From stamp duty to the triple lock, Andy Haldane says bold Burnham leadership can usher ‘vibe change’ for UK economy
Swiss franc crisis: Swiss go nuts for central London property as “safe haven effect” takes hold January 16, 2015 A fund which invests in central London property has reported an upsurge in the number of Swiss clients making enquiries. The London Central Portfolio (LCP), a residential fund and asset manager, said there had been a jump in the number of enquiries from Swiss-based investors looking to move their money into London real estate in [...]
Taylor Wimpey says housing market is set for “lower rate of price of growth” January 12, 2015 House builder Taylor Wimpey reported this morning its total home completions rose six per cent to 12,454 in the year ended 31 December. The average selling price on private completions grew a hefty 11 per cent from £210,000 in 2013 to £234,000. The overall average selling price climbed 12 per cent to £213,000. The FTSE 100 [...]
UK house prices: Number of first-time buyers soar to highest level since the financial crash January 6, 2015 The number of first-time buyers soared to its highest level since 2007 last year, according to The Halifax. Last year the number of first-time buyers rose to 326,500, up 22 per cent on 2013, representing the highest number of first-time buyers since the financial crash of 2008. Halifax said the cost of putting down a [...]
Buying slows as house prices fall in October November 6, 2014 THE HOUSING market is slowing down as high prices and strict mortgage regulations put off buyers. The average house price fell by 0.4 per cent in October, according to figures released yesterday by Halifax. Monthly data can be volatile, but growth in the three months to October also slowed to 0.8 per cent – the [...]
UK house prices grow 9.6 per cent in a year, but growth is slowing. Here’s why October 8, 2014 More data showing the housing market is slowing has emerged today. Halifax, which bases its calculations on its own mortgage lending, calculates prices have risen 9.6 per cent over the year to September (down from 9.7 per cent for the year to August and 10.2 per cent for the 12 months to July) and 2.7 [...]
Mortgage approvals for first-time buyers rise as UK house price growth slows August 11, 2014 Mortgage lending is still being dominated by customers looking to buy houses rather than remortgage, and first-time buyers are on the up. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) total gross lending for June was up six per cent on May and 20 per cent up on June 2013, totalling £17.9bn. £4.2bn of that [...]
As UK house prices soar, sales hit highs last seen in boom years August 8, 2014 Housing sales are back at levels last seen at the hight of the boom in 2007, LSL Property Services said today. Prices have been surging over the past two years, particularly in London. And the number of sales has now caught up with the booming demand for property. In July, 90,000 homes were sold in [...]
CNBC Comment: Questions for Carney: One year on June 23, 2014 BETTER a lucky governor than one that’s always right. At least, that’s what Mark Carney will be hoping for as he faces MPs today – almost a year to the day since he took over at the Bank of England. After all, the Treasury Select Committee could find plenty of things to quiz Carney about. [...]
Surge in profits for Berkeley as housing booms June 18, 2014 HOUSE builder Berkeley’s pre-tax profits rocketed upwards in the year to the end of April, soaring by 40 per cent as the housing market rapidly picked up strength. Profit after tax rose by £83.2m, a boost of 39.7 per cent on the prior year, bringing the total for the year to £292.9m, and earnings per [...]
Britain’s mortgage prisoners must act now or face financial meltdown May 22, 2014 IT’s BEEN a busy week in the world of monetary policy. On Sunday, Mark Carney said that rising house prices pose the biggest threat to economic recovery. On Tuesday, the official statistics told us what we already knew – that house prices in London are soaring, by 17 per cent year-on-year. Some homeowners are finding [...]