Expert views
Commentary submitted by David Fell in their own words.
Back to profileMortgage misery as average five-year deal hits 6% for first time in three years
The transition away from historically cheap mortgage rates is proving to be a marathon rather than a sprint.
Growth in new housing development shows reforms are working, Government says
While construction has started on more new homes than at the same time last year, the latest figures suggest that fewer than one million homes will be built this parliament.
Britain’s fastest home-selling hotspots revealed by study
Finding a buyer is only the first half of the battle, as the wheels of the conveyancing process grind increasingly slowly.
Analysis shows housing support rises do not boost costs after PM warned of ‘chasing rents’
Private rents tend to be higher than council or affordable rents, meaning Local Housing Allowance rates don’t tend to go as far.
Borrowers not set for lower mortgage rates ‘any time soon’, warns expert
Whether or not financial market expectations turn out to be right, they have translated into increasingly volatile mortgage pricing.
Average asking rents have jumped to new record highs, says Rightmove
This means that homes coming onto the market that aren’t priced competitively from day one are taking longer to find tenants.
New-builds coming to housing market at near 10-year low – Rightmove
In recent years housebuilders have been hit by a perfect storm of falling sales prices and rising build costs.
77% of homeowners ‘think EPC rating will be important when moving home’
Buyers increasingly look for a minimum of a EPC C rating, which typically means the basics have all been done.
Cities where average price tag on a home has jumped highest in past decade
The question now is whether this shift will continue, shrinking the pricing gap between the regions even further.
Subdued housing market may be starting to stabilise – surveyors
May saw many landlords advertise homes at higher values to avoid those initial prices becoming a cap on the rent they are able to achieve.
FCA aims to help more people such as first-time buyers to access mortgages
Homeownership rates among younger generations slid significantly after the 2008 downturn, and it’s only in the last five years that they’ve begun to recover.
Sellers warned ‘don’t ask too much’ as almost half of properties fail to sell
Much higher mortgage rates mean house price growth is no longer a one-way bet in some southern markets.