The latest e-mail from the group in oppostion to the Home Info Pack (HIP)
Simon

Dear Supporters

SPLINTA issued the following press release this afternoon. Please feel free to pass it on to your media contacts.

Regards

Nick

PRESS RELEASE

28th June 2006

REPORT WARNS THAT HOME INFO PACKS WILL DAMAGE UK ECONOMY

Leading anti-home information pack (HIP) campaign group, SPLINTA, has welcomed the publication of an independent report into the potential economic impact following the proposed introduction of the pack in June 2007.

The report, commissioned from the highly respected 'Oxford Economic Forecasting' by GMAC-RFC, a leading mortgage lender, predicts the effect on the UK economy if 10% or 25% less property sales transactions take place in the years following 2007. The reduction in sales may come about as a result of sellers being unwilling to accept the liability to pay for a HIP (costing between £700 and £1000) before their properties are put up for sale. Industry experts warn that the reduction could actually be as high as 30%.

If there are 10% less transactions post-HIP the government will find itself facing a 2.3 BILLION pound shortfall in its revenues in 2009 and a shortfall of 3.2 BILLION pounds by 2016. If 25% less properties are sold the hole in the budget will grow to over 5.6 BILLION pounds. In both scenarios unemployment rates may rise.

Nick Salmon, head of SPLINTA said: "Experts in the property industry have been warning the government for years that the unintended consequences of HIPs could be disastrous. Not only will the pack fail to materially improve the home buying process, now we can see that the entire economy may suffer as a result of the government's blind arrogance in pushing this measure through. The government and the HIP providers will attempt to spin their way out of the report findings but considering that Oxford Economic Forecasting is a highly respected independent body that does economic modelling for the Treasury, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund their findings cannot be easily dismissed. It is time for Secretary of State, Ruth Kelly, to call the whole HIPs scheme in for a full review."

ENDS

Further info and contacts regarding the report from: Nick Salmon, SPLINTA. 07831 805455

Notes to editors.

The SPLINTA campaign is supported by over 1,500 firms of estate agents, surveyors and solicitor/conveyancers with over 2,700 offices in England and Wales. The group welcomes cost-effectively beneficial improvement to the home buying and selling process but opposes HIPs on the grounds that it that will not provide a cost-effective improvement.

One client phoned yesterday & spoke to one of the ladies in the Office & said how relaxed we all are & how nice it was to speak to any of us on the phone as we all knew what was going on, unlike so many agents. I think that we are the only Estate Agents on the Isle of Wight who pay a salary to all our staff – we share all the work & therefore (have to) work as a team towards the goal of selling as many homes as we can. We also have never lost any staff since we started up.
In my experience if you are paid by results everyone obviously works in competition with each other, that is mine, that is yours, mentality - very inefficient!

We have been rushing all over the Island for what seems like for weeks!
My wife (Georgina) & I visit every house we take on, it takes an awful lot of time, but in the long run it is so much better as we know all the properties so well & we can answer most queries from potential buyers immediately.

It's been particularily difficult lately as I have lots of pictures of the front of houses to redo. The weather keeps changing - as soon as you get out their the mist comes over or the clouds come out.

But today I am at the office all day, (it's grey so I can't take any pictures) - which means I can get a lot of work done - I am really looking forward to the day.
Simon

I am really cheesed off - my son was walking home from school & the black terrier next door rushed up & bit the back of his leg! (it went through his trousers & pierced the skin).
I reckon this will now put him off dogs for the rest of his life.

This particular snappy little dog often hassles us when we walk up or down the road. We phoned next door (answerphone) & then the Police (just to register the incident). Because he has been injured we have to have a visit!
Simon
p.s. Since learnt from another neighbour that the same black dog killed their chickens.
p.s.s.Apologies from neighbour - matter closed.

We have spent 2 days trying to contact anyone in Talk Talk the telephone company  to query a bill, we would get through to customer services, it would say “we are all busy, please phone back later” & then they would disconnect the call, the only thing that worked in the end was the good old fax!  It was so frustrating.

During the day when we are all busy on the phones, we always have an answer phone on our main line in, please don’t get frustrated - always leave a message, we can then get straight back to you after the other calls are finished.

We have a different answerphone when we are closed - I find it rather odd that frequently people 'phone at 9 p.m., 10 p.m. or even 11 p.m. & they don't leave a message!

Although its a really grey day this morning - with that really wet mist, at least it was another glorious sunny Sunday on the Isle of Wight yesterday!
Often on our day off it's dull, so no complaints today.

It seems along time ago that it was the Nokia festival - yet it was only last week. The local press are saying its now just as good as Glastonbury & certainly more convenient. Lets hope the Isle of Wight Festival in 2007 gets some good groups - although I must admit I really enjoyed listening to the lesser known bands like "the Upper Room" right at the front stage. Goldfrapp where just like their name sounds like.
Simon

You wouldn’t think estate agency is so reliant upon the weather. Yesterday was cloudy right along the South coast, our telephones & e-mails for viewings dropped dramatically – we spent most of the day talking to other estate agents checking & chasing chains. Today it’s a sunny day & the e-mails & phones are back to normal again!

 On a different tack, the question I have for you - It’s the Queen’s official birthday on the 17^th June 2006, I know she actually had her real 80^th birthday on the 21 April 2006 – why does she have two birthdays?
Simon

The Isle of Wight pop festival starts (tomorrow) on Friday.

Newport town has all the diversions in place today, so the centre is bogged down with traffic jams – avoid the central roundabout at all costs!