Mortgages

House prices dipped by 0.2% in January, with analysts predicting the market could tilt further in buyers' favour over the coming months.

House sales fell last year to one of the lowest totals recorded, figures from HM Revenue and Customs showed this week.

Low to middle income earners will not see their disposable income approach pre-recession levels until 2020 at best, a report from think-tank the Resolution Foundation warned today.

More than a third of people have cut back on their food spending in the last year to help cover their rent or mortgage costs, showing the "tough" choices faced by families, housing charity Shelter has said.

Mortgage payments for new borrowers have reached their most affordable levels for 14 years, but only for those lucky enough to qualify for a home loan, research from lender Halifax has found.

The UK's average house price fell by 1.3% in 2011 after a monthly decline of 0.9% between November and December, lender Halifax said today.

It could be tougher to get a mortgage over the next three months, a Bank of England survey of lenders has found.

Nine out of 13 regions in the UK recorded a house price rise over 2011, in a year of contrasting fortunes ranging from a 5.4% increase in London to an 8.9% drop in Northern Ireland, mortgage lender Nationwide revealed today.

The number of people in rented accommodation who are in severe arrears has reached its highest level in three years.

A wide-ranging shake-up of the mortgage market was unveiled by the financial services regulator today, aiming to prevent a return of irresponsible lending and stop borrowers taking out unaffordable deals.