The Market
Home-mover & buy-to-let lending falls as remortgaging booms
10.8% more homeowner remortgages were completed in 2018 than in 2017, says UK Finance, while 11.5% fewer new buy-to-let and 1.9% fewer new home-mover mortgages went through.
Westminster’s ‘voluntary mansion tax’ brings in over £600k
'The hundreds of thousands of pounds being allocated today shows that wealthy householders do care', says council, nearly a year after launching its 'ground-breaking' tax experiment
Proportion of international buyers in PCL hits six-year high
57% of the homes sold in London's priciest postcodes during H2 2018 went to overseas purchasers, reports Hamptons International, the highest level recorded since H2 2012;
Street Views: International buyers in Prime Central London
The proportion of overseas purchasers in PCL is at a six-year high, according to new research out today, accounting for over half of the homes sold in the capital's top postcodes.
‘Buyer affordability is on the rise at the fastest rate in nearly eight years’ – Rightmove
The UK's average asking price tickled up by just 0.2% in the last year, reports Rightmove, with three out of four Southern regions seeing negative growth.
These maps show how tricky it is to measure inequality in local areas across England
In the UK, people often think about inequality in geographical terms: for example, places such as Kensington in London are considered 'rich', while Blackpool in Lancashire is considered 'poor'.
Taxing the profit made by selling a primary residence makes sense
"This will be hugely politically unpopular, until it becomes obvious that the housing market is entrenching intergenerational inequality and ossifying the economy"
Prime London rents show ‘early signs of bottoming out’
Rental values in the capital's prime resi markets have fallen by an average of 9.
Ranked: Britain’s fastest & slowest areas for property price inflation in 2018
The Forest of Dean saw average prices rise by 11% last year, according to official statistics, while the City of London saw prices drop by 7.1%...
The real problem with stamp duty
"The Anti-Stampers’ case is compelling, but the challenge is finding a replacement that people will not hate just as much", writes Nathan Brooker in this piece for the FT...
Surveyors record ‘a slow start to the year’ as supply, demand & deals continue to dwindle
Surveyors 'sense little prospect of a turnaround' in the short-term, says the RICS, 'as concerns over the potential impact of Brexit, alongside affordability constraints continue to cause buyers and sellers…
Camden looks to ban estate agency boards across the borough
Camden Council is running a consultation on extending Regulation 7 Directions to limit the 'unnecessary clutter' of estate agents' boards.