TODAY’s PAPERS have some interesting takes on the report from the Conservatives’ Tax Reform Commission. According to The Telegraph the plan to scrap inheritance tax on primary residences would ‘pour petrol on the flames of the British love affair with bricks and mortar’. It says the plan would createRead More →
Meanwhile new figures for housing association applications to start building new homes is five per cent lower than for the same period last year, according to the National House Building Council (NHBC). New home starts in total in October fell to the lowest level since the early 1980s, andRead More →
The Halifax house price index for March has shown the biggest monthly drop since September 1992. Prices are now only 1.1 per cent higher than a year ago. Analysts say that the weaker-than-expected figures from Halifax would raise expectations that the Bank of England would cut base interest ratesRead More →
The meltdown in the American housing market is not over yet, with experts warning that a rise in home foreclosures next year and in 2011 could undermine the chances of a sustained economic recovery in the United States. The Obama administration has set aside $75 billion (£46Read More →
AT THE SAME TIME as the government was relaunching its flagship scheme to help key workers on to the housing ladder (see yesterday), a leading specialist lender was releasing research that shows a major reason why they need it. Paragon Mortgages told the Daily Mail that booming house pricesRead More →
Homebuyers will be prevented from borrowing more than three times their annual salaries under new mortgage rules to be announced this week. As part of a package of banking regulations, 100 per cent mortgages will also be banned. Prospective homeowners will have to provide a deposit of at leastRead More →
The latest government figures have revealed an increase in the use of brownfield land during 2015. London has the greatest proportion of dwellings built on previously developed land, while East Midlands has the smallest. Across the country 78 per cent of dwellings were built on previously used land, upRead More →
The number of properties sold in 2015 is likely to be the lowest for 30 years – and 30 per cent below last year’s figure. This is the news from the housing website Hometrack, which reported that house prices fell 0.5 per cent in the past month – theRead More →
Community Legal Advice (CLA) has created a film outlining the rights of private tenants who are facing eviction, having problems paying rent or getting their deposit back. The film has been shot in British Sign Language, as CLA has found deaf people suffer disproportionately with legal problems, however thereRead More →
The Mirror reports on the scandal of ‘buy to leave’ – rented property left empty by speculators – and quotes Yvette Cooper calling for action by local authorities. Lenders are withdrawing their fixed rate mortgages ahead of an expected rate rise, reports the Guardian. Is a property crashRead More →