Docklands News

Millions of homeowners are overpaying their mortgage to lessen the shock of higher rates when their fixed deal ends. Over £21.3bn has been overpaid this year, up 14% from last year. About 1.6m households will come off fixed deals next year, with rates predicted to rise to 5% by 2027. Homeowners can save thousands by reducing their mortgage balance before the new rate starts. Santander reported a 7.7% increase in one-off overpayments. Overpaying can reduce monthly repayments or shorten the mortgage term. Homeowners can also consider offset mortgages or earn interest on savings before overpaying. 

The Times (04/12/2023)  

Home sellers will have to disclose more information in property listings to prevent deal collapses and save buyers from surprises. National Trading Standards has introduced new rules that require sellers to include details about bad phone signal and neighbours' plans. The changes aim to improve transparency and prevent buyers from discovering unpleasant surprises during transactions. Failure to comply with the rules could breach the law and lead to complaints against the agent. The new requirements also include disclosing planning permission, energy supply, flooding risks, sewerage arrangements, and the material makeup of the property

The Daily Telegraph (02/12/2023)  

Ballymore and Oxley have announced the completion of the first apartments at Riverscape, their waterfront development in the Royal Docks. Described by the developers as "perfectly placed to offer an idyllic lifestyle, excellently connected to the capital”, Riverscape will host 749 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with views of Canary Wharf, the Thames, and the surrounding parkland. The first building of 10 to complete, The Leonard offers such luxury facilities as The Sky Lounge, a resident-only space for co-working, relaxing and entertaining, along with automatic membership of The Clubhouse, with its 25m-swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool, sauna, jacuzzi, and state-of-the-art gym. Residents will also enjoy a 24-hour concierge service, a dedicated estate management team, and a bespoke app for "lifestyle management". "Since our launch in September 2021, we have seen unprecedented interest and enquiries for Riverscape, with the scheme breaking records to become Ballymore’s fastest selling development", commented James Boyce, Ballymore's associate regional sales director. “We are delighted to be able to welcome our first residents to their new homes as they move in over the coming weeks".

Bdaily News (27/11/2023)  

The Times interviews Shobi Khan, chief executive of the Canary Wharf Group, who is aiming to attract more workers and residents to the estate by building a "green spine" through the centre of the estate, adding parks and gardens, along with boardwalks and floating pontoons to give better access to the waterside. He argues that "there's a lack of quality housing in London and we've tapped into that. We have got entry level and yes, we'll have luxury. The whole strategy is to provide different price points for people. Wherever they are on their socioeconomic career, there's a home for them here". Mr Khan also rejects questions about the future of offices in a post-COVID world, despite rising vacancy rates, and said: "I do think we are going to see a shift of more and more people coming back to the office". 

The Times (25/11/2023)  

Experts do not expect mortgage rates to fall below 4% before the end of this year. Ross Murphy, senior adviser at Capricorn Financial Consultancy, says the outlook for mortgage rates for the coming year is “optimistic", noting that with swap rates falling, the market is “increasingly seeing rates slide into the region of 4%-4.5% as a result”. Iwona Hovenko, a real estate analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, does not expect mortgage rates to fall below 4% this year but says it is a possibility in 2024, especially in the second half of the year. Chris Sykes, technical director at Private Finance, says the prospect of a deal offering a rate below 4% by the end of this year is “no more than a dream”. However, he says larger lenders might be able to price products as low as 3% - 3.5% by the end of 2024. Moneyfacts data shows that the average two-year deal is currently 6.08%, while a typical five-year deal is 5.68%. 

City AM (27/11/2023)  

Data from the Bank of England shows that mortgage approvals totalled 47,400 October, up from 43,700 the month before. Net approvals for remortgaging increased from 20,600 in September to 23,700 in October. The increase in new home loans came as the Bank held interest rates on the back of inflation falling to 4.6%, leading a number of lenders to offer cheaper mortgage deals. The data also showed that gross lending fell from £18.1bn in September to £16.2bn in October. The average two-year fixed mortgage rate is now 5.56%, down from 5.77% a year ago, while the average five-year fixed mortgage rate is now 5.14%, down from 5.52%. Imogen Pattison, assistant economist at Capital Economics, said the “trough in mortgage approvals is behind us” but warned that with mortgage rates unlikely to fall much below 5% until the second half of next year, “demand is likely to remain weak by normal standards".

City AM (29/11/2023)   Financial Times (29/11/2023)   The Daily Telegraph (29/11/2023)   The Independent (29/11/2023)   The Times (29/11/2023)