Mortgages

As binge drinking, smoking and sexually transmitted infections become more common among women, Johanna Gornitzki looks at the long-term implications for the industry

Alliance & Leicester is forecasting 95% of all first time buyers will be paying stamp duty land tax by 2011, based on existing buying and pricing trends.

A 2.4% surge in the asking price of UK homes between January and February has been termed ‘typical' as estate agents gear up for a ‘customary' spring pick-up in the housing market.

New figures suggest there was a further housing market cool in January as gross mortgage lending figures declined 16% to £17.9bn from £21.3bn recorded in December.

Barclays is the latest firm to impose a timebar on mortgage endowment complaints for policies advised by Barclays Life and Woolwich Life.

The Financial Services Authority has launched a nationwide crackdown to weed out mortgage brokers who are operating illegally.

House prices are now stabilising thanks to recent consistency in base interest rates and even though property prices dropped in January, suggests RICS.

Romantics who popped the question to their loved ones yesterday may not be aware of the additional stamp duty charge they could face in the future, says Bradford & Bingley.

While the buy-to-let sector continued its strong growth through the second half last year, research from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) indicates that the market is slacking off slightly.

As if to emphasise the challenge facing the Tony Blair, who last week nipped round the country pledging affordable housing as part of his pre-electioneering, Halifax has released figures showing just how much house prices have come in the past decade....