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Mortgages & home | This is Money
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Halifax House Price Index: House prices gain £844 in January as low interest rates offer support for buyers
 Halifax said record low interest rates continue to underpin demand, and offset negative developments in the economy that would otherwise push house prices lower.
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ASK THE EXPERTS: Husband¿s DIY will may force you to leave home
 My husband has made a new will - using a kit bought from a stationer - leaving equal shares in half our home to our five grandchildren once they reach 25. Can you make such a legacy?
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FSA puts 'sale and rent back' deals on hold after review shows poor practice in the sector
 The FSA found that some firms did not fully assess how appropriate an agreement would be for the customer and simply allowed them to enter into it because they wanted to.
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Does double glazing with cling film on windows stop heat loss?
 Putting cling film on a single glazed window will help you to reduce energy loss as it acts as a very basic - and inexpensive - 'double glazing'.
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New high speed link could boost Birmingham's future housing market
 Cutting a minute off a commuter train journey to London adds £1,300 to the price of the average terrace home, and, according to Savills, increases the price of a detached property by £2,250 for every minute saved.
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Top 20 burglary hotspots: Home insurance data reveals postcodes with highest rate of claims
 Homeowners in Stoke Newington in north London are the most likely to have made a claim for theft or burglary on their home insurance policy, according to new research.
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Buy-to-let mortgage deals increase by 100 in a year and interest rates fall - Moneyfacts
 There are 100 more deals on offer now than a year ago - and the average buy-to-let rate has dropped from 5 per cent to 4.79 per cent.
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Nationwide: House prices dipped 0.2% in January and will be stuck 'sideways' this year
 House prices managed to remain fairly steady in January, despite challenging economic conditions and the UK economy contracting in the final three months of 2011.
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Mortgage price war sees rates hit record lows as banks try to kick-start housing market
 Rates on five-year and ten-year fixes have plunged to the lowest ever level in the past week.
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First-time buyers: Shortcuts to a first mortgage and buying a house
 High property prices and big deposit demands have left first-time buyers struggling, but This is Money can help with the latest news, features and advice.
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Chelsea BS record low five-year fixed mortgage deal at 3.19%
 Chelsea BS has potentially started a new battle to offer homeowners cheap cash, with its five-year fix rate the lowest ever offered.
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Tenants' rights and Tenancy Deposit Protection: What buy-to-let landlords must do
 Increasing numbers of Britons are renting their home but they are not always given the rights they are due. We outline what tenants are entitled to and what they must do.
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From part exchange to deposit matching, are new build home offers worth it?
 With the housing market at a standstill and first-time buyers struggling to qualify for mortgages, builders of new build homes are offering a range of incentives, but are they just window dressing?
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Land Registry: House prices fell 1.3% in 2011 and a London home costs 3.5 times a North East property
 The increasing division of a property world of 'haves' and 'have nots' has been revealed in the Land Registry figures for 2011.
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ASK THE EXPERTS: What¿s our tax bill if we sell second home?
 My wife and I bought a flat in 1987 for £20,000 as a second home. We are thinking of selling and it might bring us in about £80,000. How big a tax bill would we face?
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Rightmove & Hometrack: House prices fail to rise for 18 months and buyers eye further falls
 Two separate reports have revealed the tough times facing the UK property market, with prices in the doldrums and only a quarter expecting them to be higher in a year.
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Opening up the loft could lower your overheads as renting out spare space or taking in a lodger boosts household incomes
 Are you seeking ways to boost your battered income? The answer could be closer to home than you think. There is money to be made by taking in a lodger, or by renting out space on the driveway or in the loft.
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Plunging mortgage charges and house prices mean owning a home is cheaper than renting... by £1,400 a year
 If you own your home you are now almost £1,400 a year better off than someone renting, a Halifax study revealed yesterday.
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Moving home cost rockets 70% and stamp duty sends South East move above £16k
 The cost of moving home has jumped by almost 70 per cent in the past ten years, with buyers forced to find £9,000 to pay fees and tax alone.
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One in ten young people rely on 'Bank of Granny and Grandad' for help with house deposit
 A report by housebuilder Taylor Wimpey said rising numbers of young people struggling to buy their first home are being forced to ask their grandparents for help with house deposits.
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What next for mortgage rates?
 Mortgage rates have inched up slightly since hitting record lows in late summer, but should you take a fixed or tracker deal? Read our latest analysis
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The returns on my endowment policy are rather small - should I cancel it?
 Last year, the value of my policy rose by only £309 for an outlay of £496. If I cancelled, what could I expect?
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Can tenants in common agreement help to plan for better inheritance tax?
 I have read that you might be able to plan better for inheritance tax if you own your house as tenants in common. What exactly does this mean?
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I need a safe home for £420,000 from house sale. Any ideas?
 We have sold our house and are living with relatives while we look for another place to buy. Where should we put the proceeds of about £420,000 to keep them secure for a few months?
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Yorkshire Building Society relaxes buy-to-let mortgage lending criteria
 Changes to its buy-to-let criteria include dropping the minimum required property value from £150,000 to £100,000 and reducing the minimum income an applicant needs to earn, from £35,000 to £20,000.
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