Regeneration and funding for improvements to the public transport system have improved the quality of life for residents, and made it easier to get to for visitors.

The City is home to a number of leading Educational Institutions, including The University Of Salford, The University Of Manchester, Manchester Business School, Manchester Metropolitan University and City College Manchester.

A high population of students helps the rental market, and graduates buying their first home in the area keeps no-chain home sales up.

And According to The Manchester Evening News, Manchester’s commercial property market is still looking good. Which, along with a direct effect on property sales, also means businesses in the area are thriving – meaning more jobs for people living in Manchester.

In 2007 Manchester accounted for the most significant level of UK investment, with £1.2bn of investment activity in the city.

An exception to this rosy picture is Alpha Street in Higher Openshaw, where houses have an average value of £29,900, and have seen little to no increase in the past 20 years. However this street is due to be flattened and regenerated in about 2 years time.

If you’re thinking of buying property in Manchester, it’s worth looking into what the Council have planned for employment, regeneration areas, transport, housing etc.

You can see the Development Plan for the Manchester District here.

Jonathan Welford from Kings Residential appeared briefly on the programme. After giving up 5 hours of Jonathan’s time he appeared for around 30 seconds to point out the views from Manchester’s Beetham Tower. His moderate prediction of the future of house prices clearly hit the editting room floor.

To help sift through some of this and get to the useful informative sites and blog posts about property, I’ve compiles a list of the best I’ve found.

• Up My Street – facts about where you live in England and Wales, including property prices, top GCSE and A-Level schools, Council Tax rates, crime rates.
• Land Registry – This is the Government run website which holds specific information about property is available from here for a fee. But they also show statistics on house prices for districts. You can for example compare the rise of house prices in Stockport to Cheshire.
• Share To Buy – They have some great information if you’re planning to buy a house with someone. They also have an outline for a contract to use if you’re buying with someone.
• First Rung Now – This has mortgage and property advice for first time buyers.
• Mortgage comparisons – MoneySupermarket and Motley Fool offer price comparisons from various lenders, but you can often get impartial advice from a mortgage advisor.

If you have any suggestions you would like to add, please add a comment and I’ll review, and update this list if appropriate.