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Home lending falls in UK month on month and year on year, latest CML data shows
Lending to home owners in the UK fell in February compared to the previous month and compared to February 2014, the latest data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows. The number of loans advanced totalled 40,600, down 1% on January and 16% compared to the same month in 2014. These loans totalled £6.8 billion, which was down 3% on January and 13% on February last year. Lending to first time buyers was down 1% month on month and 16% compared to February 2014 with just 18,700 totalling £2.7 billion, which was down 4% on January and 13% down on February last year. Home movers were advanced 21,900 loans, a decline of 2% compared to January and 16% down year on year. These loans totalled in value £4.1 billion, 2% down on January and 13% down compared to February 2014. Remortgage lending also decreased month on month with 21,500 loans advanced, down 16% on January and 14% down on February 2014. The value of these loans at £3.3 billion also decreased month on month by 20% and was down 11% year on year compared to February 2014. Even the buy to let sector, considered to be buoyant at present declined. There were 15,900 buy to let loans in February, down 13% on the previous month but up 11% on the same period in 2014. These loans came to £2.2 billion in value, down 12% compared to January but up 16% on February 2014. Paul Smee, director general of the CML, blamed seasonal factors for dampening house purchase lending activity in February but admitted the general election could be making people wait and see. ‘This typical seasonal trend may also be exacerbated by uncertainty ahead of the general election, but we still expect to see an upturn in the spring and summer months. Buy to let, in contrast, has shown year in year lending increases, due almost completely to remortgaging which is typically strong in the buy to let market. Karen Bennett, sales and marketing director of commercial mortgages at Shawbrook Bank agreed that there could be a general election effect with the forthcoming poll creating a feeling of uncertainty combined with the continued impact of tighter lending criteria on owner occupiers. ‘As part of this, we are seeing the more specialist buy to let market stabilising, with less rapid, but still robust, growth than in previous years. As professional investors continue to expand their portfolios and add value by refurbishing or renovating, the signs are there for a continuing strong mortgage market. In order to ensure market sustainability, brokers should always encourage responsible borrowing by clients,’ she added. Continue reading
UK residential property market activity strong as valuations rise
Last month saw the strongest activity on record for property valuations in any month since 2007, up 36% on a monthly basis and annual growth of 42%, new data shows. After a 36% increase in activity on a monthly basis, the total number of valuations carried out in March 2015 has grown by 42% compared to March 2014. First time buyer activity increased by 33% in March compared with the previous month and was up 40% from the same month last year, according to the latest research from Connells Survey and Valuation. Activity on behalf of those further up the property ladder also saw rapid growth, but at a slower pace than for first time buyers. Valuations on behalf of established home movers picked up by 32% on a monthly basis and by 23% over the last 12 months. ‘New announcements like the Help to Buy ISA have combined with existing government schemes to boost interest from first time buyers. In the short term this is mainly about sentiment, but extra support has been consistently focused at this end of the market for years now, with a longer term impact too,’ said John Bagshaw, corporate services director of Connells Survey & Valuation. The data also shows that remortgaging in March has outperformed the overall housing market, posting 54% growth on an annual basis, following a 33% month on month rise and Bagshaw pointed out that record low interest rates are likely to stay for several more months. ‘Many households with a mortgage that seemed extremely competitive just a few years ago could find it in their interests to refinance, even to the security of a fixed rate. Such a recalibration of the mortgage market is working alongside a resurgent property purchase market to stoke demand for valuations,’ he explained. ‘Of course a little further ahead, there is still the prospect of interest rate rises. In fact deflation caused by a volatile oil price could make a turning point for interest rates more dramatic as and when this occurs. So there is no space for complacency although that isn’t stopping people looking for the best deals,’ he added. With by far the strongest monthly increase, buy to let activity in March was 54% stronger than in February. This takes the number of valuations carried out on behalf of buy to let landlords to levels 64% ahead of March 2014. The firm believes that landlords are responding to a pick-up in demand from tenants and a noticeable improvement in rental yields in some hotspots. It’s also possible this is another artefact of a booming jobs market, as people move to take up jobs. ‘Landlords are generally low LTV borrowers who tend to have reliable finances away from their property investments, so for lenders they offer a sound investment in a similar way to many… Continue reading
Brazilians search the most for property in Miami, new research shows
Potential buyers from Brazil are leasing investment interest in the Miami real estate market which leads the United States in international property sales. It again led all foreign countries searching for South Florida real estate on the Miami Association of Realtors website in February 2015. The South American country, which topped all global consumers searching Miamire.com in the same period last year, has regularly ranked among Miami’s top foreign buyers. According to the association the distinction is significant considering Miami has the highest concentration of foreign born residents of any major US city and leads the nation in international real estate sales. In 2014, Brazilians registered 11% of all South Florida international real estate deals. Brazil had the third most property transactions in Miami and Broward Counties among all global consumers, trailing only Venezuela at 16% and Argentina at 12%. Brazilians spend the most on South Florida properties among foreign buyers, paying an average of $495,000. On average, Miami’s international buyers paid $444,000 per purchase, compared to $245,000 state wide. ‘Miami is an international city with world-class amenities, and that’s a big draw for Brazilians,’ said Christopher Zoller, 2015 residential president of the Miami Association of Realtors. ‘Typically, the Brazilians moving to South Florida are upper middle class families who want to enjoy their prosperity earned in Brazil as professionals and entrepreneurs,’ he added. A breakdown of the February figures shows that after Brazil the next most popular nationality searching for property was Colombians, followed by Venezuelans, then Canadians and then Indians. Searches from Argentina, the UK, Russia, the Philippines and Italy completed the top 10. When it comes to domestic searches, the most came from California, followed by Georgia, then Texas, New York, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina. Nationally, Miami is consistently one of the top markets for foreign countries searching for property in the US In February Miami ranked as a top five market for 12 of 20 foreign nations searching for real estate on Realtor.com and Realtor.com International. Miami registered as a top market for real estate consumers in Canada, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, France, Italy, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and South Africa. Continue reading
