Many parents are raiding their savings accounts to help their children take advantage of the housing market slump, it has been reported. According to Lloyds TSB, some 23 per cent of parents have, or plan... read more

The Financial Services Authority FSA is proposing that mortgage lenders will have to carry out more comprehensive credit checks on potential borrowers. Increased credit checks will need to be carried... read more

Over 60s are increasingly taking note of debt advice to reduce the amount they owe, it has been reported. According to Key Retirement Solutions, more senior homeowners are using equity release to settle... read more

Like most areas within the finance sector, the mortgage market has been far from recession proof and since most of us need a roof over our heads, the fallout has been far reaching and devastating. But what difference will phasing out the self cert mortgage make now?... read more

HSBC is to make another £500 million available to home buyers requiring a 90 per cent loan to value mortgage in 2009. The bank has reached the £1 billion it committed to lending earlier this... read more

The government should take action to ensure consumers can get access to affordable mortgages, according to the Trades Union Congress TUC. Commenting after the Land Registry House Price Index indicated... read more

The property market remains "fairly flat" in England and Wales, according to the Land Registry. It has recorded an annual drop of 9.4 per cent, up from the low of 16.3 per cent seen in February,... read more

To fix or not to fix? Mortgage experts are encouraging all homeowners on standard variable rates or coming to the end of their fixed or tracker rates to remortgage on to a fixed mortgage rate and secure the monthly payments before the bank base rate starts to rise. But is now the best time?... read more

Lenders are not reducing their fixed-rate mortgages despite the fact that the Libor rate has come down to a very low figure, it has been claimed. Commenting after the John Charcol Monthly Mortgage Index... read more

Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks has today Friday September 25th launched a new range of mortgage products. The discounted variable deals, available to new and existing mortgage customers at both banks,... read more

Leeds Building Society has launched a new range of two-year base rate tracker BRT mortgages, starting from an interest rate of 3.2 per cent. The society is also introducing a new two-year non-locked... read more

Mansfield Building Society has announced the launch of a new 100 per cent mortgage for first-time buyers. Limited to people purchasing shared ownership properties through South Yorkshire Housing Association... read more

House prices have risen by 0.6 per cent this month, according to Rightmove. The firm's latest monthly house price index found the market was strengthened by the south-east, although stock levels were at... read more

Total mortgage lending in the UK hit £12.6 billion in August, according to new figures. Data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML shows the total was down 13 per cent on the revised figure for... read more

Professional landlords are struggling to find buy-to-let mortgage finance, new research has found. According to Paragon's Trends research, more than 50 per cent of professional landlords sought out a buy-to-let... read more

Homebuyers are benefitting from the increase in residential stamp duty threshold, according to Halifax. The mortgage provider claims that one in three homebuyers have benefited since the threshold was... read more

First time buyers are unlikely to benefit from the 1.98 per cent one-year tracker mortgage being introduced by Woolwich, it has been claimed. Ben Wilkie, editor at What Mortgage, suggested that it is more... read more

Woolwich has announced plans to reduce the cost of some of its most popular mortgage products. The lender is now offering a one-year tracker mortgage at 1.98 per cent – the Barclays base rate plus... read more

The launch of HSBC's 1.99 per cent mortgage deal has seen consumer interest in the bank's offerings increase significantly. Online traffic has doubled since the product was unveiled on September 1st and... read more

Property prices are "already recovering", according to one expert, despite reports from the Ernst & Young ITEM Club that they will stagnate for a further two years. Gary Smith, president... read more

The deposits demanded by lenders have been dropping month by month during the third quarter of 2009, it has been reported. According to Mortgageforce, the average demanded from a first time buyer was 28.6... read more

The percentage of disposable income spent by the average family on repaying a mortgage has fallen by 40 per cent in under two years, according to Halifax. While mortgage repayments accounted for 29 per... read more

House prices have turned positive for the first time in two years, a new market survey has found. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rics, the net balance of such professionals... read more

Commentators place too much emphasis on the setting of the base rate when assessing the cost of mortgage products, a leading industry body has suggested. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML,... read more

