First-time buyers

11% year-on-year rise in house purchase borrowing

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has reported that homeowners borrowed £12.2bn for house purchase...

Younger budgeting more, older less

Despite a slight annual increase in the number of people who formally budget, 53%...

‘Smart’ FTBs locked into HTB mortgage guarantee scheme

Connells Survey and Valuation has found that first-time buyers are making the most of the Help...

Widespread rate cuts unveiled by Barclays

Barclays has made cuts across its residential, large loan and buy-to-let product ranges.  Key changes include the following: Two-year...

Home-buying myths ‘shattered’

According to Virgin Money's analysis of 1,007 homeowners’ buying preferences, personal and household safety (83%),...

Fall in mortgage approvals

The Bank of England has reported a decrease in mortgage approvals for August. The number...

New 95% LTV deal from the Mansfield

The Mansfield Building Society has unveiled a three year fixed rate mortgage available up...

London asking prices down 3% since mid-June

The UK housing market remains "alive and active", according to analysis of the UK...

Think tank proposals could boost home building

Leading housing associations should be made exempt from government rent reduction policies to free them...

Seven-year gap in FTB ages

The average age of a UK first time buyer is now 30, but there...

The Yorkshire calls for major stamp duty reform

The Yorkshire Building Society is urging the government to consider reforming stamp duty land tax...

Under-35s prioritise deposit saving over retirement planning

Saving for a deposit is three times more important than saving for retirement for...

Homeowners staying put following Brexit vote

The vote to leave the European Union has made homebuyers and homeowners more cautious,...

Anticipating the Autumn Statement

The date has been set, and one presumes, the preparations about what it will...

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