Halifax has launched an advanced smartphone app for house hunters, claiming a UK first. The app combines property search facilities, mortgage affordability calculators, local area information and property buyers’ guides. It allows users to book viewings, rate properties, add comments and images of the property during viewings and subsequently share their thoughts with family and [...]
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Jump in affordable towns for key workers
New research from Halifax shows that housing affordability has improved greatly for key public sector workers, since house prices peaked in September 2007. According to the lender’s survey, two in five towns (41%) are now affordable, based on the average house prices to earnings ratio for nurses, teachers, fire fighters and the like. The ratio [...]
Jump in affordable towns for key workers
New research from Halifax shows that housing affordability has improved greatly for key public sector workers, since house prices peaked in September 2007. According to the lender’s survey, two in five towns (41%) are now affordable, based on the average house prices to earnings ratio for nurses, teachers, fire fighters and the like. The ratio [...]
Halifax: broad stability in UK house prices
House prices in the first three months of 2012 were 0.1% lower than in the previous quarter, according to Halifax, although the value of the typical home increased by 2.2% during March. The rise followed a 0.4% decline in February and the lender points out that prices continue to fluctuate month-to-month as transactions levels remain [...]
Cambridgeshire tops quality of life survey
Residents of East Cambridgeshire have the best quality of life across all rural areas of Britain, according to a new survey from Halifax. Wychavon in Worcestershire and South Cambridgeshire (last year’s winner) make up the top three. East Cambridgeshire is considered a great place to live because residents tend to be fit and well, with [...]
House price down 1.9% on the year
UK house prices fell 0.5% during February, according to Halifax, with the decline almost wiping a January gain of 0.6%. At £160,118 the value of the average home is little changed from the Spring of last year. On an annual basis, prices in the three months to February were 1.9% lower, having seen their fifth [...]
Halifax hikes SVR
Halifax is hiking its Standard Variable Rate (SRV) from 3.5% to 3.99%, from 1st May. In addition, the lender is raising its Halifax Variable Rate 2 (currently 3.4%) and Halifax Flexible Variable Mortgage Rate (currently 3.4%) to 3.89%, also from 1st May. Affected customers should start to receive new monthly payment details from 11th April. [...]
Britons optimistic on 2012 house price rises
Nearly a third of Britons think that UK house prices will rise rather than fall in 2012, according to the latest Halifax Housing Market Confidence tracker. With only 22% of respondents expecting house price declines, the lender’s outlook balance has moved into positive territory of +7, compared with a reading of -2% in October. The [...]
Britons optimistic on 2012 house price rises
Nearly a third of Britons think that UK house prices will rise rather than fall in 2012, according to the latest Halifax Housing Market Confidence tracker. With only 22% of respondents expecting house price declines, the lender’s outlook balance has moved into positive territory of +7, compared with a reading of -2% in October. The [...]
House prices up 0.6% in January
Halifax has provided a welcome boost to the UK housing market, having worked out that the value of the average home rose 0.6% in January, to £160,907. The increase is only the second in the past six months and left January also registering a quarterly fall of 0.9% and an annual decline of 1.8%. According [...]
Mortgage payments most affordable in 14 years
Mortgage payments for new borrowers have almost halved as a proportion of disposable income, down from a peak of 48% in the third quarter of 2007 to 27% at the end of 2011. According to new Halifax research, repayments for both first-time buyers and home movers are swallowing up the smallest proportion of disposable income [...]
2011 shaves 1.3% off house prices
House prices in the final quarter of 2011 were 0.1% lower than in the previous quarter, according to Halifax. The value of the typical home slipped 0.9% between November and December, to £160,063, but modest increases earlier in the year meant prices ended 2011 down only 1.3%, having recovered from an average annual loss 4.2% [...]
2011 shaves 1.3% off house prices
House prices in the final quarter of 2011 were 0.1% lower than in the previous quarter, according to Halifax. The value of the typical home slipped 0.9% between November and December, to £160,063, but modest increases earlier in the year meant prices ended 2011 down only 1.3%, having recovered from an average annual loss of [...]
Halifax supports first-time buyers
Halifax has launched a two year, fee free, fixed rate first-time buyer mortgage, at 5.99%. According to the lender, today’s first-time buyer typically pays a product fee of around £995, and in addition to waiving any fee, Halifax is offering £500 cash-back on its new deal, which can be put towards costs such as conveyancing [...]
Halifax supports first-time buyers
Halifax has launched a two year, fee free, fixed rate first-time buyer mortgage, at 5.99%. According to the lender, today’s first-time buyer typically pays a product fee of around £995, and in addition to waiving any fee, Halifax is offering £500 cash-back on its new deal, which can be put towards costs such as conveyancing [...]
Halifax: 2012 house price forecast
In its housing market outlook for 2012, Halifax is predicting little change in house prices, which could fall up to 2%, or see a 2% rise. With the Bank of England’s base rate likely to end 2012 at 0.5%, the lender expects favourable affordability, low levels of forced selling and a long-term supply / demand [...]
Halifax: 2012 house price forecast
In its housing market outlook for 2012, Halifax is predicting little change in house prices, which could fall up to 2%, or see a 2% rise. With the Bank of England’s base rate likely to end 2012 at 0.5%, the lender expects favourable affordability, low levels of forced selling and a long-term supply / demand [...]
House prices down 1% on the year
UK house prices slipped 0.6% in the three months to November, compared with the previous quarter, according to the latest Halifax index. On an annual basis, the value of the typical home was down 1% (October -1.8%). However, the three month measure, which gives a good indication of the underlying trend, was negative for the [...]
October house prices up 1.2%
UK house prices increased by 1.2% during October, according to Halifax (September -0.5%), with the mixed pattern of monthly price movements seen since the beginning of the year continuing. At £163,311, the value of the typical UK home was down 1.8% on an annual basis, while the three-month-on-three-month measure of the underlying trend registered a [...]
Housing market confidence slips
More people expect house prices to fall rather than rise over the next year, according to the latest housing market confidence index from Halifax. Thirty per cent of respondents were downcast over the prospects for the next twelve months, compared with 28% expecting house price increases. The resultant balance of -2% compares with a positive [...]
House prices down 0.5%
UK house prices fell by 0.5% during September, according to Halifax, with the annual rate of decline easing slightly to -2.3% (August: -2.6%). At £161,132 the value of the typical home is down from £164,145 at the start of the year, although prices in the July to September quarter were slightly higher than in the [...]
House prices down 2.6% on the year
House prices fell by 1.2% in August, compared with July, marking the first monthly decline seen since April, according to the Halifax measure. At £161,743 the value of the typical home had fallen 2.6% year-on-year. However, prices in the three months to August were up 1% on the previous quarter and the lender points out [...]
First-time buyers offered help with lousy credit scores
Halifax has teamed up with Experian to help potential first-time buyers who find that their credit score is blocking their chance of securing a mortgage. The lender currently approves eight out of ten mortgage applications from first-time buyers but wants to help unsuccessful applicants understand what has spoiled their chances and how to turn things [...]
Housing costs hit three-year high
Despite historically low interest rates, the cost of owning and running a home in the UK has risen to its highest level since 2008. According to research from Halifax, expenditure rose 1.4% over the past year alone, to £9,083, with electricity and gas charges (+£68) and maintenance costs (+£45) the biggest contributors to the overall [...]
