Signs are emerging that the UK property market is slowly starting to improve. According to the latest figures from The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the number of house sales increased in January, helped by first-time buyers rushing to secure a purchase before the end of the stamp duty exemption on homes under £250,000. [...]
House prices fell 1.1 per cent in February according to The Halifax, contradicting earlier figures from Nationwide suggesting that property prices have increased. According to the Halifax’s three monthly index, house prices were 1.1 per cent lower in February than in the previous three months. The mortgage lender’s annual index showed that property prices fell [...]
The average value of houses in the 13 postal districts closest to Olympic park in Stratford, east London, has increased by more than £62,739 to £268,884 since July 2005, when the capital was awarded the right to host the 2012 Olympics. A study by Lloyds TSB shows that house prices have risen by 30%, which [...]
House prices remained steady in January and February according to property analysis firm Hometrack, but there was a surge for interest from potential buyers. The firm’s Monthly National Housing Survey found that property values fell across six regions, remained the same in three, and grew by just 0.1 per cent in London, in the first [...]
Gross mortgage lending fell to £10.5bn in January, 12 per cent lower than the total for December. However the figures represent a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said. January was the sixth consecutive month of higher lending compared with the previous year. Home loan approvals also increased in [...]
The average rent increased by 0.1% from December to January, a traditionally quiet period for the rental market. It was the first January increase in rents ever recorded by LSL Property Services, which said that tenants were trying to take advantage of the quiet period. With many potential first-time buyers unable to afford to buy [...]
The latest figures from the Land Registry show that house prices fell by 1.3 per cent in England and Wales in 2011, with the average property costing £160,384 in December. Prices remained stable at the end of the year, with no change between November and December 2011. The only place in England and Wales where [...]
Norwich & Peterborough Building Society (N&P) has launched a low rate, low fee mortgage to attract buyers who plan to stay in their property for a longer period of time. The ten-year fixed rate mortgage offers an interest rate of just 3.99 per cent APR, making it one of the cheapest deals on the market. [...]
House sales fell 1 per cent in 2011, with just 869,000 residential properties sold, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). In January 2011, traditionally the weakest month for property transactions, just 45,000 houses were sold. However, the market did improve at the end of the year, with 76,000 sold in December. The property market [...]
Although more new houses were put up for sale in December, transactions were hampered by sellers asking too high a price for their properties, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). December saw the number of houses put up for sale increase for the third month in a row, especially in London where [...]
Mortgage lender the Halifax claims that house prices fell by 1.3 per cent last year to an average of £160,063, their lowest level since July 2009. According to the Halifax House Price Index, house prices fell 0.9 per cent in December, compared with the previous month. Although prices rose in the third quarter of 2010, [...]
The Halifax reported a 0.9 per cent fall in house prices in November, compared with the previous month, and it expects the housing market to remain steady over the winter. November’s fall in house prices came despite a 3 per cent increase in the number of mortgages approved during the month to 52,700, according to [...]
The latest house price figures from Nationwide Building Society contradict yesterday’s news from the Land Registry that house prices have fallen over the past year. Nationwide today said that house prices are ‘surprisingly resilient’ with November’s figures showing a year-on-year increase of 1.6%. In contrast the latest Land Registry figures showed a 3.2 per cent [...]
House prices fell at a faster rate in October than they did in the previous month, according to Land Registry figures, with the average house price dropping to £160,000. The house price index fell 3.2 per cent in October, compared with a 2.6 per cent fall in September. Although house prices in London fell by [...]
Not so long ago houseowners could rely on the equity in their existing property, generated by its growing market value, to fund a move to a larger home, but new research from HSBC confirms that this is often no longer an option. The bank suggests that a fall in property prices means that first time [...]
Although the mortgage market is currently stable, the outlook remains uncertain in the face of the eurozone crisis. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has reported that 48,200 mortgages were taken out to buy homes in September, two per cent less than in the previous month. However there was a 3 per cent improvement in [...]
