Category: Financial News

Long-term desire stronger than ever Despite the credit crunch, and the knocks to consumer confidence of the past few years, more people than ever before want to be home-owners in the long term. This is one of the many findings of a consumer opinion survey undertaken by YouGov for the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).… Continue reading Home-ownership

Sector showing positive signs of a recovery The buy-to-let market has been one of the biggest casualties of the credit crunch. But it has received a boost recently with encouraging signs that lending conditions are finally starting to improve. This has been partly due to investors returning to the buy-to-let sector after many had previously… Continue reading Investors return to buy-to-let

Seasonal rise in activity welcomed Around 56,000 mortgages were lent to people purchasing a property during the month, 7 per cent more than in June. The CML commented that while the increase reflected a seasonal rise in activity, the lending volumes still represented a “very weak market” during a period that is usually a strong part of the year.… Continue reading Property matters

Interest rates are likely to remain low until the end of next year The Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said recently that “interest rates are likely to remain low until the end of next year”, in a bid to help the UK economy deal with the global economic downturn, which could mean that more… Continue reading Homeowners will opt for tracker deals

Mortgage facts First-time Buyers A first-time buyer is a potential house buyer who has not previously owned a property. As a first-time buyer you need to consider which sort of mortgage you should use and how you should repay it. Bad Credit Mortgages A bad credit mortgage allows a borrower with a bad credit rating to… Continue reading Did you know?

Consumers appear sceptical about whether the government can make a difference Virtually everyone (96 per cent) believes that the UK has housing problems, according to new research undertaken for the Council of Mortgage Lenders by YouGov, and outlined at the CML’s “Future Housing” conference by CML chief economist Bob Pannell. The biggest problem is seen… Continue reading Future Housing research

Why new property investors should be aware of the essentials With 70 per cent of the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) member offices reporting that demand is outstripping supply, the body is releasing fresh advice to landlords new to the market. Ian Potter, operations manager at ARLA, wants new property investors to be aware… Continue reading Rental demand outstrips supply

Buying and selling your property The legal term for buying and selling property is conveyancing and a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer is appointed to carry out this work. Conveyancing is the process of legally transferring ownership of a property from the seller to the buyer and includes the various searches and checks and any… Continue reading Getting legal

‘Building for Life’ national standard for well-designed homes A record 55 new housing schemes have qualified for a ‘Building for Life’ standard this year, 50 per cent more than last year and the largest number in the eight years of the award. The schemes scored more than 14 out or 20 against the ‘Building for… Continue reading Housebuilders recognise the importance of quality

No help to boost the UK’s supply of homes to rent The property industry has reacted with dismay after the Treasury recently ruled out giving any help to boost the UK’s supply of homes to rent. The British Property Federation (BPF) said short-sighted ministers had missed “a real opportunity” to support the fledgling professional private… Continue reading Treasury rules out financial support