The UK's independent property help portal
February 3, 2010

FTBs receive a boost as hundreds of new mortgage products launched

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by Kay Murchie

FTBs receive a boost as hundreds of new mortgage products launched
First-time buyers (FTBs) received a boost today after financial website, Moneyfacts, revealed mortgage availability is rising. Since the onset of the credit crunch over two years ago, first-time buyers have been struggling to get a foot on ...

February 1, 2010

BoE: Mortgage approvals dip in December

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by Kay Murchie

BoE: Mortgage approvals dip in December
The Bank of England has today revealed that the number of mortgages approved for house purchases fell in December compared with the previous month. The fall, which was the first in over a year, came as a surprise to many analysts as ...

January 26, 2010

FSA to protect mortgage holders in arrears

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by Kay Murchie

FSA to protect mortgage holders in arrears
Under new proposals by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), mortgage holders who are in arrears will be better protected. The FSA said it wants lenders to guarantee they will use repossession a last resort and they will not be able to ...


BBA reports rise in December mortgage approvals

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by Kay Murchie

BBA reports rise in December mortgage approvals
The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has today revealed a rise in the number of new mortgages approved by the major banks in December. According to the BBA, mortgage approvals for the month stood at 45,897 - slightly higher than the ...

January 21, 2010

CML: Mortgage lending sees surprise rise in December

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by Kay Murchie

CML: Mortgage lending sees surprise rise in December
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has today announced a rise in December mortgage lending - traditionally a quiet month for house purchase. However, the CML attributed the rise to homeowners rushing to beat the stamp duty rise on 1 ...

January 20, 2010

Variable rate mortgages popular in low interest rate environment

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by Kay Murchie

Variable rate mortgages popular in low interest rate environment
According to mortgage broker, John Charcol, variable rate mortgage deals are proving to be extremely popular in the current low interest rate environment. The Bank of England has held interest rates at the historically low level of 0.5% since ...

January 18, 2010

Mortgage products increase but way off pre-credit crunch levels

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by Kay Murchie

Mortgage products increase but way off pre-credit crunch levels
Figures from moneysupermarket.com have revealed a rise in the number of mortgage products available but numbers are still way off the levels seen prior to the credit crunch in August 2007. According to the price comparison website, last week ...

January 14, 2010

CML: Mortgage lending down 4% on month

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by Kay Murchie

CML: Mortgage lending down 4% on month
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has today revealed that the number of home loans approved for house purchase fell 4% in November compared with the previous month. According to the CML, there were 53,000 mortgages granted to buyers, a fall ...

January 11, 2010

1m households using plastic to pay mortgage/rent

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by Kay Murchie

1m households using plastic to pay mortgage/rent
A report from the homeless charity, Shelter, has revealed that in the last year, up to 1 million families have paid their mortgage or rent on their credit card. An exclusive YouGov survey for the charity's ROOF magazine reveals the ...

January 8, 2010

A&L named most competitive mortgage lender

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by Kay Murchie

A&L named most competitive mortgage lender
Alliance & Leicester (A&L) has been named the most consistently competitive mortgage lender during the final quarter of 2009, according to research by mortgage search software firm, Evaluate Technologies. A&L replaced HSBC as the UK’s most consistently competitive mortgage lender during the ...


Lenders increase SVRs despite rate freeze

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by Kay Murchie

Lenders increase SVRs despite rate freeze
Research from price comparison website Moneyfacts.co.uk has found that several mortgage lenders have increased their standard variable rate (SVR) despite the Bank of England’s base rate freeze. Since March 2009, the Bank of England has held interest rates at the historically low ...

January 4, 2010

BoE: Mortgage approvals continue to rise

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by Kay Murchie

BoE: Mortgage approvals continue to rise
The Bank of England has today revealed that the number of mortgages approved for house purchases rose for the twelfth consecutive month in November. Mortgage approvals for house purchases grew to 60,518 in November, up from the 57,718 in October and ...

January 3, 2010

Four in 10 UK areas see improved affordability for FTBs

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by Kay Murchie

Four in 10 UK areas see improved affordability for FTBs
First-time buyers (FTBs) may be interested to learn that in 39% of local authority districts, property is now affordable to them. According to this year's Halifax First-Time Buyer Annual Review, someone on average earnings could now afford the ...

December 29, 2009

Loophole closure means thousands saved from repossession

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by Kay Murchie

Loophole closure means thousands saved from repossession
The closure of a legal loophole means that lenders will not be able to repossess a home unless they are in possession of a court order. Following a period of consultation, the Government plans to close the loophole that previously allowed ...

December 23, 2009

BBA: Mortgage approvals up in November

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by Kay Murchie

BBA: Mortgage approvals up in November
The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has today revealed a rise in the number of new mortgages approved by the major banks in November. According to the BBA, mortgage approvals for the month stood at 44,713, up 2,161 compared with October - ...

December 18, 2009

CML: Mortgage lending plummets 10% on month

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by Kay Murchie

CML: Mortgage lending plummets 10% on month
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has today announced a fall in mortgage lending for the month of November. According to the CML, UK mortgage lending fell by 10% in November compared with October and was the lowest level since May. ...

December 17, 2009

First-time buyers fall to one-year low

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by Kay Murchie

First-time buyers fall to one-year low
Figures published by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) have revealed that the proportion of first-time buyers purchasing property in November fell to its lowest level for a year. According to the NAEA, 19% were first-time buyers in November - down ...

December 15, 2009

FSA reveals rise in repossessions

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by Kay Murchie

FSA reveals rise in repossessions
Figures published today by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) revealed that 13,987 homes were repossessed in the three months to the end of September. The figure was a rise of 3% when compared with the previous quarter but was 6% lower than in ...


Charities report reveals lenders ‘too fast to repossess’

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by Kay Murchie

Charities report reveals lenders 'too fast to repossess'
A report by AdviceUK, Citizens Advice Bureau and Shelter has found that more families will find their homes being repossessed unless urgent action is taken by lenders. While the report found that some support packages for struggling homeowners are having ...

December 10, 2009

CML: Mortgage lending up 9% on month

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by Kay Murchie

CML: Mortgage lending up 9% on month
The housing market received a further boost today after the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) revealed that the number of home loans approved for house purchase rose 9% in October compared with the previous month. Furthermore, it was an increase of ...