December 2010
The mortgage broker's night before Christmas
December 20th 2010
It was the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The M&S stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In the hope that Santa Claus soon would be there.
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Could do better
December 13th 2010
We’ve had new lenders and products to raise our spirits this year, alongside big news like the MMR and the decision to scrap the FSA. It’s been busy, but substantial improvement in the mortgage market remains elusive
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Dish of the day
December 6th 2010
As the mainstream market remains constrained, there’s growing appetite for bridging loans to plug the gap, which bodes well for the sector in 2011
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November 2010
The great debate
November 29th 2010
Industry experts discuss this year’s big issues from MMR, funding, remortgages to buy-to-let and look at the potential pitfalls and opportunities 2011 may hold
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Back for good
November 22th 2010
John Heron, director of mortgages at Paragon, explains how the firm dealt with the fallout of its exit from the buy-to-let sector and why, despite the market turmoil, this is the right time for a comeback
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The only way is up
November 15th 2010
The secured loan sector has had its fair share of problems but the promise of new entrants and funding means it could be ready for take-off once again.
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Bridge over troubled waters
November 8th 2010
Some might call it madness to launch a business with your own money in a recession but Jonathan Samuels didn’t. Two years on, Drawbridge Finance is going strong and has Mark Posniak on board as well.
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European juggernaut
November 1st 2010
While the FSA has been setting out its MMR proposals for the UK mortgage market, the European Commission has been devising its own rules for a Europe-wide directive which could steamroll over them.
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October 2010
Redefining standards
October 25th 2010
An increasing number of previously mainstream borrowers are now being relabelled non-standard due to tougher criteria, but it isn’t easy for specialist lenders to cater for such clients with funding still a major hurdle.
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Forging ahead
October 18th 2010
Since the merger of Sesame and Bankhall, PMS managing director John Cupis has increased its market share and adviser base. He talks about the hurdles he faces, future plans for the group and lenders’ support for higher LTV lending.
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Grave Concerns
October 11th 2010
There are fears that interest-only will struggle for survival if the MMR proposals become law, with the CML leading the charge against them. But some in the industry believe it’s right to restrict the product.
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Fraud alert
October 4th 2010
With attempted fraud on the rise and fraudsters getting more sophisticated, brokers must ensure they don’t become soft targets by doing robust due diligence on all cases.
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September 2010
MMR is not the right medicine
September 27th 2010
A Mortgage Strategy round table, sponsored by Abbey for Intermediaries, debated the Mortgage Market Review proposals and concluded that the abolition of fast-track and self-cert will cause the industry and consumers an almighty headache.
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Up close and personal
September 20th 2010
The network landscape has changed over the last few years, with many firms falling by the wayside. But there is huge opportunity for those that stack up financially, says PTFS chief executive officer Doug Crawford and sales and marketing director Dev Malle
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Keeping score
September 13th 2010
There is disagreement over the use of credit scoring, with some alleging it is used by lenders to control business volumes. But one thing is for sure, less than vanilla clients don’t get a look in with credit scores
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Under fire
September 6th 2010
The industry has been dodging LTV caps for a while, but the MPC's Charles Bean has loaded the gun again, so one has to question for how long it can remain safe from this bullet.
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August 2010
Master of business
August 30th 2010
Grenville Turner, chief executive of Countrywide, has a reputation for turning around businesses in tough times. It’s no wonder then that the downturn has not been a hurdle to making the financial arm grow its market share 21 months running.
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Causing confusion
August 23rd 2010
Statistics from house price indices vary widely, leaving consumers and professionals puzzled about the state of the property market and its future direction.
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Ahead of the curve
August 16th 2010
Lloyds Banking Group is staying at the forefront of the market by pre-empting many FSA requirements. It’s also a firm believer in the power of brokers, as the lender’s head of intermediaries Peter Curran.
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Bridging barriers
August 9th 2010
Although the drought in mainstream lending has thrown up opportunities for short-term finance providers, the sector remains constrained byfunding issues.
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Forging a leads alliance
August 2nd 2010
Following the merger of their two firms under the Leadbay banner Rob Ridge (right) and Grant Stevens are hoping to make further inroads into the lead generation sector
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July 2010
Cover guys
July 26th 2010
Safe&Secure’s Chris Griffin and Jason Berry say their firm aims to make it easy for brokers to sell buildings and contents insurance.
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The grip tightens
July 19th 2010
The FSA’s responsible lending proposals will transform the mortgage industry, with brokers fearing it could be the beginning of the end for the advice sector.
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Fresh start
July 12th 2010
A month after LSL Property Services bought out Home of Choice and rebranded it as First Complete the network has a new duo at the helm - John Round (left) and Mark Graves. We spoke to the latter about the future of the company.
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Ascending star
July 5th 2010
Capstone emerged intact after the Lehmans collapse and is now moving onwards and upwards, offering a wider range of services to the market as Acenden.
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June 2010
Regime change
June 28th 2010
Scrapping the FSA is clearly an attempt to change the regulatory culture but whether this will succeed or not is anybody’s guess
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Interest-only jitters
June 21st 2010
Recent tightening of interest-only criteria has led some in the industry to fear that such deals are being weeded out.
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Deal dilemma
June 14th 2010
With nobody willing to bet on the base rate’s next move, the jury is out on whether borrowers should take out fixed deals or trackers.
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Where there’s a will...
June 7th 2010
Offering a will writing service is seen by some as a natural extension of a broker’s role, whether you do it yourself or refer clients to specialists.
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May 2010
Giving up the ghost
May 31st 2010
Many in the industry will be pleased to see the death of Home Information Packs but the problems they were introduced to address will continue to haunt the process of buying and selling property.
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Precise intent
May 24th 2010
Alan Cleary’s new lender Precise Mortgages aims to boost the mortgage market with an injection of fresh money, starting off with the buy-to-let sector.
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Damp squib
May 17th 2010
The general election campaign whipped up excitement across the country but in the end we were left without a winner, pondering a coalition future.
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All change
May 10th 2010
Graham Felstead, head of intermediary channel at the Royal Bank of Scotland, has hit the ground running by rebranding and reshaping the lender’s broker arm
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Next generation
May 3rd 2010
Getting high-quality young people to consider a career in mortgage broking will be a tough sell but many believe attracting new talent is vital to the long-term health of the sector.
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