Mortgage Partner

20/01/2023

My prediction for 2023 is that all other predictions will be wrong again this year.

Private rental prices continue a trend of rises higher than anytime in the last seven years.

04/01/2023

First-time buyers made up the largest proportion of property purchasers last year, despite rising borrowing costs and the cost of living crisis hitting their finances hard.

Buyers stepping onto the property ladder for the first time accounted for 53pc of mortgaged purchases, according to figures from Yorkshire Building Society. This was up from 50pc in 2021 and 41pc a decade ago. Previous data showed that the share of first-time buyers purchasing with a mortgage last reached 53pc in 1995.

First-time buyers made up the largest proportion of property purchasers last year, despite rising borrowing costs and the cost of living crisis hitting their finances hard.

03/10/2022

Our top tips to make sure your heating system is in top form, and your energy bills are as low as possible.

01/10/2022

01/09/2022

Running out of steam at just 10% now???

Rising mortgage rates mean price growth is likely to ease, according to the Nationwide.

18/08/2022

Has a recent holiday inspired a coastal move?

Perhaps the attached will.

If you need more space and are hybrid working, it might be time to relocate...

15/08/2022

Well at least something has cooled this summer.

Personally I think this is short lived as there are not enough properties on the market to support a further drop in prices.

However, mortgage rates are higher will this slow the market now?

While the drop reflects seasonal trends, the BoE's sixth consecutive interest rate hike to 1.75% is likely to weigh on many would-be home-movers.

18/02/2022

With inflation well above 5%, are you getting a fair deal with your payrise?

Any payrise below 5% makes you worse off, but that doesn't mean you deserve that much and we are unlikely to see national average earnings hit that level.

The attached is a useful guide when considering what is right and wrong.

Asking for a pay rise can be nerve-wracking. Monster has put together some tips on how to negotiate that pay increase confidently and effectively.

18/02/2022

Useful summary from the BBC

With red weather warnings issued, how can homeowners claim for the damage left behind?

11/02/2022

House price growth last year hit double digit growth levels in most places around the UK.

Contradictory post here from Halifax, who quote one industry expert saying lack of property and when I studied economics that usually meant prices went up???

Lenders have always enjoyed the game of 'pin the tail on the donkey' with house prices but like many markets they are incredibly hard to predict, as usually other influences we haven't seen yet, play their part too.

I am not sure interest rises will affect the market as much as energy costs for example, as you are more likely to have financial challenges from 70% energy cost increase than a few small potential interest rate rises, but who knows and depends how big your mortgage is.

I don't want to stray into Kirstie Allsop territory, but rather than get your kids to save on their Costa or Netflix, just encourage a good saving habit. Get that right it stays with them for life.

Affordability remains a problem and households are facing a cost of living squeeze, the lender says.

07/02/2022

Now this is getting serious.

A "vicious cycle" of rising costs means nearly all businesses are being squeezed, Lord Bilimoria says