" Farmland values have shown, once again, a resilience to recessionary pressure. Despite the recession,  average values increased by 134% over the past decade – the fourth fastest 10-year growth since 1800. "

" A week, it is said, is a long time in politics, and as the campaigning begins to take off in earnest, seven days will inevitably seem an awful lot longer in the run-up to the general election. Elections can signal a change in property markets. Agents often observe a lack of willingness on the part of buyers and sellers to commit to deals in the face of uncertainty, and so a period of low turnover precedes the new government. "

" Will 2010 be the year of distressed selling? While many sectors saw a stabilisation of prime yields over the Christmas period, the movement over the last 12 months has been pretty dramatic with an average of 148 bps hardening across the sectors that we monitor.  "

" To date, ground rent investment has been the domain of specialist investors who have assimilated large portfolios of reversionary freehold interests in residential property that are occupied by those with long leasehold interests. Their returns have been generated from a combination of the income stream delivered by the ground rent, management charges and re-charges of block insurance cover, and the capital receipts derived from leaseholders exercising their rights of enfranchisement. "

" “2010 will bring more stock to the auction market but the difference between prime and secondary prices will continue to separate until funding becomes easier”  "

" Historically farmland is regarded a safe haven in times of economic uncertainty; this proved to be the case during 2009. In addition, trading and owning land has tax benefits, quite apart from the windfalls that strategically located farmland can produce by way of future development. Land also has obvious lifestyle attractions and a more positive sentiment in the amenity and country house markets in the second half of 2009 gave additional support to farmland values. "

" “The return of growth in prime rents has come at a time when activity in the sales market has increased dramatically, rapidly eroding the surplus stock as  come accidental landlords have chosen to sell.” "

" Overall values in prime central London residential markets rose by 4.6% in the last three months of 2009 as transactional activity, which built steadily over the first nine months of the year, remained relatively buoyant. Overall this meant that prices rose by 8.9% over the course of the year, fuelled by demand from overseas investment buyers chasing stock levels that remained 20% to 30% below their medium term average. "

" Growth of commercial development at end of 2009 driven by continued rebound in private sector activity. Private sector development underpinned the expansion in December, while public sector activity dropped further. "

" While a top performing farmer will tend to produce a higher average crop gross margin than an average-rated one, occasionally in a single year the situation will be reversed. Similarly, a top performing farmer will usually manage to sell at a higher price. "