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• Few best-buys from state-owned banks
  Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) and Northern Rock account for fewer than one in six best-buy mortgage products.
• 4%+ of Northern Rock borrowers in arrears
  Northern Rock has announced a reduction in its losses from £1.3bn last year to £257m this year.
• Property affordability at seven-year high
  A combination of falling house prices and low interest rates means twat UK housing is now more affordable than it has been at any time since 2003.
• Fixed rates at six-year low
  Homeowners who are able to secure a new mortgage are benefitting from the lowest interest rates in more than six years, Bank of England figures show.
• Fixed rates get more popular
  Countrywide has reported an increase in the proportion of mortgage applicants opting for fixed rate deals in February.
• First-time buyer numbers set to fall
  Only 25.8% of those planning to purchase a property in 2010 is a first-time buyer.
• Increase in number of mortgage deals
  The number of mortgage products available for borrowers to choose from continued to increase last month.
• House price growth slowing
  The rate at which UK property prices are increasing appears to be falling off.
• Coventry BS in talks with Stroud & Swindon
  Coventry Building Society is in talks with Stroud & Swindon Building Society over a possible merger.
• Moneyfacts slams State-funded banks
  State-funded banks are becoming less willing to increase their competitiveness, according to Moneyfacts.

• Kensington ramps up re-entry to mortgage market
  Kensington has launched a new prime product range with lower rates, higher loan-to-value amounts and a reduced completion fee.
• TMW launches new range of guarantor products
  The Mortgage Works (TMW) has launched guarantor mortgage products with different levels of liability.
• Fast-track mortgages no greater risk
  Fitch Ratings, one of the leading ratings agencies which assesses the risk of assets, equities, companies and even countries, has analysed fast-track mortgages and concludes that they are no more risk…
• Pensioners own £765bn worth of property
  The total value of the homes owned by retired people in the UK has recovered to stand currently at £765.18bn.
• Spicerhaart launches online estate agency with Tesco
  National estate agency Spicerhaart is lunching a new online estate agency business in collaboration with Tesco.
• Fall in London first-time buyers
  The number of people looking to buy their first home in the capital has dropped sharply, as recovering property prices render the housing ladder unaffordable for first-time buyers.
• House prices down 1.5%: Halifax
  The latest house price report from Halifax has revealed a 1.5% dip in the value of the average UK property in February, equivalent to a reduction of £2,500.
• Base Rate held at 0.5% for one year
  Bank Base Rate has been held at 0.5% for the 12th consecutive month.
• Millions at risk from endowment mortgage timebomb
  Almost two million homeowners who took out endowment mortgages in the 1980s and 1990s could struggle to pay off their loans.
• Buyers younger up North
  First-time homebuyers in the North of England are, on average, younger than their counterparts in other areas of the country, and out down smaller deposits.
• Homeowner confidence recovers
  UK homeowners expressed increasing confidence in the property market in February, saying they expect the value of their home to increase by an average of 1.5% over the next six months.
• Time for a fixed rate?
  HSBC is urging mortgage borrowers to consider taking out a fixed rate now, before interest rates rise.
• Property sales doubled in February
  The number of property transactions doubled between January and February this year.
• 3m+ unaware of their mortgage rate
  Over a quarter of mortgage borrowers in the UK do not know what interest rate they are paying.
• Call for sensible solution for first-time buyers
  Mortgage lenders could help first-time buyers get on the property ladder if they would take into consideration the income generated from renting out a spare room in their potential first home.
• Green loans for homeowners
  Homeowners looking to make their property more environmentally friendly will be offered a range of new government incentives.
• 80% need the Bank of Mum and Dad
  The proportion of first-time buyers in need of financial assistance from their parents or other family members has ballooned in the last three years.
• Housing market picked up in February
  The number of valuations carried out on properties for prospective buyers and remortgagors increased strongly after a subdued January, picking up by 61%.
• House prices up 4.7% in 12 months
  The average UK property gained 4.7% in value between January 2009 and January 2010 and now stands at £194,168, according to the Assetz House Price Watch.
• Rise in mortgage fraud
  The incidence of attempted mortgage frauds increased in 2009, compared to the figures for 2008, despite the continued slowdown in mortgage lending.

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