Residential Blog

The latest residential mortgage market news, advice and views from our resident experts at Mortgages for Business

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• Nationwide report 0.9% increase in house prices for June 30.06.2009

  Nationwide's index published today shows the 3rd time in 4 months with an annualised decline of 9.3% rather than 11.3% previously reported

• Cake and eat it time - 15/06/2009

  Having gone on and on about the benefits of taking a fixed rate, and also having waxed lyrical about offset mortgages and how they are great  for anyone with savings (earning less than 3.75% net in interest or for higher rate tax payers, less than 6% gross in interest) and a mortgage, or for those who like to have acess to a pot of money which they can dip into and repay on flexible terms, then we have a present for you!

• This is your final warning - 11/06/2009

  I appreciate that I am starting to sound like a broken record, but for some time we have been predicitng increase in fixed rate pricing, espcially for longer term deals (basically because lenders are predicting increasing interest rates over the coming years). We have also been beating the 5 year fixed rate drum. Well (and I dont wish to sound smug), it now looks like we were on the money.

• Make your savings work harder - 19th May 2009

  If you are a bit bored of seeing your hard earned savings earning the equivalent of tuppence in interest, then here is a mortgage which may well tickle your fancy.  Its not a new concept, but it is one which looks more attractive than ever... let me introduce offset mortgages to you.  Immediately, many will break out in a cold sweat at the propsect of having all of their banking, mortgage, savings loans and credit cards rolled into one because, well, its all just a bit complicated.  However the good news is that there are products out there which ensure you can get a good return from your savings, and...... actually thats it!

• Rightmove reports improving levels of demand 19.05.2009

  The Rightmove House Price Index is up for the second month in a row due to the pressure on the supply side.......

• Surveyors report increase in house prices - 12/5/09

  There have been lots of conflicting reports from various recognised house price indexes of late, reporting property price increases and in the same month  decreases, from a different institution.  And lets face it, even if we went one month when they all reported a increase, one swallow doesn't make  a summer.  However the Royal Insitute of  Chartered Surveyors are getting behind the team and giving their perception of events.  And its good news.

• Battle for Mortgage Business Begins - 23/04/2009

  At long last, we are finally starting to see lenders trying to match their competitors pricing to win business - something which brokers have been waiting for, for some time now.

• What on earth is Quantitive Easing? 16/04/09

  Quantitive Easing, while not a newly invented term, is one that you are going to be hearing about more and more.  And as it is part of the Goverments rally to sort out the credit crunch and general doom and gloom of the moment, I thought it may be quite useful to explain what it actually is (and believe me, I had to do research to get to this point!)

• Buyer interest on the up according to RICS - 15/04/2009

  Enthusiasm amongst buyers is gaining momentum as new buyer enquiries rise for the fifth consecutive month, the latest data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reveals.

• No Deposit? Here are some ideas to help get around this - 7/4/09

  Low house prices? Check.  Good interest rates? Check.  Big deposit available?  Damn! The number of first time buyers looking to get on the property ladder has recently doubled on the back of lower house prices and interest rates.  However reports state that they are unable to pursue their purchase because of the level of deposit lenders currently require (20% or more in some cases).