UK house prices drop in March amid Brexit uncertainty after shock rise, says Halifax April 5, 2019 UK house prices grew 2.6 per cent year on year in March, but fell compared to the month before, according to data released today. The value of the average UK home hit £233,181 last month, after growing 1.6 per cent between January to March compared to the three months to the end of December. Read [...]
UK construction sector shrinks for second consecutive month April 2, 2019 Britain’s construction sector contracted in March for the second month in a row, it was revealed today, as a slowing commercial market and Brexit uncertainty weighed on the sector. The construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) stood at 49.7 in March compared to 49.5 in February, the first back-to-back fall in output since August 2016. A score of [...]
City watchdog says it could amend rules to rescue ‘mortgage prisoners’ March 26, 2019 City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said today it could change its lending rules to help so-called mortgage prisoners switch to more affordable deals. Mortgage prisoners are homeowners, often paying expensive rates, who are unable to switch deals despite being up-to-date with their mortgage payments. The regulator is proposing to amend its responsible lending [...]
Mortgage finance firm Lendinvest taps three banks for £500m London float March 25, 2019 Online property finance marketplace Lendinvest has chosen three banks to lead its planned £500m float on the London Stock Exchange this year. It is understood Lendinvest, which provides funding for property investors, developers and landlords, has tapped Goldman Sachs and Barclays as joint global coordinators. Read more: Mortgage finance hub Lendinvest targets £500m London listing [...]
UK house price growth hits six-year low as experts warn of ‘Brexit downward spiral’ March 20, 2019 London house prices fell 1.6 per cent in the year to January, official data revealed today, as experts warned a mix of Brexit uncertainty and the death of buy to let are hurting the value of homes. The sharp price drop in the capital's housing market meant overall UK house prices rose just 1.7 per [...]
Property Legal Q&A: We believe our new build flat should be ready in three months’ time and have just been advised our mortgage offer has expired. What should we do? March 15, 2019 There are a few issues for you to consider. You do not say whether you have received formal notification from the developer requiring you to complete in three months. Usually, a contract for the purchase of a property not-yet-built will contain a procedure stating that completion is on notice i.e. the developer will notify you [...]
Mortgage finance hub Lendinvest targets £500m London listing March 14, 2019 Online property finance marketplace Lendinvest has reportedly appointed advisers for a potential £500m float. Lendinvest has appointed corporate finance firm Lazards to advice on a listing, Sky News reported. It is set to appoint a syndicate of banks for a float that could happen as soon as this year. Sky reports that the banks are [...]
How the arrival of the World Wide Web has changed the mortgage market March 12, 2019 In 1989, the Swiss physics laboratory, CERN, was buzzing with information but it had one big problem: ideas, data and knowledge held by the lab was stored across incompatible computers. A young scientist, Tim Berners-Lee, envisioned creating a unifying structure for sharing information across its computer systems. He wrote a proposal for a linked information [...]
One Savings Bank and Charter Court shares soar after merger talks confirmed March 11, 2019 Shares in One Savings Bank and Charter Court Financial Services soared this morning on the news that the firms are in the final stages of talks regarding a potential merger. One Savings Bank saw its share price jump 9.84 per cent to 406p this morning, while Charter Court’s stock was up 10.31 per cent to [...]
One Savings Bank and Charter Court Financial Services Group confirm £1.6bn merger talks March 10, 2019 Challenger banks One Savings Bank and Charter Court Financial Services Group are in final talks over a potential £1.6bn merger, the firms have confirmed. The companies said they are in advanced discussions regarding an all-share combination, which would see One Savings Bank chief executive Andy Golding become the boss of the combined group. Read more: [...]