Lending standards dip in the Eurozone as banks open up their coffers in response to the European Central Bank’s negative interest rates April 19, 2016 Businesses across the Eurozone are finding it easier to secure bank loans, according to the European Central Bank (ECB)’s quarterly lending survey, released this morning, which also shows that negative interest rates are encouraging banks to lend more. Banks across the single currency bloc said they were loosening their standards for businesses applying for loans [...]
UK house prices: The government could tackle the country’s housing deficit – but it has a vested interest in choking supply April 19, 2016 We need more housing to be built in the UK. That’s a quite indisputable statement that everyone I speak to in the property industry, in the public sector, amongst charities and at the dinner table, agrees with. The population of Britain increases by around 500,000 people each year largely due to positive net immigration but because people are [...]
Death of a unicorn: Inside one of the biggest startup failures of all time – and Powa Technologies boss Dan Wagner’s surprise statement April 18, 2016 Powa Technologies, once valued at more than $1bn making it one of Britain's rare breed of so-called unicorns, collapsed into tech myth earlier this year. In fact, it was one of the most well funded startups in the world to ever fail, according to tech data gurus at CB Insights, after raising multi-millions of pounds worth [...]
UK house prices: Asking prices reach record highs due to first-time seller surge, according to Rightmove April 2016 house price index April 18, 2016 If you had been hoping the property market would become easier to enter this month, you might still have to wait a while… UK house prices continued to rise throughout March, according to Rightmove, and the average asking price has reached a new record high of £307,033. This was a rise of 1.3 per cent, or £3,843, compared [...]
Area guide: Wembley – house prices have risen by 10 per cent in the last year April 14, 2016 It may be the home of football, but Wembley’s also home to around 115,000 Londoners. And with its diverse housing stock and decent transport links, it could be your new home, too. Research from estate agent Hamptons International recorded a “surge” in transactions in Wembley last year, as hundreds of new build flats went on [...]
UK house prices: Mortgage lending enjoys best first quarter in nine years despite March dip April 14, 2016 Mortgage lending enjoyed its best first quarter in nine years thanks to buy-to-let landlords rushing to beat April's stamp duty hike, according to new figures published this morning. An average of 71,710 house purchase loans were approved in the first three months of the year, the data from surveyors e.surv shows – making it the highest opening [...]
House prices: London’s first time buyers will need £106,000 salary to afford an average home by 2020, warns Shelter April 14, 2016 Londoners looking to buy their first home will need to earn over £100,000 a year by 2020, research by housing and homelessness charity Shelter has found. The study said this was an increase over the quarter on the £80,000 needed for a typical first time buyer’s mortgage today. On top of this, first-time buyers will also need an [...]
Property bubble shows no sign of popping yet as mortgage lending marches higher April 13, 2016 Mortgage lending grew by one-fifth over the last twelve months as the number of first time buyers, people moving homes, buy-to-let investors and remortgages all grew according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). In total, £8.7bn was taken out for new mortgages in February 2016, up 21 per cent on last year, while another [...]
Shell could sell some North Sea assets April 12, 2016 Royal Dutch Shell could sell some of its older, lower grade North Sea assets as part of a two-year programme to help pay for its £35bn purchase of BG. It confirms previous reports that the oil major would use its assets there to help hit a $30bn sales target between 2016 and 2018, a goal which will go towards financing the [...]
London house prices actually fell last month – but Londoners need a six-figure salary to afford to buy a home April 12, 2016 Another day, another set of house price figures – but this time there's a bit of good news for those struggling to afford a home. Yep – house prices in the capital actually fell in February on the month before – dropping to £524,000, from £540,000 in January. But house prices can be volatile – [...]