You can take another look at the week’s news and we’ll round up the stand-out, most thought-provoking or unmissable comments posted after stories or sent straight through to the editor.
Comment any time on the Mortgage Solutions website and you could feature in next week’s Mortgage Mutterings
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Shapps calls for house price stability
Mortgage Solutions | 04 Jan 2011 | 08:58
Simret Samra
The stability will only come when HM Treasury removes the advantage that buy-to-let landlords have over first-time buyers by removing the tax advantage on loan interest that buy-to-let landlords receive in their lettings account.
Colin Cloy
04 Jan 2011 | 09:40
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The Talking Shop
Mortgage Solutions | 04 Jan 2011 | 11:43
The Insider
I am reminded of the saying: “Not all meetings are a waste of time – the best ones are always cancelled.”
Alan Whitworth
04 Jan 2011 | 12:34
You might be in a minority, but I can join you. I always thought that minorities could not be discriminated against, so we must use the basic human right of absence. Perhaps we should have a meeting to discuss.
Ron Radway
04 Jan 2011 | 17:17
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Is this the end of the house-price rollercoaster?
Mortgage Solutions | 05 Jan 2011 | 09:06
Melanie Bien
House prices are still over inflated, primarily because interest rates have been used to prop up the market. One has to question how long this can continue with inflationary pressures in the economy. Once we get real with base rates the real test of housing values will be made. I believe we are yet to see the real correction the market needs because of central government intervention which will only serve to prolong the agony.
Chris Whitley
05 Jan 2011 | 09:28
Comment two
Once-upon-a-time, potential house purchasers saved up for a deposit on their house, often as much as 25%, and house prices were fairly stable. Then along comes a new era of thinking and lenders offer loans at stupid LTVs and irresponsible income multiples.
As a result, house prices go silly, people are encouraged to get deeply into debt with secured and unsecured borrowing, and finally the bubble bursts. Now, of course, many “experts” will say life is a lot more complicated than that, especially those with a vested financial interest in lending out money to “the public”.
But a return to sanity and people saving up to put down a deposit can’t but help to reduce the pressure on purchasing houses, as well as helping potential buyers consider the long-term responsibility and implications of what they are taking on.
Again, those people who thought of their house as an investment, not a home, may be disapointed at not making a huge sum of money – but the first priority of any housing minister (and anybody who supports the concept of home ownership) should be that the building is a home – not simply an investment. As a by-product, that could even release funds from the banks for lending to business to invest, generate more employment and therefore increase both income and employment levels.
Philip Curnow
05 Jan 2011 | 09:39
For more comments on this story, click here
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Shapps to slash self-build red tape
Mortgage Solutions | 05 Jan 2011 | 16:39
Kay McLellan
Who needs pipe dreams, when we have politicians? In the last 20 years, they have killed off people’s dreams of saving for their old age and are now saying that homes should not be considered investments. Suggesting an annual return of 4% would be zero per cent after inflation in real terms. Did somebody actually vote for this guy?
M J Winfield
05 Jan 2011 | 17:26
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End of lending targets could return tighter mortgage conditions
Mortgage Solutions | 06 Jan 2011 | 11:39
Simret Samra
The real concern here is that the banks and building societies have to lend to make a buck. If mortgage assessment criteria gets any tougher they would be lending and not making a profit, which will delay the return of the bail out monies to the UK tax-payers.
John Morgan
06 Jan 2011 | 14:47
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Protection advice drives only 4% of clients – Unbiased
Mortgage Solutions | 07 Jan 2011 | 09:33
Cover
It seems to me that the majority of advisers, consumers and the national finance press have succeeded in commoditising protection. Best buy tables start with the cheapest and advisers using the Exchange will see the cheapest before the next cheapest, etc. Might just be acceptable for term life but not for any other product.
Alan Lakey
07 Jan 2011 | 13:19
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Have a great weekend,
The Mortgage Solutions team
