What are the good web sites for finding housing in London?  Several people have emailed us asking this question recently. We performed an informal inquiry. Here's our list of the top six UK-based web sites for finding a place to live in London. 

1. Globrix.com - With Web 2.0-ish user experience, Globrix, claims to be the largest search engine for "property, flats and houses for sale, rental property, flat shares and new homes". Large inventory of for sale and rentals.
    
2. Primelocation.com -  Search for for sale or rental properties.  This is "estate-agent" service" which means what the British call realtors. In fact, Primelocation service feels a lot like the UK's version of Realtor.com.  Lots of properties, downside is you have to register. They also have an iPad app
   
   
3. Nestoria.com - Very simple user interface.  Search tool for properties for sale and rent. The search box uses auto-suggest which is helpful if you're not exactly sure how you want to search.
    
4. Zoopla.co.uk - This service reminds us of some of the features you'll see on U.S.-based property search sites Trulia & Zillow.  A little more data focused than the other sites. Seems to be a property listing aggregator.
    
5. Gumtree.com -  Works a lot like Craigslist. Started in 2000 as a local London-based classified ads and community site. Acquired in 2005 by eBay's Kijiji (renamed Ebay Classifieds) service, Kijiji is Ebay's answer to Craigslist. Find room shares, etc.
    
6. London.Craigslist - Not to be outdone, Craigslist always makes a strong option. When we visited, there were plenty of listings. Downside was the inability to sort results by neighborhood.
    
7. Rightmove.com -Just launched an iPad app. Nothing very distinctive about this site. But it does seem to have a lot of inventory. 
   
    
   Please drop us a line if you have any suggestions on additions we should make to our list.

Home prices fell in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter, but were up 2 percent from the market's trough in the first quarter of 2009, according to the latest Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller National Home Price Indices report released today.

Data through March 2010 shows that U.S. National Home Price Index fell 3.2%, but remains above its year-earlier level. Housing prices have rebounded from crisis lows, but recently the market has seen renewed weakness as tax incentives are ending and foreclosures are climbing.

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices measures the residential housing market, tracking changes in the value of the residential real estate market in 20 metropolitan regions across the United States.

This is part two in a series of short videos where the panelist's conversation continues on the current condition of the U.S. housing market and what makes Oakland's housing market different.

Some of the questions discussed in this segment are:
 

• Has the market hit bottom yet?
   
• How to know if we are out of it, and if we’re not, when we will be?
   
• What are the opportunities out there given the state of the economy?
   
• Is Oakland unique to the current influences on the state of the economy or not? If so, why or why not?
   

 Back in February, a forum of local real estate consultants convened at the Ellington condominium building, a new high-rise, multi-unit residential building located in Jack London Square, Oakland, CA.

 This is part one in a series of short (2min - 5min) videos where the conversation centers on the U.S. housing market in general and the Oakland real estate market in particular. Also talked about is where the Ellington it is currently positioned in the Oakland market. The consensus seemed to be of the opinion that the units at the Ellington represent very good value for the asking price. One point made to this substantiate this view was that the units are currently priced at about 65-70% of what they would cost to build. 

 The Ellington is clearly a high-quality building. In terms of design and construction, no multi-unit residential building of its type in all of Oakland gets very close. The reality is they won't be producing a lot buildings with kind of construction quality any time soon. Which is another reason why units here make an attractive investment.

 Most of the units have killer bay views and Oakland cityscapes. The neighborhood, Jack London Square, while in need of some more foot traffic, has a lot going for it now. Blue Bottle Coffee, for example, just put a stake in the ground as they are a new property owner down the street on third.

 The Ellington building is a cast-in-place concrete structure with a precast and glass exterior. The ground floor is reserved for retail space. There are four levels of parking and 12 stories of condominiums. Amenities include a 50-foot pool, spa and a fitness center.

 

The first Park(ing) Day was launched by Rebar in 2005, right here in San Francisco. Watch our latest Streetfilm to see how San Francisco re-purposed parking spots during Friday's Park(ing) Day. Just imagine if bike parking and expanded outdoor café seating took over our automobile-filled public spaces every day. (Courtesy: Streetfilms.org)