Value of mortgage advances tops £70bn as real estate experts say market is cooling off March 8, 2022 Real estate experts have said the latest mortgage lenders statistics show a market cooling off from its earlier frenzy. In figures published by the Bank of England on Tuesday, the outstanding value of all residential mortgage loans was £1,613.4bn at the end of the fourth quarter of 2021. This was 4.7 per cent higher than [...]
Average UK property almost £30,000 more expensive than a year ago as house prices accelerate March 2, 2022 The average UK house price has topped £260,000 for first time, after surging by nearly £30,000 over the past 12 months. The typical property value reached £260,230 in February, Nationwide Building Society said. In cash terms, the average house price in February was £29,162 higher than a year earlier, the biggest annual cash increase the [...]
Mortgage approvals highest since the summer as cost of living crunch looms March 1, 2022 Mortgage approvals for house purchases lifted in January, in another monthly boost for the housing market. Figures released from the Bank of England on Tuesday morning show some 73,922 mortgage approvals during last month. This is the highest approval number since July 2021, when 75,900 mortgages were given the green light. It also represents the [...]
Saturday Sitdown: Mortgage guru Colin Bell on why Brits are ready for 50 year fixed rates February 26, 2022 Following the Bank of England’s recent interest rate rise and all the implications it has for the property and mortgage market, one firm is offering loans at a 30 year fixed rate, with plans to offer 40 and 50 year fixes in the near future. Sold as a massive lifestyle enabler and gives people much [...]
Lloyds Bank boss warns of ‘heightened’ Russian cyberattack threat February 24, 2022 The boss of Britain’s biggest mortgage lender today sounded the alarm on potential Russian cybersecurity attacks after Vladimir Putin ordered a full-blown incursion of Ukraine in the early hours of this morning. Charlie Nunn, chief executive of Lloyds bank, said the lender’s top team have “been on heightened alert” to spot any Russian interference with [...]
Booming mortgage lending swings Co-op Bank back to profit February 24, 2022 A sharp rebound in mortgage lending amid a rampant UK housing market swung Co-operative Bank back to profit last year, the bank announced today. A near three-fold increase in net mortgage lending pushed profits at Co-op Bank to over £30m, up from a £103.7m loss in 2020. An ultra-low interest rate environment stoked demand in [...]
Co-operative Bank calls in top bankers to explore takeover bids February 23, 2022 The Co-Operative Bank has called in top investment bankers as it begins eyeing up potential acquisition targets and exploring a move to consolidate the UK’s mid-size banking market.
Home transactions settle back to pre-Covid levels with ‘best sellers’ market in decades’ February 22, 2022 More than 85,000 homes changed hands in January, with property transactions up on pre-Covid averages, HMRC data has revealed. Official figures show that the provisional non-seasonally adjusted estimate of UK residential transactions for January 2022 was 85,520. This was 22.2 per cent lower than December 2021. There were seven per cent more transactions than the [...]
More banker bonuses on the way this week February 21, 2022 Big banker bonuses are back on the table amid a robust rebound in lenders’ profits, annual results are expected to reveal this week. The City is expecting Barclays, which publishes finals on Wednesday, to register a £8.1bn profit haul, up sharply from £3.1bn in 2020 when the pandemic sent the banking sector spiralling. Investors will [...]
Turn around for Natwest as bank returns to profitability February 18, 2022 Natwest has returned to profitability after suffering heavy losses in 2020, with results boosted by strong savings and lending growth.