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KEYWORD "Help to Buy" - 100 RESULTS
Property Natter: Will first-timers be thrown a Budget lifeline?

The expected dip in mortgage rates following the Bank of England’s base rate cut continued this week with NatWest’s lowest price...

17 August 2024

From: Features

What should the government do to support first time buyers?

One key point of difference in the parties’ housing policies during the recent general election campaign was that the Conservative Party...

17 August 2024

From: Features

Property Natter: The first cut is the deepest… for all of us

At last! Well, they say small is beautiful and, if you’re in the property sector right now, you’d better believe it! The...

03 August 2024

From: Features

Tory Housing Policies Miss Out On Poll Position

You have to wonder who is advising Rishi Sunak these days. Months ago, Silverstone must have seemed a terrific venue to hold...

15 June 2024

From: Features

RICS Warns Agents - Election Now Hurting Buyer Confidence

The latest residential market sentiment survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests confidence in the housing market is beginning...

13 June 2024

From: Breaking News

General Election: estate agents react to Tory manifesto

The Conservative Party’s General Election manifesto has committed to resurrecting the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme and temporarily removing Capital...

12 June 2024

From: Breaking News

Foxtons reveals General Election wish list

Stamp Duty reform and first-time buyer support tops the list of what Foxtons would like to see from the next Government. The...

10 June 2024

From: Breaking News

LRG sets out its stall for election 2024

With election day looming, in the first of a series of articles, experts from property services organisation, Leaders Romans Group, offer...

01 June 2024

From: Features

Industry Views - The Housing Battleground for General Election 2024

So we’ve been sent the ‘Save The Date’ card - it’s July 4. Now all we need is the invitation to the...

25 May 2024

From: Features

Use of Help to Buy ISA-backed property deposits slumps

The number of properties purchased using a Help to Buy ISA-backed deposit fell to record lows last year, official data shows. Government...

16 May 2024

From: Breaking News

Agents highlight biggest industry challenges and opportunities

Help to Buy has been ranked as having the most positive influence on the property market in recent times. Agency comparison website...

08 May 2024

From: Breaking News

Better news for economy gives confidence boost to property market

The best news for the property sector to come from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget statement came not from any fiscal...

20 March 2024

From: Features

Economy brightens Budget gloom for property professionals

Following the disappointment of his Autmn statement, many property professionals were hoping for a kick-start to property sales in Jeremy Hunt’s...

09 March 2024

From: Features

The need to fill the void in the aftermath of Help to Buy

As the Budget approaches and the housing crisis intensifies, it is important to consider what the Chancellor could – and should...

02 March 2024

From: Features

Spring Budget provides opportunity to support buyers - survey

More than a third of property professionals view the Spring Budget as an opportunity to boost new build and the first-time...

20 February 2024

From: Breaking News

Will housing be a major battleground in the 2024 general election?

After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during May’s local election campaigning,...

13 January 2024

From: Features

Government urged to bring back Help to Buy-style incentive

A lawyer has called for Help to Buy to be resurrected in the Autumn Statement. Paul Sams, head of property at Dutton...

21 November 2023

From: Breaking News

Fraud pilot investigation launched into Help to Buy loans

It's emerged that Homes England and HMRC have explored possible fraud within the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme. This formed part of...

20 October 2023

From: Breaking News

Help to Buy ‘ticking time bomb’ set to explode - warning

The “ticking time bomb” of Help to Buy repayments could be set to explode due to the cost of living crisis,...

06 October 2023

From: Breaking News

Buyers continue to rely on relatives for homebuying support - research

Mortgage searches on behalf of borrowers using gifted equity or making a concessionary purchase from a family member rose by 75%...

12 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Government urged to resurrect Help to Buy

The Government is facing calls to resurrect the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme. The housing support scheme, which provided a Government-backed...

11 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Major housebuilder warns economic uncertainty is deterring buyers

Trading conditions in the housing market have worsened during this summer, Crest Nicholson has warned. A trading update from the housebuilder said...

22 August 2023

From: Breaking News

Will housing be a major battleground in the 2024 general election?

After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during recent local election campaigning,...

19 August 2023

From: Features

Bleak outlook for new builds after report of 40 per cent sales slump

Alarm bells are ringing in the new build sales sector after figures have been released by a major house builder. Bellway says...

10 August 2023

From: Breaking News

Broker raises negative equity fears over Government mortgage schemes

A mortgage expert has expressed concern about the level of borrowers still taking out high loan-to-value government-backed home loans despite falling...

19 July 2023

From: Breaking News

Now is the time for the Government to resurrect help to buy

With the Bank of England’s rate rise to five per cent, soaring rents, and the cost-of-living crisis, now is the time...

