Mortgage News
Nationwide updates fixed and tracker mortgage rates
Nationwide Building Society today announces changes to its rates on some of its fixed rate and tracker mortgages. The new rates are available from Wednesday 1 August 2007.
Mortgage approvals resilient in June
The increase in total net lending to individuals in June (£10.4 billion) was higher than the increase in May and the previous six-month average, according to the Bank of England (BoE).
Alliance & Leicester increases SVR
Following the decision by the Bank of England to increase the base rate at the beginning of July, Alliance & Leicester today confirms a 0.25% increase in its SVR from 7.64% to 7.89%.
Weaker mortgage approvals, subdued consumer credit
June’s gross mortgage lending of £21.5bn, the highest figure ever, was a reflection of strong re-mortgaging activity. This was, however, only 5% higher than a year earlier, suggesting that in real terms, lending growth is slackening, according to the British Bankers’ Association. (BBA).
The great British mortgage scam
British mortgage lenders have been taking advantage of millions of homeowners for several years by cashing in on the low Bank of England base rate, according to research from independent finance site Fool.co.uk.
Mosaic brokers benefit as Skipton joins panel
Brokers with Mosaic Mortgage Club are now able to benefit from Skipton Building Society’s products, as the Society joins the lending panel.
Woolwich launches mortgage application xpress
Woolwich has launched a new mortgage sales tool ‘Mortgage Application Xpress’ (MAX) which gives a faster, simpler and more efficient way to do business online.
moneysupermarket.com: Housing Green Paper
Commenting on the Housing Green Paper, Louise Cuming, head of mortgages at price comparison website moneysupermarket.com, said: “The government's proposed legislative framework to promote 25-year fixed-rate mortgages is an interesting and well intentioned move, but one that I feel will fail.
Tide has turned on fixed rate deals
GMAC-RFC is predicting an increased demand for discounted and tracker mortgage deals in the year ahead. With the continued rise in the price of short term fixed rate deals, the gap between fixed and discounted (or tracker) products has widened, which will make the variable options more appealing to many borrowers.
RICS comment on CML mortgage lending data
Commenting on the CML mortgage lending data, RICS senior economist, Oliver Gilmartin said: “With less than 50% of the increase in base rates over the past year being passed onto mortgage borrowers (via the effective mortgage rate) it is not surprising that mortgage lending has remained so strong during the seasonally strong summer months.
UK mortgage lending hits record high
Gross mortgage lending reached a new record of £34.2 billion in June - up from £31.4 billion in May - according to data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
John Charcol mortgage product and best buy news
Despite brief dips last week, swap rates have continued to increase and currently stand at 6.32%. Many lenders have re-priced their fixed rates at least monthly since the first rate rise of the year in January, including Abbey, Bank of Ireland, Halifax and Northern Rock. In an unsettled period for borrowers, John Charcol takes a look at the best products on the market.
GMAC-RFC retains top 10 status
Recent figures released by the Council of Mortgage Lending (CML) confirm that GMAC-RFC is the 10th largest mortgage lender in the UK. The lender’s phenomenal growth in 2006 means that it is now hot on the heels of High Street brands - Alliance & Leicester and HSBC.
Brokers predict strong growth for 100% plus LTV mortgage
More than three quarters (78%) of brokers predict the 100% plus LTV mortgage and personal loan market will grow within the next two years, according to research by Alliance & Leicester Mortgages.
C&G scraps mortgage exit fee
Lisa Taylor, analyst at Moneyfacts.co.uk, comments: “With the deadline looming for lenders to report back to the FSA on exit fees, Cheltenham & Gloucester, the fourth largest mortgage lender has announced, with immediate effect that it will be removing its exit fee charge on all new mortgages.