Latest News

Whiteaway Laidlaw Bank now rebrands as Shawbrook Bank.  Their aim is to grow this area of commercial finance.

Saffron Building Society  launched a 95% mortgage for first time buyers who have been renting for 12 months or more this week. This will take the first time buyers’ rental payment history as evidence of their ability to afford the monthly mortgage payments if they are the same amount.  Obviously, the lender will still do [...]

Mortgage approvals for purchase increased by 6.7% in June as lenders rushed to meet their half-year lending targets, according to the latest e.surv Mortgage Monitor. Source – Mortgage Strategy

The number of buy-to-let products available has increased by 35% over the past three months, according to research from Mortgages for Business. David Whittaker, managing director at Mortgages for Business, says: “Languishing property prices and rising rents have created a perfect storm for professional investors and landlords. “The yields on offer on investment properties are [...]

The latest Buy-to-Let Index from LSL Property Services shows the annual rate of inflation for rents in England and Wales is 4.1%, with rents rising by £28 between June 2010 and June 2011. As a result of dipping house prices and increasing rents, the average yield reached 5.2% in June, up from 5.1% in May. [...]

Coventry Building Society is launching a five-year fixed rate mortgage at 90% LTV aimed at first time buyers. The product is available from Tuesday June 7 with a 5.99% rate, no early repayment charges, a £199 booking fee, no arrangement fee and a valuation up to £670 included. Colin Franklin, sales and marketing director at [...]

The number of mortgage products available to intermediaries has reached its highest level in three years, Mortgage Brain’s Monthly Product Analysis shows. Over 200 new products were introduced in May 2011, an increase of 2%, which brought the total number of live mortgage products to 11,996, its highest level since May 2008. There was a [...]

Kensington is launching a range of capped tracker mortgages available up to 80% LTV. The lender has introducd its first two and three-year capped trackers, with rates starting at 4.09% and capped at 5.74% for 80% LTV, 3.34% and capped at 4.99% for 75% LTV, and 3.14% and capped at 4.79% for 60% LTV. Kensington [...]

Recently Kensington Mortgages have announced what must be one of the most significant signs to date that mortgage lending is returning to some sense of normality. Their new buy to let product range is available up to 85% LTV even for first time landlords. The products are available for both purchase and remortgage however they [...]