Highest SVR for 25 Years Virgin Money (plus Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank) announced yesterday an increase in its SVR to 9.49%, maintaining its unenviable position as the mainstream lender with…
Mortgage Charter New FCA Rules In his statement announcing the Mortgage Charter The Chancellor said the changes he announced would be available to borrowers with “no questions asked”. The Bank of…
Jeremy Hunt's Mortgage Charter Jeremy Hunt has “agreed” 3 measures with lenders to help mortgage holders struggling with increasing rates. A genuine agreement of this sort would not normally be made…
CPI Figures to Push Up Mortgage Rates Although today's CPI figures show a fall to 8.7% the fall was less than expected and more worryingly core inflation increased from 6.2% to 6.8%. The comment in…
How Have the 100% Borrowers of the Noughties Fared? 100% mortgages which didn’t rely on family help were last available back in 2007 and I suspect a large majority of first-time buyers who borrowed…
A Review of Skipton’s Residential Track Record Mortgage Skipton Building Society’s launch of the first 100% LTV mortgage since 2008 which does not require family support is not only welcome for FTBs…
Interest Rates and House Prices Although the initial media focus on February’s Bank Rate decision was on the 0.5% increase, that was not the most important part of the MPC’s announcement. Arriving at…
Ray Boulger Autumn Statement Update There is plenty in the Autumn Statement to be negative about but most comments completely ignore where Sunak and Hunt were starting from and the counterfactual…
SDLT Threshold Increase for FTBs Exposes Inequity in Life ISA Limit The recent increase in the threshold from £300,000 to £425,000 for FTBs (first-time buyers) to start paying SDLT (Stamp Duty Land…
Mortgage Rates and Housing Transaction Numbers Ray Boulger goes through what's happening in the market right now and how mortgage rates and transaction numbers will be affected. The SDLT (Stamp Duty…
