Posts with tag: first time buyers

First Time Buyers on the Up

Published On: June 9, 2015 at 12:55 pm

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First Time Buyers on the Up

First Time Buyers on the Up

First time buyers represented around a quarter of property sales during April, up from 22% in March, revealed the April Housing Report from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).

Over half of NAEA member agents forecast house price rises for the next five years, which could force the number of first time buyers back down.

The document also uncovered that in the run up to the general election, demand in April was similar to March, with 344 prospective buyers registered per branch, from 343 in March.

Supply decreased in April, with only 43 homes available per branch, down from 48 in March.

Managing Director of the NAEA, Mark Hayward, says: “The market is notoriously tough for first time buyers; house prices continue to increase and lenders have tight and restrictive lending criteria.

“Whilst this month’s figures are positive and a step in the right direction, I’d like to think that with the help of 200,000 new starter homes and the Help to Buy ISA, first time buyers will be given even more help to get their foot on the ladder. However, these things may take time to come to fruition.”1

1 http://estateagentnetworking.co.uk/2015/06/05/netter-month-for-first-time-buyers/

 

Sales to first time buyers increase

Published On: June 4, 2015 at 4:50 pm

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Encouragingly, a new report has suggested that the number of house sales to first time buyers grew in the UK during April.

Sales to first time purchasers rose to 26% from 22% in March, according to the April National Association of Estate Agents Housing Market Report. However, a further survey conducted by the same group indicates that there could be troubled times ahead for prospective property owners.

Pushed out

Looking to the future, 93% of registered NAEA agents said that they do not anticipate first time buyers making a substantial impact in the market during the next five years. Additionally, 55% of agents stated that they believe house prices will increase in the same period, pushing first time buyers further away from the market.[1]

Somewhat surprisingly, the report found that in the build up the General Election, demand remained very similar to that recorded in March. 344 potential property owners were registered on average per branch during April, in comparison to 343 in the previous month. Supply however dropped last month, with election uncertainty contributing to 43 houses being available per branch, as opposed to 48 in March.[1]

74% of NAEA said that they could not see supply and demand evening out during the next five years, again meaning that more would-be buyers are priced out of owning their own home.[1]

Sales to first time buyers increase

Sales to first time buyers increase

Tough

Managing Director of the NAEA, Mark Hayward, commented that, ‘the market is notoriously tough for first time buyers. House price continue to increase and lenders have tight and restrictive lending criteria.’[1]

Acknowledging that, ‘this month’s figures are positive and a step in the right direction,’ Hayward believes that,’ with the help of 200,000 new starter homes and the Help to Buy ISA, first time buyers will be given even more help to get their foot on the ladder.’ Continuing, he appreciated that, ‘these things may take time to come to fruition.’[1]

 

[1] http://www.propertywire.com/news/europe/uk-first-time-buyers-2015060410590.html

 

 

The Best First Time Buyer Mortgages

Published On: June 3, 2015 at 4:13 pm

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Categories: Finance News

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The amount of low deposit mortgage deals has reached the highest level for three years, helping struggling first time buyers onto the property ladder.

Read more about how many are available here: /mortgage-rates-for-first-time-buyers-are-at-a-three-year-low/.

But prospective buyers should remember to look at the fees as well as the rates, as low rates often come with high fees. Compare the whole cost of the loan.

Take a look at the best rates:

5% deposit

Two years 

Chelsea Building Society has the lowest rate for a 5% deposit, at 3.99% with a large £1,675 fee.

A 25-year £150,000 mortgage would cost £790 a month and £20,657 over the two years.

You could save money using Post Office Money’s Help to Buy mortgage. This deal is fee-free at 4.29%. On the same mortgage, monthly repayments would be slightly higher at £815, but over two years you would pay less, at £19,583.

Five years

Chelsea Building Society has a longer-term low deposit mortgage with a 4.69% rate and £1,675 fee.

The same mortgage would cost £850 a month and £52,675 over the five years.

But a slightly higher rate could save you money, due to lower fees.

The Best First Time Buyer Mortgages

The Best First Time Buyer Mortgages

Look at the HSBC’s Help to Buy five-year fix of 4.89% with a £199 fee. The same mortgage would cost £867 per month and £52,236 overall.

10% deposit

Two years

Post Office Money has a two-year fix at 2.59% with a £1,495 fee. This is the lowest rate for a 10% deposit.

A 25-year £150,000 mortgage on this rate would cost £679 a month and £17,808 over the term.

But if you pay a slightly higher rate you could save on a lower fee.

