UK house prices: Buy-to-let rush sparks surge in mortgage lending February 11, 2016 Buy-to-let landlords rushing to secure a property before April’s stamp duty hike has driven mortgage lending to its highest level in nine years, according to UK chartered surveyor e.surv. House purchase lending approvals reached 85,432 in January, an increase of 20.6 per cent since December 2015 and the highest number of monthly approvals since October [...]
The amount of equity withdrawn by remortgaging properties reached £837m in December 2015, while equity release lending hit £1.61bn in 2015 January 26, 2016 Equity release activity became frenzied in the later months of last year, with both equity withdrawn by remortgaging properties and total equity release lending levels reaching dizzying heights. According to figures released today by Legal Marketing Services (LMS), a total of £837m was extracted from properties through remortgaging in December 2015, up 32 per cent compared to £635m in December [...]
Mortgage lending hits post-recession high of £220bn in 2015 January 21, 2016 Mortgage lending rose by eight per cent last year compared with the year before, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said this morning. Lenders approved £19.9bn of home loans in December, taking the 2015 total to £220.3bn – the highest annual figure since 2008. December's lending figure was slightly down on November, but was 23 per [...]
UK housing shortage hits mortgage lending in December January 21, 2016 Mortgage lending fell in December as a shortage of new homes, higher prices and recent government measures such as stamp duty reforms weighed on the property market. Figures from e.surv chartered surveyors today showed there were 68,218 house purchase approvals in December, down 3.1 per cent from 70,410 in November. E.surv director Richard Sexton, said. [...]
Young home ownership has fallen to a record low, new data finds December 28, 2015 The percentage of young people who can afford to buy a home has fallen to its joint lowest level, previously touched in 1996, new data has shown. Data revealed by Labour found that just 44.9 per cent of 20 to 30-year-olds are homeowners, based on figures that include shared ownership and based on analysis of [...]
Newham is the UK’s top house price performer for 2015 December 28, 2015 Newham has taken the accolade for the UK's top house price performer in 2015, according to new research by Halifax. The borough recorded the biggest percentage rise in house prices among all major UK towns and cities over 2015, with the average house price in the borough rising 22 per cent against the previous year. The average [...]
Mortgage approvals dip in November – but are still 25 per cent higher than the same period last year December 24, 2015 It may be hours before the great Christmas getaway begins, but the British Bankers' Association (BBA) hasn't let that get in the way of bringing you Serious News. This morning the organisation said the number of loans dished out to homebuyers has dipped, falling to 44,960 in November, down from 45,463 in October. No festive frivolities there… The [...]
Mortgage lending has another healthy month in November December 11, 2015 Mortgage lending climbed last month, according to new figures published this morning. There were 70,511 house purchase approvals in November, the data from surveyors e.surv show. Compared with the same month last year, the number of approvals is up 19 per cent. If accurate, the figure also surpasses August’s year-high of 70,748 approvals. E.surv's figures [...]
Bubble fears as average London property hits £600,000 with outer boroughs seeing highest rises December 10, 2015 The average price of a London property is now just shy of £600,000, reigniting fears of a bubble and prompting talk of a market correction. The average London house price was £598,173 in October, 5.6 per cent higher than the same month last year, according to figures released today by estate agents Your Move and Reeds [...]
House price growth dips as UK housing value increases by £1.8 trillion in 10 years December 8, 2015 The value of the UK's housing stock has jumped by £1.8 trillion in the past decade, research by Halifax showed today. UK homes are now worth £5.1 trillion, a 53 per cent jump from £3.3 trillion in 2005. That's a £76,316 rise for each home in the UK. The news came as Halifax reported annual house price [...]