Taken from www.propertywide.co.uk blog January 18th... While the Government’s £80bn Funding for Lending scheme prompted fierce competition between lenders, it was aimed in principle at borrowers with larger deposits. As a result, first-time buyers struggling to build up sufficient funds for a typical 20% deposit have faced obstacle after obstacle…

The availability of mortgage finance for first time lenders is the best it has been in years, contributing to a 5% rise in house sales last year. The Council of Mortgage Lenders report that new mortgage loans made to first-time buyers rose by 8% in November, and a Bank of…

  Retail landlord continue to suffer as data reveals that December and January administrations have led to more than 1,400 stores across the UK being at risk of closure. http://www.egi.co.uk/news/article.aspx?id=761163 The recent administration of high profile tenants Jessops, Comet, HMV and Blockbuster is only the tip of the iceberg, with…

Planning rules are to be changed allowing offices to be converted to residential use without the need for planning permission. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f40ab1a8-63f0-11e2-84d8-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=published_links%2Frss%2Fworld_uk_business%2Ffeed%2F%2Fproduct#axzz2IhJsFcVF This should come as welcome news to struggling office owners and developers looking for new stock in unique locations. Office owners considering developing, or selling for development, will need…

Abacus Solicitors sign exclusive deal to advertise on the website of two local hospitals... Abacus Solicitors has recently landed a deal enabling the firm exclusive rights to advertise its legal services on the internal staff website of two local hospitals. As part of the scheme, Abacus will offer a discount…

Last night on channel 4, TV presenter Tim Lovejoy, a divorced father of two, investigated the situation regarding shared parenting following divorce or separation. Throughout the documentary Tim explored the concept of shared parenting as opposed to one parent being awarded sole responsibility. The film also examined the roles of…

When buying a property, it is usually a given that you will be taking out a home insurance policy of some kind. But not many people are aware that not living in your home full-time can invalidate your insurance, and that most household insurance policies say that if you leave…

When buying a property, it is usually a given that you will be taking out a home insurance policy of some kind. But not many people are aware that not living in your home full-time can invalidate your insurance, and that most household insurance policies say that if you leave…

Who really is Cashing in on your Crash? Having watched Dispatches: Secrets of Your Car Insurance on Channel 4 last night, I felt that finally some justice was being done to highlight that fact that it is Insurance companies that are driving up premiums and purely for their own gain.…

Commentators predict that residential house prices will begin to climb again in 2014, making this year possibly the last chance to pick up a recession bargain. http://www.egi.co.uk/news/article.aspx?id=760546 “We believe growth will accelerate beyond 2014, with house prices set to rise 8.8 per cent in 2015,” explains Tom Cann of BNP…