Great Portland Estates sells London’s 50 Finsbury Square freehold for £190m October 4, 2022 Great Portland Estates (GPE) has sold the freehold of 50 Finsbury Square to German family office Wirtgen Invest Holding for £190m. The deal, in which proceeds will be pumped into GPE’s credit facility, represents a capital value of £1,471 per square feet. The Fosters & Partners designed office block will have its “comprehensive” refurbishment completed [...]
Over 30 UK homes tied to sanctioned oligarchs remain unfrozen assets October 3, 2022 Around £700m worth of luxury homes previously linked to sanctioned oligarchs have not been flagged for asset freezes, according to new research by campaign group Transparency International UK. Some 33 homes, flats and office blocks across London and Surrey – including mega-mansion Witanhurst – have not been restricted on the UK property register, the group [...]
Aviva Investors eyes build-to-rent earnings as it bolsters European team October 3, 2022 Aviva Investors is looking to develop a build-to-rent portfolio in Spain worth €500m (£438m), having recently built out its European real estate investment team. It is the second build-to-rent venture by Aviva Investors and its first in continental Europe, following its partnership with Packaged Living for 195 homes in the West Midlands, UK. The asset manager [...]
DeVere shutters UK property investment division as mortgage rate rises loom October 3, 2022 Independent financial advisory organisation DeVere is to pull all its property investments in the UK market amid looming interest rate rises. The group, which advises on around $12bn (£10.7bn) in funds, said today it will temporarily shutter its property investment division as inflation in the UK spirals. The Bank of England is widely expected to [...]
Greater London boroughs most at risk of ‘monster’ mortgage rate hikes, say Lib Dems October 3, 2022 Greater London boroughs are most at risk as “monster” mortgage rate hikes loom, according to research by the Liberal Democrats. Sutton, Bexley, Kingston upon Thames and Redbridge are home to the highest proportion of properties owned with a mortgage, with one in three households ladened with the debt – far above the city average of [...]
£277m financing deal between Quintain and J.P. Morgan to provide new homes at Wembley Park September 28, 2022 A £277m financing deal between development company Quintain and investment bank J.P. Morgan Chase will provide 769 new homes at Wembley Park. 74 percent of Quintain’s two new residential buildings, expected to be completed by early 2025, will be ‘Build-to-Rent’. Shops, cafes, restaurants and a 7-acre park are also in the works. The largest construction [...]
House prices may tumble a fifth if Bank of England hikes rates steeply, economists warn September 27, 2022 House prices could tumble as much as 21 per cent if the Bank of England is forced to hike interest rates steeply in response to the government’s tax and borrowing splurge fuelling inflation, City economists have warned. Mortgage affordability – the ratio of a home purchase loan to the size of the borrower’s income – [...]
Exclusive: Blackstone founder Steve Schwarzman picks up Wiltshire country pad for cool £80m September 27, 2022 If you have ever driven through the countryside and imagined living in a 17th century estate, you’re not alone. Steve Schwarzman, the founder and chief executive of Blackstone, has bought Conholt Park, a country house with around 2500 acres of sprawling grounds and a series of cottages fashioned from the remains of an 18th century [...]
UK Holiday Property Investment September 27, 2022 | Sponsored 7% fixed NET return1 The UK holiday industry has shown signs of a strong recovery from the disruptions posed by the global pandemic. Research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecast that the UK’s travel and tourism sector’s contribution to the economy could rise to £192 billion in 2022. The British public have [...]
Mortgage lenders withdraw some products after mini-budget market turmoil September 27, 2022 By PA Banks and building societies are withdrawing some of their mortgages from sale after the Government’s mini-budget on Friday sparked massive market turmoil. Three lenders have so far withdrawn some of their products amid the uncertainty. Virgin Money said: “Given market conditions we have temporarily withdrawn Virgin Money mortgage products for new business customers. [...]