Mortgage Wyse

There was no particular good news for the property market. We had hoped that the stamp duty threshold for first-time buyers would be extended to stimulate this sector but it was not. With the news that properties over £2m would now be taxed at 7% it seems both the top and bottom ends have been affected.

The good news for the first-time buyers is the ‘Newbuy’ scheme launched in conjuction with the Government and certain major housebuilders. This means a first-time buyer with only a 5% deposit will be able to purchase a new property upto a certain value.

Gender pricing comes into effect in December 2012. This means both male and female must be priced equally. Add together the new Solvency II rules then we anticipate insurance cost will increase accross the board by some 10-15%.

Lenders increasing their standard variable rates (SVR). There has been recent news that some lenders are incresing their SVR over the next few months. As they move to create bigger margins it maybe a good idea to review your current mortgage.