Market forces have led to a reduction in the number of home repossessions in the UK, it has been reported. According to Paul Smith, chief executive of haart estate agency, the end of the recession is coming... read more

House prices increased by 0.8 per cent last month, according to the August 2009 Halifax house price index. This was the second successive monthly rise and the fourth in the first eight months of 2009,... read more

The Council of Mortgage Lenders CML has backed a new initiative designed to help struggling homeowners meet their mortgage payments. A new information campaign has been launched to help borrowers stay... read more

The increased costs involved in letting out property are causing many landlords to reconsider their future in the business, it has been suggested. According to Mark Butterworth, a director at the Residential... read more

A new offset tracker mortgage which follows the Bank of England base rate plus 2.29 per cent has been launched by first direct. The product is currently priced at 2.79 per cent 2.9 per cent APR with... read more

The number of fixed-rate mortgages that come with a percentage fee has increased by 14 per cent in the past year, new figures show. Research from MoneyExpert.com reveals that fees of up to £2,499... read more

New entrants are needed to stimulate the UK buy-to-let mortgage market, it has been claimed. Michael Aglony, marketing manager at Mortgages for Business, said the number of products on the market has reduced... read more

First-time buyers with a large enough deposit have some "excellent opportunities" to establish a foothold on the housing ladder at present, it has been claimed. Jon Brown, partner relationship... read more

The treasury has confirmed that the stamp duty holiday on properties costing under £175,000 will be extended until the end of the year, despite concerns from estate agents and mortgage specialists... read more

HSBC is offering a 1.99 per cent interest rate on its latest two-year discount loan, available to home buyers who are able to place a 40 per cent deposit on their new home. A second two year discount mortgage... read more

A recently reported rise in the number of homeowners taking out variable-rate deals should come as no surprise, it has been claimed. John Charcol revealed last week that variable-rate deals accounted for... read more

The Ministry of Justice has launched a series of online guidance for homeowners in danger of repossession. Videos and articles that detail information about the court process and how to seek advice are... read more

Lending activity in Scotland began to stabilise in the second quarter of 2009, according to latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML. Some 11,400 house purchase loans were taken out in... read more

House prices rose 1.6 per cent in August, according to building society Nationwide. The fourth consecutive increase in its house price index saw the average home's value increase to £160,224, the... read more

More than a third of homeowners with property on the market are not prepared to lower their asking price in order to secure a sale, it has been reported. Research conducted by Co-operative Bank Mortgages... read more

A reported rise in mortgage approvals should give consumers the confidence they need to go out and purchase a property, it has been suggested. Catherine Hearnden, director of MyMortgageDirect, said that... read more

Mortgage approvals for homes made by the major high-street banks rose to their highest level for 17 months in July, latest figures have indicated. According to the British Bankers' Association BBA, the... read more

The government should take action to prevent a future boom in house prices, it has been claimed. Speaking after the Lombard Street Research/Daily Telegraph housing affordability index indicated that housing... read more

Home information packs HIPs purchased from estate agents can often cost over twice as much as those bought from a specialist, according to a leading consumer group. Which? reports that the gap between... read more

Gross mortgage lending totalled an estimated £16 billion in July, a 26 per cent increase from the £12.7 billion recorded in June, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML. While the... read more

The Financial Services Authority FSA should avoid applying unnecessary regulations in the UK mortgage market, it has been suggested. According to the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries AMI, problems... read more

The Coventry is launching two new competitive Flexx mortgages for the residential market, it has announced. Combining a range of flexible features with low fees and an attractive rate of interest, the... read more

Repossessions eased by ten per cent during the second quarter of 2009, it has been reported. According to latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML, there were 11,400 cases of repossession... read more

Fixed-rate mortgages are increasingly being preferred to the standard variable rate SVR equivalent, according to one financial planner. Jacqueline Thornton, of Re-Financial Planning, said the peace of... read more

Up to 3.5 million homeowners are unable to move due to a lack of access to mortgage finance, according to one mortgage expert. Independent experts John Charcol claims there are two million households stuck... read more

New research carried out by Moneyextra.com reveals that over half 56% of homeowners admit they are suffering from spiraling money problems even though more than a third 37% will not commit to lifestyle changes that could lift them out of debt.... read more

