian Taylor, from Halifax, said he had noticed an improvement in the buy-to-let market.

He said: “We still need more people to have more confidence to place their property on the market.

“Although clearly we need the market place to be sensible about valuations.”

Stephen McOwan, of McOwan and Co, reported that there was still a lot of interest in “highly individual”

houses.

“The market’s still very fragile but it’s moving slowly in the right direction,” he said.

Jamie Cameron, of North Yorkshire agents Stanton Mortimer, said the one positive aspect of the recession was the price of agricultural land. The price had either dropped very little or remained the same, at about £5,000 an acre.

“It’s full of cheer when compared to the residential and commercial markets,” he said.

“A good farmer can get about £300 a year from an acre of land, so there’s a reasonable return there.

“Some people who have a mixed portfolio of agricultural, residential and commercial land are doing very well.”

The meeting’s chairman, Tim Haggie, of Darlington solicitors Latimer Hinks, said: “There’s nowhere you can invest money and be guaranteed you’re going to get a return.

“Britain has always been country where people believe in property. I think that people will select it again.”

Other representatives at the meeting were from GVA Grimley Consultants and Nick Carver Estate Agents.