UK house prices: Buy-to-let lending drove the mortgage boom in August, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders October 13, 2015 Mortgage lending ticked up in August compared with the same month last year, with buy-to-let lending posting a rapid increase. There was a whopping 37.9 per cent jump in buy-to-let lending on the year, with 22,200 mortgages approved. The amount of money lent out was up 47.8 per cent to £2.3bn, according to the figures released this morning [...]
UK house prices: First-time buyer inflation is slowing, according to ONS house price index October 13, 2015 This could be the news first-time buyers have been waiting for. House prices for those getting a foot on the ladder increased by 3.8 per cent in the year to August, down from an increase of 4.4 per cent in the year to July, ONS figures out this morning show. The average price for a first-time [...]
UK housing market activity rose to a six-month high in September – Connells Survey & Valuation October 13, 2015 UK housing market activity reached a six-month high in September, according to data out today from Connells Survey & Valuation. Last month also saw the number of property valuations reach the second-highest monthly level on record – there were just 0.5 per cent fewer valuations carried out than in March 2015, which is when they [...]
SSI coke ovens and blast furnace to be closed after no viable offer was made for Redcar plant October 12, 2015 SSI's Redcar steel plant will be closed after no viable offers were received from potential buyers, the government confirmed this afternoon. SSI was wound up by the high court in Manchester last week at the company's request, but the Official Receiver had kept the site running while talks took place with interested parties, in the hope [...]
Prime Minister David Cameron cracks down on councils over housebuilding October 12, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron is putting pressure on local councils to green-light plans to build new houses today, as the government publishes its new housing and planning bill. The Prime Minister will warn local authorities that they must produce local plans for new homes in their area within the next two years – or the [...]
First-time home buyers are being priced out of UK cities – Countrywide October 12, 2015 Renters are looking further afield for their first property as housing affordability in cities begins to bite, research from the UK’s largest estate agency group reveals this morning. To get on the first rung of the housing ladder, 36 per cent of London renters end up buying outside the M25, up from 21 per cent [...]
London house prices: Luxury apartments in Gatti House on the Strand have broken street’s square footage record October 8, 2015 A new luxury development on the Strand has broken the record for the cost of square footage in the central London district. Grade II listed Gatti House was sold as four separate apartments, with the penthouse going for around £2,260 per sq ft, while the first floor was sold for £2,100 per sq ft. This is thought to be the [...]
London’s housing problem doesn’t need another government scheme: It’s time to slaughter sacred green belt cow – The City View October 7, 2015 During his time at 10 Downing Street, David Cameron has presided over a number of deeply complex attempts at helping Generation Rent climb the first rung of the housing ladder. NewBuy came first, guaranteeing 95 per cent mortgages for first-time buyers on new-build properties. That was followed by Help-to-Buys one and two: respectively, equity loans [...]
London house prices: You’ll need to earn £77k each year to afford one of David Cameron’s starter homes October 7, 2015 Housing groups have called out Prime Minister David Cameron's new plans to accelerate the building of discounted properties for first-time home buyers, saying the government's so-called starter homes will still be out-of-reach for most workers. In his speech at the Conservative party conference in Manchester today, Cameron announced the government’s proposed “starter homes” initiative, which will be part [...]
Now you can buy gold in kilo bars from Royal Mint – and these are the top 10 countries investing in bullion October 7, 2015 The Royal Mint is hoping to attract gold buyers with deeper pockets with the launch of a new kilo bullion bar. Since setting up shop online a year ago with a trading platform that allows retail investors to buy precious metals from as little as £20, sales of gold have increased by more than 50 [...]