All mortgages articles
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NewsEight key takeaways from the heat and buildings strategy
Hydrogen shelved, potential mandatory EPC targets for mortgage lenders and could new homes be cut off from the gas grid? Here’s our round-up of key points from the heat and buildings strategy
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Comment
Bank figures provide more jitters for the housing market
The latest data on mortage lending from the Bank of England will do little to steady the nerves of those in the house building world.The figures show the number of approvals for house purchases on a seasonally adjusted basis has taken a dip in the first quarter of this year.The ...
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Comment
More home sellers, fewer home letters - a housing market in flux
How should we read yesterday’s Rightmove figures showing the slowest ever March pick up in asking prices?They appear to be consistent with much of what else we are seeing in the market – a growing body of evidence that the recent bounce back in the housing market is faltering (see ...
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Comment
Is the housing market on the turn again?
Today’s release by the surveyors’ body RICS of its latest housing market survey provides a little bit of support to both sides of the will-they-won’t-they debate on house price rises.Looked at nationally, the broad measures of estate agents experiences and expectations of house prices remain positive.A majority of 17% saw ...
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Comment
Was it just the cold or is it a relapse?
There are plenty of people, “experts” indeed, who fully expect a double-dip recession for both the economy and, for that matter, house prices.For them the data emerging for January’s performance appears to be, albeit gently, vindicating their position. They will no doubt seize with alacrity the retail figures from the ...
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Comment
The cruelty of breeding force-fed first-time buyers
Here's a question that goes right to the heart of current housing policy: Should we be using incentives as readily as we are to encourage first-time buyers onto the property ladder?However iconoclastic or contrary this question may seem, it needs to be asked. There is so much at stake.Promoting first-time ...
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Comment
Thousands of homebuyers in negative equity
Figures provided to the BBC by the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that 23,000 homebuyers took out 100% mortgages in the 12 months to March this year.With house prices as measured by HBOS (Halifax) back to the level of January last year, this means that many if not most of ...