Probate fees set to rise by almost 100 times for big estates February 27, 2017 Probate fees are set to rocket for many homeowners, after the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) replaced a flat fee with a rate which will be up to 129 times bigger for some estates. The current fee of £155 for a solicitor to apply for probate will rise to £20,000 for estates larger than £2m. The [...]
British homeowners think they’re sitting on a good investment as Brexit effect recedes February 17, 2017 UK homeowners are the most positive on the value of their biggest asset since before the EU referendum, according to a survey. An index of perceived current value of house prices rose to 57.5, according to research by Knight Frank and IHS Markit, its highest point since the Brexit vote led homeowners to think prices [...]
Steven Mnuchin confirmed as US treasury secretary February 14, 2017 Donald Trump’s pick for US treasury secretary has been approved by the Senate Finance Committee in a vote that divided strictly along party lines. Mnuchin’s nomination was beset by attacks from Democrats and centred on the foreclosure record of OneWest, a bank where Mnuchin acted as CEO. The Democratic senator, Elizabeth Warren, accused Mnuchin of [...]
Steve Mnuchin confirmed as US treasury secretary February 14, 2017 Donald Trump’s pick for US treasury secretary has been approved by the Senate in a vote that divided largely along party lines. Steve Mnuchin’s nomination was confirmed in a 53-47 vote. Mnuchin’s nomination was beset by attacks from Democrats and centred on the foreclosure record of OneWest, a bank where Mnuchin acted as CEO. The [...]
“Really, is that it?” – reactions to the government’s housing white paper February 7, 2017 In the year that the US President signed an executive order to build a wall, UK politicians got together to write a housing paper that was lacking in concrete ideas. There were some general indicators of where the government is going on housing, however. Here's how the property industry reacted: On the lack of content [...]
Whisper it, but Britain may be about to get a housing policy fit for the crisis we actually face February 3, 2017 A quiet, but very optimistic, cheer for the communities secretary Sajid Javid. Many politicians use the UK’s cost of living crisis as a talking point, but Javid’s blueprint for a new housing policy – set to be fully published next week – looks like it was designed to actually start tackling it in a meaningful [...]
Startup taking the hassle out of mortgages, Habito, has landed millions in new funding January 23, 2017 A property technology startup which helps find homebuyers the best deal on their mortgage online via a chatbot has raised a new multi-million pound round of funding to support its growth, City A.M can exclusively reveal. Habito, already backed by seed capital from the entrepreneurs behind Transferwise and Funding Circle, has landed a further £5.5m of cash led by [...]
Here’s what will happen to house prices if markets crash this year January 19, 2017 This year may have been record-breaking for the FTSE 100 so far – but the year is yet young, and with Brexit negotiations and Donald Trump's presidency still to come, a lot could go wrong. So online estate agent Emoov has helpfully donned its tinfoil hat and worked out what could happen to UK house prices if [...]
Deutsche Bank agrees $7.2bn settlement with US Department of Justice over mortgage-backed securities January 17, 2017 Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay the US Department of Justice $7.2bn (£6bn) over misleading investors with sales of mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis. The bank agreed the settlement amount in principle in December, but it was only finalised today. Deutsche Bank will pay a civil penalty of $3.1bn and provide $4.1bn [...]
Rents in London fell slightly in December January 9, 2017 Average rents in London edged down slightly at the end of 2016, but remain more than twice as expensive as rents across the country. In December, London rents fell by 0.13 per cent, to £1,882 per month. Renters in a one-bed flat paid £1,455 on average in December, which represents nearly three-quarters of the average disposable [...]