Finance
Housing optimism hits new (but not that high) heights
            Consumers' perceptions of the UK property market continue to get ever-more rosy - but are still generally morose - according to the latest sentiment survey from Lloyds Bank.
        
    Battersea Power Station bags £790m in development finance
            In one of the biggest property finance deals of the year, Battersea Power Station's development manager has closed on £790.2m in syndicated development and land financing facilities.
        
    Mortgage lending hits five-year high on the back of “overwhelmingly positive” economic news
            "We do not expect the Bank of England to move quickly to raise interest rates, once the UK passes the 7% unemployment threshold," says the Council of Mortgage Lenders, as "housing activity is set to strengthen…        
    Autumn Statement date set for 5th December
            We all know that Christmas gets earlier every year, but that Autumn happens in December is news to us;        
    Resi construction credit crunch “far from over” as lending shrinks 10% in five months
            Lending for residential property construction has dropped by 42% over the last three years, and by 10% since Help to Buy launched in April, according to law firm EMW.
        
    Octopus buys Dragonfly
            Jonathan Samuel's short-term lending business Dragonfly Property Finance has been bought-up by Octopus Capital Ltd, the holding company of Octopus Investments Ltd, for an undisclosed amount.
        
    Credit Suisse gives Foxtons shares the thumbs up as sales revenue climbs 28%
            Foxtons shares are pricey compared to other property floaters, but that's only right and fair say finance analysts.        
    50% of all prime London homes now worth over £1m – Marsh & Parsons
            Over half of the homes in London's prime postcodes are now worth more than a million quid, according to Marsh & Parsons' latest calculations.
 That's a rise of 8% on this time last year and 6% since January.        
    Peer-to-peer property lender pays out
            The first "live and trading" mortgage-specific peer-to-peer lending platform, LendInvest, seems to doing pretty well having just repaid some of its first investors in full, and totting up over £8.        
    CGT: How will London stack up against New York, Hong Kong & Singapore?
            Will the proposed CGT changes make London look expensive on the international stage? Savills doesn't seem to think so.
        
    Almacantar bags £220m loan for Centre Point scheme
            Almacantar has reportedly secured a £220m monster-loan from US-based Starwood Property Trust and Starwood European Real Estate Finance for its ambitious Centre Point redevelopment.
        
    Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank debuts in London with £20m office-to-resi scheme
            Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has made its first foray into the London property market with a £20m deal to fund the development of Westbourne House on Westbourne Grove, London.