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Current Articles
 Buy-to-let investors bullish about market prospects Press Release | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 19, 2012 Property investors remain positive about the outlook for the buy-to-let market.According to the latest Landlord Survey conducted by specialist lender CHL Mortgages, nearly three-quarters (71%) of respondents are positive about the prospects for the buy-to-let market, with only 5% feeling negativ... Angry advisers hit out at FSA over string of staff departures Recent News | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 19, 2012 An independent wealth management firm has hit out at the FSA, saying that it should be setting a better example.Addidi Wealth says that high-profile members of the FSA who have left, or are leaving, the regulator should be held to account.Meanwhile, another leading IFA has separately told th... Below minimum wage shock for retirement Britons Press Release | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 19, 2012 The true situation regarding retirement Britain is laid bare in the latest LV= State of Retirement Report.It shows 6.25 million Britons aged over-50 (28%) have no pension plan in place and look set to rely on just the state pension in retirement, a huge increase on the 1.2 million people who liv... HSBC in U-turn over conveyancing row Recent News | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 19, 2012 HSBC has largely climbed down over its decision to restrict its choice of conveyancers, following widespread protests and complaints - plus a petition to the Government with over 2,000 signatures.However, with up to 4,000 law and conveyancing firms still excluded by HSBC, it remains to be seen w... Euro break-up costs could hit ý1trn Recent News | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 19, 2012 Douglas McWilliams, Chief Executive, Centre for Economics and Business Research, offers his views on what happens next with the euro zone...... 'Buy-to-let better than a bank account' advert is banned Recent News | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 19, 2012 An advert which suggested that people would do better to put their money into bricks and mortar than keep it in the bank has landed an estate agent in trouble.Aldermartin Baines ... FSA hits London insurance office with ý3.5m fine Press Release | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 12, 2012 Although values will fall marginally this year, house prices will start to rise again next year and could increase by as much as 8% over the next three years.The forecast has come from property consultancy CBRE, which also says that prime central London will continue to outperform the wider hous... FSA hits London insurance office with ý3.5m fine Recent News | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 12, 2012 There is rising concern that the Government's flagship NewBuy scheme has hit trouble, just two months after its launch.The scheme, which launched on March 12, allows first-time buyers and home movers to purchase a new-build house worth up to ý500,000 with a 95% mortgage, with taxpayers and devel... Austerity backlash and impact on euro zone Press Release | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 12, 2012 Here, Schroders' European Economist, Azad Zangana, comments on the recent elections in France and Greece, and the rising tide against austerity...... Landlords protest over 'stealth' charges imposed by agency chain Press Release | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 12, 2012 A large lettings chain has strongly denied trying to impose stealth' charges on its landlords after having had to make refunds to some, and has also denied dragging its heels over passing on rental payments to landlords.Sequence Lettings, which is part of Connells, has also refuted claims that... Now could be a good time to buy property in Eurozone Press Release | Mike Jones | Saturday, May 12, 2012 A combination of depressed property prices and an exchange rate in favour of anyone transferring pounds to euros means opportunities to pick up bargains in the Eurozone, including Spain, France, Portugal, Cyprus and Italy, haven't been so good for a long time, according to the Overseas Guides Compan... Mortgage lending sinks to lowest for 38 years Recent News | Mike Jones | Tuesday, May 08, 2012 Lending for house purchase last year was the lowest for 38 years, the Council of Mortgage Lenders has reported.It has also criticised the Government for less helpful' policies towards the housing and mortgage markets, which it says will increase repossessions.Martijn van der Jeijden, chairm... Roadshows to showcase new code for student landlords Recent News | Mike Jones | Tuesday, May 08, 2012 A series of roadshows aimed at recruiting good-quality landlords in university towns and cities is to kick off next week.It is being put together by the accommodation for students' (AFS) website and Unipol, the charity dedicated to the provision and improvement of student accommodation.The... Hike in demand for property overseas Press Release | Mike Jones | Tuesday, May 08, 2012 There was a significant rise in the number of Brits seeking to buy a home overseas during the first quarter of 2012 compared to the final quarter of 2011, according to the latest quarterly index released by the OverseasGuidesCompany.com (OGC).The latest report by OGC, which provides free property... MPs call for 'build to let' investors to be encouraged Press Release | Mike Jones | Tuesday, May 08, 2012 A committee of cross-party MPs has added its weight to the growing pressure for a new breed of property owners - build to let' developers.The Communities and Local Government select committee says big investors are needed to tackle the UK's housing crisis, while acknowledging the part that smal... Euro falls to three and a half year low against the pound Recent News | Mike Jones | Tuesday, May 08, 2012 The euro has