24 June 2023

From: Features

Housing policy must go beyond election cycles - warning     

Housing policy formation must go beyond electoral cycles, academics have warned. A group of Cambridge University alumni has teamed up to urge...

05 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Help to Buy: Equity Loan ending - what help is available?

For just over a decade, the Government has operated ‘Help to Buy’ schemes in England. The first of these, ‘NewBuy’, which...

15 April 2023

From: Features

Estate agents ‘worried about propertyless Budget implications’

UK estate agents are split when it comes to their opinion on last week’s Budget, with half concerned about a lack...

23 March 2023

From: Breaking News

Savills: Bank of Mum and Dad set for busier 2023

It was a busy 2022 for the so-called Bank of Mum and Dad and 2023 could be more manic for parents,...

15 March 2023

From: Breaking News

First-time buyers still hoping to meet Help to Buy deadline

First-time buyers are persisting with Help to Buy purchases as cut-off-point approaches for the housing support scheme. To be eligible for an...

14 March 2023

From: Breaking News

Downsizing incentives and first-time buyer support top Budget wishlist

From first-time buyer support to Stamp Duty changes or just doing nothing at all, there is plenty that agents and property...

13 March 2023

From: Breaking News

Property Natter - Memories of times past while marching bravely forward

I’ve found myself in contemplative mode this week, looking forward to the future and remembering times past. In the immediate future –...

11 March 2023

From: Features

Agents being trained for 'normal sales market'

Agents are being trained in how to operate in a ‘normal’ sales market, a senior industry executive has revealed. Gareth Samples, chief...

03 March 2023

From: Breaking News

‘Fundamental’ leasehold reform promised in King’s Speech

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has signalled that legislation to allow for further leasehold reform will be included in the next parliamentary...

21 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Unlucky for some? 13th Housing Minister in a decade quits

Lucy Frazer became the 13th Housing Minister to leave the role in the past decade yesterday after she was promoted to...

08 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Persimmon: 'Too early to say when buyer demand will recover''

Higher mortgage rates and the end of Help to Buy has had a “sharp impact” on sales rates, Persimmon has warned. A...

13 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Revealed! What property professionals want for 2023 

An interest rate drop is top of the new year wish list among property professionals, a survey claims. A webinar poll among...

29 December 2022

From: Breaking News

A fifth of mortgage applicants have been rejected in the past year - research

A fifth of potential borrowers have had their mortgage application rejected over the past 12 months – hitting their hopes of...

23 December 2022

From: Breaking News

Help to Buy home sellers hit by building safety issues

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has committed to look into issues with the Building Safety Act after MPs claimed leaseholders and Help to...

22 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Autumn Statement: What agents want from Chancellor Hunt

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will have a go at balancing the nation’s books today and the main thing agents seem to want...

17 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Housebuilder launches webinar to help first-time buyers

Representatives from homebuilder Barratt and Rightmove are to share tips on how first-time buyers can get on the property ladder in...

14 November 2022

From: Breaking News

End of Help to Buy will hit 30% of property sales – claim

The end of the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme coupled with rising mortgage rates and affordability requirements will mean fewer...

11 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Help to Buy Isa usage hits record low

The number of homebuyers putting a Help to Buy Isa towards their property purchase looks set to hit a five-year low. The...

11 November 2022

From: Breaking News

RIP Help to Buy: what comes next?

In this guest feature, Ben Bailey, CCO at Even, a mortgage lender for first-time buyers launched this year, provides commentary on the end...

05 November 2022

From: Features

The end for Help to Buy - but who has it helped?

Buyers have until 31 October to reserve a new-build and apply for Government-backed finance before the government’s Help to Buy Equity...

26 October 2022

From: Breaking News

Revealed - what you need to know about mortgage rates

With UK interest rates on the rise, following the mini-Budget announcement (now since almost entirely reversed), and several lenders pulling mortgage...

22 October 2022

From: Features

Going digital is the answer to sector compliancy woes

If recent headlines are anything to go by, estate agents and the wider property industry are not just feeling the heavy...

15 October 2022

From: Features

Mortgage chaos leaves first-time buyers ‘high and dry’, claims property expert

The fallout from Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget, which has spooked the markets and caused the pound to fall to record lows,...

28 September 2022

From: Breaking News

Countrywide boss: 'Help to Buy will be missed'

A senior new-build property professional has warned that the Help to Buy scheme will be “sorely missed” by first-time buyers once...

12 September 2022

From: Breaking News

Increasing numbers of buyers searching for eco-friendly homes - claim

Home hunters are increasingly searching for eco-friendly homes amid concerns about rising energy bills, figures suggest. New data from Legal & General...

