Latest News
First-time buyers failing to take up record number of 95 percent LTV deals
17th February 2012
The number of 95 percent loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage deals available to first-time buyers is at the highest level since before the financial crisis, according to leading broker the Mortgage Advice Bureau.
First-time buyer mortgages up 7 percent in December
16th February 2012
The number of first-time buyers increased by 7 percent in December 2011, compared with the previous month, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
Consumer confidence hits five-month high in January
15th February 2012
Consumer confidence rose to its highest level for five months in January, research from Nationwide shows.
UK inflation falls to 3.6 percent
14th February 2012
The UK consumer prices index has fallen to 3.6 percent in January, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Repossessions up 5 percent year-on-year in Q4 2011
13th February 2012
The number of properties taken into possession in Q4 2011 totalled 8,500, 5% higher than the 8,100 homes repossessed in the same period in 2010, according to data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
Unemployment rises to 2.67m
10th February 2012
Unemployment is up 48,000 to 2.67 million in the final quarter of 2011, Office for National Statistics data shows.
Lenders may be forced to cap LTVs, says Osborne
9th February 2012
Chancellor George Osborne says the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee will have the power to curb high LTVs in order to prevent an unsustainable rise in house prices.
Repossessions up 5% year-on-year in Q4 2011
9th February 2012
The number of properties taken into possession in Q4 2011 totalled 8,500, 5% higher than the 8,100 homes repossessed in the same period in 2010, according to data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders
Number of B2L properties increased by 84,000 in 2011
9th February 2012
The number of properties being bought with buy-to-let mortgages increased by around 84,000 in 2011, according to latest data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
Government ignores TSC warnings over BoE governance
8th February 2012
The Government has decided not to radically reform or scrap the Court of the Bank of England, despite warnings from the Treasury select committee that more effective governance is required.
Mutuals' gross mortgage lending up 16% in 2011
31st January 2012
Gross lending by building societies and other mutuals in 2011 was £23.6bn, which is up 16% compared to £20.4bn in 2010.
Over 1,000 homes sold through FirstBuy
29th January 2012
The UK’s three biggest house builders have sold a total of 1,250 homes through the Government’s FirstBuy scheme in its first four months.
Virgin plans to double Northern Rock lending
28th January 2012
Virgin Money plans to double the value of mortgage lending that Northern Rock advanced.
Banks' gross mortgage lending up 12 per cent year-on-year in December
27th January 2012
Gross mortgage lending by high street banks totalled £9bn in December 2011, 12% higher than the same period in 2010.
MPC vote unanimous again in January
26th January 2012
The Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to keep the base rate on hold and maintain the quantitative easing programme at £275bn earlier this month, minutes of the meeting have revealed.
GDP shrank by 0.2 per cent in Q4
26th January 2012
The preliminary gross domestic product estimate for Q4 2011 shows that production output decreased by 1.2 per cent in Q4, compared to an increase of 0.2 per cent in Q3.
Gross lending in December up 12 per cent year-on-year
25th January 2012
Gross mortgage lending totalled £11.7bn in December 2011, 12 per cent higher than the same period a year ago, according to data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
End of Stamp Duty holiday could be disastrous for FTBs, says NAEA
25th January 2012
The end of the Stamp Duty holiday for first-time buyers in March could have a disastrous impact on the bottom end of the housing market, the National Association of Estate Agents is warning.
UK inflation falls to 4.2 per cent
19th January 2012
The UK consumer prices index has fallen to 4.2 per cent in December, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Unemployment rises to 2.68 million
18th January 2012
The unemployment rate for the three months to November 2011 was 8.4%, up 0.3% on the previous quarter, figures from the Office for National Statistics show.