fallen in value against the UK pound and following weekend election results in France and Greece, reducing the cost of buying property in the Eurozone for UK-based nationals.The outcome of the elections has cast doubt on European austerity plans placing further pressure on the strug... Sesame Bankhall shapes up restricted advice panel Press Release | Mike Jones | Friday, May 04, 2012 Sesame Bankhall Group has announced the initial product providers for its new restricted advice proposition to be launched this autumn.The new service will form part of the group's expanded range of offerings for adviser firms to choose from in the RDR world. The bank will offer a restricted... Co-op pulls out of interest-only mortgages Recent News | Mike Jones | Friday, May 04, 2012 The Co-operative Bank is to pull the plug on new interest-only residential mortgages. It is the first major lender to do, paving the way for others to do the same.Notably, the bank already has some 60,000 customers on interest-only, but their ranks will not be swelled. From next Tuesday, Co-op b... Row grows over 'social cleansing' of tenants priced out by private rents Recent News | Mike Jones | Friday, May 04, 2012 The social cleansing' row over a London council's apparent attempt to ship hundreds of tenants who would normally be put into private rented accommodationto places as far away as Stoke-on-Trent has intensified.Newham Council has written to housing associations to see if they could help with acc... Property firm warns over EU plans to meddle with BTL market Recent News | Mike Jones | Monday, April 23, 2012 It says that the change is due to come into force this year despite widespread opposition from the industry'.Under the draft directive on Credit Agreements Relating to Residential Property (CARRP), Britain would be forced to fall into line with the continental practice whereby lenders assess bu... Stamp Duty Land Tax Planning Recent News | Mike Jones | Monday, April 23, 2012 ADVERTORIALTuesday 17th April 2012Stamp Duty Land Tax PlanningAll properties purchased in the UK are subject to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). With our SDLT planning we can help clients to reduce the SDLT due on leasehold or freehold residential properties, commercial properties and land.... Truth about the mortgage market: even the spin doctor looks confused Recent News | Mike Jones | Friday, April 13, 2012 Two statements flatly contradicting each other about the mortgage market were put out by the same PR company at almost exactly the same time yesterday.Wriglesworth issued one statement for Connells Survey and Valuation claiming that the mortgage market has seen its strongest start to a year sinc... Rich people still need mortgage guidelines, says Enness Recent News | Mike Jones | Thursday, April 12, 2012 Wealthy people should fall outside normal mortgage rules, a specialist broker has said, but should still have guidelines to protect them.It also said that high net worth (HNW) should be defined as earning ý500,000 a year before tax, plus assets of ý3m not counting the home.Enness Private Cli... Co-op in continuing talks over new Manchester Mortgage Recent News | Mike Jones | Tuesday, April 10, 2012 The development of a product to help first-time buyers is said to be making good progress, with talks ongoing between local authorities in the Greater Manchester area and two lenders.Under the Manchester Mortgage scheme each council within the Greater Manchester area is able to specify its own c... Queen's bank Coutts fined for not checking out 'dodgy' clients Recent News | Mike Jones | Wednesday, March 28, 2012 The FSA said failings at Coutts were serious and systemic and were allowed to persist for almost three years. They resulted in an unacceptable risk of Coutts handling the proceeds of crime.In October 2010, the FSA visited Coutts as part of its thematic review into banks' management of high money... House purchase approvals rise 7% in a month - Introducer Today News Recent News | Mike Jones | Friday, March 02, 2012 The number of mortgage approvals for house purchase rose to 58,728 in January, the Bank of England has reported.This was a 7% rise on the previous month, a 30% rise on January 2010, and the highest level since December 2009.Despite this, January's figure is still less than half the 130,000 h... Landlords and tenants urged to look for SAFEagent symbol Press Release | Mike Jones | Friday, March 02, 2012 A national SAFEagent awareness week is to be held between May 14 and 20.The objective is to build awareness of the campaign among landlords, tenants and other consumers, who may think that just because a letting agent displays the Ombudsman and OFT logos, their money will automatically be safe.... Cheap holiday homes in Spain due to new reforms Press Release | Mike Jones | Friday, March 02, 2012 New banking reforms are expected to hit Spanish property prices hard, causing values to plummet across many parts of the country, particularly in popular holiday destinations, presenting further bargains for house hunters looking to buy a home in Spain.According to Spanish Property Insight, refe... New powers for Bank of England to set LTVs Recent News | Mike Jones | Thursday, February 09, 2012 Over a third (36.7%) of UK properties currently for sale have been reduced in price at least once since first coming on to the market.The average discount off the original asking price being offered by sellers across the UK on these homes now stands at ý19,580 (7.5%) according to property search... Temporary recession to hit UK this year, says CEBR Recent News | Mike Jones | Tuesday, January 10, 2012 The Centre for Economics and Business Research is now anxiously awaiting David Smith's Golden Guru awards this weekend in the Sunday Times to see if it came top for 2011.In 2010, the CEBR accurately predicted the potential for a Greek default, and last year forecast that Italy would be unable to...
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