Mortgages

UK house prices climbed 1% in December compared with the previous month, marking the sixth consecutive month-on-month increase, according to the Halifax.

The advised mortgage market is becoming increasingly competitive, according to Evaluate Technologies.

Lending activity is likely to remain relatively depressed in 2010 until funding and supply conditions improve, according to the Building Societies Association (BSA).

House prices rose 5.9% in 2009 after a decade in which property values more than doubled, according to Nationwide Building Society figures.

The mortgage market is on the road to recovery after four months of sustained growth - but there are still less mortgages available than at the start of the year, according to moneysupermarket.com

Six people have been charged with fraud relating to mortgage advances totalling nearly £50m, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has revealed.

Gross mortgage lending fell 14% last month, though the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) says this is in line with expectations.

The popularity of fixed-rate mortgages declined even further in November, according to John Charcol, with only 21.3% of its clients choosing a fixed rate.

New mortgage lending increased by 20% to £40bn in Q3 compared to Q2 but it is still well down on the £61bn advanced in Q3 2008, according to FSA figures.

House prices continued to rise in November - despite an increase in the number of properties available.