A Scottish Government initiative to boost its shared equity scheme and help homeowners at risk of repossession has been broadly welcomed by housebuilders and lenders.

Rental yields have hit a two year high, encouraging some buy-to-let landlords to expand their portfolios despite the limited availability of buy-to-let mortgages.

One in five of us plan to make improvements to our home to increase its value or make it more saleable according to the Alliance & Leicester. But what we do to add value may not be what buyers are willing to pay for.

The Scottish Government has confirmed its target of increasing the supply of new homes to 35,000 a year despite a virtual halt in new construction among builders.

Could interest rates be on the way up, reversing the two cuts in rates earlier this year?

HBOS says that the number of property sales this year will be 45 per cent lower than last year and predicts that average prices will fall by nine per cent.

The Office of Fair Trading has launched a study in to the services provided by factors in Scotland.

Ravenscraig, the former steelworks, is to host a showcase of energy saving and low carbon solutions to domestic energy needs.

Mortgage lending rebounded in April with a rise in the number of loans approved for house purchase and an increase in the total amount lent to homeowners.

But the rate of interest charged on loans is not the key factor slowing the property market.

Surveyor sentiment in Scotland remains significantly more positive than it does elsewhere, although it is clear that the property market is slowing significantly.

One reason for a more positive outlook north of the border could be the better than average employment figures.

The Bank of England will have been cheered by news that earnings growth has hardly changed despite the rise in inflation.

Millions of homeowners are planning to make a profit on their homes during the slow down in the property market.

Interest rates remained unchanged at five per cent last week despite calls from business and property professionals for a cut.

The credit crunch is having less of an impact on the Scottish property market than in the rest of UK and repossessions in Scotland will be below levels seen elsewhere.

The Halifax released its latest monthly report showing almost exactly the same fall in prices reported for the same month by the Nationwide just a week ago.

Signs that the credit situation may be improving came with news that a new agreement will allow some Northern Rock customers coming to the end of their fixed rate mortgages to switch to switch to Lloyds TSB.

The cost of home improvements has risen by 20 per dent over the past two years according to the RICS Property Makeover Price Guide 2008.

Mortgage lending in April was up on the previous month and a little higher than the trend rate for the last six months.

The Nationwide sought to reassure homeowners after releasing data that showed average UK house prices down by 2.5 per cent in May.

We are still a nation of home improvers. Research by two banks have highlighted our continuing desire to ‘do up' properties in the hope of adding style and value.

Buy-to-let investors are seeing soaring demand for property to let and rising rents.