A Help to Buy government bungle has put homeowners potentially hundreds of pounds into debt, and could cost them even more when they come to remortgage. The equity loan scheme gives home buyers a five-year interest free loan on a home purchase for five years, before charging interest at 1.75 per cent. But a flawed … Read more
How likely are you to get planning permission? New tool reveals approval rates for your town – with Harrow bottom of the pile Majority have planning permission applications granted Homeowners in the North East have the best chances of getting approval West London has the lowest average planning approval rate in England By Will Kirkman … Read more
A property raffle claims it will be ‘the first in the world’ to keep its promise of guaranteeing a London flat as the top prize – even if it doesn’t sell enough tickets to cover its overheads. Raffle House, which is guaranteeing the prize after previously facing criticism from This is Money for handing over smaller sums of … Read more
A pre-Boris bounce? Housing market revival began BEFORE the General Election as the number of mortgage approvals hit two year high Net mortgage borrowing grew by some £400million to £4.6billion in December Number of approvals also grew, hitting their highest levels in two years Vast majority of borrowing undertaken before Tory election win January figures … Read more
Ministers fired a warning shot at banks this week as the top six lenders stand accused of failing to help mortgage prisoners switch to a better deal. In an open letter Treasury ministers urged banks to move quickly to help mortgage prisoners following some four months of inaction from lenders. The UK’s financial watchdog introduced … Read more
It’s no secret that some parents adopt all manner of tactics to ensure their children have the best chance of being admitted to a good school. Moving home, finding faith and renting in a catchment area are all methods employed to navigate the strict criteria that many schools impose to whittle down admissions that come … Read more
House prices have only ever been as expensive as they are now compared to wages twice in the past 120 years. That one of those occasions was at the peak of the 2000s property boom will come as no great shock, but that the other was around the start of the 20th century might be … Read more
House prices climbed £600 in January but Nationwide forecasts a flat year ahead for property not a major bounce Average house prices rose by 1.9% in the year to January, Nationwide said Cost of the average home has reached £215,897 on the index Month-on-month, the average cost of a home increased by 0.5% By Jane … Read more
Buyer interest in homes for sale across the UK’s biggest cities jumped by more than a quarter at the start of the year, new research shows. Although the start of the year is traditionally a time when buyers return to the market after the Christmas lull, demand in the first weeks of 2020 was up … Read more
Hope for mortgage prisoners as Nationwide knocks a third off its affordability requirements – and more lenders could soon follow suit A tweak to the rules means more borrowers will be able to remortgage It could help mortgage prisoners stuck on expensive rates with inactive lenders By Will Kirkman For Thisismoney.co.uk Published: 12:33 GMT, 23 … Read more
Home sellers backing a Boris bounce raise asking prices by £6,785 in the biggest ever New Year rise, but experts warn against over-pricing Rightmove said average asking price jumped 2.3% to £306,810 in past month Property market activity is up substantially on last year’s weak New Year Sellers should be careful not to get carried … Read more
Sainsbury’s Bank urged to move borrowers to a regulated lender after pulling out of mortgage market The bank has refused to rule out selling the loans to a private equity firm Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake has written to Sainsbury’s Bank boss By Helen Cahill For The Mail On Sunday Published: 22:01 GMT, 18 January 2020 … Read more
Those looking to buy a home in 2020 may be able to use a Christmas or New Year’s bonus to boost their borrowing power by up to £33,000. Numbers crunched by mortgage broker Private Finance reveal that picking a ‘bonus-friendly’ mortgage could add a significant chunk onto the amount some workers could borrow. In most … Read more