HMLR practice guide updates: August 2022
HM Land Registry practice guide updates: August 2022 (PG30, PG36a, PG76, PG78, PG80) Approval of mortgage documentation (PG30) Page summary: How to apply for approval of standard forms of legal charge and related deeds used by lending institutions (practice guide 30). Change made: Section 4 has been amended to emphasise the potential effect of a […]
50-year mortgages: “short-term boom, long-term bust”
The latest announcement that a specialist lender has been given a licence to off 50-year fixed-rate mortgages poses a considerable risk for the housing market, according to several key voices within the property industry. Perenna, a specialist lender, has been granted a UK banking licence, green-lighting plans for the introduction of their 30 to 50-year […]
How can we fix conveyancing delays?
Tim Jordan is head of conveyancing at north west law firm SAS Daniels LLP. Here, he discusses ways to speed up the conveyancing process and whether, ultimately, it’s time conveyancers increased their costs to reflect their value. During the pandemic, the media was awash with property boom stories and figures showing house prices rising at […]
Stamp duty receipts up 23% on this time last year
Figures released by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have revealed that stamp duty land tax (SDLT) receipts between April and July this year were £7 billion. This represents an increase of £1.3 billion from the same period a year earlier (+23%). HMRC said that the markedly higher receipts from April 2022, compared to the same […]
Management on the agenda for tomorrow’s conveyancing leaders
An event designed to bring the next generation of conveyancing leaders together has announced its keynote speaker. Leaders of Tomorrow, hosted by Today’s Conveyancer, a networking and training dinner hosted on 20th September has announced that Ryan March will lead the keynote discussion at the evening’s proceedings. An expert in management, organisational change and bringing […]
House prices rise 1% in June as market stands firm
UK house prices increased by 1% in the period May to June 2022, according to the latest non-seasonally adjusted House Price Index (HPI) from HM Land Registry (HMLR). While this is an indication that the market continues to stand firm amidst an economic backdrop of rampant inflation and uncertainty, it is a stark from the […]
The new normal: what does it really mean?
In a post-pandemic society “the new normal” has come to symbolise the way in which our personal and business lives have changed following the significant upheaval of the last 2 years. But what does a “new normal” mean in the property industry? Following a survey of over 700 property professionals we can reveal exactly what it means […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer; 22nd August 2022
It’s 10am – I’ve just finished my cup of coffee. Before I can even put the mug down, I hear my secretary trying to calm down a client on the phone; said client has just found out that the buyer of her buyer’s house has decided not to proceed. My secretary explains that there is […]
Supporting the leaders of tomorrow: the future isn’t all about technology
It’s fair to say that the next generation of conveyancers are more comfortable working alongside new technology, and with a digital evolution driving rapid change across the industry, the administrative side of the job will no-doubt benefit from more efficient digital processes. However, while this generation of conveyancers will take the lead with implementing new […]
WHSmith, Coronation Street, and the FA Cup Final: what happened to QualitySolicitors?
From a boxroom in Leicester to having 200 law firms adopt its branding, the odyssey of QualitySolicitors was one like no other. Here, Saleem Arif, co-founder of QualitySolicitors, tells all: the idea, working from his car, WHSmith, Amanda Holden, the FA Cup Final, private equity, and the eventual end, as well as discussing his current […]
CLC consulting on regulatory fees and fee rates
Speaking in the Chair’s Report on the latest CLC Council Meeting of 28th July 2022, Dame Janet Paraskeva gave details of the CLC’s consultation on regulatory fees and fee rates. “This year, as every year, we reviewed regulatory fees and fee rates for the next licence year that will begin on 1st November”, Paraskeva said. […]
Homeowners registering for HMLR’s property fraud alert service “up 300%”
New figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request by Thirdfort show a 300% increase in the number of homeowners signing to a property alert scheme to protect against fraudulent property transactions. Some 135,624 property owners registered for the free HM Land Registry’s Property Alert Service in 2021, compared with 46,043 in 2020. More than […]
ONP Group increases conveyancing capacity 30% through academy
ONP Group has increased its conveyancing capacity by 30% in just the past year following the launch of its academy programme at the beginning of last year. The firm has brought over 187 new people into the business – with 150 joining in the past year alone. Its aim is to speed up the conveyancing […]
How can conveyancers and estate agents help to prevent fall-throughs?
Buying and selling residential property may be what conveyancers and estate agents do on a daily basis, but your average homeowner only moves house once every 11 years. It’s a major life-changing decision and a long-term financial investment that will shape household budgets for decades to come. The stresses and uncertainties involved are matched by […]
