Stamp duty charges: The UK housing market needs more homes not more taxes April 1, 2016 Anyone waking up today who is planning or close to purchasing a second home may well feel as if an April fool's trick has been played on them. Whether helping a son or daughter get onto the housing ladder, investing in a buy-to-let property or buying a holiday residence, from today an additional three per [...]
Bank of England: Yes, there was a mortgage stampede in March April 29, 2016 The final – and perhaps most definitive – proof that mortgage lending surged in March has been published by the Bank of England this morning, showing just how much tax changes distorted the property market. After a string of industry reports said that investors and landlords rushed to snap up houses before the three per cent [...]
Retail M&A slowdown as private equity backs away from high street January 30, 2017 The value of UK retail mergers sunk to a three-year low in 2016, with just 36 mergers agreed – down from 47 in 2015 according to law firm RPC. The new figures released today suggest that total deal values have also slumped from £20.7bn down to just £4.7bn, a decline which outpaced a post-Brexit slowdown [...]
Six ways to make sure your home sells this winter November 22, 2016 The nights might be drawing in and the mercury may be falling – but that doesn't mean you shouldn't put your house on the market. In fact, the concept that putting your house up for sale in winter is a bad idea is a popular misconception. By following some of our winter-specific tips, you can [...]
Housing crisis: Retired Brits twice as likely to fund their children’s home deposits May 12, 2016 RETIRED parents in Britain are twice as likely to fund their children’s home deposits than their counterparts in other English-speaking countries, with London pensioners even more likely to support their offspring. Putting the housing affordability gap into stark relief, research commissioned by payments provider UKForex showed that out of 1,135 British retirees surveyed, 27 per [...]
Chancellor George Osborne warns again Brexit will hit house prices May 21, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne again warned Brexit will hit house prices, as an immediate economic shock hits financial markets. Speaking at the G7 finance ministers’ meeting in Japan, he said: "There would be a hit to the value of people’s homes by at least 10 per cent and up to 18 per cent … first-time buyers are hit because mortgage rates [...]
Macquarie’s rival SDCL lays out its plans for Green Investment Bank as talk grows of ham-fisted privatisation and possible flotation January 23, 2017 The Green Investment Bank (GIB) needs to be built up before it can be floated in several years' time according to a UK-based international consortium which wants to be reconsidered as a buyer for the government-owned bank. The consortium, SDCL, is backed by the UK's Pension Protection Fund, Hancock of the US and Mitsui of Japan. It [...]
Over-40s are on a mortgage shopping spree – but age restrictions mean they’re struggling to borrow February 23, 2016 The over-40s are going berserk for mortgages – but banks and building societies are having trouble lending to them because of age restrictions, new research has found. The findings, by Nottingham Building Society, suggested two in five mortgage brokers have reported a rise in mortgage customers over the age of 40 – but 17 per cent [...]
Budget 2015: First-time buyer Help to Buy Isa panned by fiscal experts March 19, 2015 A prominent London think-tank has joined the chorus of criticism of the chancellor’s new policy to help aspiring first-time house buyers yesterday. The new Help to Buy Isa announced by George Osborne on Wednesday allows young savers to put a maximum of £200 a month away. The government will add 25 per cent to the [...]
London house prices: Asking prices hit record high as concerns grow over help to buy eligibilty February 15, 2016 London asking prices reached a new record high in February, property website Rightmove said this morning. Rising prices are making buying a new home difficult for many Londoners even when using the government’s help to buy scheme. Prices in Greater London climbed 5.4 per cent over the course of last month and are 10.5 per cent higher than [...]