Exclusive: Homeowners borrow more than ever as remortgage applications jump by 176 per cent September 1, 2021 Homeowners across the UK are now borrowing more money from mortgage lenders than ever before to fund home improvements, according to new figures shared with City A.M. this morning. According to mortgage broker Mojo Mortgages, the average amount of money being applied for by existing homeowners to fund renovation projects has increased by just over £13,000 [...]
60 per cent of all properties sold in London hit by down valuations August 31, 2021 Nearly 400,000 UK property transactions have been down valued in the last year alone, according to research by London property agent Benham and Reeves, shared with City A.M. this morning. At 59 per cent, London is home to some of the largest levels of down valued homes of all UK areas and it also ranks third [...]
Profits more than double at OneSavings Bank August 20, 2021 OneSavings Bank’s profit surged in the first six months of the year driven by a sharp uptick in lending activity, according to results published today. The specialist lender posted a 123 per cent rise in pre-tax profits in the year to June 2021 to £221.9m, up from £99.3m in the same period last year. The [...]
Lloyds eyes 50,000 homes in push to become UK’s largest landlord August 19, 2021 Lloyds Banking Group is eyeing up buying 50,000 homes in the next decade to let out to renters as it pushes to become one of the UK’s largest landlords, according to reports. Reports in the Financial Times say Lloyds has launched the Citra Living brand in a bid to move into the private rental market. [...]
London’s newly-listed LendInvest scores £150m partnership with Barclays and HSBC August 16, 2021 Property finance asset manager LendInvest has announced a £150m lending collaboration with two of Britain’s biggest banks, just weeks after its £255m IPO on London’s AIM index. The new tie-up is geared towards financing UK property entrepreneurs and will see the British banks provide funding for short-term mortgages through LendInvest’s digital platform. It’s the first [...]
TSB profits bounceback from Covid lows as mortgage lending recovers July 29, 2021 Profits recovered from Covid lows at bank TSB, driven by the lender reporting lower loan-loss provisions as a wave of predicted defaults triggered by Covid failed to materialise and improved mortgage lending. The bank registered a net profit of £42.9m in the first half of this year compared to a loss of £65.5m in the [...]
Coutts secures B Corp ethical status July 28, 2021 Coutts has secured the sought-after B Corp status, the bank announced on Twitter. The certification attests companies uphold certain social and environmental performance standards, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. The private bank and wealth manager has a history spanning over three centuries and is known to be the banker for [...]
Rampant housing demand boosts Santander profits July 28, 2021 Strong mortgage lending boosted Santander’s profits in the first half of this year as demand in the UK housing market soared. Profits before tax at the lender were up more than fivefold to £751m, up from £148m in the same period last year. Higher net-interest income – the difference between what a bank receives from [...]
House prices to surge another £50,000 over next five years July 27, 2021 House prices are expected to surge another £50,000 over the next five years, further reducing affordability in the UK property market, according to new forecasts published today. Estate agent Savills predicts house prices will jump nine per cent this year, driven by the extended stamp duty holiday and prospective buyers rushing to purchase larger homes [...]
Starling Bank makes first acquisition in bid to expand lending July 26, 2021 British digital lender Starling Bank has struck a £50m deal for specialist buy-to-let mortgage lender Fleet Mortgages, in the first of an expected series of deals to drive growth. Starling, which last week said it was eyeing an IPO over the next two years, has finalised the cash and share deal for Hampshire-based Fleet Mortgages, for [...]