Economy

Housing market stalls as demand dips and sales slide

The UK housing market’s fragile recovery faltered in July as higher borrowing costs and...

Children wield growing influence over UK home buying decisions

Children are exerting unprecedented sway over property choices with 74% of families saying their...

Bellway renews call for Help to Buy as housing recovery stalls

Housebuilder Bellway says the UK housing market recovery has “stalled” over summer, renewing its...

SortRefer posts record-breaking July as broker demand surges

SortRefer, the Derby-based conveyancing and legal services platform, has reported its strongest month on...

Industry reaction as Bank drops rates 0.25%

The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 4% following a finely balanced...

First-time buyer mortgage payments fall by £93 a month as affordability edges up

First-time buyer affordability is showing tentative signs of improvement with average monthly mortgage payments...

Renters cut back as deposit savings hit six-month low

The number of renters actively saving for a property deposit has fallen to its...

AI fuels record surge in identity fraud

Criminals are exploiting artificial intelligence to forge documents, create synthetic identities and bypass verification...

Interest rate cut could inflame house prices and worsen outlook for first-time buyers

The Bank of England’s expected decision to cut interest rates this week could reignite...

Top 12 potential sites for New Towns revealed in landmark planning study

A new report by national property consultancy Carter Jonas has identified 12 of the...

Commercial borrowing appetite softens amid inflation and uncertainty

A growing sense of caution among small and medium-sized business borrowers is dampening the...

Buy-to-let lending rises as rental market begins to rebalance

Buy-to-let investment is showing signs of renewed momentum as landlords respond to easing pressure...

UK housing market defies summer slowdown as buyers regain confidence but price growth stalls

Housing market activity has picked up pace and defying the traditional seasonal lull as...

£6.4bn economic boost possible through better financial inclusion, report finds

Improving access to affordable credit, encouraging savings and tackling the poverty premium in insurance...

COMMENT

We need to wait to get a clearer picture

It's been a week where the political and economic backdrop has moved almost as fast as rates themselves, and it's worth taking stock of...

Leasehold valuation reform: the consultation is asking only half the question

The Government's consultation on leasehold enfranchisement valuation rates is important because it will help determine what leaseholders pay to extend leases or buy freeholds,...

What commonhold will mean for mortgage lenders and brokers

Commonhold is often presented as the straightforward alternative to leasehold. It removes the freeholder, gives flat owners greater control and avoids some familiar problems...

Why you need to know what sits behind the average review score

There’s a funny thing about review scores. The better they are, the less likely we are to question them. If a company is sitting at...

The new Chancellor wants to remove barriers to growth; he should start with housing

There was probably a degree of unintended irony in the Treasury choosing to call the Chancellor, John Healey’s, first major market ‘intervention’ his ‘Growth...

Latest news

FCA joins industry partners to tackle protection insurance gap

The Financial Conduct Authority is working with industry, government and consumer groups in an...

Family Building Society appoints Laura Hamp as chief financial officer

Family Building Society has appointed Laura Hamp as chief financial officer and a member...

Buy-to-let market reaches £311.6bn as sector marks 30 years

The UK buy-to-let market has grown to almost two million outstanding mortgages worth £311.6bn,...

Conveyancing Association names Nick Chadbourne as new chair

The Conveyancing Association has appointed former LMS chief executive Nick Chadbourne as its new...

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