Signs of market momentum despite ongoing affordability issues – UK Finance
A modest year-on-year increase in mortgage applications is a sign of residual momentum in the housing market after the stamp duty deadline, but affordability remains ‘very stretched’, according to the latest Household Finance Review from UK Finance. The report reveals an expected surge in mortgage lending in the first quarter of 2025, driven by homebuyers […]
LSB consultation risks ‘undervaluing’ work of regulators on ethics
Placing further ‘onerous duties on frontline regulators that will deliver little more than what is currently in place‘ was one of the comments from CILEX in response to the Legal Services Board’s ‘Upholding Professional Ethical Duties’ consultation which closed last week. Now The Law Society of England and Wales have weighed in on the consultation […]
Local government ‘losing out on millions’ in council tax revenue due to second home loophole
A rule that lets second home owners avoid paying council tax if they rent their properties out for just 10 weeks a year is costing central and local government an annual £334 million in revenue, according to commercial real estate company Colliers. The loophole allows owners to ‘flip’ their holiday homes into the business rates […]
Half of all remortgagers lock in five-year deals for peace of mind
Remortgage instructions decreased by 12% last month, after a 23% rise in March, with half of all April borrowers opting for a five-year fixed rate deal ‘to shield themselves from potential volatility’. The April Monthly Remortgage Snapshot from LMS reveals that the five-year terms were the most popular product in April, taking a 50% share […]
Two senior hires for Movera group, with conveyancer recruitment drive in Cardiff
The Movera group has announced senior hires in two of its UK companies and is searching for experienced conveyancers to join a fast-growing team in Cardiff. ONP Solicitors has appointed Amy Colton as senior operations manager to head up the firm’s newly launched Cardiff office, while Mark Richards has been promoted to sales director at […]
New networking group targets legal professionals
A new networking group aimed at forging ‘high-value’ connections amongst legal professionals has been launched by Consortium director Lara Squires. The marketing company director has created The Professionals Network to address what she says is ‘a significant gap in the market for meaningful professional relationships’. ‘Unlike traditional networking groups where competition for referrals often undermines […]