News

The government’s proposed reforms of Council Tax should be welcomed by the majority of home owners as well as those hoping to get on the property ladder. The headlines may be generated by a clamp down on second-home ownership through the abolition of a rebate that can be as high as 50%, but the good [...]

The government’s plan to target some of the countries’ best-off homeowners could be good news for middle incomers and first-time buyers. Local authorities will be able to levy council tax on properties held as second homes at the full rate rather than the discounted rate, which reduced revenue on the properties by up to 50%. [...]

The Office of Fair Trading has set down new rules which will change the way Estate Agents go about selling their houses. While it might make life harder for them, they should mean less disappointed for prospective property buyers. Some common practices could now contravene consumer protection law and put agents at risk of serious [...]

A combination of low interest rates and a depressed housing market means that the cost of renting is now greater than that of buying a property. Research carried out by Halifax showed that a first-time buyer will repay their mortgagee around £567 a month for a two-bedroom flat, which is over £100 less than they [...]

The difficulty first-time buyers are experiencing in buying a property is fuelling a steep rise in rents. 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 difficulties many face securing [...]

The 100% mortgage is back for the first time since the credit crunch. Aldermore look set to become the first lender to offer a deposit-free mortgage since they were heavily criticised as exactly the type of irresponsible lending that helped generate 2008’s economic crisis. So are we back to the bad old days? No. Aldermore, [...]

The average deposit needed for a house is ten times the amount required 20 years ago, showing just how hard it has become for people to get on the property ladder. In 1990 the average deposit was £6,973 but that has now jumped to £65,924. Research by mortgage lender First Direct shows that, over the [...]

People in Brighton are being encouraged to enter the UK buy-to-let market by the city council, as it aims to reduce waiting lists for its social housing.

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