News FT.com - Mortgages FT.com - Mortgages Big six dominate mortgage market The six big high-street lenders accounted for over 90 per cent of all mortgages advanced in 2009, as competition and consumer choice continued to be constrained by the credit crunch Warning over housing benefit cuts The British Property Federation (BPF), which represents property investors, warned on Tuesday that the government's proposed cuts to housing benefits are a "recipe for destitution" that would hamper economic recovery across the country Halifax offers rate cuts on mortgage deals Halifax is offering borrowers a reduction of 0.30 per cent off their mortgage rate until the end of 2011 if they apply for a mortgage from the lender this month Bank signals curb on high loan-to-value borrowing High loan-to-value mortgages could be even scarcer in the future if the Bank of England introduces a cap on mortgage lending as part of a range of new measures to stop risky lending Home energy watchdog investigates misselling Ofgem has told consumers to get in touch if they have concerns about the sales practices of energy suppliers Price rises for the home alone Owners of detached houses have seen the value of their properties rise by more than any other type of home over the past year ? and analysts warn that the performance of different property types is likely to continue to diverge Warning on property schemes First-time buyers are being warned that unregulated schemes that offer the chance to rent a property with an option to buy it are a 'disaster waiting to happen' IHT ruling spells relief?for?landowners Traditional estate landowners were given good news last week after a tax tribunal in Scotland rejected an appeal from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) that could have landed many rural estates with huge inheritance tax (IHT) bills

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