Latest News
Bank holds base rate at 0.5 per cent with no extension to QE
11th May 2012
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has held the base rate at 0.5 per cent with no extention to quantitative easing.
Q1 repossession figures static
10th May 2012
The number of repossessions in Q1 of 2012 was 9,600, the same as in Q1 of 2011, breaking the recent trend of year-on-year increases in repossessions, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
Secured loan business up 14per cent year-on-year
9th May 2012
Secured loan business totalled £74m in Q1 2012, up 14 per cent from Q1 2011, the latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association show.
Mortgage approvals up in March
4th May 2012
The number of UK mortgage approvals increased from 49,000 in February to 49,900 in March, according to the latest figures from the Bank of England.
Drawdown equity release increases 11 per cent in Q1
4th May 2012
Drawdown equity release sales surged 11 per cent in Q1 2012 to account for 66 per cent of all equity release deals, Key Retirement Solutions data reveals.
End of Stamp Duty holiday sees mutual lending rocket in March
3rd May 2012
Ending on March 24 the rise in Stamp Duty on homes worth up to £250,000 saw of rush of first-timers in the sector.
Stamp Duty deadline pushes gross mortgage lending up 30 per cent in March
27th April 2012
Gross mortgage lending in March was an estimated £13.4bn - a 30 per cent increase from February, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
Equity release sales up 10 per cent year-on-year
24th April 2012
Equity release advances by Safe Homes Income Plan members totalled £199.1m in Q1 of 2012, an increase of 10 per cent on the same period last year, when they totalled £181.6m.
Self-build mortgages set to rocket 141 per cent in three years
20th April 2012
Self-build mortgages are expected to rocket 141 per cent over the next three years, according to a report by the National Self-build Association.
UK unemployment falls by 35,000
19th April 2012
UK unemployment has fallen by 35,000 to stand at 2.65m, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
First-time buyer numbers up 8 per cent in February
17th April 2012
Lending to both first-time buyers and home movers increased in February with first-time buyers taking the bigger increase, according to figures released today from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
U-turn on advice would need new consultation
12th April 2012
If the Financial Services Authority were to do a U-turn on its proposals for non-advised sales it would have to consult the industry again, says the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries.
Potential buyers test market in March as Stamp Duty holiday ends
11th April 2012
With the end of the Stamp Duty holiday at the end of March potential buyers continued to test the market according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ March UK Housing Market Survey.
Bank of England keeps rates on hold
6th April 2012
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has voted to keep interest rates on hold at 0.5 per cent and to maintain the size of the asset purchase programme
House prices up 2.2 per cent in March
5th April 2012
House prices increased by 2.2 per cent in March, the Halifax House Price Index shows.
UK has avoided recession, claims BCC
4th April 2012
The UK is likely to have avoided recession in Q1 2012, according to the British Chambers of Commerce, although significant risks remain for the economy.
Housing equity withdrawal static in Q4 2011
2nd April 2012
The Bank of England's latest housing equity withdrawal in Q4 2011 was static on Q3 with another fall of £8.5bn.
Gross lending at mutuals up 28 percent year on year
30th March 2012
Gross mortgage lending by building societies and other mutuals rose 28 percent year on year in February 2012, Building Societies Association data shows.
IFS: Stamp Duty changes highlight need for property tax rethink
29th March 2012
The Institute for Fiscal Studies says the changes to Stamp Duty announced in the Budget appear “unpremeditated” and bolster the case for wholesale reform of property taxation.
Treasury relied on FSA for expertise during crisis
28th March 2012
A damning report into the Treasury’s response to the financial crisis shows a major reliance on the Financial Services Authority for expertise.
