BBA: UK high street banks approved fewer mortgages than expected in April as stamp duty surge ends May 26, 2016 The number of mortgages approved by high street banks last month fell more than expectations, after a surge in the start of the year driven by the rush to buy before new stamp duty charges came in. BBA figures out this morning show that the number of mortgages approved in April fell to 40,104 – [...]
Buy to let investors are feeling the heat: What are the alternatives for gaining exposure to residential property? May 26, 2016 The buy-to-let boom of recent years has fed the stereotype that Brits are uniquely obsessed with property. Yet statistically this appears to be little more than a myth. The latest data from Eurostat show that 64.8 per cent of the UK adult population lives in a property they own compared to an EU average of [...]
School of hard knocks: How to cut the soaring cost of private education May 26, 2016 When it comes to our children, a good education is priceless. But if you’re talking about sending them to a private school, there is a hefty price tag, and it has been rising precipitously. To send a child to a private day school from 2015 to 2028 will set you back an average of £286,000, [...]
Ladies who don’t lunch: Maike Currie talks to Hermes Investment Management’s Harriet Steel about success, failure and building things May 26, 2016 Most people detest building. Whether it’s a new build, extension or renovation, chances are it will feature somewhere on the list of life’s more stressful events, perhaps only a few notches below death, divorce, starting a new job and moving home. Harriet Steel, global head of business development at Hermes Investment Management, however, relishes it. [...]
Zoopla’s innovation strategy pays off with mega profit growth in half-year results May 25, 2016 Online property portal Zoopla continued to shrug off competition today as it released robust growth in its half-year results over the six months ended 31 March. The figures Revenues grew 130 per cent to £96.4m, while adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) rose 89 per cent to £40.5m. This followed the inclusion of six months [...]
UK property transactions down by 45 per cent in April as stamp duty changes hit May 24, 2016 The number of property transactions in the UK fell by 45 per cent between March and April, according to new data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The figures from HMRC show 94,370 properties were sold in April compared to 164,400 in March as landlords scrambled to snap-up homes before stamp duty changes came into effect, putting a [...]
Nationwide posts strong profit growth as mortgage lending reaches pre-recession levels May 24, 2016 Nationwide lent more money to house-buyers last year than it has done since the financial crash starting in 2007, helping the society to post strong profit growth. The figures Gross mortgage lending at the building society was up 20 per cent to £32.6bn, as the firm helped 57,200 first time buyers into a home of their own. [...]
Barclays tightens buy-to-let properties lending rules May 22, 2016 Barclays is to tighten rules on lending for buy-to-let properties, increasing minimum rental covers. The decision to tighten lending criteria means that rental payment must exceed mortgage costs by a factor of 145 per cent, up from 135 per cent. The affordability rate will also be reduced from 5.79 per cent to 5.50 per cent. The [...]
Chancellor George Osborne warns again Brexit will hit house prices May 21, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne again warned Brexit will hit house prices, as an immediate economic shock hits financial markets. Speaking at the G7 finance ministers’ meeting in Japan, he said: "There would be a hit to the value of people’s homes by at least 10 per cent and up to 18 per cent … first-time buyers are hit because mortgage rates [...]
One in three UK mortgage holders don’t know their interest rate, survey finds May 19, 2016 One in three UK mortgage holders do not know what interest rate they are on, according to a new study. YouGov and digital mortgage broker Habito, which launched last month with the mission of bringing the market into the "21st century", surveyed more than 1,200 mortgage owners. Some 33 per cent did not know what [...]