Join the debate: How will the Government overhaul affect property professionals in England?

We would like to invite you to an online event to discuss the Planning for the Future Consultation, where we will examine the impact of the proposed changes, and the potential opportunities and risks.

Our very own Managing Director, Liz Jarvis, joins other experts from government and industry to discuss the proposed reforms to the planning system across England.

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When: Tuesday 6^th October

What time: 9.45 am – 12:15 pm

Click here to register for this free event

This event, hosted by Alex Wrottesley, Managing Director (Environment & Mapping), Landmark Information, will cover how the proposals plan to reform the planning system by discussing:

• Potential impacts on the entire land and property sector
• The role of technology in streamlining and modernising planning
• How property professionals can benefit from the proposals
• Sustainable design and the reallocation of land use

The agenda is as follows:

09:45                   Networking 

10:00                   Welcome from Alex Wrottesley, Landmark

10:05                   Introduction from Simon Brown, CEO, Landmark Information Group

10:15                   The Government View

• • • Presentation from Paul Maltby, Chief Digital Officer, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
    • Conversation with Leonore Schick, Legal and Professional Reporter, Property Week

10:35                   The View from the Data Users

• • • Presentation from Helen Dias, Technical Director – Strategic Planning, Atkins
    • Conversation with Denise McKenzie, Chair of the Board of Directors, AGI

10:55                   Questions from the audience

11:05                   How can we assess the impact on the sector? What are the opportunities and risks?

            Panel Conversation chaired by Tony Mulhall, Associate Director Land Professional Group, RICS

• • • Neil Ackroyd, Director of Digital and Data, BRE
    • Liz Jarvis, Managing Director, OneSearch Direct
    • Stuart Baillie, Head of Planning, Knight Frank
    • Hannah Prideaux, Investment Manager, M7 Structura
    • Paul Nathanail, Technical Director, GHD

11:50                  Questions from the audience

12:00                  Networking

We believe this is going to be an important discussion that has the potential to produce real change within the industry at this key stage in its restructuring.

Make the most of it by arriving early and bringing your questions for the experts to discuss, answer and take forward.

Click here to register for this free event

Last year it was reported that the Bank of Mum and Dad (BoMaD) had become the 11^th biggest mortgage lender in the UK, with family using cash savings or equity release to the tune of £6.3 billion to get their loved ones onto (or up) the property ladder.

In the last few weeks, however, Nationwide and Lloyds have clamped down on BoMaD contributions as a result of financial uncertainty caused by COVID-19, stipulating that no more than 25% of a mortgage deposit could be gifted. These stricter rules, coupled with a significant reduction in 90% mortgage deals on offer (46 compared to 758 this time last year), is a blow for first-time buyers, especially as the UK plunges into worst recession of any major economy.

All is not lost
These restrictions are paving the way for Shared Ownership, an increasingly mainstream housing scheme which offers an affordable route to home ownership for those otherwise unable to purchase on the open market. It’s also becoming a popular option for investors and house builders alike, and contributing to the Government’s aim of delivering 300,000 new homes per year.

A recent spotlight on Shared Ownership by Savilles states: 

“Once Help to Buy ends, as Government states it will in 2023, Shared Ownership will become the main route to home ownership for those unable to access the market. This could increase demand for Shared Ownership homes by over 15,000 homes per year.”

We’ve identified an increase in Shared Ownership transactions within our own client base, and have expanded our Express range to accommodate this. In partnership with leading legal indemnity insurance broker Northcott Beaton, we created Express to provide a data-rich alternative to standard No-Search Insurance, as it also offers an additional comprehensive report pertinent to a client’s property.

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Our clients have been relying on Express since 2015 for instances when even an expedited search isn’t fast enough

If searches are causing unacceptable delays and the transaction is at risk of collapse…
Express gives you the best of both worlds. You have all the security of a No-Search Insurance policy, with the majority of data (over 70%) that you would typically obtain from local authorities. Express means that you and your client can complete quickly, and with more confidence.

Download a sample report to see how it can help your firm

Express allows conveyancers to transact quickly in the following sectors:

 

 

To find out more about OneSearch Express, call the Service Introduction Team on 01782 433 270 or email intro@onesearchdirect.co.uk.

We are pleased to announce we are now able to add the following products to our search bundles:

 

LM04
Pre-completion check before submitting COT to the Lender, to ensure there are no changes to the Policy that may leave you exposed.

• Enables lawyers to stay on top of lenders’ policy requirements, as set out in part 11 of the Lenders’ handbook instructions
• With 25% of all negligence claims against solicitors being brought by lenders, LM04 from LENDERmonitor is an essential yet simple mitigation tool

 

FREE WEBINAR
Lexsure are hosting webinars on 20th and 21st July titled: The Lender Handbook Compliance Gamble – Evening up the odds. We have exclusive access codes to these events. Please email us to obtain these.

