Latest News
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Zoopla: House Prices Fall in 80% of Areas, More Predicted in 2024
Previously, house price falls were a phenomenon majorly experienced in the South. However, according to recent data from Zoopla, approximately 80% of local markets across the UK, including regions like the East and West Midlands and even Yorkshire and the Humber, are now witnessing a decline in home values. Zoopla highlighted that this housing market…
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Challenging Time for UK Property Funds
Several property funds in the UK have faced challenges due to a range of external pressures. Here are some key events: Not the First Time Such events are not entirely new. Property funds in the UK have periodically faced similar challenges since 2016. Factors like increasing interest rates have recently caused a shift away from…
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The Hidden Costs of Low-Interest Mortgages: Beware of Fees
The mortgage market is buzzing with attractive interest rates. Lenders are vying for the attention of borrowers by offering seemingly unbeatable rates. Virgin Money, for instance, recently introduced two top-tier rates. One, a 5.09% two-year fixed remortgage deal for those putting down at least a 40% deposit. The other, a slightly higher 5.15% rate aimed…
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Supply of Rental Properties Remains Low
According to Propertymark, the average number of properties available to rent per member branch in September 2023 has remained consistent with August 2023 figures, resting at 11 properties. This might seem like a stable market on the surface. However, diving deeper, we find that these supply levels have barely fluctuated over the past year. But…
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Mortgage Rates: a Glimmer of Hope
The previous year posed significant challenges for those looking to borrow. In the aftermath of Liz Truss’s mini-budget, mortgage interest rates surged, with the early part of this year witnessing rates that were quintuple what they had been two years prior. For many, this signaled a period of caution and reconsideration of their property-related decisions.…
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Leeds Building Society Cuts Buy-to-Let Rates
Leeds Building Society has announced a cut in its buy-to-let mortgage rates. This isn’t a mere one-off rate cut; it’s the second time in a month that they’ve taken such a decision. In the latest update, they’ve made further reductions of up to 0.15% across the board on their buy-to-let range, including for portfolio products.…
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Some Buy-to-Let Optimism
While many market reports seem less than optimistic about the property sector, specialist lender Landbay paints a different picture. They’ve recently shed a positive light on the buy-to-let market, providing an upbeat perspective on where things stand and where they might be headed. According to Landbay’s findings: The driving factors for this surge in investment…
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Scottish Commercial Property Faces Stagnant Demand
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has recently released their Commercial Property Monitor which sheds light on the current scenario of Scotland’s commercial property sector. For those considering an investment in this domain, here’s a simplified breakdown of what these figures mean and how they might influence your decisions. Occupier Demand: A Mixed Bag…
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“Downbeat” Commercial Property Sector
The Q3 market monitor report from RICS highlights a subdued activity in the UK commercial property sector. Terms such as “relatively downbeat” are used to describe the market’s performance. But what does this mean for the average investor? Occupier Demand: The Current Situation The headline occupier demand indicator is an essential metric. It gives us…
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Cities With Highest Student Rents
According to recent data from a joint study conducted by Unipol and the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), rents for student accommodation have surged by a staggering 14.6% over the previous two academic years. To put that in perspective, the average annual rent across ten major regional university cities, namely Bristol, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool,…