Landlords buying more thanks to new mortgages
According to the latest Mortgages for Business “Complex Buy to Let Index” the increased choice of buy to let mortgages in the UK has caused landlords to shift their existing equity towards new purchases. 47% of the standard mortgages are now going towards new buy to let properties. New purchases made up a significantly larger […]
SearchFlow kick off 2014 on a new high
SearchFlow, the conveyancing property searches provider, has started the New Year by revealing a dramatic increase in its Net Promoter Score, despite large increases in the volume of search activity being undertaken. The quarterly survey to thousands of SearchFlow clients asks them to rate the business on how it performs across its sales, customer service […]
New Business award for Index Property
Kate Bould has won a New Business Woman of the Year Award for her business, Index Property Information. She had just been operating from her new West Midlands office for a month when Banbury Women in Business presented her with the award, following a nomination by one of her clients. Kate is a woman of […]
SRA reviews question of unrated solicitor insurers
The SRA has asked insurance broker and risk specialist Marsh to look at the question of whether some solicitor clients are prejudiced because some solicitors insure with unrated insurance companies. The ratings of insurance companies are designed to give consumers an indication of the financial strength of the insurance company and therefore its ability to […]
DC Law advice to conveyancers dealing with Barnetts cases
We reported earlier this week that DC Law have acquired the assets of Barnetts Solicitors from their Administrator. Beth Rudolf a Director of DC Law has asked us to produce this release to help firms that are dealing with conveyancingcases where Barnetts Solicitors were instructed. She says, “We are all working day and night to […]
myhomemove moves to Manchester as housing market continues to grow
Following the demise of Barnetts earlier this week and the acquistion of its assets from its administrator by a licensed conveyancer DC Law, another large licensed conveyancer has announced its growth plans in Manchester. In a statement issued this afternoon myhomemove has stated: "myhomemove, one of the UK’s leading provider of mover conveyancing, is set […]
Barnetts Solicitors undergo reconstruction
Southport based Barnetts Solicitors has today appointed Administrators to effect a reconstruction of the business. A successful sale of different parts of the practice has been concluded to a number of buyers which has preserved the business, all 130 jobs and over 3,000 clients. The reconstruction was required to enable the well established conveyancing practice […]
Warning – Confusion remains over closed solicitors
Despite the SRA publishing a list of firms that have been closed,information from the SRA remains confusing as to which firms are regulated to practice and are open. The Law Society’s “Find a Solicitor” site also appears to have not been updated. For example, Hacking Ashton LLP appears on the list of closed firms but a […]
Will Land Registry increasing its powers help home moving?
As we reported last week the Land Registry has issued a consultation paper to extend its remit to cover LLC1 data initially but ultimately also CON29 data. It states that it wishes to “unlock efficiency in the public sector and the land and property market”, “maximise the reuse of data for the benefit of the […]
ETSOS star in commercial
Conveyancing search specialist ETSOS has announced the launch of its next generation ordering platform for the commercial property sector. The platform, designed and developed from scratch specifically for commercial conveyancers, follows months of user consultation and comes with no hub or administration fees. It is the first of its kind to offer full screen mapping, […]
Final reminder from SRA on diversity data
The SRA has contacted firms this week who have not yet submitted their workforce diversity data on line. The data is due on the 31 January and to date only 3,954 firms have complied with the requirement. Repeated reminders have been sent out since last July when the online exercise first opened. The annual exercise […]
HMRC issue advice on SDLT procedure
Stephen Jewell, of HM Revenue and Customs, has issued some guidance explaining the importance of quoting the correct reference number and bank details when paying Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). The HMRC has said that they receive a significant number of calls and letters from customers querying if they have received their SDLT payment, or […]
9,000 homes to miss out on Flood Re
The Financial Times has reported confirmation from Defra that 3,800 homes in council tax Band H and 5,000 new builds will not be covered by Floor Re. Flood Re will see every UK household pay an additional £10 a year on top of their premium into a central pool of funds, also contributed to by […]
Goldsmith Williams recommend protecting “bank of mum and dad”
Property solicitors Goldsmith Williams have issued advice in response to the increased levels of first time buyers. They point out that for many first time buyers buying a house, raising the necessary deposit continues to present a challenge. Eddie Goldsmith, Senior Partner, Goldsmith Williams, said: “Many first time buyers struggle to get on the property […]
Lloyds TSB pays customers stamp duty
Customers taking out a mortgage with TSB for a home costing between £125,001 and £250,000, can now benefit from having their one per cent stamp duty paid by the Bank. This offer applies to a range of Lloyds TSB mortgage products with interest rates starting from just 2.84%. Ian Ramsden, Mortgages Director, TSB says: "With […]
Housing Index declares market in crisis
The latest asking price index from home.co.uk has declared that the housing market is in crisis and we are currently experiencing a calm before the storm. In particular the research pointed to supply of property for sale being placed on the market tumbling to the lowest level ever recorded by this index. This has meant […]
Conveyancing Association offer views on Bank of England proposals
A Conveyancing Association spokesperson has offered a legal perspective on the Bank of England’s plans to re-introduce 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in a bid to avoid a possible housing bubble in the UK. Peter Rodd, a spokesperson for the Conveyancing Association and senior partner at Boys & Maughan Solicitors, has offered the following advice: 1. General […]
Land Data unveils shortlist for Customer Satisfaction Award 2014 National Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence
Five local authorities have reached the final stages for the Customer Satisfaction Award for Local Authority Searches in the national Local Land Charges Awards. Solicitors and licensed conveyancers throughout the country have voted for the local authority that they feel provides an outstanding customer service in terms of quality, reliability and value for money. The […]
OneSearch Direct is Assured Success with New Complete Conveyancing & Protection Launch
OneSearch Direct, the largest local authority data search company in the UK, has now officially launched ‘Assured’ its new complete conveyancing and protection solution. The comprehensive search package which will be provided to the public by conveyancing lawyers thorough the UK, includes the three key regulated searches for, Local Authority, drainage & water and environmental […]
Land Registry consults on taking on LLC searches
Last night Land Registry issued the following press release. More comment will follow from Today’s Conveyancer for our Monday news letter. Land Registry today, Thursday 16 January, launches a consultation which aims to make the house buying process easier by bringing efficiencies to the property sector, digitising government services and making public data more easily […]