Finance
Mortgage approvals for house purchases have dropped by nearly 11%
But remortgaging approvals have climbed by nearly the same amount as homeowners look to 'lock-in attractive deals' before rates rise
Octopus hits £3bn milestone after record lending spell
Specialist property lender has splashed £1bn in the last 18 months
HMRC & ASA shut down Stamp Duty avoidance scheme
Anyone found to be using the scheme - promoted by Fiducia Wealth & Tax - will 'be challenged by HMRC and will be charged interest on top of the SDLT due'
Government pledges to ‘come down hard’ on property-owning shell company fronts
Here's what's likely to be included in the 'world first' register of beneficial owners
Remortgaging hits a nine year high
Mortgage activity surged at the start of the year, says UK Finance
Wainbridge scores £170m loan for its super-prime Belgravia Gate project
Lotus Capital Partners makes its first European play, backing a 12-unit luxury development on Britain's most expensive street
More borrowers choose longer-term mortgages than two-year deals for the first time
48% of mortgages written in Q4 2017 were for five years or more; 40% were two-year products. 91% were fixed-rate.
HMRC warns offshore tax dodgers to ‘put their cards on the table quickly’
'Much bigger fines' for tax evasion are coming into force on 1st October; warnings should be taken seriously, say advisors
Crime Agency secures first Unexplained Wealth Orders against two properties worth £22m
Ownerships of two properties in London and the South East are being investigated under new Criminal Finances powers, which have been dubbed the "McMafia Law"
Outside the Envelope: April’s new inheritance regime for non-dom owners of UK residential property
Change is afoot for non-dom owners of UK property... From April, inheritance tax will be due on all residential properties in the UK, regardless of whether it's owned through an offshore entity...
A 1% interest rate rise would cost mortgage-holders £10bn
A 1% rise 'would add £10bn to the UK's mortgage bill', says Savills, which works out at around £930 per year per mortgaged household...
French private banks are shying away from some HNW international buyers
French banks have changed mortgage rules for certain nationalities, says Enness International's Enzo Marchetti as he reports from Monaco on the property finance landscape.