Record numbers of borrowers are opting for fixed-rate mortgages at present, new research has indicated. Paragon Mortgages' Financial Advisor Confidence Tracker study – which looks at mortgage intermediaries... read more

The remortgaging market is in a positive position after a lean year, it has been suggested. According to Peter Cowell, broker at Click n go Mortgages, the lack of confidence in the market and lenders'... read more

The Halifax House Price index has reported a 1.1 per cent increase in the average UK house price during July 2009. With prices in the three months to July 2009 0.8 per cent higher than in the previous... read more

A fifth of all mortgage applications in July were from first-time buyers, up from less than a tenth in June, according to one mortgage broker. Research conducted by Mortgageforce indicates that conditions... read more

A new report by the National Housing Federation has suggested house prices will continue to fall throughout 2009 and 2010, with stabilisation coming in 2011. The federation also claims house prices will... read more

A rise in the number of homeowners switching to a fixed-rate mortgage on their existing property is due to consumers gambling on interest rates, it has been suggested. Commenting after the Bank of England... read more

Although recovery will not be imminent, the housing market is showing signs of improvement, it has been claimed. Timothy Lambert, head of consulting at Ducalian, said there is now reason to be hopeful... read more

A range of initiatives introduced to support borrowers has led to a continued rise in mortgage applications at Clydesdale Bank. The institution saw approvals increase by 30 per cent between May and June... read more

Modest increases in gross and net mortgage lending were witnessed in June, it has been reported. According to the British Bankers’ Association BBA, an increase in the number of new home loans being... read more

The fact that lenders are offering mortgage products with very short shelf lives at the moment is having an adverse effect on consumers, one expert has claimed. Peter Cowell, broker at Click n go Mortgages,... read more

Although some lenders are switching focus to direct distribution, mortgage intermediaries are continuing to dominate mortgage lending, according to new figures. Figures released last week by the Council... read more

A new survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rics has found that house price expectations are up for the first time in over two years, supported by low levels of houses on surveyors'... read more

First-time buyers are continuing to rely on the bank of mum and dad to help them get a foot on the property ladder, according to new research. Data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML highlights... read more

House prices in the UK have reached a similar level to that seen at the beginning of 2006, according to new data. The FT house price index highlights that the average property price stood at £197,802... read more

A bold move by Nationwide which on first glance is sure to raise a few eyebrows however any product that helps to get the mortgage market moving should be welcomed.... read more

Mortgage provider Nationwide has launched a new 125 per cent home loan product in a bid to help customers struggling with negative equity. The deal is only available to the bank's existing customers who... read more

Tougher rules are needed to protect consumers taking out loans and mortgages, according to one industry body. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD has developed some new guidelines... read more

Buy-to-let landlords are losing hope of finding mortgage deals, according to new research. A study by the Young Group highlighted that 24 per cent of landlords are checking their mortgage options every... read more

House prices across the UK have dropped by a further 0.5 per cent in June, dampening the optimism caused by May's 2.6 per cent rise. Data from Halifax showed that the average property price now stands... read more

Brits struggling with their mortgage repayments are reluctant to seek help, it has been claimed. According to the Financial Services Consumer Panel, nearly half of those struggling to meet monthly payments... read more

An increasing number of people defaulting on their loans is an anticipated side effect of the recession, one expert has claimed. According to Victoria Barnard, policy advisor at the Building Societies... read more

Mortgage brokers across the UK are expecting an upturn in business this summer, according to new research. A poll by Paragon Mortgages highlights that as house prices near bottom and hopes that lenders... read more

A market leading offset tracker mortgage has been launched by first direct. The product, which tracks the bank of England base rate plus 2.48 per cent for the life of the loan, is currently priced at 2.98... read more

Richard Mason, Managing Director of Moneyextra.com, calls fom UK banks to resume lending and return to active duty... read more

The mortgage market is being dominated by fixed-rate products as homeowners capitalise on low interest rates, new research has found. Legal and General's Mortgage Purchase Index, which tracks trends at... read more

