Almost 37,000 first-time buyers were liable for stamp duty in the year to last April, with an average bill of £4,073, new analysis suggests. A Freedom of Information request by money app Plum revealed that approximately one in four first-time buyers had to pay the… The post A quarter of FTBs paid stamp duty before last year’s shake-up appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
Mortgage arrears and possessions both fell in the fourth quarter of 2025, UK Finance reveals. UK Finance says there were 80,490 homeowner mortgages in arrears of 2.5% of more of the outstanding balance, 4% fewer than Q2. The overall proportion of mortgages in arrears remains… The post Mortgage arrears and possessions fell in Q4: UK Finance appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
Paragon Bank appointed Sam Waterhouse as business development manager in its buy-to-let (BTL) mortgages sales team. Waterhouse brings more than 14 years of industry experience, rejoining Paragon following a two-year tenure as Landbay’s business development manager for the Midlands region. He initially spent 12 years… The post Paragon hires Waterhouse as BTL BDM appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
The Right Mortgage (TRM) has launched a new arm, The Right Packager. The Right Packager is an in-house packager service that lets advisory firms place challenging mortgage cases that may previously have fallen outside of mainstream lending criteria. TRM said The Right Packager has been designed… The post The Right Mortgage launches The Right Packager arm appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
Total construction output is estimated to have fallen by 2.1% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to Q3, the Office for National Statistics reveals. The latest data shows that new work and repair and maintenance both fell by 2.6% and 1.5%, respectively. Seven out… The post Construction output falls for third consecutive month: ONS appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
