Purple Bricks looks to abandon cheap fixed fees and start charging estate agency fees from autumn Online estate agent Purple Bricks could change its flat fee pricing structure The agent announced plans for a pilot to test a ‘hybrid system’ in the autumn Planned pilot was set to launch in Spring but was delayed by … Read more
Aspiring homeowners thrown a lifeline as Government extends the Help to Buy build deadline beyond December New builds will now have to be finished by February to be eligible for the scheme This pushes the deadline back by two months, giving house builders more time The move comes as coronavirus hampers construction delivery times By … Read more
First-time buyers face rising mortgage rates as lenders hike rates on high loan-to-value loans HSBC, TSB and Skipton BS upped rates on high LTV mortgages last week Those worst affected will be first-time buyers, who typically borrow 90% of value By Sarah Bridge for The Mail on Sunday Published: 22:30 BST, 1 August 2020 | … Read more
Coronavirus has turned everything into extremes – and Britain’s property market is no exception. Just a short while ago in lockdown, thousands of sales were on hold and doom-laden forecasts of a house price crash were everywhere. But fast-forward two months, and it’s a very different story. Pent-up demand, combined with Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s stamp … Read more
First-time buyers face rising mortgage rates as lenders hike rates on high loan-to-value loans Some lenders increased their rates on high loan-to-value mortgages last week Those worst affected will be first-time buyers, who typically borrow 90% of value By Sarah Bridge for The Mail on Sunday Published: 22:30 BST, 1 August 2020 | Updated: 22:53 … Read more
Stepping out into the brave new world of house hunting is daunting in the wake of the coronavirus crisis – but the temporary cut to stamp duty could certainly make it worthwhile. Toby Walne finds out what it is like going in search of that dream home. The ‘stop’ sign in the doorway of estate agent … Read more
Is the mortgage crunch really over? Experts warn deals for borrowers with small deposits are likely to remain limited for some time Number of deals for 10 per cent deposit borrowers continued to fall this month This is despite lenders like Nationwide and Coventry BS reintroducing products Experts predict deal numbers will continue to ‘ebb … Read more
House prices jumped £4,500 in July as lockdown buyers hit the market but Nationwide warns of a ‘false dawn’ House prices bounced back in July, reports Britain’s biggest building society Nationwide said level of activity in the property market is better than expected But it warns ‘there is a risk this proves to be something … Read more
Homeowners who took a shared appreciation mortgage from Bank of Scotland or Barclays in the late 1990s are still waiting for an outcome from legal negotiations that have dragged on for years. A challenge led by law firm Teacher Stern is seeking to secure fairer charges for these borrowers, but pre-action talks are still going … Read more
Buy-to-let was one of Britain’s best-loved investments before crippling tax blows caused many landlords to lose interest. But now buy-to-let has been thrown a lifeline. Slashed stamp duty, better mortgage deals and new tax benefits all mean landlords are flocking back to the market. However, with unemployment predicted to soar to four million by the … Read more