Asking prices set to rise by 7% in 2015
Home.co.uk predicts the South East and East of England will be among the biggest winners over the next 12 months. The property market in England and Wales is set for continued growth in 2015, with asking prices likely to rise by around 7%. Record low mortgages will continue to stoke demand as will continued interest […]
Approvals decline by 20% – how will this change in 2015?
House purchase approvals in November 2014 were 20% lower compared to the previous year. Gross mortgage borrowing in November 2014 was £10.1 billion – 5.5% lower than in the same month last year. Despite a slowdown in demand, the overall mortgage stock continues to rise and is 1.6% higher than a year ago. After recovering […]
Door opens for many as Stamp Duty reform breathes new life into UK property market
haart sees 15% surge in buyer enquiries day after Autumn Statement announcement Average UK property price up 7.8% annually and 0.6% on month to £205,421 – the highest in over two years Average London property price dips 1.9% on the month to just under £500k mark – single figure annual growth only for first time […]
First-time buyer sales surge in November
November sees 34,300 first-time buyer completions – up 15% compared to October and the highest monthly number since the recession Comes as average mortgage rate falls to four year-low of 3.92%, driving down mortgage repayments Average first-time buyer deposit falls 4% year-on-year to £25,991 in November Stamp duty changes would have seen first-time buyers in […]
Rugby
Football has been played for centuries in various nations but it was brought to England in the 11th Century. By the 15th and 16th Centuries it was banned because of the damage suffered by the players but also because it interfered with the practice of archery which was vital for the defence of the country. […]
Interview with Alan Thorogood, CEO of STL Group PLC
Alan Thorogood is CEO of STL Group PLC, which has just been acquired by Australian company InfoTrack. He told Today’s Conveyancer why the move is good for STL – and for the conveyancing industry as a whole… How do you feel about the acquisition? “We’re extremely positive about it. At STL we’ve just celebrated our […]
Oh how the wealthy doth fall!
Actions upheld by the Government to support UK home buyers has resulted in a boost in property stock value. This has reportedly affected large housing suppliers including Barratt Developments and Taylor Wimpey. However brokers and industry analysts are warning the initial benefits could come under strain from the long term impact of the tax reform. […]
New Highways report provides the green light for Commercial Conveyancers
Landmark Information Group is launching a new report that will provide the most comprehensive and accurate information into planned changes to roads and rights of way affecting commercial sites. The SiteSolutions Highways report looks to dramatically cut the time that professional conveyancers spend in researching and sourcing accurate data on highways that impact on their […]
Amount of equity withdrawn by remortgaging in month of November tops £0.5bn for first time since May
Average equity withdrawal rises 24% to £20,906 as budgets stretched in lead up to Christmas Gross remortgage lending falls 12% to £3.6bn in November Average remortgage loan amount dropped to £148,846 – lowest amount since July 2013 The latest figures from LMS reveal that monthly gross remortgage lending saw a decrease of 12% in November […]
Festive season opening hours for SRA calls
Both the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Contact Centre and Ethics Guidance teams will be answering calls between 29th December and 2nd January. They are both closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day as these are Bank Holidays. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, the Contact Centre will be open from 8am […]
Latest gross mortgage lending statistics for November 2014
Following the property market forecast released earlier in the week, the Council of Mortgage Lenders have also published their latest mortgage lending statistics. Key findings within the data include that gross mortgage lending is estimated to have reached £16.9 billion in November. Though this a 9% decrease from the previous month, this figure matches the […]
The Ultimate End of Year Outlook and New Year Predictions
2014 service provision 2014 is being hailed by industry leaders as the year for communication and innovation. After the great success in 2013, conveyancing firms have had to up their game, as consumers demand better communication from legal professionals, with regular updates and quicker transaction completions. Nick Masheder, Managing Partner of Beaumont Legal says, “Over […]
CML property and mortgage forecast reaction
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) property and mortgage forecast has been released this week, showing projected figures for 2015 and 2016. From this data, the CML have revealed mortgage lending will continue to grow within the next two years. Though following a surge during 2013 and the first half of 2014, transactions will develop […]
Lender v Conveyancer battle heightens
A recent study conducted by London law firm, RPC has revealed the number of professional negligence cases that have been delivered within High Court within the UK has nearly trebled in just one year, from 143 to 413. What is to blame for this staggering surge? A large number of these cases are claims being […]
Conveyancer Slater – Tweet of the Week
Who on earth regulates conveyancing solicitors?! How are they allowed to behave the way they do? The system is insane. — Katie Warrick (@wwednasay) December 17, 2014
SearchFlow launches a Stamp Duty calculator
SearchFlow has developed a Stamp Duty calculator for its website to simplify the costing process for lawyers and their clients. The requirement for this comes as a result of the Chancellor’s announcement of a new sliding scale for Stamp Duty during his Autumn Statement earlier this month. SearchFlow moved quickly to develop a tool, accessible […]
Chestertons chooses Zoopla
Chestertons, one of London’s oldest, largest and most established estate agencies has today announced that it will be advertising on the Zoopla and Prime Location websites from January. Chestertons is a founding member of Agents Mutual and its new portal OnTheMarket.com which launches on 26th January 2015. It is widely acknowledged amongst the industry that […]
New research into innovation
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) are launching a new research project into innovation in the legal services market, in partnership with the Legal Services Board. The University of Warwick will conduct the research, which will build on findings published by independent charity, Nesta, in 2009. The research will explore the reasons for innovation in business […]
Interview with Daniel Brumpton, partner at Irwin Mitchell
Professional negligence lawyers Irwin Mitchell have just won justice for a couple after failings by conveyancing solicitors saw their house sale fall through – and the couple left nearly £170,000 out of pocket. Daniel Brumpton, a partner at Irwin Mitchell and the professional negligence specialist who led the case, tells Today’s Conveyancer why all solicitors […]
Santa brings early news of new jobs as law firm calls increase
Father Christmas had a sackful of early special gifts to deliver when he stopped off at telephone answering specialist Moneypenny with yuletide news of 100 new jobs. Moneypenny currently answers telephone calls for over 900 law firms of all sizes with five new dedicated legal teams already added in 2014 to meet the growing needs of […]
