LSL Property: Profit shoots up as housing market recovers March 26, 2025 LSL Property Services, one of the UK’s largest providers of mortgage and valuation services, has reported a jump in profit amid increased activity in the housing market. LSL reported operating profit of £21.9m for the year ended December 31, up more than five-fold from £3.7m in 2023. Underlying operating profit for the full year was [...]
UK housing market returned to growth in 2024 March 17, 2025 The value of the UK housing market returned to growth last year after mortgage rates dropped and affordability constraints eased. According to Savills, the total value of the UK housing market expanded by 6.3 per cent in 2024 to £379bn. The increase in spending on housebuying was fuelled by first-time buyers, who collectively increased their [...]
Mortgage approvals up a fifth since January last year March 3, 2025 Mortgage approvals rose 18 per cent year on year in January after interest rate cuts improved affordability. Mortgage approvals sat at 66,189 in January, up 18 per cent from 55,941 in January 2024, according to ONS data. “UK homebuyers appear to have begun the year on the front foot,” CEO of specialist lender Octane Capital, [...]
Yorkshire Building Society profit tumbles as margins fall February 27, 2025 Profit took a tumble at Yorkshire Building Society, as declining interest rates tightened the firm’s interest margins. The building society booked a £385.2m profit in 2024, compared to the £453.7m pocketed in 2023. The decline was largely due to net interest income falling £49.5m year-on-year, as increased pressure on mortgage and saving books boosted reductions. [...]
Skipton Building Society’s annual results boosted by first-time buyers February 26, 2025 Skipton Group, which includes the UK’s largest estate agency, Connells and Skipton Building Society, has announced a record return of value to its members after a bumper year at the group. The group’s pre-tax profit fell to £318.6m in 2024, down from £333.4m the year prior. The group cited downward pressure on net interest income [...]
Borrowing boom to boost banks February 17, 2025 Banks have been given a boost after new data predicted borrowing growth would rise throughout 2025. After the Bank of England slashed interest rates three times in the last six months, research from EY Item Club anticipates total UK bank lending will rise to 3.7 per cent this year, up from 2.3 per cent in [...]
Home repossessions rise as higher interest rates bite borrowers February 10, 2025 The number of homeowners with mortgages facing repossession rose in the fourth quarter of 2024 as buyers struggled with higher interest rates. UK Finance figures show that repossessions rose 12 per cent in the last three months of 2024 compared to the previous year and were up 54 per cent yearly. Overall, 1,030 residential houses [...]
Mortgage rates to rise on back of bond market turmoil January 10, 2025 Gilt yields influence the mortgage market through swap rates, the main benchmark for mortgage lending in the UK.
Buying a house? Pay in cash for a £28k discount January 7, 2025 Buying a house is the largest purchase most of us will make in a lifetime – but it may be cheaper for some than others. Cash buyers now pay £28,000 less on average for a home than those relying on a mortgage, and the ‘cash discount’ has risen by 12.4 per cent in just two [...]
Mortgage approvals fall faster than expected in wake of Budget January 3, 2025 65,700 mortgages were approved in November, down from 68,300 in October and comfortably below economists' expectations.