Greener Streets with British Gas

British Gas has recently launched a unique energy saving challenge called Greener Streets. This is an experiment in energy saving, and has 64 households in eight streets across the UK, working together over a year towards reducing their energy bills and collective CO2 emissions.
Each street in the challenge has been given a budget of £30,000 [...]

Council of Mortgage Lenders reports buy-to-let lending up in 2007

New survey data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows that buy-to-let lending totalled £24.1 billion in the second half of 2007, up from £21.2 billion in the first half of the year and £20.8 billion in the second half of 2006.
The total number of loans (including remortgages) to buy-to-let landlords in the second half of [...]

Mortgage deals of the week

Short Term Fixed Rate: The Abbey is offering a fixed rate deal until the 2nd May 2010, at a rate of 5.62%, reverting to its standard variable rate for the remaining term of the mortgage, currently 7.59%. The overall cost for comparison is 7.6% APR. An Early Repayment Charge is payable if you repay all [...]

Mortgages for Business offers 15 year fixed rate Buy to Let deal

Buy-to-Let broker Mortgages for Business is offering a new 15-year fixed rate portable buy-to-let mortgage.
The broker claims that this new mortgage product marks a shift by lenders in recognition that buy-to-let market conditions are changing, with the market now dominated by portfolio investors who, according to Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), have no intention [...]

The Ipswich enters equity release with KRS

Ipswich Building Society and Key Retirement Solutions have teamed up whereby the Ipswich’s equity release business is introduced to the specialist intermediary.
Paul Winter, chief executive of Ipswich Building Society, said: “At Ipswich Building Society our primary aim for our customers is to make available leading products and services. The missing element from the range of [...]

House prices in parts of Scotland up 5.1%

According to the SmartNewHomes.com latest monthly index, typical prices in Scotland are now in excess of £250,000, making it the most expensive region to buy a new home outside of London and the south.
Scotland and Yorkshire & Humberside recorded the strongest price growth for the first month of 2008, with prices up by as much [...]