Good news in today’s Budget for home buyers. As widely predicted, the cut in Stamp Duty has been extended, with the zero-rate threshold of £500,000 staying until the end of June, then being reduced to £250,000 until the end of September. The Stamp Duty threshold will only return to its pre-Covid-19 level of £125,000 from …Read More

You wait for one piece of good news to come along and then two come along at once! Mired as we are in lockdown and Covid-19, it has been hard to find anything to get too excited about in recent months. But today there is hope that the Stamp Duty holiday, introduced last year to …Read More

Firstly, a belated Happy New Year to you all! I hope you all had a great festive break. So, 2021 begins and we hope for better things eventually – once this new lockdown is over, that is. Lockdown might give some people a little bit of time on their hands, so what better way to …Read More

In amongst all the bad news and pessimism, there is at least, a little potential good news for customers who keep getting stung on their insurance renewals… The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the body that oversees the insurance industry amongst other things, is working to outlaw what is referred to as “price walking”. This is …Read More

Another week comes to an end and the good news keeps coming, especially for first-time buyers! During this difficult year, mortgages for those with just a small deposit have been difficult to find and that has been hard, particularly on those looking to get their first home. But recent days have seen a flurry of …Read More

There’s good and bad news out there in the mortgage market as lending continues to be something of a minefield. On the one hand, there are good signs for people with just small deposits as confidence returns a little and 90% mortgages become more accessible. But the news is less good if you are self-employed …Read More

In these turbulent times, it is nice to report something a little different and with an eye on the future of the planet! NatWest has just launched a range of green mortgages which reward people who buy energy-efficient homes. If the property you are buying has an energy efficiency rating of A or B you …Read More

BOOM! The current mortgage market is like a minefield with unwary house-buyers not knowing where to tread next. Even for someone like me, the ever-changing lending landscape is a daily puzzle. Despite the apparent upturn in the housing market, mortgage providers are still nervous about lending money – particularly to first-time buyers. This means that …Read More

Boris Johnson has announced that he is to ensure that 95% mortgages are available for first-time buyers… On the face of it, this is great news and should be welcomed. As I wrote some weeks ago, the missing ingredient to the current housing ‘boom’ was the ability for first-time buyers to get on the property …Read More

There is one thing you can say for certain about bubbles … they burst. And that is what I do fear about the current house price rise bubble – it won’t last for ever. There are two dangers associated with it. Firstly, if people stretch themselves to the limit to buy a property and then …Read More