Yorkshire Building Society has a 2.64% rate with a £975 fee. The same mortgage would cost £683 per month, but is £428 cheaper overall than Post Office Money’s offer, at £17,380.

Five years 

Post Office Money has a 3.69% rate with a £1,495 fee. The same mortgage costs £766 a month and £47,473 over the five-year term.

Leek United offers a 3.59% deal with a £999 fee. The mortgage would cost £758 a month and £46,490 over five years.

15% deposit

Two years

Post Office Money has a 1.99% rate with a fee of £1,495. The same mortgage costs £635 a month and £16,736 over the two years.

However, Yorkshire Building Society has a 2.04% rate on offer with a £975 fee. This mortgage would cost £638 per month and £16,303 over the term, £433 cheaper than Post Office Money.

Five years

The lowest five-year deal for a 15% deposit is from Chelsea Building Society, which offers a 3.14% rate for a £1,675 fee.

A 25-year £150,000 mortgage would cost £722 per month and £45,012 over five years.

The same rate is found at Leeds United, but for a £999 fee. This would make this mortgage £2,001 cheaper than Chelsea’s.

20% deposit

Two years

If you can raise a 20% deposit, rates will drop below 2%.

Newcastle Building Society has a competitive rate of 1.65% with a £1,299 fee. The same mortgage would cost £610 per month and £15,951 over the two-year period.

Five years

Leeds Building Society offers a 2.64% rate with a £1,999 fee. The same mortgage costs £683 a month and £43,011 overall.

Nottingham Building Society has a 2.65% rate with a £1,499 fee. A slightly higher rate but lower fee puts the repayments at £684 a month but a lower five-year cost of £42,557, saving £454.

 

 

 

Mortgage Rates for First Time Buyers are at a Three-Year Low

Published On: June 2, 2015 at 9:07 am

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Mortgage rates for first time buyers are at a three-year low, revealed research from MoneySuperMarket.

The comparison website found that that number of mortgage products for first time buyers is currently 2,776. This is partly due to the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, which has seen the amount double since April 2012, when the number was 1,324.

Furthermore, the average rate on a first time buyer mortgage has fallen by one percentage point in the last three years, to 3.26%.

Mortgage Rates for First Time Buyers are at a Three-Year Low

Mortgage Rates for First Time Buyers are at a Three-Year Low

The average loan-to-value (LTV) required for first time buyers has been stable since April 2012, 79% compared to 78%. This would require a high deposit of £31,500 on a £150,000 home.

However, a 5% deposit on the same property would be £7,500. And this is increasingly available to first time buyers, thanks to the amount of 95% LTV mortgages, which has grown recently.

There are currently 170 mortgage deals on the market at this LTV, as Help to Buy thrives. Since 2012, there has been a 448% rise in this type of mortgage, from 31 products three years ago. Additionally, the average rate on these deals has fallen by 1.04 percentage points, to 4.72%.

Head of Banking at MoneySuperMarket, Kevin Mountford, says: “The increase in the number of first time buyer mortgages, and the corresponding fall in interest rates, can only mean good news for those looking to get a foot on the ladder.

“Even better, borrowers who can scrape together a 10% or even 15% deposit will find they are able to get their hands on more competitive deals.

“The introduction of the Government’s Help to Buy ISA, which will see the Government provide up to £3,000 towards a first time buyer’s deposit, could also help prospective homeowners get themselves into a new LTV bracket, thus helping them secure a more competitive deal.”

Mountford continues: “For anyone looking to buy their first home, it’s important not to be led by interest rates alone when comparing mortgages. Expensive fees can wipe out the potential benefit of a lower rate, so it’s worth doing the sums first to ensure you really are getting a great deal.

“Whilst mortgage approvals were up 7% overall on March, this doesn’t mean that lenders’ criteria is becoming more relaxed. After the introduction of the Mortgage Market Review, borrowers not only need to have a strong credit score, they also need to prove that they can afford the mortgage they’re applying for – not only at its current rate, but if rates should rise in the future.”

He concludes: “Finally, also think about whether you want a fixed or variable rate deal. Fixed provides security that your rate won’t change during the term of the deal. Whilst variable rates tend to be cheaper, you need to ensure that you will be able to afford your monthly repayments if and when interest rates do rise.”1 

1 http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/finance/ftbs-have-never-had-it-so-good.html

 

 

PRS Will Account for 20% of All Housing by 2020

Published On: June 1, 2015 at 3:18 pm

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The private rental sector (PRS) is forecast to grow by 700,000 households, to 5.5m, by 2020, accounting for 20% of all housing stock.

