Posts by EAN Breaking News
Decline in small house builders continues, warns FMB
New figures for planning applications in 2024, published by the Government today show worrying signs that, despite the push to boost house building rates, permissions granted to small sites of 9 units or fewer are down, demonstrating the smallest house builders are struggling to get homes delivered, warns the FMB. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the…
Read MoreBank of England decision to maintain interest rates at 4.5% – Thoughts from the Industry
With the Bank of England decision to maintain interest rates at 4.5% here are some thoughts from the Industry Matt Smith, Rightmove’s mortgage expert: “Now that this expected interest rate hold is out of the way, all eyes are on May’s decision where the current forecast is a second cut of the year. Since the…
Read MoreHalifax House Price Index March 2025
Bigger homes driving house price growth as flats lag behind • UK property prices rose by +3.7% (£10,431) over the last year • Flats saw slowest growth in price (+3.2%) as easing interest rates allowed buyers to target larger properties • Detached properties have increased in value by more than £100,000 over the last five…
Read MoreFirst-time buyer mortgage sales at lowest level since 2013
Fewer first-time buyers in England’s most urban areas While the rate of first-time buyer mortgage sales has been falling in London, they have risen in more rural areas. On average, rural areas in England and Wales saw rates of first-time buyer mortgages rise by 9.7% between 2013 and 2023, while urban areas saw a 3.7%…
Read MoreFirst-time buyer mortgage sales fell across London in decade to 2023
First-time mortgage buyers bought homes further from the capital compared to 10 years earlier, ONS analysis of Financial Conduct Authority data show. Several London boroughs saw some of the largest falls in the rate of first-time buyer mortgage sales in the UK between 2013 and 2023. This is according to ONS analysis of data from…
Read MoreFirst-time buyer purchases up 59% in race to complete ahead of stamp duty deadline
Missing stamp duty deadline to cost homebuyers £6,512 as mortgage demand surges in race for completion Spending on mortgages and rent grew by 7.7.% in February, up 5.7 percentage points from January, according to the latest Barclays Property Insights report. The report has also discovered that homebuyers could be faced with additional costs of £6,512…
Read MoreHalf of Private Renters Reliant on Benefits Face Rent Shortfall
Almost half of all private renters in receipt of housing benefits experience a shortfall between the support they receive from government and their monthly rents. That’s according to a new analysis by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) ahead of a planned freeze of housing benefit rates in April. The most recent official data reveals…
Read MoreNew financial sanctions reporting obligations will apply to all letting agents
From 14 May 2025, financial sanctions reporting obligations will apply to all letting agents working throughout the UK as amended guidance and regulations made by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) come into force. Letting agents need to be aware that in contrast to the Money Laundering Regulations, the reporting obligations will apply to…
Read MoreEconomic certainty needed to bolster builders, says FMB
The 0.2% fall in construction output in January 2025, according to new figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), is another indicator that the economy is struggling despite the Government’s strong commitment to back development, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said: “Winter is always a…
Read MoreHousing Insight Report – Covering January 2025
As widely expected, January 2025 saw an uplift in activity in the sales market due mainly to the Stamp Duty thresholds changing, requiring many homeowners completing from April onwards to pay more tax in England and Northern Ireland. Residential sales UK average house price dipped The average UK house price stood at £268,000 in December…
Read MoreMortgage Expert predicts interest rates will still remain higher than pre-pandemic levels
Hodge Bank’s 2025 Predictions: Interest Rates and House Prices Outlook James Enos, Hodge Bank, suggests consumers remain mindful that interest rates will likely still remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. The fate of house prices for 2025 are in the hands of consumer confidence and appetite to purchase. Hodge Bank anticipates that the year will see…
Read MoreLandlords optimistic about 2025, but concerns over regulation and economy remain
UK landlords remain confident in the buy-to-let (BTL) market, with many planning to expand their portfolios in 2025, but economic and regulatory uncertainties continue to dampen their outlook, new research from Market Financial Solutions has found. The London-based lender commissioned an independent survey of 300 UK landlords to gauge their sentiment towards the BTL market…
Read More61% of UK brokers relying on specialist lenders
Majority of brokers regularly use specialist lenders to place complex cases A new survey of 300 UK mortgage brokers has found: · 61% rely on specialist lenders to find the right product for their clients · 51% said that finding financial products for HNWIs and ultra-HNWIs is challenging · 56% find it challenging to…
Read MorePlanning Bill is a huge opportunity to save British construction
The Government has finally unveiled the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, introducing a number of measures that change some fundamental elements of how planning works. Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), commented: “The Labour Government is wasting no time in proving that their manifesto pledges on planning reform are real. Planning…
Read MoreBank of England Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics showing increase in first time buyers
Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics – 2024 Q4 The Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Return (MLAR) is a quarterly statistical release aggregated from data on mortgage lending activities provided by around 340 regulated mortgage lenders and administrators. Key findings The outstanding value of all residential mortgage loans increased by 0.5% from the previous quarter to £1,678.2…
Read More