Mortgage approvals fall to lowest level since July 2013 October 29, 2014 Mortgage approvals have fallen to a 16-month low, adding further weight to the argument that the housing market is slowing down. Lenders approved just 61, 267 mortgages in September, figures published by the Bank of England revealed this morning, continuing the decline from a peak at the start of this year. In total, [...]
Deutsche Bank share price stays flat despite €92m loss on legal costs October 29, 2014 Deutsche Bank has posted a net losses of €92m (£72.6m) for the three months to the end of September, with pre-tax income of €266m. The third-quarter loss stems from the legal costs of settling a number of investigations, and compares to a €51m profit during the same period last year. Alleged misconduct by [...]
London house prices: Year-long boom comes to an end October 28, 2014 London house prices fell steeply in September, following a year of exceptional gains across each of the capital’s boroughs. Data published yesterday by the Land Registry shows London house prices fell 0.7 per cent in just one month. However, prices are still elevated; they are 18.4 per cent higher compared with September 2013. The price [...]
Land Registry: UK house prices have fallen 0.2 per cent since August October 28, 2014 UK house prices have fallen since August, data published by the Land Registry today showed, offering further evidence of a cooling market. The Land Registry, which uses price paid data as opposed to asking prices, said prices have fallen 0.2 per cent since August, despite rising 7.2 per cent in the year to September. [...]
Eurozone’s latest bond buying gambit gets off to a slow start October 27, 2014 THE EUROPEAN Central Bank (ECB) bought €1.7bn (£1.34bn) worth of bonds last week as it began its new purchase programme, data published yesterday reveals. The rate of purchases is slow. It would take at least six years for the ECB’s balance sheet to reach the size it was during 2012 – a target ECB president Mario [...]
How shared ownership can help get Londoners on the housing ladder October 22, 2014 The Scottish Parliament has set out plans to levy its first tax since 1707. In an effort to support first time buyers, it proposed reforming stamp duty into a marginal – rather than a “slab” – tax, meaning that house sales in Scotland will no longer incur the highest rate on the whole price. These [...]
On the frontline: Does a slowing rate of growth mean lower house prices? October 20, 2014 One quarter is a long time in the property market. Our Investor View reports show Q1 growth across 18 offices at 6.5 per cent, Q2 2.1 per cent and Q3 0.1 per cent. So does a slowing rate of growth mean house prices will fall? Messrs Osborne and Cameron will be hoping not, and Douglas [...]
Mortgage price war as interest rate hike prospects fade October 20, 2014 Banks slashed mortgage rates again this weekend as the prospect of monetary tightening from the Bank of England receded even further into 2015. Lenders had started increasing rates earlier this year as they believed the booming British economy would lead policymakers to raise interest rates. But the Bank’s monetary policy committee has resisted lifting rates [...]
RBS: Mortgage borrowers are not ready for interest rate hikes October 16, 2014 Borrowers are not ready for higher interest rates and could struggle to pay the bills even with a small rise in repayments, RBS chief Ross McEwan warned yesterday. Most RBS and NatWest mortgage borrowers had never experienced an interest rate rise, he said, and nationally more than 1.5m borrowers bought their house after 2007 when [...]
London house price boom set to stall in 2015 as tough new mortgage lending rules take effect October 14, 2014 House price growth is set to level off across the UK and could even be at risk of falling in the capital, according to industry experts. “It’s been indicated by the collapse in buyer in inquiries, there’s been a very sharp fall in London,” Joshua Miller, economist from the Royal Institution of Charted Surveyors, told [...]