Mortgages

As over one million Halifax and Royal Bank of Scotland mortgage holders face the daunting prospect of a huge jump in their mortgage payments, what are the chances of other lenders adding misery for even more households?

Over a million mortgage holders will see a huge hike in their payments over the coming months, bringing further misery to cash-strapped households.

House prices have recorded their largest monthly jump in nearly two years, according to Nationwide Building Society figures.

Around 40,000 borrowers face the threat of higher mortgage costs after Halifax raised a cap for some on a standard variable rate (SVR).

The housing market has seen a "surprisingly strong" bounce after sellers upped their asking prices by the highest monthly jump for a decade.

Rents are back on the rise "unseasonably early" this year, lettings agents said today.

Interest-only mortgages could become harder to get, say brokers, after Santander raised the minimum deposit required to take out the loans.

The number of homes repossessed by mortgage lenders last year fell to its lowest rate since 2007.

The proportion of first-time buyers is set to rise slightly this year, but they could face a narrower choice of properties due to a lack of first-time sellers, a study suggests.