The Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme is boosting high loan-to-value lending December 17, 2015 The government's Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme, which offers greater protection for lenders, is boosting high loan-to-value (LTV) lending, according to new figures released today. The number of mortgage deals offering loans equal to 95 per cent of the value of a property climbed to 260 in November, the data from mortgage insurer Genworth [...]
UK house price growth hits its highest since March – and that’s before buy-to-let investors began the rush December 15, 2015 UK house prices grew seven per cent in the year to October, their highest growth since March. The average house price rose to £287,000, up from £286,000 in September, the Office for National Statistics said, as the prospect for low interest rates continued to fuel the market. The largest increase was experienced in the East of England, [...]
The definitive guide to where you can afford to buy a home: Unless you earn £42,645 forget about living in London December 14, 2015 Where in the UK can you afford a house? If you're a first-time buyer, the answer is "very few places". If you earn under £42,645 per year, you’re going to struggle to find anywhere in the capital. Use the tool below on desktop to find out where you can afford to buy, based on the interest rate on [...]
Getting onto the housing ladder is £2,300 a year cheaper than renting, says Santander December 14, 2015 First-time buyers could save £2,300 a year by getting on the property ladder compared to renting, according to research by Santander Mortgages. The average monthly rent in the UK is currently £995 compared to monthly repayments of £805 for the average first-time buyer household, meaning buyers could save £190 a month, the lender said. In [...]
Rightmove: London house prices beat the seasonal slump December 14, 2015 London asking prices have gone up 10 per cent in the last year, yet some experts are warning the market could run out of steam in 2016. Prices are down 0.5 per cent compared with last month, according to figures published by property website Rightmove this morning. The smallest December dip since 2008 took asking [...]
First-time housebuyers in a festive frenzy, as number of valuations for this purpose rocketed up 31 per cent compared to last year December 11, 2015 Christmas may have come early for some first-time buyers, as the number of valuations for homehunters in this category jumped up last month. According to a report out today by Connells Survey & Valuation, the number of valuations carried out for first-time buyers in November was 31 per cent higher than the same time last [...]
What’s going to happen to the tech industry in 2016? Fewer IPOs, compressed unicorn valuation and slowing M&A activity December 8, 2015 The year 2015 was packed with fintech unicorns, blockchain hype and tech bubble fears – but what’s in store for the tech industry in 2016? M&A advisers Magister Advisors have peered into their crystal ball and offered their top predictions. The TL;DR version? Expect 2015’s “reality distortion field” to dissolve next year. Gulp. 1. Don’t hold your breath for [...]
Bank warns looming credit boom risks housing bubble December 8, 2015 The noughties were not humanity’s greatest decade. It brought us boot cut jeans, velour tracksuits and 50 Cent – and now a report has warned that we could be heading back there, thanks in part to the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC). According to BNP Paribas Real Estate, if the MPC shies away [...]
More proof the Help to Buy Isa is pointless for first-time buyers in London? December 7, 2015 The Help to Buy Isa is the government's latest wizard wheeze to help first-time buyers onto the property ladder: under the scheme, they receive a £50 government "bonus" for every £200 they spend. But the launch of the scheme, at the beginning of this month, hasn't gone down quite as well as you might expect. [...]
Tesco’s getting into vinyl and will start selling records by Coldplay, George Ezra and classics from the Beatles, and Nirvana December 6, 2015 Music fans worried that the spectre of streaming is killing off the music industry, relax – here's one sign that vinyl still holds a place in people's hearts Now, along with supermarket staples such as bread and milk, shoppers can add the sounds of Coldplay, The Rolling Stones and Radiohead to there shopping basket, in LP format. [...]