OneSavings lifts loan growth forecasts but warns of weaker Buy-to-Let mortgage market August 23, 2018 Specialised lender OneSavings Bank raised its expectations for loan growth today, despite pressure on profit margins amid a weaker Buy-to-Let mortgage market. The FTSE 250 firm’s loan book grew 11 per cent to £8.1bn during the first six months of 2018, with full-year targets for net loan book growth upgraded to high-teens percentages from an [...]
First-time buyers drop off market as mortgage completions sink August 22, 2018 First-time buyer mortgages fell sharply in the second quarter of 2018, signalling a drop in new homeowners coming onto London’s subdued property market. Roughly 10,300 new first-time buyer mortgages were completed in London in the three months to the end of June, marking a 3.7 per cent fall from the same period in the previous year. [...]
Greater London property lull sinks lower as house prices per square metre fall for the first time in eight years August 18, 2018 Property growth per square metre has slowed down in Greater London, providing fresh evidence of a subdued housing market in the capital. Greater London property space suffered the lowest growth out of any region in the last 12 months, with house prices per square metre (psm) falling for the first time in eight years. House [...]
Property withdrawals overtake sales for first time in two years August 12, 2018 More properties are being taken off the market than are being sold for the first time in two years, a new report has found. The findings show that in the second quarter of this year, 51 per cent of properties taken off the market were withdrawn from sale, compared with 49 of residences which were [...]
Opinion: While we need to get young people on the property ladder, movers and downsizers need help too | City A.M. August 10, 2018 Falling levels of home ownership and the particular plight of first-time buyers in the UK housing market have caused headaches for policymakers for many years. The latest suggestions for a solution from centre-right think tank Onward, propose, among other things, further changes to property taxation for non-owner-occupiers. The rationale is to reduce demand for housing [...]
Prime time: Property prices soar for London’s most expensive homes August 10, 2018 Prices for central London’s most expensive properties have risen at their fastest levels in almost three years, amid signs that confidence is starting to return to the capital’s high-end residential market. Central London’s prime house prices rose 1.2 per cent over the second quarter of the year, marking the highest annualised growth since autumn 2015. [...]
Forget ditching the Lifetime Isa – it should be evolved instead August 1, 2018 Last week, the Treasury Committee suggested that the year-old Lifetime Isa (Lisa) be killed off. This news came hot on the heels of rumours that the pensions dashboard might get the boot, just months before it was expected to go live. This government seems to have a knack for driving in reverse. And by [...]
Mortgage approvals jump to five-month high as subdued market picks up | City A.M. July 30, 2018 Mortgage approvals hit a five-month high in June as Britain’s housing market shows signs of recovery from a slowdown earlier this year. British lenders approved 65,619 mortgages in June, rising 1.5 per cent from 64,684 in May and reaching the highest level since January, according to data from the Bank of England (BoE). Meanwhile, the [...]
New homes: Here are the new developments going on sale in London this weekend | City A.M. July 27, 2018 Our pick of the new developments on sale now Bishops Gate, Fulham From £625,000 A gated mews development next to Bishop’s Park is on sale, with a three bedroom duplex apartment for prospective buyers to peruse. The nine hectare green space is home to Fulham Palace, tennis courts and gardens and is also the setting [...]