City Moves for 12 February 2016 | Who’s switching jobs February 12, 2016 JOHNS&CO High-end estate agents JOHNS&CO has appointed two new directors. Clynton Nel and Chris Boswell both join from Hamptons International. Clynton, who has joined the team as residential director, will be based in the firm’s new Marsh Wall office in Canary Wharf. He has over 13 years’ experience in the property industry, specialising in renewals [...]
Sales of £10m-plus London homes drop by a third as George Osborne’s stamp duty tax changes bite February 12, 2016 Sales of London's priciest homes slumped by a third last year as even the wealthiest investors balked at paying the higher rate of stamp duty introduced by George Osborne's tax reforms. The number of super prime properties – those costing £10m or more – fell from 195 in 2014 to 130 last year, down 32 per cent, according to [...]
Residential landlord Grainger posts jump in rents as it taps into UK rental boom February 11, 2016 Grainger has posted a jump in rents as the residential landlord presses ahead with its expansion into the UK's booming private rental sector. Grainger has two main divisions – its portfolio of private rental homes and its regulated tenancy business where it buys properties subject to regulated rents at a discount before eventually selling them at [...]
Estate agent Countrywide appoints former Tui boss as chairman February 11, 2016 Britain's largest estate agent Countrywide has appointed the former chief executive of travel operator Tui as chairman. Peter Long, who was co-chief executive of Tui until last week, has joined the board as a non-executive director with immediate effect and will take up the role of chairman on 27 April following Countrywide's annual general meeting, the company announced [...]
UK house prices: Buy-to-let rush sparks surge in mortgage lending February 11, 2016 Buy-to-let landlords rushing to secure a property before April’s stamp duty hike has driven mortgage lending to its highest level in nine years, according to UK chartered surveyor e.surv. House purchase lending approvals reached 85,432 in January, an increase of 20.6 per cent since December 2015 and the highest number of monthly approvals since October [...]
Economists: Prudential moves are likely to delay Bank of England interest rate hikes February 11, 2016 The Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates is likely to be delayed by actions undertaken by the relatively new committee that focuses on financial stability. The financial policy committee (FPC) can impose restrictions on particular markets such as residential or commercial property markets, and can also make banks hold more capital. The monetary policy [...]
Peer-to-peer lenders hit back after City grandee Lord Adair Turner says they could lead to “big losses” February 10, 2016 Peer-to-peer lenders have rejected criticisms from former City regulator Lord Adair Turner, who warned earlier today that the peer-to-peer (P2P) lending industry could be a source of "big losses" in the years ahead. "The losses which will emerge from peer-to-peer lending over the next five to 10 years will make the bankers look like lending geniuses," Turner told BBC [...]
PMQs today: Prime Minister David Cameron forced to defend government’s record on housing February 10, 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron came under the cosh on housing from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, forcing Cameron to defend the government's plans to help people buy and own property in the UK. Corbyn said that Cameron's record is one of failure on housing, asking what the Prime Minister was doing to help people who suffer unrealistic house prices and [...]
Pinewood Studios’ share price jumps on profit increase and sale consideration February 10, 2016 Pinewood, the iconic studio behind the recent James Bond and Star Wars films has sent the company’s share price soaring after announcing it could put itself up for sale to "maximise value" for shareholders. Shares are up by almost 20 per cent in mid morning trading. Pinewood has appointed investment bank Rothschild to look into [...]
London house prices: First-time buyers using help to buy to purchase London properties could face trouble if the bubble bursts February 10, 2016 When markets are in turmoil, the natural inclination is to turn to safer assets – and what, in our collective wisdom, is safer than houses? People always need a place to live, the rationale goes, and they always find a way to pay. But rather than taking a big punt on housing, many hedge funds [...]