Mortgage News, Insights & Advice
All the latest UK mortgage news, insights and advice from the world of mortgage lending and Oportfolio
Property Sales Surge And NatWest Reduces Mortgage Rates
From the 2nd of July 2024, NatWest is implementing a series of rate reductions across its mortgage product range, providing potential savings for both new and existing customers. This strategic move comes as the UK property market experiences a notable upswing, with...
NatWest Set To Reduce New Build Deposit Contribution
NatWest has announced a significant change to its mortgage lending criteria, which is poised to make a substantial impact on the new build property market. The high street bank has increased its loan-to-value (LTV) ratios for new build homes, a move that will enable...
What Is Stamp Duty For First-Time Buyers?
Purchasing a property is going to be expensive. Unfortunately there is no sugar coating it! Most homebuyers understand that there will be associated costs with purchasing a property. But many don’t know what these costs are, or what they mean. One significant cost...
From shared ownership to fully fledged homeowner
Our client made the initial climb on to the housing ladder by securing a shared ownership mortgage on his first home. After a few years of living in the property he wanted to explore his options with purchasing 100% of the shares in his home, something known as staircasing. That’s where we come in.
Annual rental growth reaches highest level in 13 years.
In newly release figures from property website Zoopla, annual rental growth reached the highest level for 13 years at 4.6% in the third quarter. The average cost of renting a home in the UK, excluding London, now stands at £809 per month, 6% more than a year earlier!
Second Home In Cornwall Case Study
After several years of living the city lifestyle, our client wanted to buy his dream second family home in the idyllic historical coastal county of Cornwall in the Southwest of England. His main concern was that he wanted to keep his current property and didn’t have access to enough personal funds to put down a deposit on the new second property.
Halifax and its subsidiaries SLASH their valuation fees.
A lot of big changes in the mortgage processing world have happened within the last few months but we were all quite taken aback when Halifax announced last week that they would reducing their standard valuation fee across the board. Something that even experienced mortgage professionals did not see coming.
A Christmas miracle for potential new buyers?
The Rightmove House Price Index has released surprising figures this month that show the average house price coming on to the market has reduced by 0.6% compared to last month’s figures potentially encouraging new buyers over the holidays.
House prices driving you up the wall?
Figures show that the 2021 average house price is now £256,000 and London’s average soars above this at £495,000! These figures can be quite disheartening but don’t fear, there is hope on the horizon.
Mortgage arrears a thing of the past? Or just for now?
Official statistics have shown that mortgage arrears across the board have fallen and continue to fall drastically, nearing historical lows according to UK Finance.
Bridging lending – The Return
Fantastic news for people looking for a buy to let, buying at auction or, purchasing a property that might need a little TLC.
The Best Gyms in Putney to Get You Into Shape
Going to the gym helps you build your fitness and improve your endurance. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, the gym can also help your mental well being, by improving your mood, sleep, and brain function. When you’re living and working in London, life can be...
Meet the Team: She-rel and Lydia – What is their role
At Oportfolio, our customer service defines who we are and what we do. She-rel and Lydia both play a key role in our team, ensuring every one of our clients feels like they have received an excellent customer experience. She-rel Edwards combines two roles - Team...
Property prices up 2.1% month-on-month.
A new report from Nationwide has confirmed everything Oportfolio have been seeing anecdotally in the last few weeks- namely, that the demand for property is far outweighing current supply. This is making for a highly competitive market, especially in the City of London and the surrounding areas.
Landlords ‘not confident’ in new EPC regulations
BTL properties need to achieve a good energy efficiency rating for lenders
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If you have any questions about UK mortgage news or anything you’ve read then please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
