American Mortgage News

Hips.co.uk has argued the property industry must promote the benefits of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for the public become aware of them. ...

There will be an uptake in equity release for the over 65 age group in 2029 as they will own housing equity worth £1.5trn and will be forced to deal with tighter finances, according to research from  Sovereign Reversions. ...

The Treasury Select Committee has criticised the FSA for taking a 'leisurely approach' to firms failing to treat customers fairly on mortgage arrears. ...

Re-mortgaging advice searches increased by 5% since May to account for 33% of all consumer requests in June, according to the latest Mortgage Advice Drivers report from Unbiased. ...

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) posted a first half net loss of £1.04bn in the first half of the year due to bad-debt charges and warned that results may not improve significantly until 2011. ...

Phil Jenks has been appointed non-executive director and a chairman of the risk committee at Exact Mortgage Experts.  ...

The Bank of England (BoE) has opted to keep its base rate (BBR) on hold for the fifth straight month, amid signs of increased confidence in the economy. ...

House prices will end 2009 higher than they started the year due to price rises in certain areas and a shift in market sentiment over the past few months, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). ...

Connells Survey & Valuation has extended its service to Bank of China (UK) to provide residential valuations to the bank’s new intermediary sales channel. ...

First time buyers made up 20% of mortgage applications at Mortgageforce in July compared to 9% in June in a sign that confidence has returned to the housing market. ...

Lloyds Banking Group has posted a £4bn loss for the first six months of 2009 which it has blamed on bad debts at HBOS. ...

House prices have risen for the second time in three months in July, with the annual rate of decline continuing to ease, according to the latest Halifax House Price Index. ...

The latest research from RBS Intermediary Partners (RBS IP) has found that mortgage intermediaries are broadly optimistic about the prospects for their business over the coming 12 months. ...

The number of live mortgage schemes available to intermediaries has increased for the first time in three months, according to figures from Mortgage Brain’s latest monthly product analysis. ...

Legal & General's (L&G) housing business, which includes the mortgage network L&G Partnership, has posted an operating profit of £7m for the first six months of the year compared to an operating loss of £7m last year. ...

The latest Nationwide House Price Index revealed house prices rose 1.2% in May, meaning the annual rate of decline has improved to -11.3%. ...

A large number of intermediaries have backed broker forum Cherry’s open letter to Michael Coogan, director general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), responding to his criticisms of the intermediary market earlier this month. ...

Paradigm Partners LLP, the compliance and business support provider, is to hold its inaugural conference for partner firms which will take place during September in Marbella. ...

Alliance & Leicester (A&L) is launching a new 75% LTV three-year fixed rate product with a 4.49% rate and 1% fee. ...

Mortgages for Business has been selected as one of a small number of brokers to work with Base Commercial on its return to the UK lending market. ...