The Office of Fair Trading has recently announced that it plans to bring in measures that could make it easier for homeowners to sell their own properties rather than having to go through estate agents and pay extortionate fees. (more…)
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OFT to make DIY home sales easier
Friday, March 19th, 2010
Mortgage broker banned by FSA
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010It has been reported that the UK’s financial services regulator, the Financial Services Authority, has banned a mortgage broker. The ban was imposed because the broker allegedly failed to prevent mortgage fraud. (more…)
Mortgage activity will increase this year
Monday, March 15th, 2010A prediction with regards to mortgage activity in the UK has been made by the Council of Mortgage Lenders recently, with officials from the agency predicting that 2010 will see the level of mortgage activity in the UK increase. (more…)
Confidence returns to property market in the UK
Friday, March 12th, 2010Over recent months there have been a number of signs of recovery in the property market, with increasing property prices, a growth in property transactions, easing up of the mortgage markets, and increased interest from would be buyers. (more…)
Half of all new mortgages issued by Santander
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010Figures have recently been released showing that around 50 percent of all new mortgages issued in the UK are now arranged through the Spanish based lender Santander, which owns banks such as Abbey and Alliance & Leicester in the UK. (more…)
13 percent drop in UK repossessions
Saturday, March 6th, 2010Recently released figures have shown that in the final three months of last the number of properties in the UK falling into repossession fell significantly, as did the levels of mortgage arrears in the UK. (more…)
154 percent increase in deposits required by first time buyers
Thursday, March 4th, 2010According to recent reports the average amount of deposit that is required by first time buyers in Scotland has increased by a shocking 154 percent since 2007. (more…)
Government reports on house price increases last year
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010A government report has indicated that in 2009 property prices in the UK increase by 2.9 percent. The data comes from the most recent government house price survey. (more…)
Increased protection could be put into place for homeowners in debt
Thursday, February 25th, 2010It has been revealed that action being taken by the Ministry of Justice could result in a greater degree of protection for homeowners that could otherwise be at risk of losing their homes because of their inability to make repayments on personal debts such as credit cards. (more…)
Properties selling at 93 percent of asking price
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010Figures that were recently released by a property website have revealed that properties in the UK are now selling at around 93 percent of their asking price, showing an increase compared to the 88 percent low that was seen in February of last year. This means that those looking to put in an offer on a property need to be mindful about how much they are offering, otherwise they could find that the property is snapped up by another buyer. (more…)
Mortgage availability on the increase
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010Over the past couple of years the mortgage industry has been through some tough times, and both consumers and the economy as a whole have been affected by the lack of mortgage finances that has been available. (more…)
Elderly could save money with equity release service from charity
Monday, February 22nd, 2010Equity release schemes can often prove to be very useful for older homeowners that want to unlock some of the equity in their homes, but the scheme have also come under fire on a regular basis as a result of the fees that many elderly end up paying. (more…)
New borrowing on credit cards and loans on the rise
Saturday, February 20th, 2010Official figures that have been recently released have shown that new borrowing on credit cards, loans, and overdrafts has been increasing, with the level of new borrowing outweighing the amount that has been repaid by consumers for the first time since June of last year. (more…)
Five year tenancies to be given with sale and rent back schemes
Friday, February 19th, 2010Over recent years there has been a lot of concern over sale and rent back schemes, and this is where a company buys a person’s property for a percentage of the market value and then rents it back to them. (more…)
Are you thinking of selling your home?
