Housing market a ‘ticking time bomb’ as prices slow amid mortgage mayhem June 21, 2023 The housing market has slowed amid the mortgage crisis, with experts warning it is like a “ticking time bomb” before it crashes. This morning’s House Price Index from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show average UK house prices increased 3.5 per cent in the 12 months to April 2023, but this was down from [...]
Hunt to discuss support with mortgage lenders as repayments crisis looms June 20, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to meet with mortgage lenders to discuss support for homeowners as a repayments crisis looms. Various calls have been made for the government to step in to help struggling borrowers – but Hunt said ministers would not provide financial support which would fuel inflation. Average costs for a two-year fixed-rate [...]
Qatar set to strike second big LNG supply deal with China June 20, 2023 Qatar is set to secure its second large gas supply deal with a Chinese state-controlled company in less than a year.
Gove warns against prioritising quantity over quality of new homes June 20, 2023 Michael Gove has warned against a “dash for quantity” as he faces calls to accelerate housebuilding in the UK and enable more first-time buyers to get on the property ladder. Backing a new tool by Policy Exchange to instil confidence in the planning process, the housing secretary said: “If we think of housing purely in [...]
Rishi Sunak rules out help for homeowners as mortgage rates top six per cent June 19, 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today ruled out helping struggling mortgage holders despite rates breaching the six per cent mark for the first time since December. Amid surging mortgage rates, the Prime Minister said the government needed to “stick to the plan” to halve inflation rather than offer support to mortgage holders. Speaking on ITV’s Good [...]
House prices drop for first time this year as Bank of England interest rate hikes take hold June 19, 2023 House prices have dropped for the first time this year, sparked by the property market being whacked by the Bank of England’s 12 successive interest rate hikes to quash inflation, new figures out today show. The average price of a home coming to market fell £82 over the last month to £372,812, the first drop [...]
Mortgage chaos set to hit banks’ bottom line as demand dries up June 18, 2023 Chaos in the mortgage market is likely to lead to big changes in lending as banks seek to find ways to capitalise on rising interest rates, analysts suggest. Over the last few weeks, the mortgage market has been in turmoil after stubbornly high inflation raised the prospect of further rate hikes. “Mounting base interest rates, [...]
Currys considers offloading Greek retail arm Kotsovolos with strategic review June 16, 2023 Currys could offer up its Greek electronics arm Kotsovolos to potential buyers, announcing a strategic review of the businesses.
More lenders expected to hike mortgage rates following HSBC, brokers warn June 15, 2023 More and more lenders are set to increase rates on mortgages, brokers have warned, as the fallout from the Bank of England’s rate rise continues to devastate homeowners. The fresh blow to the housing sector comes as HSBC pushed mortgage rates up for the second time in one week in an unprecedented move for the [...]
Mortgage commitments plummet to pandemic levels as rate hike jitters spook housing market June 13, 2023 The number of new mortgage commitments has fallen to the lowest levels since the Covid pandemic as speculation the Bank of England’s will keep on hiking interest rates rattles the market. As the central bank raised interest rates for the 12th consecutive time during the quarter, in a bid to cool inflation, the number of [...]