View LM04 sample

 

e-ROT
Electronic Report on Title. The only dedicated online commercial and residential report on title software.

• Bringing increased protection, consistency and efficiency to building the most important document in a purchase transaction
• Dramatically reduces time spent drafting reports
• Significantly increases risk management
• Constantly updated with new optional paragraphs
• Standardises quality of reports across fee earners
• Provisional reporting – in accordance with CQS Protocol

RRP – £12.00 inclusive of VAT. Can be incorporated in bundle price, so as not to be a cost to your firm.

e-ROT Pricing
There is one-off set-up cost to register for the e-ROT service provided by Lexsure (£475+VAT for 1-3 partner firms and £975+VAT for 4+ partner firms). However, if you sign up before 31st July, OneSearch will cover the price of the set-up cost on your behalf.

Book an e-ROT personalised remote tutorial session

 

Land Registry Plan
This plan shows the owned property, registered at Land Registry under a unique title number specific to the property. Title plan maps are prepared by whichever Ordnance Survey map is available at the point of registration. Included in the title plan:

• the title number of the land
• the land included in the title which is normally edged in red. There may be other colours or markings on the plan. The significance of these is explained in the register
• the scale at which the plan is drawn

Free of charge, with every local search order (except New Build).

View a sample LR Plan

 

OneSearch search bundles are very competitively priced. If you would like a bespoke quote, based on your requirements and incorporating any of the enhancements listed above, please get in touch with us on 01782 433270 or intro@onesearchdirect.co.uk.

Lidia Quinlan
Head of Sales, OneSearch Direct

 

If you have any questions or comments, please email intro@onesearchdirect.co.uk or call us on 01782 433270 and we will be more than happy to assist you.

OneSearch Direct would like to recognise our utmost appreciation of our exceptional Data Manager, Elizabeth McNaughton, who today celebrates an astonishing 25 YEARS with the company.

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Elizabeth comments: “I’ve had an amazing journey working at OSD, joining the company on 5^th June 1995 when it was Stirrat Park Hogg as a Data Assistant, responsible for collecting/inputting data relevant for the production of certificates for the Central belt of Scotland. 

“As the company expanded I was promoted to Data Manager, responsible for 30 members of staff. New product development and a growing partnership with Landmark saw the introduction of our SiteSolutions Highways report and gave me responsibility for a new Production Team, which seen its own trials and tribulations during refinement, but also provided me with a great team of people.

“I feel very lucky to have such a great group of colleagues who have provided me with many great memories and generally manage to keep me smiling no matter what, which is no mean feat for those that know me well! I’ve been through some turbulent times both from a business and personal point of view and, through it all, my colleagues have been a huge support and part of my life over this 25 years. I feel privileged to work with great people. Thank You!”

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No, thank YOU Elizabeth, we couldn’t do it without you! 

This week’s Spotlight Series focuses on one of our Personal Search Agents, Theresa. Having joined OneSearch in October last year, Theresa is now doing a stellar job of juggling work and family life during lockdown. Take it away, Theresa… 

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What does a typical working day look like for you?

A typical working day for me (during this pandemic) is complete Joe Wickes PE with my husband and kids, help my boys with their school work straight after that, until lunch time, and then start my work after lunch. 

Before the pandemic, most days, I would be visiting a council in the morning and then updating information onto our database in the afternoon. I try to get the work done before my children finish school.

What do you like about working atOneSearch?  

I absolutely love the flexibility of the job and the fact that it fits so well around my home life.

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JUST FOR FUN

When not in the office, you can usually find me: 

walking my dog or taking my boys to one of their very many after school activities! 

Three things I would struggle to live without are: 

1. Coffee
2. Family
3. Chocolate!

My last meal on earth would be… 

A chocolate brownie with ice cream.

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Here is Theresa with her family in the sun!

 

Duties to Lenders Revisited

The Lenders’ Handbook is quite simply the instructions we receive from our most important clients – the lenders who fund most purchases.

The requirements of the Handbook are not optional
They govern the majority of conveyancing transactions and a failure to adhere to its contents could render a firm liable to the lender in the event of default by the buyer.

The best lawyers execute a Certificate of Title (CoT) with a fair degree of trepidation. An important fact lost on many fee earners is that by signing the CoT, the lawyer is certifying compliance with all the requirements set out in the Lenders’ Handbook. The implications are significant.

This free 30 minute webinar, taking place on Tuesday 2nd June at 10:30am, highlights issues concerning Handbook compliance and identifies technologies available through Onesearch Direct that assist firms in being fully compliant with any changes to the Handbook.