Property Wealth and Inheritance Tax
The Conservatives have said they would scrap inheritance tax on family homes if they win the next general election, alongside a proposal allowing couples to leave an additional £1m tax-free to children. This is a political pledge rather than current law, and advisers should be careful not to build estate-planning recommendations around an outcome that […]
First-Time Buyer Affordability Pressure
Affordability remains a central constraint for younger households. Money Ready research found that 48% of 18-40 year-olds have experienced housing insecurity in the past five years, including rent or mortgage arrears. SpareRoom reported average UK room rents at a record £769 per month in Q3, while inner-London room rents reached £1,002. Separate research indicates that […]
Homebuying Reform Needs Better Data
Proposed homebuying and selling reforms have strong industry support: 77% of property professionals surveyed by Countrywide Surveying Services expect positive change for consumers and the sector. At the same time, Mortgage Brain’s CRM and conveyancing integration reflects a wider push to join up mortgage, legal and property workflows rather than manage them through disconnected emails […]
AI Compliance Must Be Narrow
AI adoption in mortgage advice is moving from general experimentation towards defined operational use cases. Industry commentary warns that broad, uncontrolled deployment can create “shadow IT” risks, while Mortgage Brain’s integration of LMS Select into CRM Brain shows how technology can reduce switching between systems for conveyancing quotes, instructions and case tracking. The practical message […]
Mortgage Rates, Gilts and Budget Risk
UK mortgage pricing is becoming more volatile as market expectations for interest rates shift ahead of the Budget. A former Bank of England economist has highlighted pressure from long-dated gilt yields, while RICS reported that its new-buyer-enquiries balance weakened from -18% in August to -22% in September. Stonebridge also reported purchase applications down 18.2% year-on-year […]