Thursday, February 18th, 2010With house prices having increased over the latter part of this year many people may be considering selling their homes next year, and with interest from buyers on the increase the New Year could prove to be a good time to sell. (more…)
FSA proposes new rules for those in mortgage arrears
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Over the past couple of years, with the credit crunch, recession, and pay freezes affecting so many households, a rising number of homeowners have fallen behind with repayments on their mortgages, and for many this has resulted in the loss of their homes through repossession. (more…)
Continued popularity for variable rate mortgages
Monday, February 15th, 2010Whilst there was a time when people wanted to avoid variable rate mortgages because of the high rate of interest attached to them many people at the moment are finding that these are the most cost effective mortgage types to opt for because of the record low interest rate that is still in place. (more…)
Nationwide predicts good news for house prices
Saturday, February 13th, 2010Amidst the news that the UK has now come out of recession and things in the property market are looking somewhat brighter than they have for some time one leading High Street lender has now predicted further good news for the property market. According to the Nationwide house prices in the UK are continuing to increase, and the rate of house price increases could rise to over 10 percent a year. (more…)
Interest rates to be curbed on pay day loans
Friday, February 12th, 2010Over recent years pay day loans have become increasingly popular amongst certain consumers such as those that are on low incomes and those with poor credit ratings. (more…)
Older homeowners warned about eviction threat from sale and rent back operators
Thursday, February 11th, 2010A warning has been put out for older homeowners that may be looking to release equity from their homes, with officials concerned that many of these homeowners could end up at the mercy of sale and rent back operators that are nohttp://www.glitec.co.uk/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=1680&message=6t operating to FSA regulations. (more…)
Houses were more affordable five decades ago than now
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010According to the High Street lender, Halifax, the quality of homes across the UK has improved over the past few decades but affordability is now lower than it was fifty years ago. (more…)
Reductions being seen in personal loan rates
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010It has been reported that finally the rates charged on personal loans rates may be starting to fall. For many this will have been a long time in coming, given that the base interest rate in the UK has been at an all time low of just 0.5 percent since last March. (more…)
Estranged coupled being forced to live together due to negative equity
Monday, February 8th, 2010As most homeowners will know falling into negative equity can bring with it many problems, not least of which is being tied to the home because the value of the property has fallen below the amount that is still owed on it. However, another problem that has been highlighted with regards to negative equity is that in some cases couples that have drifted apart or no longer want to be together are being forced to continue living under the same roof as a result of being in negative equity. (more…)
Generate money from your home whilst you are away
Saturday, February 6th, 2010It is no secret that many homeowners these days are experiencing difficulties when it comes to making their mortgage repayments and making ends meet financially, even with the base rate at an all time low of just 0.5 percent. (more…)
Sales of properties reach highest levels in two years
Friday, February 5th, 2010The sale of properties in the UK have reached their highest levels in two years according to recent reports, and this comes after a turbulent period during which the sale of properties all but came to a halt, with faltering prices resulting in homeowners being reluctant to sell and the mortgage drought resulting in would be buyers unable to purchase a property. Officials believe that the increase in sales is yet another sign that the property market in the UK is on its way to recovery. (more…)
Asking prices being increased by sellers
Thursday, February 4th, 2010According to a recent report homeowners that have been putting their homes on the market in the hope of selling them have been pushing up asking prices, with many realising that the lowest stock levels in around ten years could work to their advantage. (more…)
More choice for consumers as Virgin gets banking licence
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010The Virgin brand is one that is known and trusted across the UK as well as globally, and over the years Sir Richard Branson’s company has gone from strength to strength offering everything from financial products and entertainment to travel and more. The company has now added another feather to its cap after it was announced that it has managed to acquire a licence to supply full banking services, which means that consumers will be able to enjoy more choice. (more…)
Landlord and tenants worried about tenant deposit scheme
Saturday, January 30th, 2010It has emerged that both tenants and landlords are becoming concerned about the effectiveness of one of the three tenant deposit schemes that were set up to protect the deposits of tenants, with concerns that measures that have been put into place to cut costs could actually end up affecting the quality and effectiveness of the scheme. (more…)
House price gains are not good news for all
Thursday, January 28th, 2010Over recent months many reports have highlighted how properties have been picking up in terms of value following a year and a half of month on month falls. For many homeowners this brought some degree of comfort, but one report has suggested that the news of the house price gains will not be good news for all homeowners. (more…)
Banks’ special offers on financial products often more expensive than best buys
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010With the January sales well and truly underway many consumers are hoping to bag a bargain or two. This year it seems that it is not just High Street retailers that are offering products in the sales, as many other sectors have joined in ranging from broadband providers offering special deals on packages to banks offering great value financial products to help consumers save money. (more…)