News

Worldwide revolt over age restricted communities

LONDON:   Age-restricted communities were once a marketing sinecure. But with generational change, market interlopers offering choice, and home care trends and a more discerning veteran cortile, age-restricted communities are increasingly becoming millstones on developers balance sheets.Villages / communities part sell and move in rates tank. Developers respond by attempting to legally lift the 'artificial... Full Story in UK Over 50s Housing Weekly  #557 / 15-05-12

Barclays Accused Of 'Unjust Enrichment'

LONDON:   Barclays Plc (BARC) has been accused of undermining the integrity of the London interbank offered rate in a lawsuit filed by a care home company which claims it was sold unfair interest rate swaps linked to the measure. Companies in the Guardian Care Homes Ltd. group are suing Barclays for repayment of about £12 million pounds and for termination of the swaps. "Barclays knew of its own... Full Story in UK Over 50s Housing Weekly  #556 / 30-04-12

IMF report on retirement costs misleading

LONDON:   British workers should be forced to delay their retirements to save the country from financial ruin, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It said the national debt would spiral out of control if the average lifespan in the UK rose by just three years more than predicted. The organisation warned that the 'financial implications of people living longer than expected' are 'very large,' and... Full Story in UK Over 50s Housing Weekly  #555 / 26-04-12

Flurry of scaremongering dementia reports

LONDON:   The release of a flurry of reports warning about the growth in dementia numbers overthe next 20-40 years is an act of political thuggery. That one of the reports emanates from the World Health Organisation is deeply reprehensible. The UN report claims by 2050, the number of sufferers could be more than three times the current figure of 35.6 million. The reports have political tones and anagenda. They have... Full Story in UK Over 50s Housing Weekly  #554 / 16-04-12

Accounting rule constraints to drive rejig

LONDON:   A plethora of accounting rule constraints and slipping valuations is likely to drive the stock exchange listed Public Service Properties Investments Ltd (PSPI) into a 'tighter economic embrace' with its UK tenant, the European Care Group. European Care manages, via a number of legal entities, 39 PSPI care homes in the UK on long-term indexed leases. But the structure is cruelling the PSPI... Full Story in UK Over 50s Housing Weekly  #553 / 09-04-12

Syndicate to raise development finance

LONDON:   Experience International (EI) has launched a care home development investment vehicle which promises investors an eight per cent net return over10 years. The EI vehicle is seeking a minimum £65,000 from each investor and is promising 15 percent interest on deposited funds during construction. The first project is a 66 suite care home being built three miles south of... Full Story in UK Over 50s Housing Weekly  #552 / 02-04-12

Over 50s Housing Trends - Raison Dêtre Homes

London:   A new over 50s housing trend is emerging in the suburb of Stanmore in London. A publicly listed developer has 'accidentally' unlocked a market known only to exist previously as an unproven theory. Now it has the over 50s market queuing to acquire an apartment and with it, participation in the nation's most pivotal moment. This is the 'raison détre' market, and these new residents have a reason... Over 50s Housing Trends Seminar  #551 / 06-03-12

Barchester to move on new business model?

London:   An independent report says Guernsey could diversify its economy by promoting health tourism.The report says the health sector is one of the few that can reliably be predicted to grow in coming years, and that there are numerous opportunities for Guernsey to exploit that commercially. It recommends that the island explores the idea of developing and promoting medical tourism and... Full Story in UK Over 50s Housing Weekly  #550 / 05-03-12

Council ordered to reconsider payments again

CARDIFF:   Pembrokeshire council has been ordered by the High Court to reconsider how much it pays private care homes for each resident for a second time. Seven care home companies took further legal action against the local authority. After a court hearing last year the council offered to increase payments for each resident from £390 to £464 per week. Care homes disputed the method used by the council... Full Story in UK Over 50s Housing Weekly  #549 / 20-12-11

Care sector snowed by misinformation blizzard

LONDON:   The UK public is being snowed by a blizzard of misinformation about the care home sector. And the English press has collectively moved into the market segment previously occupied by News of the World. Instead of reporting facts, newspapers have become purveyors of hysteria. Overworked adjectives and nouns used to record the Southern Cross fallout in the past week include collapse... Full Story in UK Over 50s Housing Weekly  #548 / 20-12-11