Land Registry makes e-DRS sign up easier
All Land Registry customers who lodge paper applications with them will now be able to lodge certain applications electronically using e-DRS, regardless of whether they are a conveyancer. The Land Registry announced the change as part of a number of simplifications to the terms and conditions that govern their electronic Document Registration Service (e-DRS). The […]
Recruitment drive for conveyancers at Pannone
After seeing a 400% increase in new instructions over the last year law firm Pannone is rapidly expanding its conveyancing team. Their conveyancing department has recently recruited four additional solicitors, four conveyancing assistants and is taking on a further six conveyancers and assistants in the coming weeks. Partner Daniel Hickey said: “We have worked extremely […]
Shulmans QCAS adds to team
Leeds-based QCAS, a division of Shulmans LLP, has responded to its busiest period for three years by recruiting two new solicitors. The firm has also recruited three new assistants, and further appointments are on the cards for later in the year. Victoria Mortimer, Head of QCAS, said: “The market has really grown in the past […]
Entries welcomed for Conveyancer of the Year awards
Entries are open for the Conveyancer of the Year Awards 2013 in association with The Sunday Times and The Times. The Conveyancer of the Year Awards 2013 form part of the Estate Agency of the Year Awards which will take place on 6th December 2013 at the Lancaster Hotel in London. The day will also […]
Zoopla blog advises avoiding small firms
A recent blog from property website Zoopla looks at how you can speed up house sales. They say that in an ideal world a freehold sale could complete within six weeks, but said the current market was far from ideal. The piece includes expert opinions on various aspects of the process. One looks at the […]
Home asking prices hit five year high
The average asking price across England and Wales is now £241,710, the highest level since July 2008. The July 2013 Home.co.uk Asking Price Index also found that annual house price inflation hit 4.0%, the highest annualised increase since March 2008. The survey also mentions the impact of falling supply to the market particularly with regards […]
Could solar panels be acting as a sales deterrent?
The blows just keep coming for the government’s environmental objectives as research finds roofs fitted with solar panels could cause sales to falter. Solar panels can either be owned outright by the householder or fitted and rented out to a utility supplier. According to research by independent home finding company County Homesearch, purchasing homes with […]
Closure notice: Doubleday Property Lawyers Limited
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has advised that Doubleday Property Lawyers of 20 High Street, Halstead, Essex, closed on 11 July. All current and past files have been passed to Ross Coates Solicitors along with all client monies retained by Doubleday at the time of closure. Doubleday Property Lawyers only undertook conveyancing work. Current […]
Consumer expectation that house prices will keep rising
52% of consumers think average property prices in the UK will rise over the next 12 months. Just 12% think they will fall according to the latest Housing Market Confidence Tracker from Halifax. Halifax use the difference in these figures to establish a House Price Outlook (HPO), the balance of +40 this month is the […]
Second charge lending continues to increase
The second charge mortgage market saw a 43% increase by value and 23% by volume in May. According to the latest figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) there was a 5% increase in new consumer finance in May 2013. Fiona Hoyle, Head of Consumer Credit at the FLA, said: “These figures show […]
Reduction in amount of house sales falling through
The number of house sales falling through has reduced from 29.74% in the first quarter of 2013 to 19.77% in the second quarter. According to the house sale fall through index from home buying company Quick Move Now, house sale fall through rates have been a steadily decreasing since July 2008. Donna Houguez, Market Analyst […]
First time buyers continue to increase
Mortgages granted to first-time buyers reached 25,100, their highest monthly figure since late 2007 in May. This was up 42% from the same time last year and 29% from April. First-time buyers now account for 45% of all loans for house purchase, accounting for £3.4 billion in value in May. According to the latest data […]
Chancellor dismisses suggestion of “house-price bubble”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has defended the Help to Buy scheme designed to boost home ownership. Critics of the scheme have warned that it could create a house-price bubble. When addressing the Treasury Select Committee last week Mr Osborne said: “It’s a three-year scheme. “I don’t want to create uncertainty that it […]