Mortgages

Almost a quarter of people feel they have been ripped off at some point in their lives by letting agent charges, research has found.

House prices have recorded their biggest monthly rebound in more than two-and-a-half years, Nationwide Building Society says today.

Millions of mortgage holders have either been hit with a huge rise in repayments this year, or will shortly see costs soar. Yet some five-year fixed rate deals for new borrowers are at an all-time low. So is it time to consider a new home loan?

Santander will become the latest lender to raise its standard variable mortgage rate (SVR), in a massive blow to hundreds of thousands of homeowners.

House sellers dropped asking prices by the biggest percentage recorded for August as would-be buyers became engrossed in the Olympics.

Rents soared to a new high last month, with "fierce competition" from frustrated would-be home buyers continuing as the market enters its summer peak, a study said today.

Home buyers are still likely to make decent returns on their investment in the longer term despite the weakness of the current market, a study has found.

The number of home repossessions has fallen to its lowest level in a year and-a-half despite the toughening economy, but they could rise again.

The Government should give struggling mortgage borrowers more help to avoid repossession by keeping some temporary benefit arrangements in place for at least another year, lenders have urged.

House prices fell in July following two months of increases but are expected to remain largely flat for the rest of the year, a survey says today.