October 2009 Archive

Nationwide: House prices up on a year ago but slowing

House prices are finely balanced after summer of increases

House prices rose 0.4 per cent in October for the sixth month in a row, as the rate of increase is slowing.

GMAC-RFC fined £2.8m for overcharging customers in arrears

Over 46,000 mortgage customers at GMAC-RFC are to receive £7.7 million in refunds over failures in the lender's handling of arrears and repossessions.

Jump in mortgage approvals to 18-month high

Mortgage approvals up, but there may be trouble ahead

September saw a jump in mortgage approvals to an 18-month high, Bank of England data reveal.

Northern Rock 'cut up' plan to be cleared by EU

Plans to cut up Northern Rock will be finished by the end fo the year

Plans to cut up Northern Rock and sell it off have been cleared by European authorities.

Abbey profits rise 58% with focus on low LTV mortgages

Profits at Abbey rose 58 per cent to £1.16 billion, the bank's owner Santander revealed today.

Newcastle Building Society: 5-year mortgage

Newcastle Building Society is throwing the spotlight on its five-year fixed-rate mortgage for homebuyers with a 25 per cent deposit.

Platform cuts mortgage rates by 0.45%

Platform has reduced rates on a number of its fixed-rate and tracker mortgages by up to 0.45 per cent, it announced today.

Fixed-rate mortgage appetite slips

Borrowers look to the track to race ahead

Demand for fixed-rate mortgage is down - with just 34.3 per cent of borrowers in September opting for a fix.

First-time buyers left saving for years or turning to parents

Can first-time buyers still find the key to a new home?

First-time buyers without help from their parents face years of saving to get on the property ladder, Lloyds TSB has warned, but mortgage lending of up to 95 per cent will return.

Property Eye: Martin Roberts on Renovation and Improvement for under £1,000

Martin Roberts looks at home improvements

Renovation and home improvement projects are not a sure fire way to boost the value of your property. There are certain things that work well and others can really leave buyers running.

Northern Rock cuts mortgage rates

Northern Rock is today reducing a range of its mortgage rates and is providing loans for borrowers with 20 per cent deposits.

Mortgage crackdown: For our protection?

FSA plans big changes to the mortgage market

Securing a mortgage is about to become much harder - especially for those seeking self-cert mortgages, first-time buyers and buy-to-let investors.

Virgin 'Bank' steps closer with Northern Rock in sights

Virgin is set to launch a bank, it has confirmed.

Buy-to-let landlords starting to expand

Buy-to-let landlords now looking to expand

Buy-to-let landlords are expanding their portfolios after house price drops, but finance remains a problem.

Leeds Building Society: 85% LTV mortgage

Leeds Building Society has launched a five-year mortgage deal for people with deposits of 15 per cent.

Leeds Building Society launches offset mortgages

A range of offset mortgages with variable rates starting at 5.49 per cent have been launched by Leeds Building Society.

Lloyds TSB: First-time buyer mortgage

Lloyds TSB is promoting its low deposit first-time buyer mortgage as research indicates more parents are helping their children embark on the property ladder.