Mortgages

Interest from buyers has increased for the fourth straight month, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (RICS) UK housing market survey, with 20% more surveyors reporting a rise than a fall in new buyer enquiries in February.

London-based mortgage brokerage Chase de Vere has gone into administration after the firm's turnover 'dropped significantly'.

The number of mortgages available to intermediaries has plummeted 90% over the past year, according to Trigold's latest Product Index.

The number of live mortgage schemes has dropped by almost 20% for the second month in a row, according to Mortgage Brain's monthly product number and analysis data.

Abbey for Intermediaries (AfI) will introduce a new fixed rate intermediary exclusive mortgage, available from Friday 6 March, to all of its key accounts.

House prices fell 2.3% in February, negating the 2% increase in prices in January, according to the latest Halifax index.

Home Information Packs (HIPs) are ignored by three in four home buyers, Government figures have revealed.

There will be 30% fewer mortgages in 2009 compared with last year if current trends continue, experts say.

The Government has reached a mortgage market crossroads, with Northern Rock at risk as a result of its plan to offer more mortgage products, Datamonitor warns.

Three in four intermediary lenders believe the wholesale loan and securitisation markets will be back in action by 2011, according to research.