UK house price growth hit an eight month high in December, Nationwide House Price Index finds December 30, 2015 December was a bumper month for property as house prices experienced their biggest monthly rise in eight months, new figures reveal. House prices in the UK grew 0.8 per cent on November, the largest increase since April when prices rose one per cent on the previous month, with the average price coming in at £196,999 at the [...]
House prices: The UK’s homes rose in value by £1.4bn a day in 2015 December 30, 2015 Like big numbers? Read on… The UK's homes rose in value by £1.4bn a day in 2015, giving our collective bricks and mortar a total value of £7.76 trillion by the end of the year, according to figures by online property portal Zoopla. That figure is £519bn – or 7.2 per cent – higher than last [...]
KPMG: UK tax changes will slow down buy-to-let market December 29, 2015 The buy-to-let market will slow down next year due to a series of tax changes, accountancy giant KPMG has said. The changes, including a three per cent hike to stamp duty on buy-to-let homes, to be introduced in April, will put off buyers. KPMG’s Dermot Kallinan said: “It will be interesting to see whether buy-to-let investors opt to [...]
Young home ownership has fallen to a record low, new data finds December 28, 2015 The percentage of young people who can afford to buy a home has fallen to its joint lowest level, previously touched in 1996, new data has shown. Data revealed by Labour found that just 44.9 per cent of 20 to 30-year-olds are homeowners, based on figures that include shared ownership and based on analysis of [...]
Newham is the UK’s top house price performer for 2015 December 28, 2015 Newham has taken the accolade for the UK's top house price performer in 2015, according to new research by Halifax. The borough recorded the biggest percentage rise in house prices among all major UK towns and cities over 2015, with the average house price in the borough rising 22 per cent against the previous year. The average [...]
Mortgage approvals dip in November – but are still 25 per cent higher than the same period last year December 24, 2015 It may be hours before the great Christmas getaway begins, but the British Bankers' Association (BBA) hasn't let that get in the way of bringing you Serious News. This morning the organisation said the number of loans dished out to homebuyers has dipped, falling to 44,960 in November, down from 45,463 in October. No festive frivolities there… The [...]
China, the US presidential election and tech unicorns: Everything you need to know about M&A in 2016 December 23, 2015 M&A activity in 2015 has closed out strongly in value terms, with the blockbuster deals we’ve seen in the last few months propping up headline numbers. The outflow of capital from the US has also been a positive factor. However, the mega deals are masking a degree of uncertainty that has crept into the market [...]
Four stocks for your stocking: Which are the best shares to buy in 2016? December 23, 2015 These shares should bring some festive cheer. Experts reveal their top plays for 2016 and beyond C&C Irish company C&C is a producer of beer, cider and soft drinks. Alex Wright, manager of the Fidelity Special Situations fund, likes C&C for its strong market position, solid plans to expand abroad and the fact the alcohol [...]
London house prices: The prime London property market has peaked – 2015 prices have hardly risen December 22, 2015 London's prime property market faltered at the end of the year thanks to taxes and stamp duty changes continuing to dampen things. The premium housing market fell 0.8 per cent, on average in the last quarter of the year, compared to a 4.4 per cent rise in other prime markets across the country in places such as Cambridge, [...]
UK house prices: Mergers, IPOs and property tech disruption – how online estate agents will change the housing market in 2016 December 22, 2015 This year has been an explosive one for the online estate agency sector. We have seen the space develop, increase in size dramatically and show that it is here to stay. It's not just a fad, as the high street so desperately claims. I believe the central plank behind the success of the online sector [...]