Property Investment News and Analysis from Dominic Farrell.
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View Article  House prices slip -0.3% in January

House prices fell for the fourth month in a row in January with average values falling by 0.3%, the same decline as last month.

 

Research by Hometrack found that the year on year rate of growth has also slipped back, to +2.3%, which represents the lowest rate of growth ...   more »

View Article  Mortgage approvals hit by credit crunch

The number of mortgages granted to new home buyers plunged to a record low last month as banks struggled with the credit crunch and potential buyers hesitated in the face of higher mortgage rates.

 

Only 42,088 mortgages were approved for new buyers by banks in December, lower than at ...   more »

View Article  MPC damps aggressive cut expectations

The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee voted eight to one to leave interest rates unchanged last month, according to minutes of the meeting published on Wednesday, while official statistics showed growth slowed slightly less than expected in the fourth quarter.

 

The MPC felt that “the short-run inflation outlook ...   more »

View Article  CBI director Lambert forecasts 'soft landing'

Richard Lambert, the director general of the CBI, predicts a "soft landing" in the UK with some growth this year, despite the recent market turbulence.

 

Mr Lambert was speaking ahead of a surprise three-quarter point cut in US interest rates that saw the FTSE 100 index bounce by 161.9 ...   more »

View Article  Rate cut in doubt as unemployment falls

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell to its lowest level for more than 30 years, while British average earnings unexpectedly rose in the three months to November.

 

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that average earnings growth, including bonuses, remained steady at 4 per ...   more »

View Article  UK inflation steady in December

UK inflation remained unchanged in December, official figures have shown.

Last month's Consumer Prices Index figure - the government's preferred measurement - held at 2.1% for a third month in succession.

 

The biggest inflationary pressure was continuing high food prices, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

 

The ...   more »

View Article  Northern Rock starts to repay taxpayer

Northern Rock is to repay £2.2bn of its £26bn Bank of England loan after selling a portfolio of mortgages to US investment bank JP Morgan.

 

The ailing lender has agreed to sell its "Lifetime Portfolio" of equity release mortgages, which account for just 2pc of its total assets, for ...   more »

View Article  Bank keeps interest rates on hold

Bank of England policymakers have decided to keep UK interest rates unchanged at 5.5%. The Bank faced a tough decision, having to balance signs of a slowdown in consumer spending against indications of growing inflationary pressures.

 

The decision is likely to disappoint some retailers, who had called for a ...   more »

View Article  UK slump 'is worst for 28 years'

The UK economy shrank by 1.5% in the last three months of 2008, its worst performance in 28 years, a think tank has concluded.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) also warned the economic downturn was worsening.

Its estimation comes two weeks ahead of the release of ...   more »

View Article  PM tells banks to pass on rate cuts

Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling last night warned mortgage lenders they should pass on interest rate cuts to homeowners.

 

The Prime Minister said the banks had a duty to pass on the cuts after it emerged almost one in five had not done so.

Their inaction leaves hundreds of ...   more »

View Article  UK mortgage market continues to respond to global credit conditions

Data released today showed that affordability in the mortgage market continued to show some resilience to tightening credit market conditions in November. Income multiples again declined modestly, reinforcing the trend that began in early autumn. First-time buyers typically borrowed 3.33 times their income, a figure that has fallen each month ...   more »

View Article  House prices rise as 2007 ends

House prices rose by 1.3% in December, following three months of falls, the UK's biggest lender said today.

 

Halifax said the mixed pattern of rises and falls of the past few months was consistent with a subdued market and predicted that prices would remain flat in 2008.

 ...   more »

View Article  UK faces dangerous year, says Brown

Gordon Brown on Sunday warned Britain’s economy faces a “dangerous” year ahead as he battled against rising energy prices and higher pay awards that he fears could undermine his pledge to “break the back of inflation”.

 

Although he insisted Britain’s economy was strong, the prime minister saw ...   more »