Lenders are pioneering a scheme that has seen some mortgage holders being offered as much as £25,000 to switch to another provider. Advantage, which is part of the Morgan Stanley group, Edeus and... read more

A new portal has been launched for mortgage holders by Nationwide Building Society in a bid to break down complex financial issues in the current economic market. The web-based Members' Zone has been billed... read more

Homeowners must make sure that they have fully researched properties in their surrounding areas before they sign a deal, according to an expert. Timothy Lambert, head of consulting at Ducalian, said that... read more

Mortgage lending has increased to levels similar to early 2008, new research has found. Data from the British Bankers Association BBA has shown that mortgage lending increased during May, with £4... read more

The amount of mortgage customers struggling with negative equity could double if the property market continues to fall. New research by ratings agency Fitch claims that between seven per cent and 11 per... read more

Tenants have seen rents fall but it is not expected to last according to a new Royal Institute of Chartered SurveyorsRICS report. In the latest study, the net balance of Chartered Surveyors showed falls... read more

Housing charity Shelter has warned government and mortgage lenders that they should prepare for the second wave of arrears and repossessions in coming two years. Homeowners are still facing the threat... read more

As figures last week showed that the average two-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped 0.16 per cent from 4.74 per cent on Monday to 4.90 on Friday, experts are warning that it lenders are set to profit while... read more

Gross mortgage lending fell back slightly in May according to the latest monthly figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML. It said lending totalled an estimated £10.3 billion in May, down... read more

Homeowners in the UK are 25 per cent better off than they were last year, due to record low interest rates, claims Ernst & Young. The group said the average homeowner with a mortgage now has £1,075... read more

Estate agents are registering four house-hunters for every property on the market due to high demand from buyers, according to the National Association of Estate Agents NAEA. It said demand is outstripping... read more

Despite several positive indications of 'green shoots', the property market is currently "frozen" with no "real demand-led recovery", according to one expert. Nationwide's chief economist... read more

The gap between the price a house sells for and its asking price is beginning to narrow, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rics. It said almost 60 per cent of surveyors are now... read more

Young people are cooling off on the dream of owning their own home, according to new research by the Chartered Institute of Housing CIH. In a survey by YouGov commissioned by the CIH, only one-third... read more

Mortgage lenders have continued to increase interest rates in spite of the sustained drop in the London Interbank Offered Rate Libor. Recent Bank of England figures revealed that the average rate on... read more

More than one in ten households may have slipped into negative equity during the first quarter of the year, the Bank of England has said. The Bank estimates that seven to 11 per cent of UK mortgages were... read more

Britannia has announced the reintroduction of a 90 per cent loan-to-value LTV mortgage with a range of fixed-rate deals. It revealed a range of two, three, five and ten year fixed-rate mortgages with... read more

Banks are urged to stop profiteering - as they look to make an extra £20.1 million pounds per month from unsuspecting mortgage customers who are coming off fixed, discounted, tracker and capped rate deals and moving onto standard variable rates. Despite an unprecedented low base rate of 0.5 per cent and an all time low LIBOR, banks are failing to pass on the full benefits to its customers.... read more

The number of surveyors reporting a rise in new buyer enquiries rose for the seventh consecutive month in May, according to the latest figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rics. Almost... read more

More efforts are needed to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder, it has been claimed. According to the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, the government needs to step up its efforts as... read more

House prices rose 2.6 per cent in May, according to new figures from the Halifax. The news comes after three successive months of property price drops, however, the bank also noted that activity within... read more

A survey of mortgage brokers has revealed that an upturn in business is anticipated over the coming two months, the first time positive growth has been forecast in a year and a half. Data from the Intermediary... read more

Mortgage approvals in the UK are on the up, according to new figures from the Bank of England. The data shows that 43,201 home loans were secured in April, up from 40,038 the previous month and exceeding... read more

Demand for variable mortgage products is waning as customers hope to take advantage of a low interest rate and fix their monthly payments. According to Abbey Mortgages' Remortgage Index, just 15 per cent... read more

Confidence in the UK property market is increasing, according to new research by website propertyfinder.com. A survey conducted by the firm in May reveals that almost two-thirds of Brits believe that house... read more