Halifax's mortgage adviser arm, Halifax Intermediaries, is set to pay the full Stamp Duty bill for first time buyers purchasing homes worth up to £250,000.
House prices in England and Wales rose by 0.3% in March, the largest month-on-month increase since March 2010, figures suggest.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has urged the Chancellor to make house building and home finance the main plank of his upcoming Budget in order to boost confidence in the economy.
The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) said it expects advisers' share of the mortgage market to increase markedly this year as a raft of changes boost their prospects.
Accord Mortgages has launched a ten-day sale on six of its mortgage products.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has published final rules on mortgage selling, convinced they will "put common sense at the heart of the market" and prevent borrowers taking out unaffordable deals.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has confirmed it is removing the non-advised sales process for mortgages, but has clarified its definition of 'regulated' advice following concerns from lenders.