Brexhausted: The number of UK property transactions has plateaued as the market adjusts to new taxes and Brexit September 21, 2016 The number of property transactions fell in August year-on-year as the market adjusted to a more uncertain economic environment. There were 97,600 residential transactions in August, 6.1 per cent lower than in the same month last year, when adjusted for seasonal variations. The figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) show little change on the number [...]
Housebuilder shares rise as government launches £36m fund to build first-time buyer homes on brownfield sites August 10, 2015 Shares in the UK's largest housebuilders rose today after the government unveiled two funds collectively worth £36m aimed at building homes for first-time buyers on brownfield sites. Communities secretary Greg Clark said a £26m fund will be used to acquire brownfield sites to provide land for starter homes, while another, £10m, fund is aimed at [...]
More than 2,000 people have already cashed in their Help to Buy Isa just four months after launch – getting a bonus of just £421 June 30, 2016 Perplexing news from the Treasury, which has reported more than 2,000 people have so far cashed in their Help to Buy Isas – meaning they've made an average of just £421. The figures, published this morning, showed 1,490 properties were bought in the four months to the end of March through the scheme, which gives savers a £50 [...]
UK house prices: The average cost of a home for first-time buyers increased £138 a day in June July 27, 2015 Despite all George Osborne's efforts, it looks like first-time buyers are bearing the brunt of the increase in house prices again, after new figures showed the average price of a first-time buyer home leaped by £4,150 in June. That's £138 a day. Read more: Thinking of leaving London? These are the best commuter towns to move [...]
Homemover loan applications had the highest success rate for mortgage approvals in the first quarter June 2, 2016 Homemover loan applications registered the highest success rate for converting mortgage applications into completed deals in the first quarter, according to the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA). The IMLA data shows that 80 per cent of homemover applications resulted in an offer and the same percentage of offers led to a deal. Read more: Nearly two out [...]
A stroke of genius: How to get a loan by securing against art November 30, 2017 The world was stunned earlier this month when a 500-year-old Leonardo da Vinci painting smashed the world record by fetching $450m at auction. This figure might sound absurd, but understanding the multitude of factors that determine the value of art will remain a mystery to many of us. “Art is very personal,” says Freya [...]
Housebuilder Persimmon shrugs off Brexit vote but says it’s staying cautious November 2, 2016 Housebuilders' shares were among the hardest hit after the Brexit vote – but it seems investors may have been over-cautious, after Persimmon reported a 19 per cent jump in sales. The figures In a trading statement this morning Persimmon, the UK's biggest housebuilder, said since it reported its half-year results at the end of August, sales have [...]
No let-up in falling London house prices, says Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) July 13, 2017 There has been “no real easing” in the pace of decline of London house prices, a survey has suggested, with 45 per cent of chartered surveyors in the capital saying they observed a fall in prices in the past three months. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said stamp duty, Brexit and the political [...]
Vendors trying to shift property after the Brexit vote have cut prices by nearly 10 per cent in some parts of London August 10, 2016 Vendors trying to shift their property in the aftermath of the Brexit vote and stamp duty changes are cutting prices by nearly 10 per cent in some parts of London. Data from Zoopla shines a light on just how many houses have had their prices reduced, and by how much. Read more: Here's everything you need to [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond to close Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme at end of 2016 September 29, 2016 Chancellor Philip Hammond has confirmed that he will be closing the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme at the end of this year. In a letter to Bank of England governor Mark Carney, he said the scheme's purpose has been "successfully achieved" and he will close it to new loans at the end of 2016. [...]