News Tag: value
September 15, 2010
New figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) show the average UK house price falling by 0.3% in July, with the annual rate of inflation slowing to 8.4%, compared with 9.9% in June.
On a country basis, annual house price rises were evident in England 9.0%; Scotland 3.7% and Wales 10.1%, while in Northern Ireland prices showed a 17.1% ...
DCLG: house prices down in July
by Gill Montia
August 10, 2010
UK mortgage fraud rose sharply in the first half of 2010, according to KPMG.
The accountancy firm's "fraud barometer" registered 21 cases in the six months to the end of June, compared with 18 in the same period of 2009.
More alarmingly, the value of the fraud rose to £96 million, up from £24 million a year earlier.
The trend is expected to continue as ...
Sharp rise in mortgage fraud
by Gill Montia
August 8, 2010
The total value of privately-owned homes in the UK has more than doubled over the past decade, new research from Halifax shows.
The country saw a 118% surge, from £1,719 billion in 1999 to an estimated £3,755 billion in 2009, although the Retail Prices Index measure of inflation rose by only 29% during the same period.
The decade also saw ...
UK housing assets double in value to £3,755bn
by Gill Montia
July 25, 2010
New data from Safe Home Income Plans (SHIP) suggest that the equity release market could be turning a corner.
In the second quarter of 2010, the value of advances slipped to £196.7 million but the decline was smaller than in the previous three month period.
Drawdown equity release proved to be the most popular course, accounting for over 50% of sales, ...
Equity release market primed for recovery
by Gill Montia
May 17, 2010
House purchase lending increased by 45% in March, marking the ninth consecutive month of year-on-year growth, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
Loans for house purchase were up 25% in volume (45,000) and 24% in value from February but for the first quarter of the year as a whole, there were 112,000 loans for house purchase, down from 171,000 in ...
House purchase lending up 45%
by Gill Montia
March 29, 2010
Last week, a deal was reached to help Greece manage its debt crisis, following the two-day EU summit, which was held in Brussels.
The news meant the euro recovered from a 10-month low, which will see a rescue package total €22 billion (£20 billion) and will include help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
So ...
Long-term value of euro could be hit by IMF involvement in Greece bailout
by Kay Murchie
March 17, 2010
The full extent of UK mortgage fraud in the lead up to the credit crisis is probably as yet unknown and signs of economic recovery have prompted the National Fraud Authority (NFA) to remind lenders that they must continue to combat the crime.
According to the NFA, almost £144 billion was loaned in mortgages in 2009, representing an attractive target for criminals.
The ...
Mortgage fraud threat as economy recovers
by Gill Montia
March 12, 2010
There were 49% fewer house purchase loans approved in January than in December, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has reported.
According to the body, the steep decline "emphatically demonstrates" the impact of the end of the stamp duty holiday, in December.
First-time buyers recorded the largest drop among house purchasers: in January, approvals were down to 11,300 compared with 24,800 in December.
However, January first-time ...
New mortgage lending plummets
by Gill Montia
January 28, 2010
The UK's equity release market held steady in the final quarter of 2009, taking into account seasonal factors.
According to industry body, Safe Home Income Plans (SHIP), volumes declined by 1.9% on the previous three months while the value of the average advance showed a 4% increase.
With more homeowners seeking flexible deals, the number of drawdown mortgages sold rose by 5% to 3,057, or 54% of the ...
Equity release holding steady
by Gill Montia
November 30, 2009
Figures from the Bank of England show the value of mortgages approved for house purchases rising for the 11th consecutive month in October, to £8 billion.
The total is up from £7.6 billion a month earlier and compares with a previous six month average of £6.7 billion.
Volumes increased to 57,345, up from 56,205 in September and 18% higher than a year ...
New mortgage lending still nudging ahead
by Gill Montia
November 26, 2009
Being near a top performing primary school in England can add as much as £19,500 to the value of a home, research by Nationwide Building Society has found. Houses near a school where every 11-year-old achieves at least a level four in their Sats exams are worth 11% more than average, Nationwide discovered. However, just 2.4% of primary schools in England achieve this 100% pass rate. A 10% increase in Sats pass rates ...
Homes near top schools worth £20,000 more
by David MastersBeing near a top performing primary school in England can add as much as £19,500 to the value of a home, research by Nationwide Building Society has found. Houses near a school where every 11-year-old achieves at least a level four in their Sats exams are worth 11% more than average, Nationwide discovered. However, just 2.4% of primary schools in England achieve this 100% pass rate. A 10% increase in Sats pass rates ...
November 5, 2009
New research has revealed that property-ladder obsessed Britons are changing their priorities, as a result of the economic downturn.
In a study by insurer Aviva and psychologist Dr Paul Keedwell, 74% of people questioned said they were happy to remain in their current home and 68% admitted to seeing their home as an emotional investment, rather than a money making commodity.
In ...
Emotional value of home ownership revealed
by Gill Montia
September 8, 2009
The price of gold, which is seen as an attractive investment in times of inflation, has briefly hit the $1,000 mark - it’s highest level in six months - before slipping back to $999.0 per ounce.
Gold has been growing in value for the last 8 years and peaked at $1,032 an ounce in March last year. So far this ...
Price of gold hits 6-month high of $1,000
by Kay Murchie
July 13, 2009
Halifax is recommending that "straightforward" home improvements are most likely to offer the highest return in terms of adding value to a home.
According to the lender's research, fuel efficiency and energy saving measures head the list, with the potential for more than double the amount laid out to be reflected in a property's value.
Home security measures and redecorating follow. Garden improvements rank ...
Halifax ranks home improvement returns
by Gill Montia
February 17, 2009
As bank shares continue to plummet, the price of gold continues to soar, with prices last week hitting a seven month high of $953.30 per ounce.
Former editor of The Times, Lord William Rees-Mogg, expects this trend to continue as investors seek to protect themselves against future shocks in the stock market.
"People buy gold when they are nervous about the economy, ...
Gold provides ‘essential insurance’ against financial crises
by David Masters
January 27, 2009
Safe Home Income Plans (SHIP), the body that represents 90% of UK equity release providers, has reported that lending fell by 9% in value and 4% in volume in 2008.
New equity release plans for the year totalled almost £1.096 billion, in terms of value.
SHIP points out that the decrease is far less than that seen in the mainstream mortgage market, ...
UK equity release market shrinks by 9%
by Gill Montia
September 9, 2008
That well-worn estate agents' phrase, "laid to lawn and flower beds" takes on a new meaning in the light of research from Yorkshire Bank.
In its quarterly Homebuyers' Report, the bank has revealed that the average homeowner thinks a garden is worth over £9,000 in terms of the total price of a property.
According to Yorkshire's head of retail, Gary Lumby, recent ...
Home owners dig deep for garden space
by Gill Montia
July 24, 2008
Moneysupermarket.com is alerting homeowners to the fact that the average two-year tracker mortgage is offering increasingly good value.
The price comparison website's weekly credit crunch monitor shows that at the beginning of June, there was little difference between the cost of the average two-year fix and the average two-year tracker.
However, the latest update puts the difference at over 0.5%, in ...
Tracker mortgages provide strong competition for fixed-rates
by Gill Montia
Falling house prices leave home improvers out of pocket
by Gill Montia
June 16, 2008
Zoopla.co.uk, the property valuation website, is suggesting that UK residential properties have lost a combined £300 billion in value since the housing market peaked, in September 2007.
The firm's database contains details of 26 million dwellings and the estimate of each property's value is based on a variety of factors including current asking prices, property characteristics and economic climate.
According to Zoopla, ...
UK residential property loses £1bn a day
by Gill Montia
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