UK house prices fell 1.5% in December, with the average house price now £281,272, down from £285,425 in November, the latest data from Halifax shows. This may not sound like much but it’s the fourth fall in a row for Britain’s biggest mortgage lender. Meanwhile, Zoopla forecasts UK house prices will likely fall by 5% this year, Lloyds bank predicts […]
Second homeowners, landlords and property investors will face a higher tax bill on their profits following changes made in last week’s Autumn Statement. The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt halved the threshold for paying capital gains tax (CGT) from £12,300 to £6,000. This will take effect from April 2023. There will be a further cut to the […]
The Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme was first introduced in 2013, though it has evolved over the years with the latest guise seeing the introduction of regional property price caps. Essentially, it offered first-time buyers the chance to purchase a new-build property with a minimum 5% deposit. They could also use an equity loan […]
As anyone currently looking for a mortgage knows, the chaotic scenes at the top of government have had big repercussions when it comes to home loans. The speculation over likely increases to the Bank Base Rate, following the disaster that was the mini-Budget, has meant significant increases in the interest rates on offer to borrowers, […]
Only one word can express the start of this newsletter – Chaos! At the time of writing, many lenders have stopped lending completely and most others have increased their rates substantially. The pound has devalued, and the markets are reacting to the budget. However, whilst this has reduced options, and there may be challenging times […]
March 2023 is the date set to see the end of Help to Buy. What is more, anyone looking to use this scheme must secure a property by the end of October – when Halloween is upon us. This is a scary thought, so what next for the new build sector and will it be […]
If you are considering overpaying on your mortgage, you will be looking to reduce how much interest you pay and bring forward the day you are mortgage-free. But before going ahead with this apparent no-brainer, it’s important to be sure that it’s the best use of the funds available for you. You will also want […]
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued information suggesting that as many as 370,000 borrowers could save money by switching their mortgage. This figure is down from 800,000 in 2016. It seems that few, if any, will be immune from the rising cost of living and it makes sense to consider options and establish if […]
With the proposed deadline to meet the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) requirements for rental properties only a couple of years away, many landlords throughout the UK are currently in the process of assessing their property portfolios and weighing up the cost of renovations to ensure they can satisfy the forthcoming changes. The regulations, which […]
Understanding the world of mortgages can be difficult at the best of times. If you have bad credit, it’s important to remember that contrary to what you might have heard already, you can still apply for a mortgage. Let’s take a look and debunk some of the myths you might have heard. Myth #1. Mortgage […]
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