October 30, 2009

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Nationwide reports 2% annual house price rise

Permalink: Nationwide reports 2% annual house price rise
by Kay Murchie

According to the latest Nationwide house price index, UK house prices have experienced their first annual rise since March 2008. The Building Society said prices were 2% higher in October than in the same month in 2008 and were up by ...

October 29, 2009

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BoE reports rise in September mortgage approvals

Permalink: BoE reports rise in September mortgage approvals
by Kay Murchie

The housing market received a further boost today after the Bank of England reported a rise in mortgage approvals for the month of September. According to the Bank, the number of mortgages approved for house purchase, but not yet lent, grew ...

October 28, 2009

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Land Registry reports 0.9% rise in house prices in September

Permalink: Land Registry reports 0.9% rise in house prices in September
by Kay Murchie

The Land Registry has today reported a rise in house prices in England and Wales in September. According to the Registry, house prices rose by 0.9% in September compared with August putting the average cost of a home ...

October 27, 2009

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Rental arrears promise a tricky 2010 for landlords

Permalink: Rental arrears promise a tricky 2010 for landlords
by Gill Montia

Landlord Assist is warning that buy-to-let conditions will remain difficult for landlords in 2010. According to the rental arrears and eviction specialist, around 150,000 tenant evictions will have gone before the courts by the close of the year. The firm points ...

October 26, 2009

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Holiday lets tax relief to be abolished

Permalink: Holiday lets tax relief to be abolished
by Gill Montia

Britons who let out holiday homes in the UK are likely to be losing their furnished holiday lettings tax relief, next April New legislation, details of which are expected in November's pre-Budget report, are expected to outline changes to the tax ...

October 25, 2009

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George Wimpey offers homebuyers the chance to win a home

Permalink: George Wimpey offers homebuyers the chance to win a home
by Kay Murchie

The first 500 visitors through the doors of the Axis apartment development in Lewisham in south east London will have the opportunity to win a home if they crack a six-digit combination. Each participant in the competition gets ...

October 23, 2009

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BBA reports rise in September mortgage approvals

Permalink: BBA reports rise in September mortgage approvals
by Kay Murchie

The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has today reported a 76.8% increase in the number of mortgages approved for house purchase by the major banks in September, compared to the same month last year. Approvals were also up on the month after ...

October 22, 2009

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BoE: Mortgage lending shows improvement

Permalink: BoE: Mortgage lending shows improvement
by Kay Murchie

According to the Bank of England's Trends in Lending report, gross mortgage lending by the major banks increased slightly to £10.2 billion from £9.6 billion in August. In the meantime, the report said lenders expect the availability of mortgages to grow in the ...

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NLA claims lobbying victory over LHA review

Permalink: NLA claims lobbying victory over LHA review
by Gill Montia

The National Landlords' Association (NLA) is calling on the Government to reinstate the right of tenants to choose to have Local Housing Allowance (LHA) paid to their landlord, as soon as possible. LHA was introduced last year, replacing Housing Benefit for ...

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Brits regain confidence in overseas property

Permalink: Brits regain confidence in overseas property
by Gill Montia

Primelocation has reported that searches for international property soared 32% in September, compared to a year earlier. The month also saw search levels up 10% on August, indicating that consumer confidence in foreign property has begun to return. According to the firm, the ...

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Land Registry to close quarter of offices and axe 1500

Permalink: Land Registry to close quarter of offices and axe 1500
by Kay Murchie

According to The Times, the Land Registry is today set to announce plans to close 25% of its national offices, which will result in 1,500 job losses. The Registry, which has 20 offices across the country, covers England ...

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Signs of stability in Scottish rental market

Permalink: Signs of stability in Scottish rental market
by Gill Montia

Edinburgh-based lettings agent, Citylets, reckons that rent levels in Scotland have bottomed out, bringing the prospect of stability to the region's recently volatile market. According to the firm, some sectors recorded their biggest ever year-on-year rent decreases in the three months ...

October 21, 2009

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HMRC: House sales up in September

Permalink: HMRC: House sales up in September
by Kay Murchie

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has revealed a rise in the number of homes sold in September in the UK. According to HMRC, 82,000 homes worth at least £40,000 or more were sold in the month - a slight rise from the ...

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Ireland to see 45% house price crash

Permalink: Ireland to see 45% house price crash
by Gill Montia

A leading credit ratings firm says it expects further significant house price falls in Ireland. According to Fitch Ratings, house prices in the republic have fallen 24% from their December 2006 peak (based on data from the Permanent TSB/Economic and ...

October 20, 2009

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Greater London ‘recovery’ not spreading to Midlands and North

Permalink: Greater London ‘recovery’ not spreading to Midlands and North
by Kay Murchie

There has been talk that the London property market is in recovery mode but according to residential landlord, Property Portfolio Rescue (PPR), this is not the reality facing many homeowners. Its latest UK distress index has revealed a surge ...

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Mortgage lending down 27% on year

Permalink: Mortgage lending down 27% on year
by Kay Murchie

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has today revealed a rise in summer lending but said gross mortgage lending for September fell 27% compared to the same month a year ago. According to the CML, mortgage lending was up 2% in September ...

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NLA combats arrears with rent guarantee insurance

Permalink: NLA combats arrears with rent guarantee insurance
by Gill Montia

Research from the National Landlords' Association (NLA) indicates that almost three quarters of private residential landlords have experienced rent arrears, with 43% of this group reporting arrears being incurred in the last 12 months. To offset this risk, the NLA ...

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Government launches inquiry into Local Housing Allowance

Permalink: Government launches inquiry into Local Housing Allowance
by Gill Montia

The Work and Pensions Committee has announced an inquiry into Local Housing Allowance (LHA). The allowance was introduced last year, replacing Housing Benefit for new tenancies. The move was aimed of increasing tenant choice as LHA is paid direct to the tenant, ...

October 19, 2009

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Zoopla.co.uk gains market share as visitor numbers grow

Permalink: Zoopla.co.uk gains market share as visitor numbers grow
by Kay Murchie

Zoopla.co.uk, the online property website, has revealed double-digit growth in the number of visitors to its site. According to the latest figures from Nielsen, which tracks internet traffic in the UK, those looking for properties online appeared to be swarming ...

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FSA to regulate buy-to-let lending

Permalink: FSA to regulate buy-to-let lending
by Gill Montia

In proposals for the UK mortgage market published today, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has announced that it intends to regulate the buy-to-let lending sector. The FSA says it wants its remit to extend to all lending secured on a home, taking in ...