June 2012 from Gateway Homes

There is good news for property buyers, as innovative high street bank Metro Bank has announced a pilot programme that will see it move into the intermediary mortgages. Initially being rolled out to borrowers in London and the south east, … Read more →

There was a rise in activity from first-time property buyers in May, indicating a strong rebound following the end of the stamp duty holiday. The return of the house-buying levy impacted house purchasing in April, but May saw a 28 per cent rise in … Read more →

Thousands of property buyers are now finding out that they did not get as a good deal on their mortgage as they previously thought. According to research from Which?, property buyers are finding their lower-rate mortgage deals are actually more … Read more →

Home-ownership aspirations for British property buyers are relatively modest, new research suggests. A survey conducted by the AA has found that 18 per cent of UK adults dream of a rural three-bed semi-detached house. This was the most common response … Read more →

The importance of affordable housing to first-time property buyers has been highlighted by a major high street lender. Research from Halifax shows that 67 per cent of properties classed as ‘affordable housing’ are snapped up by first-time buyers through affordable … Read more →

Four of Britain’s biggest banks have been hit by a credit ratings downgrade, which could result in further rises in mortgage rates. Barclays, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group have had their credit scores cut due to … Read more →

There was a 24 per cent increase in the amount of mortgage lending activity during May, data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) shows. Property buyers and remortgaging homeowners snapped up £12.2 billion in loans during the month. Not … Read more →

First-time property buyers have been facing further difficulties getting their feet on the first rung of the housing ladder, with the cost of new-build houses rising faster than the rest of the housing market. Data from the Office for National … Read more →

One in six “second-steppers” – homeowners who want to sell their first home and ascend the property ladder – are considering getting help from their parents to achieve their goal, new research from Lloyds TSB has suggested. The study revealed … Read more →

A growing number of property buyers in the UK are focused on their mortgage savings, new research from Clydesdale Bank has suggested. A survey by the bank revealed that one in ten people are planning to remortgage, pay off or … Read more →

Property buyers expanding their buy-to-let portfolios in Scotland will be required to transfer their tenants’ deposits to a licenced deposit scheme from July 2nd to ensure they are held securely and that any disputes about their return are handled by … Read more →

Picturesque locations can mean hard cash where property is concerned, a report by Lloyds TSB has revealed. The Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) House Price Review tracked the movements of house prices in 32 AONBs in England, finding that … Read more →

Landlords and other property buyers seeking to expand their portfolios have welcomed proposals to reform Stamp Duty in Scotland. Announced by SNP finance secretary John Swinney, the tax will be replaced by a “fairer” system that will mean those buying … Read more →

Chancellor George Osborne’s plans to increase tax on empty properties in Scotland have met with opposition from his own party, after the Scottish Conservative Party said the move would “further damage the Scottish economy”. Last week, the Scottish National Party … Read more →

The average UK house price rose by 0.3 per cent in May, the latest figures from the Nationwide House Price Index have shown, meaning property buyers can now expect to pay £166,022 for a typical home. The report found that … Read more →

As many as eight million Brits (16 per cent) think they can pay for property maintenance with their home  insurance policy, according to new research from Legal & General. Three-quarters of property buyers said they carry out home maintenance checks … Read more →