Mortgage approvals sink in July as market continues to cool on rising rates August 30, 2023 The number of mortgage approvals fell sharply in July as the housing market continues to cool off the back of rising interest rates.
UK housing sales on track to sink to lowest level since 2012 August 30, 2023 The number of housing sales completed over 2023 is on track to sink to its lowest level since 2012, when Britain was still reeling from the financial crash, as higher borrowing costs continue to decimate the market. Sales are also set to be 21 per cent down on last year, according to new data from [...]
Mortgage lending falls by a third as borrowers avoid bank switch stress tests August 29, 2023 Increasing pressure on the housing market drove down activity in mortgage lending and led to changes in the market, new data out today shows. According to UK Finance data, lending for house purchases in the second quarter stood around 30 per cent lower than the same period last year. The industry body said this stemmed [...]
Two thirds of home buyers in London getting help from Bank of Mum and Dad August 28, 2023 Over two-thirds (67 per cent) of all homeowners in London receive parental support to purchase their homes, a report released by Legal and General (L&G) has shown. ‘Bank of Family’ recipients in London received £30,200 on average to support their transaction, only beaten by those in the East of England who received an average of [...]
Will the tail-end of summer mean more pain for the UK housing market? August 26, 2023 August, like much of the summer, has already proved a tricky month for the housing sector. Despite all major central banks slashing their rates in the wake of cooling inflation, buyer confidence still appears to be low. Last week’s Rightmove figures showed that the average price of a home fell by 1.9 per cent in [...]
Consumer confidence shows ‘renewed optimism’ against falling core inflation August 25, 2023 Consumer confidence is showing “renewed optimism” against a backdrop of falling core inflation, figures suggest. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index improved five points in August, with all measures reversing the drop seen in July, although it remains firmly in negative territory at minus 25. Confidence in the general economic situation for the next 12 months [...]
Who’s really to blame for your car insurance getting more expensive? August 24, 2023 Ask anyone who has renewed their car insurance this year and they will tell you it has gone through the roof. But who, or what, is to blame for the surge in prices?
Homes more affordable but borrowers stretched by rising mortgage costs August 23, 2023 The cost of a typical house is 6.7 times average earnings in Britain despite the recent slowdown in the property market, according to new figures. Mortgage lender Halifax said this is down from a record high of 7.3 times average earnings last summer, when a UK home cost an average £293,586 and the average annual [...]
Trade bodies warn Bank of England economic data ignores small business fears August 22, 2023 The proportion of businesses that will struggle to pay back debts due to rising interest rates could increase to the highest level since the financial crisis, the Bank of England has warned. In a blog post published today, the central bank said the proportion of firms that are seeing debt-servicing distress is projected to increase [...]
House prices: Five things we’ve learnt from the latest data (and why we might still be set for a crash) August 21, 2023 House prices might not crash - but neither renters nor homeowners have all that much to cheer as we head into September