Specialist lender Market Financial Solutions has added insurance to a number of its mortgage deals to reduce the need for property searches and speed up the purchase process. Title insurance is a type of indemnity that protects the lender against the type of problems relating to the land or building that would normally be uncovered by detailed searches. By adding the indemnity to certain mortgages, MFS says it can cut down the underwriting and application process. The lender is initially launching title insurance for residential buy-to-let remortgages and bridging refinancing up to a loan size ..read more

Halifax is launching a range of first-time buyer deals offering up to £1,000 cashback from Monday. The products with the highest cashback are in its green first-time buyer range. These include two-year fixes from 4.6% with a £999 fee and five-year fixes from 4.31%, all with a £999 fee and £1,000 cashback. Also in the green FTB range, 10-year fixes start from 4.93% with the same fee and cashback. To qualify for the green deals, borrowers must be purchasing a property with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A or B. Standard first-time buyer deals also start from 4.6% for a two-year fix ..read more

Discover Mortgage Strategy’s top 10 stories this week! Featured articles include the appointment of Harrington as CEO of L&C Mortgages and insights on stubbornly high pay growth amid inflation and rate concerns. Read more here:  Harrington appointed CEO of L&C Mortgages L&C Mortgages has named Mark Harrington as its new Chief Executive Officer (pending regulatory approval). With over 20 years of experience, Harrington has progressed through various roles since joining the company in 2003, from mortgage and protection adviser to chief operating officer. Pay growth ‘obstinately high ..read more

The Renters Reform Bill returns to the House of Commons for its third reading next Wednesday — after pressure from Conservative backbench MPs forced the government to make a series of amendments.    The wide-ranging legislation will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, tighten rules around landlord repossessions, improve housing conditions and strengthen local council powers to regulate landlords.   Amendments to the bill include:   A review of the court system before ending section 21 for existing tenancies to make sure it can cope with the increased workloa ..read more

Housing is a fundamental human right that should be available to everyone. With the UK having one of the least accomplished affordable housing markets in the developed world and having the highest rate of homelessness in Europe, it’s clear that action needs to be taken. And if we do it right, it is a win-win for everyone, not just those looking to purchase a home. The report on affordable housing published by University College London (UCL) in October last year, got under my skin. It hit me differently and I felt compelled to research this topic further. UCL estimates that building an addition ..read more

Brilliant Solutions Mortgage Club has added TAB to its lender panel. The club’s directly-authorised broker members will now have access to TAB’s bridging loans, including first and second charge residential and commercial products, as well as development and refurbishment finance. Brilliant Solutions managing director Michael Craig adds: “This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to empower brokers with the resources and tools they need to excel. “By integrating TAB’s innovative platform and comprehensive product suite, we are confident our members will be even better equipped to meet ..read more

Sales of prime London properties for £5m and above were up by more than 15% in March compared to the same month last year, according to the LonRes index. High-value sales in March were also more than 8% above the pre-pandemic trend between 2017 and 2019. At the end of March there were around 27% more £5m+ London homes on sale compared to the same month last year, and more around 47% more than the average number on sale before the pandemic between 2017-2019. Annual rental growth across prime London rose slightly in March, to 3.8%, but rental values were 28% over their 2017-2019 average. The num ..read more

HLPartnership has appointed Jason Whiteley as regional sales manager for the North. Whiteley joins from Just Mortgages self-employed division where he was an area director for more than five years. He has over 30 years’ experience in financial services, including at estate agency chain Reeds Rains where he was one of the top-performing brokers before being promoted into a management role. At HLPartnership, Whiteley will report to sales and recruitment director Tom Barnett. He will be working closely with member firms, to help them to grow market share and improve their operations. Whiteley wil ..read more

Labour leader Keir Starmer has set out plans to build on “ugly grey belt land” to boost housebuilding, boost infrastructure and increase green spaces.   He says the party will release areas for development currently classed as green belt land, should it return to government after the next general election.   The move is part of the opposition party’s plans to build 1.5 million homes over the next parliament, which it calls “a key plank of Labour’s policy programme”.   By contrast, Prime Min ..read more

Rosemount Financial Solutions (IFA), the mortgage and protection network, has announced the appointment of Contractor Financial as an Appointed Representative (AR). Contractor Financial has been established by Billie Davoile and Jo Elwell to provide financial advice to contractors and self-employed individuals. Davoile was previously a mortgage adviser at Brookson Financial, before setting up her own advice business BD Financial in 2023. Elwell worked as director of financial services at Brookson Financial before partnering with Davoile to launch Contractor Financial. Commenting on the appoint ..read more