HSBC’s announcement in January that it would get a panel of 43 conveyancing firms to convey properties being bought by its borrowers may be causing problems in the housing market, and shines a light in the virtues of mortgage lenders’ conveyancing panels in general. There are widespread reports of increased delays in conveyancing for HSBC-backed [...]
In the 2012 Budget Stamp Duty Land Tax was one of the biggest headline grabbers. The Chancellor announced an increase Stamp Duty Land Tax on properties worth more than £2 million. That attracted the attention, but of more significant news was the loss of 0% SDLT on properies up to £250,000 for first-time buyers. What [...]
A 64-year-old woman from Purley, South London faces almost four years in jail for helping a gang steal and sell properties belonging to vulnerable and elderly owners. Surjeet Chana worked for the Land Registry, and provided the gang, which comprised of drug traffickers, a conveyancing solicitor and a bank manager, with title deeds and ownership [...]
The government’s proposed reforms of Council Tax could provide help to a struggling housing market and should be welcomed by those hoping to get on the property ladder and the majority of home owners. The headlines may be generated by a clamp down on second-home ownership through the abolition of a rebate that can be [...]
The difficulty first time buyers are experiencing in buying a property is fuelling a steep rise in rents. ***Updated April 2012*** Figures released in August showed that the average rent in June 2011 stood at £876, the highest on record, as people either chose or were forced to continue renting as a result of the [...]
