Home loan approvals rose a little in March, after a slight drop in February, almost 20% up on the year. Mortgage lending has eased off as homeowners paid off debt.

Approved loans for house purchases rose to 34,905 in March from 33,360 in February and up from 29,212 in March 2009 according to The British Bankers’ Association.

The BBA said the figures indicated the effect of the reversal of a temporary increase in the property tax threshold at the start of the year. This had impacted the demand for home loans in February. (more…)

UK home owners injected more than £4 billion of equity into their homes in the 4th quarter of 2009 as record low interest rates encouraged home owners to pay down their debt.

Figures release by the Bank of England on Tuesday show home owners added £4.038 billion of housing equity between October and December, the equivalent of 1.6% of post-tax income. (more…)

The housing market may take another dip as potential buyers struggle to get mortgages according to Bank of England policy maker Kate Barker.

The global credit crisis saw house prices in the UK drop by 20% at the lowest point as banks wary of risking new lending withdrew from the market and confidence was dented.

The market has however come back strongly since hitting bottom.

Barker, who has penned reviews of Britain’s housing supply and planning for the government and helps to set the interest rate said she had been surprised by the rebound.

“It seems more likely than not to me that mortgage finance is clearly not going to be available going forward on the terms it used to be,” Barker told MPs. (more…)

House prices in England and Wales are now 6.1% higher than they were a year ago, the largest monthly rise since April 2007 according to a survey by Right Move.

The average property price nationally in February was £229,398 a rise of 3.2% on January.

In London prices were up 5% on the month to a record £427,987, prices are now higher then at the peak of the property boom in 2007 after rising 10.3% over the last year. (more…)

First time buyers are going to find making that first leap on to the property ladder an almost impossible feat as prices continue to rise, demand outstrips supply and lenders remain strict in their lending.

Considering the cash deposit that is expected by most banks for a mortgage it will be very difficult for many first time buyers to attain that first step on the property ladder.

Thousands of property buyers are trying to benefit from the stamp duty holiday before it ends on 31st December. (more…)