UK house prices: The return of cheap housing finance? Chelsea Building Society unveils the first tracker mortgage to be launched with an interest rate lower than one per cent June 5, 2015 When the sub-prime mortgage bubble burst, everyone blamed cheap borrowing – but that clearly hasn't perturbed the Chelsea Building Society, which today unveiled the first ever tracker mortgage launched with an interest rate below one per cent. To be fair, housebuyers who want to borrow under the scheme need to meet pretty stringent restrictions, including [...]
UK house prices drop in May: Tug of war as high price-to-earnings ratios and a lack of supply affect market June 4, 2015 UK house prices dropped for the first time in three months this May, according to data from Halifax. The market is feeling the effects of a tug of war as a lack of supply drives prices higher, stretching finances and affecting sentiment. The figures On a monthly basis – the most volatile measure – house [...]
David Cameron defends Right to Buy scheme after Harriet Harman attacks housing policy June 3, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron defended his government’s housing policies in the first Prime Minister’s Questions session of the new parliament yesterday. Acting leader of the opposition Harriet Harman attacked the Prime Minister’s plan to extend Margaret Thatcher’s “Right to Buy,” scheme, which will allow housing association tenants to buy their homes at a discount of [...]
UK house prices: The proportion of house buyers shunning mortgages for cash purchases has hit a record high June 3, 2015 More people than ever before are buying houses without the need for a mortgage, according to new figures. Almost four in 10 people (38 per cent) paid for their properties in cash during the first quarter of the year, Nationwide has said. This mitigated subdued mortgage lending data to some extent. There are signs that [...]
UK house price growth slows to lowest rate in over a year June 3, 2015 UK house price growth slowed in May, with the annual growth rate slowing to an annual rate of 4.6 per cent in May – down from 5.2 per cent in April and the lowest rate since August 2013. The figures The average cost of a house in the UK now stands at £195,166 – the [...]
UK house prices: Mortgage approvals have their biggest spike since April 2009 June 2, 2015 The number of mortgages granted in April for new homes grew at its fastest rate since April 2009, according to data from the Bank of England. The figures Some 68,076 mortgages were granted in April for house purchase, compared with 61,945 in March – an increase of 9.9 per cent – the biggest monthly percentage change [...]
Land Registry: UK house prices up in April, driven by semi-detached properties June 1, 2015 The rising value of semi-detached homes has led a rise in house prices across the UK in April, the latest Land Registry figures show. The average price of a semi – now £170,470 – was up 5.6 per cent on last year, helping annual prices rise 5.1 per cent overall, and bringing the average value [...]
Why over-55s are “trapped” in £820bn worth of outsized homes June 1, 2015 Homeowners over the age of 55 are sitting on £820bn worth of "under-occupied" homes, new research has suggested – a figure which could hit £1.2 trillion by 2020. The research, by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and institutional investor Legal & General (L&G), suggested so-called "last-time buyers" are struggling to maintain large [...]
FA Cup final 2015: Arsenal Vs Aston Villa at Wembley is a tale of two cities’ property prices in London and Birmingham May 29, 2015 Arsenal and Aston Villa may be meeting up at Wembley this weekend in the FA Cup final, but there’s more than just mileage and points between the two Premier League clubs. Their home turfs of Birmingham and London show a tale of two cities divided by a gap of more than a quarter of a [...]
Mortgage lending rises as buyers borrow more despite election worries May 28, 2015 Mortgage lending kept growing in April despite the uncertainty of the election hanging over the housing market, according to figures yesterday from the British Bankers’ Association (BBA). A total of 73,650 of mortgage loans were given out in the month, up from 72,074 in March. April’s loans were worth a total of £11.7bn, up from £11.5bn in [...]