Simon Seaton's blog
Saturday, 14th November 09:20pm Within the property industry, opposition to HIPs has come most vociferously from estate agents. I freely admit that HIPs are not the best answer to property transaction delays and the agents’ argument is a legitimate one.Articles published in ‘Estate Agency Today’ are much co...
Monday, 9th November 07:04pm
As of last Wednesday, £ signs must have been flashing before the eyes for UK freeholders. One of the UK’s largest mortgage lenders, Alliance & Leicester, announced a radical change to their requirements for lending on residential leasehold properties with short lease terms.Lik...
Sunday, 8th November 02:45pm Any attempts by The Association of HIP Providers to mount a legal challenge to any efforts by the Conservatives to scrap or suspend HIPs, have been dismissed by Grant Shapps MP, the Conservative Shadow Housing Minister.
In the estate agency magazine ‘The Negotiator’, Shapps states ...
Sunday, 1st November 06:50am Current interest rates are at an all time low. As well as causing pain for savers, there is little gain for house hunters, as major lenders are refusing to pass on interest rate cuts to purchasers. Furthermore, lenders are asking buyers to put down a significant deposit, or pay a more expensiv...
Monday, 26th October 05:05pm Are estate agents creating a 'grey market' by flouting the law on HIPs? This is suggested in an article in yesterday’s Sunday Express “Estate Agents Break Law on Hated HIPs “:
The article reveals that agents are routinely marketing houses without yet commencing a HIP. ...
Monday, 26th October 05:02pm Following my recent blog, New Build Conveyancing in Turmoil - as Lenders Make Tens of Thousands of Properties Unmortgageable, two more lenders have declared that they will no longer accept Zurich Insurance as a new build warranty.
Earlier this week, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society and Ast...
Monday, 26th October 03:29pm The Land Registry has this week announced 1500 job losses. With further talk of increasing public sector redundancies in the near future, the news that bankers are once again receiving bonuses is lamentable. Land Registry web site.Within my 15 years of experience in the conveyancing industry, ...
Friday, 23rd October 09:25am Ombudsman Christopher Hamer has revealed increasing sales complaints against estate agents in recent months. The majority of these complaints relate to allegations either from sellers claiming that they have been asked to pay for a Home Information Pack when the property has not yet been sold, ...
Thursday, 22nd October 10:21pm Just to clarify the terminology here, the reference to collective enfranchisement means the ability to purchase the freehold off your landlord.
I have recently read a comment by a specialist in enfranchisement and lease extensions who actively promotes the virtues of purchasing your freehold as aga...
Thursday, 22nd October 03:27pm A number of major of lenders’ have overreacted to Zurich announcement to exit the Home Warranty and Building Control Market.
98 of Lenders in the UK publish their requirements to conveyancers through the CML Lenders Handbook. That handbook requires lenders to specify what building warra...
