Karen Noye

Jan 9, 2025 | mortgagestrategy.co.uk | Karen Noye |David Burrows

The cost-of-living crisis may no longer dominate the headlines but, for millions of households, the financial pressures are as real as ever. While inflation has eased from its record highs, this does not mean prices have fallen — rather, they are rising more slowly. The cumulative effect of months of surging costs has left many families with depleted savings and stretched budgets. For some, particularly those on a fixed-rate mortgage due to expire, this winter could be the hardest yet.

Jul 5, 2024 | theintermediary.co.uk | Karen Noye

On the dawn of a new Labour Government, house prices have remained largely flat once again according to the Halifax house price index, with the average house price in June down just -0.2% on a monthly basis. Meanwhile, the annual rate of house price growth was also steady, matching last month’s 1.6%. Time will tell whether a new Labour Government will help spur buyers back to the market.

Jan 31, 2024 | theintermediary.co.uk | Karen Noye

New data from HMRC shows that the end of 2023 witnessed a notable decrease in residential transactions, a trend attributed to the dampening effects of higher interest rates and a general sense of caution in the property market as a response to the cost of living crisis. Higher rates made the prospect of buying a home less attainable for many, leading to an 18% year-on-year decline in transactions by December 2023.

Dec 29, 2023 | theintermediary.co.uk | Karen Noye

Figures from Nationwide this morning reveal a sluggish end to what has been a challenging year for the housing market. House prices saw no change in December and fell by 1.8% year-on-year due to the ongoing economic pressures, but this is still considerably less than the drastic fall many would have predicted this time last year. Looking ahead to 2024, the wider narrative appears to be that of cautious optimism.

Dec 15, 2023 | theintermediary.co.uk | Karen Noye

Following the mini-Budget in 2022 many would have been forgiven that we were facing a house price crash akin or worse than the financial crisis in 2008. The rapid rise in interest rates coupled with the huge spikes in the cost of living coming from both food and energy prices made for a troubling outlook. However, as we end 2023, while there is no doubt that we have just witnessed a very difficult year for finances, house prices have remained incredibly resilient.