Opinions & blogs

“Unregulated” attitude to buy-to-let sales is wearing thin

The recent announcement by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) that it expects bridging lenders...

Interest in Portugal hotting up

The gloom hanging over Portugal’s economy doesn’t seem to have deterred British buyers, who...

London property market & the Eurozone crisis

Eurozone break-up would be bad for the London property market, warns Hugh Wade-Jones, director...

The ASTL must drive the bridging industry forward

We need an active and dynamic trade association, writes Steven Nicholas, chief executive of...

Landlords aren’t to blame for high rental demand

Bob Young, managing director of CHL Mortgages When the housing market was at its...

Alternative investment: angels and assets

Raising money really isn’t easy. Otherwise, I guess, we’d all be doing it! Funding the...

Why I support the Equity Release Council

A revamped and united trade body is set to deal with issues such as...

The evolution of the mortgage club

Phil Whitehouse, head of TMA, wonders if there is such a thing as 'more...

Cut the flab and offer more

Harpal Singh, managing director of Conveyancing Alliance Ltd As a small business owner who...

Promotions and the Olympics: marketing your way into trouble

Did someone mention the Olympics? Anyone seen (or sold!) an Olympic torch? Is your...

High-net worth market and overseas clients

Hugh Wade-Jones, director of Enness Private Clients As important as it is to observe trends...

Making sense of buy-to-let data

Bob Young, managing director of CHL Mortgages While the buy-to-let sector has certainly enjoyed...

COMMENT: don’t underestimate the FSA’s intent

You must sit up and take notice of the FSA's recent proposals, warns Bob...

COMMENT: the cost of suspending HIPs

Your clients will see increased costs from the suspension of HIPs, warns Harpal Singh,...

COMMENT

Mutual strength and the broker partnership

The mutual sector has always been associated with community purpose, local branches and a member-first approach that feels a little different to the wider...

First-time, accidental or professional? How the landlord profile is shifting in 2026

One of the most common misconceptions that people have about the buy-to-let market is that landlords are a single, uniform group. The reality is...

Complexity is rising and broker enablement has never mattered more

 For many years, success in the mortgage market was built off efficiency. If a broker understood the mainstream lending landscape, packaged cases well and kept...

Industry pushes to build next generation of home valuers

According to RICS, the average qualified surveyor is in their mid-fifties. Couple this with new entrant numbers failing to keep pace with retirements, and...

Supply side continues to drive the change agenda

Regulatory change is no longer something firms respond to periodically. It is now a permanent feature of the landscape. Whether it is capital treatment...

Latest news

The Vernon hires internal BDM to expand intermediary reach

Vernon Building Society has appointed Damien Sabbaghe as intermediary business development manager as it...

Coventry trims first-time buyer and limited company buy-to-let rates

Coventry for intermediaries has cut selected mortgage rates for first-time buyers and limited company...

TRM adds to PMI team with supervision & development manager hire

The Right Mortgage & Protection Network has appointed Gemma Penkethman as PMI supervision &...

Rental yields rise across England and Wales as buy-to-let market enters more volatile period

Rental yields increased annually in every region of England and Wales in the first...

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