SPF is regularly asked to comment on all aspects of the mortgage and property market. We are highly quoted in the national, regional and trade press by journalists seeking our opinion on all manner of subjects.
If you require any commentary, case studies or 'best buy' mortgage rates, please contact Melanie Bien at Bien Media on 07875 175357 or email melanie@bienmedia.com
17 May 2013
The mortgage market continues to prosper as those all-important first-time buyers return to the market, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The number of first-time buyers increased by 20 per cent in March, says the CML, with 19,400 loans advanced compared to 15,900 in February.
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09 May 2013
Nearly half of those with interest-only mortgages – some 1.3m borrowers – face an average shortfall of around £72,000, according to the new financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). One in 10 of those have no repayment plan at all.
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26 April 2013
On the back of the news that the Bank of England will extend the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) by a year until the end of January 2015, several lenders cut their mortgage rates further this week.
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15 April 2013
The number of first-time buyers increased by 3 per cent in February, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), marking the best start to a year since 2008. Mortgage availability is easing for those with more modest deposits, a trend set to continue when the Help to Buy initiative comes into force next year. First-time buyers remain the lifeblood of the housing market so it really is crucial for its overall health that their numbers continue to improve.
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05 April 2013
According to the Bank of England’s latest Credit Conditions Survey, lenders expect mortgage rates to fall further in coming months as funding costs continue to decline, mainly as a result of the Funding for Lending Scheme. Those on the look out for a cheap mortgage in the coming months are therefore unlikely to be disappointed.
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28 March 2013
If anything came out of the Budget, it was the message that interest rates are likely to stay at rock bottom for some years to come.
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20 March 2013
The Help to Buy initiative should provide a significant boost for the housing market. Effectively, a Government-backed MIG (mortgage indemnity guarantee) will enable lenders to offer high loan-to-value mortgages while mitigating their risk.
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14 March 2013
Mortgage approvals hit their highest level in five years for the month of January, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The number of mortgages advanced for house purchases in January stood at 38,300, down nearly 17 per cent on December but up nearly 11 per cent on a year earlier.
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01 March 2013
It is four years since the Bank of England Base Rate was reduced to 0.5 per cent so Bank of Ireland customers will be bemused as to why they are seeing the cost of their home loans nearly double.
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21 February 2013
The Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates that total gross mortgage lending declined in January to £10.4 billion. This is 9 per cent lower than December’s gross lending figure of £11.4bn and a 3 per cent fall from £10.7bn in January 2012.
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08 February 2013
The Bank of England announced today that it would hold base rate at 0.5 per cent for another month and that there would be no further quantitative easing at the present time.
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31 January 2013
House prices edged up 0.5% in January following two months of no movement, according to Nationwide building society. Meanwhile, the Land Registry reported this week that property prices edged higher in December, helping push the annual average figure into positive territory.
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25 January 2013
Interest-only mortgages have become increasingly scarce over the past 12 months as lenders tighten their criteria and adhere to the Financial Services Authority's rules on repayment strategy assessment.
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18 January 2013
The international mortgage market is rather battered with Euroland difficulties well documented and a potential doom day scenario narrowly averted in the US. However, buying a home overseas remains an aspiration for many – not difficult to see the seduction of a ski slope or beach to help cope with the January blues.
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04 January 2013
The Bank of England reports a significant increase in the supply of mortgage funds in the final quarter of last year, partly as a result of the Funding for Lending Scheme.
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20 December 2012
It’s the time of year for forecasts, predicting what is likely to happen in the housing and mortgage markets next year.
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11 December 2012
The Government has today confirmed that an annual tax on company owned residential properties valued in excess of £2 million will take effect as of 1 April 2013. The first payments will be due by 31 October 2013.
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05 December 2012
George Osborne announced in his Autumn Statement earlier today that there would be 'no new property taxes', dismissing calls for the introduction of a mansion tax on homes worth more than £2m. He also rejected calls to increase the amount of council tax paid on more expensive properties or increase stamp duty on expensive property purchases.
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29 November 2012
Much has been written about the difficulties in obtaining funding and how certain individuals might choose to buy property with cash. While both of these statements are true to an extent, it is worth looking at what arrangements can be made to finance your property purchase in the most efficient way.
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22 November 2012
The difficulties in Euroland are well documented and seem far from resolved. With this gloomy outlook how easy is it to obtain mortgage finance if you wish to invest in property overseas or if you are an existing homeowner. Is lending in the doldrums throughout Euroland?
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13 November 2012
Some 146,500 mortgages were advanced for property purchases in the third quarter of the year, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). This was 13 per cent higher than the previous quarter and similar to the same period last year.
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06 November 2012
The latest monthly survey from the Halifax shows that house prices fell 0.7 per cent in October. This is a 1.7 per cent decline on a year ago.
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25 October 2012
The Financial Services Authority’s long-awaited Mortgage Market Review is published today, introducing new rules that ensure lenders lend what consumers can afford to repay.
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23 October 2012
The UK Government announced in the Budget a series of taxation changes affecting UK residential property valued above £2 million. Some of the changes have already taken effect, such as the raising of the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for natural and 'non-natural persons'.
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17 October 2012
House prices rose by 1.8 per cent in the 12 months to August, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), down from a 2 per cent increase in the 12 months to July. But this figure masks significant regional differences with prices rising by 6.3 per cent in London and falling 12.8 per cent in Northern Ireland over the 12 months. Strip out London and the South East from the figures and house prices were unchanged.
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04 October 2012
The Bank of England has announced that interest rates will remain at 0.5 per cent for another month, with no further quantitative easing (QE).
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28 September 2012
August saw a slight increase in the number of mortgages approved for house purchases and remortgaging, according to the British Bankers Association (BBA). But the market remains subdued, with gross mortgage lending of £6.9bn below the recent monthly average, reflecting continued low levels of activity in the housing market.
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14 September 2012
New planning rules aimed at boosting the economy and encouraging families to extend their homes or convert their lofts will only work if lenders demonstrate a desire to help.
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03 September 2012
September heralds the start of a final push in property sales before the end of the year as would-be buyers aim to get into their new homes before Christmas.
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20 August 2012
Gross mortgage lending rose by 8 per cent in July to £12.7 billion, up from £11.7bn the previous month, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders. This was also higher than the £12.5bn recorded in July last year.
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