Journalist and managing editor of the Today’s Media publications: Today’s Conveyancer, Today’s Family Lawyer and Today’s Wills and Probate
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published enhanced guidance on remedies that sets out five questions to assess whether a remedy is appropriate. The updated guidance is aimed at supporting service providers to identify and apply
Figures released by Santander reveal a 43% year-on-year jump in gross mortgage lending for the first half of this year, with a total of £10.6 billion in ‘new business’ loans. The average loan size for
Execution of deeds (PG8) Page summary: Advice on the execution of deeds that are to be submitted to HM Land Registry (practice guide 8). Change made: Section 12 has been updated to include a reminder
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has published its Risk Agenda for 2025, which encourages conveyancers to focus on ethics and ethical conduct. The CLC has also warned against treating post-completion HM Land Registry applications ‘as
A former solicitor has lost an appeal against a decision of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, which had ordered him to be struck of the Roll of Solicitors for the improper transfer of funds and dishonest
Nationwide’s July House Price Index showed a ‘modest’ annual house price increase of 2.4% in July, up from 2.1% in June. Prices were up 0.6% month on month, with a house price to earnings ratio
HMRC monthly residential property transactions increased in June, with the provisional seasonally adjusted estimate up 13% since May and 1% higher than the previous year. There were 95,530 residential transactions in June, which HMRC said
The current average two-year fixed mortgage rate is currently level with the average five-year rate, with both at 4.52%, according to the latest figures from Rightmove. And, according to the company’s mortgage expert Matt Smith,
Financial Conduct Authority data analysed by wealth management company Quilter has revealed a steep rise in the number of people taking out mortgages with a term of 35 years or more. There was a 251%
Brownfield railway land in Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Cambridge is set to be transformed into neighbourhoods, with 40,000 new homes, green spaces, shops and hotels. The surplus rail land has been earmarked for £1 billion
Conveyancing is the most stressful part of the home-moving process, according to half of the home movers surveyed by software provider Smoove. The research, which surveyed 1001 home buyers over 25 who had moved within
More than half of renters aged between 25 and 44 had expected to own their own home by this stage in their lives, with 33% resigning themselves to never getting on the property ladder. Research
Data from mortgage tech provider Twenty7tec has found a ‘dramatic summer slowdown’ for property searches between June and July, but searches for homes priced between £250,000 and £300,000 are bucking the trend. Between 21 June
Bank of England monthly statistics show that net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increase by £3.1 billion to £5.3 billion in June. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases increased by 900, to 64,200, and
Analysis of government data by estate agent eXp UK has found that the average house price in Britain has increased by 5.3 times the rate of earnings in the past year. The current average house
Quarterly data collected for Rightmove’s Commercial Insights Tracker has revealed a 35% increase in the demand to invest in retail commercial property compared to the same three-month period a year ago – with demand to
A surge in buyer demand is defying the typical summer housing market slowdown, accompanied by a rise in agreed sales and a record number of homes on the market. The latest House Price Index from
A new report from the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) reveals that Section 20 consultations, which establish a legal requirement for landlords to consult leaseholders before starting major works, are being ‘routinely ignored’. The report from
Official searches (PG12) Page summary: How to make an official search and information on their purpose and effect (practice guide 12). Change made: The guide has been amended to provide clearer guidance for customers to
A licensed conveyancer has been banned from practising by the Solicitors Regulation Authority after forging client signatures on a mortgage deed, falsifying an email purportedly from the clients and lying about the circumstances surrounding the
A Cambridge firm of solicitors has been fined £172,934 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for failing to identify a client as a non-domestic politically exposed person (PEP). The failure by Taylors Vintner LLP led to
NatWest has signed a formal commitment with PEXA to proceed with an implementation programme for remortgage transactions by the end of the first half of 2026, with the intention of facilitating sale and purchase transactions.
The HomeOwners Alliance has said it has ‘serious concerns’ about the Competition and Markets Authority’s proposed £100 million settlement with seven major house builders, and has asked the authority to explain why it has not
Research carried out in the wake of Panorama’s exposé on conditional selling by estate agents has revealed overwhelming public support for stricter regulations in the industry, with a fifth of respondents saying viewings were conditional
Rightmove has repeated its calls for stamp duty reform, which it says is ‘a barrier to movement’ in the housing market. Chief executive Johan Svanstrom (pictured) has said he wants ‘to see ways that affordability
Following the government’s admission that anti-money laundering regulations are ‘a major burden’ on professional business services firms, HM Treasury has released a response to the 2024 consultation examining the effectiveness of Money Laundering Regulations. In
The latest remortgage snapshot from LMS shows a relatively flat picture for June, but a 20% increase in year-on-year instructions ‘emphasises market strength’, the company says. There was no change in the instruction rate or
Research from Savills has found activity in the UK’s development land market is slower than expected, despite reported enthusiasm for the new planning policy and an increase in the number of available sites. Changes to
A charity founded by a lawyer to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds is providing ‘welcome packs’ for new Year 7 pupils, including uniform vouchers, stationery, a school bag and other academic resources. The Be
A report produced by the Equity Release Council sets out examples of good practice, strategic priorities and case studies to help firms support later life lending customers. Produced in collaboration with Inclusive Outcomes, an organisation
The Law Society of England and Wales has recommended a 2.45% salary increase for aspiring solicitors, in line with the Consumer Price Index 12-month rolling inflation rate. The increase, which is not a regulatory requirement
Stamp duty receipts for the April to June 2025 are £4.6 billion, according to HMRC data released this week – £0.4 billion higher than the same period last year. The latest figures take the total