PRS Will Account for 20% of All Housing by 2020

PRS Will Account for 20% of All Housing by 2020

Kent Reliance has released a new report on the buy-to-let sector, stating that almost 150,000 new households were added to the PRS in the year to March 2015. The PRS now makes up 18% of the total housing stock.

The research also found that in the last 12 months, the PRS accounted for 77.4% of all new households.

In the last year, the value of PRS property increased by 11%, or £97.8 billion, to £990.7 billion. London accounted for most of this, at £406.5 billion, followed by the South East, at £147.6 billion. Wales made up the least, at just £23.9 billion.

It is expected that the whole sector will be worth over £1 trillion soon and £1.45 trillion by 2020. Read more: /value-of-buy-to-let-could-reach-1-trillion/.

Average rents have risen by 3.9% annually, to £832 per month in the first quarter (Q1) of the year. The total rental income earned by landlords has reached £4 billion a month.

Landlords now receive £111.5 billion in gross annual returns, £67.2 billion in capital gains and £44.3 billion in rents, the report revealed. This has grown by £5.8 billion in the past year.

Chief Executive of Kent Reliance, Andy Golding, says: “Buy-to-let has come of age, moving from a niche asset class to one big enough to rival the stock market. Landlords are seeing the benefit of a structural change in Britain’s housing market, with tenant demand ever strengthening. Yes, house prices are showing signs of steadying somewhat, but growth remains brisk.

“Long-term price inflation is not in danger, given the gaping chasm between growing demand for housing and the number of houses being built each year. Combined with the dearth of high LTV [loan-to-value] lending to first time buyers, this will continue to buoy demand for rental accommodation, as well as landlords’ returns and the sector will continue to expand.”1

1 http://www.mortgagestrategy.co.uk/news-and-features/sectors/buy-to-let/buy-to-let-news/private-rented-sector-to-account-for-20-of-housing-stock-by-2020/2021578.article

Half of Hopeful Buyers Disappointed After MMR

Published On: May 29, 2015 at 1:19 pm

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Around half (45%) of those planning to buy a home since the Mortgage Market Review (MMR) last year have been unable to do so.

Research has revealed that prospective buyers are confused about the Government’s new affordability rules, which has caused disappointment.

A quarter of survey respondents said that the MMR has affected their ability to buy a property, and a further third (37%) claimed that the changes have made them feel less in control of being granted a mortgage.

The study was conducted by Experian as part of its latest report, The Mortgage Muddle – One Year After the MMR.

Half of Hopeful Buyers Disappointed After MMR

Half of Hopeful Buyers Disappointed After MMR

The research also found that among those who could not buy since the MMR, many are still unaware of the basic financial preparations they must make to apply for a mortgage. Almost half (46%) have never checked their credit report, meaning that they do not know how a lender would assess their ability to repay the loan.

Head of Consumer Affairs at Experian, James Jones, says: “Preparation is the key to successfully navigating the mortgage market post-MMR. Understanding the affordability rules and how a lender makes their decision is the key to success.

“But it can take time to build a positive credit history and a solid track record of positive money management, so it’s important you start preparing as soon as you make the decision to buy.”1 

In another study by Experian from April 2014, only 44% of respondents knew that the MMR would make lenders more careful about making sure borrowers could afford their repayments.

A year later, it seems that this confusion is still affecting hopeful buyers. Of 1,500 respondents who either bought or planned to buy in the past year:

  • 62% did not know that lenders might require higher deposits. 23% thought they could have smaller deposits than before.
  • 37% were unaware that lenders would be more careful about whether borrowers could afford the loan.
  • 15% thought that lenders had relaxed their lending criteria due to the MMR.

Of those unable to buy in the last year:

  • 13% don’t know how much money they have left over at the end of the month.
  • 18% don’t know how much they can afford in monthly repayments.
  • 14% did not have a large enough deposit for the property they wanted to buy.
  • 12% could not secure the size mortgage that they needed.
  • 11% of those who were unsuccessful didn’t know why or didn’t ask the lender, putting them at a disadvantage when they look to be accepted in the future.

ExplaintheMarket’s Guy Shone, notes: “We’re now one year on from the MMR and it seems many people remain stuck in a bit of a muddle. More needs to be done in 2016 to encourage personal financial planning and properly support aspiring home buyers, so that all buyers fully understand the rules of the game and stand the best chance of securing a property they can afford.”1

1 http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/half-of-prospective-property-buyers-disappointed-in-year-since-mmr.html