New figures from the Halifax show a 1.2 per cent increase in house prices in October, however compared with a year ago they have fallen by 1.8 per cent. In the three months to the end of October, house prices fell by 0.3 per cent, compared with the previous quarter, representing the first fall since [...]
The latest house price index from the Nationwide Building Society has revealed prices rose by 0.4% in October on a monthly basis. On an annual basis, house prices are now 0.8% higher than this time last year – representing the first yearly rise in six months – with the average UK home costing £165,650. However, [...]
US consumer confidence slumped in October, the Conference Board has reported. The closely-monitored Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board dived to 39.8 this month from September’s reading of 46.4. Not only was the reading less than forecasts of a level of 46.0, it was the lowest since March 2009, when the US was in [...]
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has today reported that the UK housing market is suffering due to fears over the economy. However, the Institution said the number of enquiries from potential new buyers increased marginally in the month, with 3% more surveyors reporting a rise rather than a fall. First-time buyers, in particular, [...]
Car insurers follow Marmalade in planning ‘black box’ policies
Research has revealed that more than 50% of drivers plan to switch to a black box insurance policy in the coming half decade. The UK’s young driver market leader Intelligent Marmalade (www.intelligentmarmalade.co.uk) is a product from the award winning young person’s car insurance provider Young Marmalade. “We have seen significant improvements in driver behavior since [...]
Chancellor determined to cut 50p tax rate
The question of whether or not to scrap the 50p income tax rate is dividing the coalition government in the run up to the budget on 21 March. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is determined to reduce income tax on earnings over £150,000, but the proposal has been met with disapproval by Lib Dem [...]
Stamp duty rush causes rents to fall
Rents on private accommodation fell by 0.6 per cent last month, to an average of £707, according to the latest Buy-to-Let Index from LSL, a provider of residential property services. The agency suggests that the fall is likely to be temporary as it is related to an increase in the number of tenants deciding to [...]
93% of ISAs transferred within 15 days
Many savers will be planning to transfer their cash Isa, to take advantage of new deals appearing prior to the start of the higher Isa allowance on 6 April. They will be pleased to hear that there has been a significant improvement in the time taken to complete a transfer. Isa’s often offer an introductory [...]
Debt repayment increasingly difficult says CCCS
Although households reduced their debts last year they face a ‘tide’ of difficulties in repaying them, according to a study by the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS). The study of 370,000 cases handled by the counselling service suggests that youth unemployment and rising rents are key factors which cause people to fall into debt. 42% [...]
Tesco raises pension age to 67
Supermarket retailer Tesco has increased its pension age by two years to 67 for the 170,000 employees who contribute to the company’s scheme. Tesco employees will still be able to retire from the age of 55 at a reduced pension rate, but they will only receive a full pension if they work until 67. The [...]
Credit card insurance covers faulty breast implants
Lloyds TSB has refunded the £3,700 cost of a woman’s breast implants after they ruptured. The woman, who is in her 40s and lives in the Midlands, had the implants in 2008 at a private firm which later went into administration. . She consulted a breast cancer clinic in September 2011 after she found a [...]
Virgin Money hikes credit card interest rates
Virgin Money has increased the interest rate on credit cards for some of its customers from 16.8 per cent to 24.9 per cent. Following criticism of the move, the bank unsympathetically told the customers to either accept the increase, which amounts to nearly 50 per cent, or pay off their balances. The rates on balance [...]
Signs are emerging that the UK property market is slowly starting to improve. According to the latest figures from The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the number of house sales increased in January, helped by first-time buyers rushing to secure a purchase before the end of the stamp duty exemption on homes under £250,000. [...]
Motorists unable to pay insurance excess
Many motorists are increasing the voluntary excess on their motor insurance policies in order to keep the cost of the policy down, according to a study by Axa. However, if they have an accident, this can mean they are unable to afford the excess payment and are therefore unable to have their vehicle repaired. The [...]
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