07 September 2022

From: Breaking News

Agents highlight property priorities for the new Prime Minister

From housebuilding to planning laws and stamp duty reform, agents and property professionals were ready with plenty of suggestions for Liz...

06 September 2022

From: Breaking News

Property forecast: Demand remains strong despite UK inflation 

Many first-time buyers and homeowners are becoming more cautious of the property market. The cost of living crisis, combined with rising...

03 September 2022

From: Features

Bank of Mum & Dad set to lend £25bn to children over the next three years

Research over recent years has regularly pointed to the Bank of Mum & Dad being one of the UK’s biggest lenders,...

04 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Online agent partners with Help to Buy style lender to boost buyer deposits

Online agent Griffin Property Co has become the latest brand to partner with Help to Buy-style equity loan provider Proportunity. The partnership...

13 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Agent calls for housing tsar as minister quits and Gove is sacked

Independent agent Barrows and Forrester has called for the appointment of a housing tsar for a fixed term as yet another...

07 July 2022

From: Breaking News

White paper calls for intergenerational mortgages to help first-time buyers

A group of mortgage advisers has proposed a range of reforms to reduce barriers to home ownership for first time buyers. The...

20 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Not helping to buy! Government urged to link deposit schemes to house prices

Rising house prices have rendered the government’s Help to Buy ISA scheme useless, an analyst claims. The Help to Buy ISA saving...

12 May 2022

From: Breaking News

Cost of living crunch is hitting lower end of the prime market - Savills

A third of first-time buyers have had to reduce their budgets as a result of recent interest rate hikes and the...

03 May 2022

From: Breaking News

New flats marketed as ‘work from home’ units

A developer has converted a 1979s office block into flats which are now being sold as £180,000 to £215,000 work from...

10 March 2022

From: Breaking News

Property Natter – my predictions for the property market in 2022

As this is the first Natter back since the Christmas break, I should like to first wish all our readers a...

15 January 2022

From: Features

Banned: Developer kicked out of Help To Buy because of Grenfell link

A company linked to the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower is being excluded from the government’s Help to Buy scheme, pending the outcome...

20 December 2021

From: Breaking News

Forget Help To Buy Equity Loan - welcome to Deposit Unlock

A housebuilding-led mortgage indemnity scheme called Deposit Unlock has now been launched nationally with 17 major developers taking part. Nationwide is the...

26 November 2021

From: Breaking News

New build sales fail to live up to frenzy seen elsewhere in market

Data released by Zoopla suggests that demand for new builds outside London remains above the five year average, but has failed...

25 November 2021

From: Breaking News

How affordable is it to buy a new-build house?

Affordability has always been a hot topic when it comes to the property market, and this is doubly true for first-time...

22 September 2021

From: Features

Free parking & government support, study reveals what new build buyers want

Warwick Estates has revealed the most in-demand features for new-build buyers. The firm has analysed Rightmove data and found that those buying...

14 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Rent Controls - It’s Back To The Future

Few political policies have such a ring of the past as rent controls - they were last seen in this country...

04 September 2021

From: Features

PropTech platform adds first-of-its-kind sales progression feature

Zoopla-owned Proptech platform Yourkeys has launched what it calls a first-of-its-kind sales progression service for new-build shared ownership properties. It works like...

26 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Appetite for home ownership proven by Help To Buy claims Jenrick

Over 55,000 households bought homes through the government’s Help to Buy equity loan scheme in the past financial year - a...

16 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Prominent estate agents trial new low-deposit mortgage concept

Two prominent estate agencies are amongst those piloting a new financial product that allows aspiring buyers to purchase property with just...

13 August 2021

From: Breaking News

High value house purchases behind market frenzy says Nationwide

Annual house price growth remains above 10 per cent despite a small monthly dip in July according to the Nationwide. A 0.5...

29 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Buyers move further for larger new homes, research shows

New research from Zoopla appears to show that buyers typically move further away for larger homes rather than smaller or same-size...

23 July 2021

From: Breaking News

The Holiday Home Debate - Don’t Let Politicians Get Away With It

At first sight it’s a tough ask to defend holiday homes when there’s evidence that many who want to buy can’t,...

10 July 2021

From: Features

Developers defend Help To Buy’s cost to taxpayers

A new analysis claims Help To Buy has improved building volumes and has not been a drain on taxpayers. The scheme which...

30 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Mortgage Bonanza: biggest lender yet offers 95% loans

Nationwide Building Society is to become the largest mortgage provider to reintroduce 95 per cent Loan-to-Value home loans without government support.  These...

