It's been a week of ups and downs in the property market, with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) reporting that the abolition of Home Information Packs (Hips) last month has provided a boost to the property market, whilst the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Building Societies Association both state that confidence is slipping.

Meanwhile, in a move to cash in on the property market, Google UK has changed the way Google Maps works this week by adding a new
house-hunting facility.

And finally, gone are the days when the holiday park home industry only offered monotonous rows of mobile homes in sodden fields. A new era has emerged and it’s now possible to pay £250,000 for a wooden lodge fitted out with all the trimmings; a different spin on the holiday home...

Google UK adds house-hunting to Maps

Search giant's new service will add property listings to Google Maps.

Guardian, 16/06/2010
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First-time buyers fall to lowest level since 2007

Mortgage lending for house purchases fell by 9% in April, with the number of loans for first-time buyers falling by 17%, CML figures show.

Guardian, 15/06/2010
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Hips abolition boosts housing market, says Rics

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors reports an increase in supply of homes for sale, but opinion is mixed over the market's short- and long-term outlook.

Guardian, 15/06/2010
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House sales set to fall as public sector cuts loom

A quarter of homeowners are civil servants. With 50,000 predicted to lose their jobs, the ripple-effect is huge. Graham Norwood reports.

The Observer, 13/06/2010
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Confidence in UK housing market slips

Less than half of those contributing to the Building Societies Association's (BSA) June Property Tracker survey think that now is a good time to buy a home.

Finance Markets, 16/06/2010
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Homebuyer demand matches rising stock levels

The number of properties for sale in the UK has reached its highest level since January 2008, according to Findaproperty.com.

Finance Markets, 15/06/2010
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Are these the poshest mobile homes in Britain?

If you go down to the woods today expecting to find a cluster of temporary park homes that are about as welcoming as National Service barracks, you can be sure of a big surprise.

The Daily Mail, 14/06/2010
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