Economy

Remortgage searches rise 7% in July

Residential remortgage searches increased by 7% during July as purchase and buy-to-let activity weakened,...

LEASE launches lease extension cost tool

The Leasehold Advisory Service has launched a free online tool enabling leaseholders to check...

Vida mortgage lending more than doubles to £840m

Vida Group Holdings increased gross mortgage lending to £840m during the first half of...

Affordability blocking housing recovery

Improving confidence is encouraging buyers back into the housing market but affordability remains the...

Mortgage rate reversal wipes out July cuts

Average mortgage rates increased during July, reversing the reductions recorded a month earlier, according...

Five firms join FCA Scale-up Unit

Five fast-growing financial services firms have joined the Financial Conduct Authority’s Scale-up Unit for...

Commonhold reform: Devil in the detail

The government's language on leasehold reform remains forthright. Ministers speak of, “bringing the feudal...

Leek raises earned income age limit to 75

Leek Building Society has introduced eight lending criteria changes covering income, contractors, later-life borrowing...

Coventry cuts residential and buy-to-let rates

Coventry for intermediaries has reduced selected residential and buy-to-let mortgage rates for new and...

Rely cuts buy-to-let rates by up to 25bps

Rely has reduced rates by up to 25 basis points across a range of...

House price growth slows to 0.1%: Lloyds

UK house prices remained unchanged in July as higher mortgage rates and global economic...

Stamp duty and community ties stall downsizing

Nearly three in five over-65s have considered downsizing but stamp duty, family ties and...

Fairfax steps down as Catalyst CEO

Catalyst Property Finance founder Chris Fairfax is stepping down as chief executive following the...

Mortgage fraud rises across every category

Mortgage-related fraud increased across every category tracked by Cifas during the first half of...

COMMENT

Buy-to-let at 30: the mortgage that changed Britain’s housing market

John Heron helped create buy-to-let when landlords had almost nowhere to turn for finance. Thirty years later, he and Paragon Bank's Louisa Sedgwick reflect...

Harpenden’s expat move could be bigger than the numbers suggest

Harpenden Building Society’s move into expat mortgages this summer has been good news for brokers and borrowers. But I think its importance goes beyond...

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...

Latest news

Skipton cuts fixed rates and widens home mover range

Skipton Building Society is reducing rates across its fixed mortgage range by an average...

Quantum Mortgages promotes Mihramane and Ajaib

Quantum Mortgages has made two internal promotions across its sales and completions teams as...

Complex incomes hindering aspiring Scottish buyers

More than half of Scottish adults with complex incomes who do not own a...

MAB adds three senior hires across marketing, finance and technology

Mortgage Advice Bureau has strengthened its executive team with three senior appointments spanning marketing,...

PROFILES