19 May 2021

From: Breaking News

First time buyers snap up most Help To Buy new-builds

Over 300,000 new-builds in England have been purchased using the government's Help to Buy Equity Loan since its launch in 2013. Of the...

19 May 2021

From: Breaking News

Sequence agency chain links with part exchange service

The land and new homes division of Sequence has signed a deal to offer fully-funded part exchange and home buying services...

23 April 2021

From: Breaking News

Prince Philip: how the property landscape changed during his century

For many, the funeral of HRH Prince Philip will be a solemn affair, while for some it will also be a...

17 April 2021

From: Features

Market pause or boom over? Surprise house price fall as Easter arrives

Annual house price growth remains strong but it has slowed significantly according to the Nationwide. Prices dropped 0.2 per cent on average...

01 April 2021

From: Breaking News

 March 31 deadline extended for Help To Buy completions

The deadline to complete the purchase of a home under the current Help to Buy scheme in England has been extended...

16 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Stamp duty holiday may be extended for some buyers - report

The Chancellor is considering extending the stamp duty holiday for a short period according to a newspaper report this morning. The Daily...

13 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Unsellable: Thousands of flats remain impossible to mortgage or sell

Agents and a wide range of property experts have demanded yet more government funds to end the cladding crisis that is...

11 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Legal warning over little-known stamp duty technicality

There’s been a huge focus on both the stamp duty holiday and Help To Buy deadlines at the end of March...

08 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Extending Stamp Duty Holiday is top demand for Budget 2021

A 10-point ’must have’ list of demands for Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget on March 3 has been issued by NAEA Propertymark. It’s...

04 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Scrap stamp duty cliff edge ‘to help people stick to Covid guidelines’

The government needs to step in to rescue two valuable property incentives before they expire at the end of March, a...

03 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Extend stamp duty holiday for exchanged properties, say finance chiefs

The stamp duty holiday should be extended to include properties that have exchanged but have yet to complete, a leading accountancy...

26 January 2021

From: Breaking News

The PropTech revolution is re-invigorating the rental market

There’s no doubt that the property market underwent a tumultuous year in 2020, where efficiency was required more than ever. Since the...

09 January 2021

From: Features

Price caps revealed for buyers using new Help To Buy scheme

The government has revealed new regional price caps for its revamped Help To Buy Equity Loan scheme, set to operate between...

19 November 2020

From: Breaking News

Social media first for Zoopla with ‘hyper local’ image campaigns

Zoopla is the first UK property company to launch advertising on Pinterest, the lifestyle picture-centric social media platform. A statement from Zoopla...

16 November 2020

From: Breaking News

Is the market turning? Momentum slowing down, report surveyors

The first monthly market monitor to show activity in the housing market tailing off has appeared - and it says momentum...

11 November 2020

From: Breaking News

How can we ensure the second half 2020 doesn’t become a blip?

Recent figures emanating from the mortgage and housing market suggest that – since lockdown was ended in mid-May – transaction levels...

31 October 2020

From: Features

Stamp Duty Holiday Mayhem - Sunak urged to avoid 'cliff-edge'

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been told to avoid a stamp duty holiday cliff-edge next March at any price - because it...

29 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Property Natter – five ways to enable your agency to thrive this winter

The only certainty at the moment is ongoing uncertainty. It’s something we’ve got used to in 2020, but it’s still not...

10 October 2020

From: Features

Here we go again - Help To Buy looks likely to be extended

Government leaks to mainstream and building trade media suggest the controversial Help To Buy scheme will be extended beyond its end-of-2020 deadline. An...

30 July 2020

From: Breaking News

Property Jobs Today - more new appointments in our industry

Hello and welcome to another week. We’re more than aware that it’s a challenging time for our industry as for most...

20 July 2020

From: Breaking News

Stamp Duty cuts WON’T help the market - a contrary view

An industry analyst is challenging the long-established agents’ view that reducing or temporarily scrapping stamp duty would help the market. On the...

08 July 2020

From: Breaking News

Stamp Duty cut would NOT help the market, claims tax specialist

A prominent tax specialist has suggested that stamp duty cuts would not help improve the housing market, despite many agents suggesting...

02 July 2020

From: Breaking News

New-build market bouncing back quicker than second-hand market

Buyer demand for new-build property has bounced back 66 per cent in the six weeks since the resumption of the housing...

01 July 2020

From: Breaking News

New homes delivery to plummet by a third despite high demand

There’s been a big rise in demand for new-builds since the lockdown according to figures from Knight Frank - but the...

23 June 2020

From: Breaking News

Purplebricks and Emoov founders call for radical stamp duty reform

Online sector veterans Russell Quirk and Kenny Bruce have used social media to call for a temporary scrapping of all stamp...

16 June 2020

From: Breaking News

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