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House price growth slowing in Spain, but headline figures mask regional differences
Although generally the housing market in Spain is perceived as recovering well there are signs of growth slowing, according to some of the latest figures to be published. Residential prices grew by 1.3% in May and by 1.5% in the first five months of the year, but this is lower than the 1.9% registered up until the end of April. The data from the latest index property appraisers, Tinsa, also shows that the average price of a property in Spain is still down 41.4% since 2007. However, the national figures hide signs of real growth in some sectors and locations. For example, prices in capitals and large cities as well as in the Balearic and Canary Islands were up 3.5% year on year in May. On the Mediterranean Coast prices increased by 1.6% and metropolitan areas saw smaller annual growth at 0.7%. But in the rest of the municipalities category prices have been falling, down 2.5%. But even the breakdown of the figures shows there are signs of slowing growth. Since the beginning of 2016 average prices on the Mediterranean Coast remained at the same level as the beginning of the year but were up 1.3% in the capitals and large cities and the metropolitan areas. In the first five months of the year the rest of the municipalities category saw growth of 1.5%, and the Balearic and Canary Islands have seen the strongest price growth at 4.2%. Meanwhile, the latest asking price index from property portal Fotocasa shows that sellers reduced their price expectations by an average of 0.7% in April compared to a year ago. The average asking price in April was €1,624 per square meter, down by 0.2% month on month but overall the index has been stable for 12 months now with prices never varying more than 1% either up or down. Beatriz Toribio, head of research at Fotocasa, believes that house prices will continue to go in different directions during 2016. ‘Whilst in some areas of the country prices are stabilising or even rising, in others they continue to fall hard. This is a consequence of the crisis the sector has lived through, which has left a market of two or more speeds,’ she explained. Official figures released by the Government also suggest a slowing in recent months. It says that year on year prices have increased by 2.4% but by only 0.2% in the first quarter of 2016. A breakdown of the figures show that house prices rose the most in the Balearics with growth of 9.6%, followed by Catalonia up 4.9%, Madrid up 4.2%, Extremadura up 3.7%, Galicia up 2.6%, the Valencian region up 2.4%, and the Canaries also up 2.4%. Continue reading
EU vote contributing to slow down in home lending in the UK
A further slowdown in home lending in May ahead of the referendum on the future of the UK in the European Union means house purchase lending activity has fallen to a 12 month low. There were 65,113 house purchase approvals, down 1.7% from 66,250 the previous month, according to the latest Mortgage Monitor from residential chartered surveyor e.surv. This marks a 12 month low in lending levels and is the lowest monthly figure for home purchase loans since the 64,626 granted in May 2015. It follows monthly declines of 5.8% in April and 3% in March meaning volumes have fallen 10.5% over the last three months and the report says that the political uncertainty ahead of the EU Referendum may be causing caution amongst lenders and borrowers alike. The recent falls represent a marked turnaround from the peak in lending seen at the start of the year. January and February both saw strong numbers of house purchase approvals granted at 73,060 and 72,512 per month respectively as buy to let landlords and second home buyers pushed through purchases ahead of the stamp duty changes in April. Now, by comparison, the lending market is settling back into its usual rhythm. On an annual basis however, house purchase lending rose marginally in May by 0.8%. The proportion of small deposit lending also dropped slightly in May comprising 18.4% of total home lending, down from 19.1% the previous month. Meanwhile, lending to large deposit buyers, those with a deposit of 60% or more, picked up significantly and now makes up 30.7% of all borrowing. Richard Sexton, director of e.surv chartered surveyors, said that despite the uncertainty the mortgage market remains on an even keel and home buyers have more options than ever as lenders work to expand their range of mortgage options further. He pointed out that new mortgages with longer repayment terms and innovative inter-generational mortgages are offering financial buoyancy aids for buyers but there can be little doubt that the referendum is causing some nervousness within financial circles and bringing new unknowns with it. ‘This political milestone could impact the UK’s economic outlook and slowing growth could pose problems of its own for both lenders and borrowers. Juggling these challenges will be key to maintaining the current health of the mortgage market and lenders should brace themselves for possible surprises,’ he explained. ‘Faced with this uncertainty, it’s perhaps no surprise that home lending levels are falling slightly. The result is a slight tail off in the middle of the year as home buyers pause for thought and lenders are gifted more time to investigate the potential of offering additional mortgage choices. A lull in buy to let lending following April’s stamp duty changes has also added to this calming in the market,’ he added. The report also shows that small deposit loans(to buyers with a deposit worth 15% or less of their properties’ total value totalled 11,981 in absolute terms in May,… Continue reading
Demand for rental properties in UK increased in first quarter of 2016
Despite attempts by the UK Government to dampen the buy to let market and stimulate home buying, the first quarter of 2016 saw demand for properties to rent continue to rise, new research shows. The number of landlords reporting tenant demand as either increasing slightly or significantly stood at 39%, up from 34% in the fourth quarter of 2015. A further 36% of landlords described tenant demand as being stable. According to the latest survey by BDRC Continental for Paragon Mortgages, the sector is also witnessing high levels of tenant satisfaction. Some 79% tenants surveyed said they are satisfied with their current landlord. The research also found that 85% of tenants consider their current rental property to be their home and 69% believe the level of rent they pay to be good or very good value for money. Reflecting the changing balance in housing tenure, the average length of time tenants are spending in their current properties now stands at nearly seven years. The average length of time spent in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in total was reported to be nearly 13 years. Landlords also agree that the PRS plays an increasingly important role in housing the UK. With the social housing sector having lost around one million homes since 1991, some 78% of landlords polled agreed the PRS compensates to some extent for the decline of the social housing sector. An overwhelming majority, 89%, of landlords also stated the PRS has an important role to play in accommodating those who are priced out of home ownership, while 74% agreed the PRS plays a role in accommodating those excluded from social housing by dwindling supply. ‘The rise of the PRS and the decline of the social housing sector have been the predominant trends in the UK’s changing housing tenure over the last 20 years. This data gives an interesting insight into how both tenants and landlords perceive these trends,’ said John Heron, director of mortgages at Paragon. ‘It’s good to see tenant satisfaction at such high levels. The sector often suffers from negative PR and the good work done by the vast majority of landlords to provide homes for those who cannot or do not want to buy goes unremarked,’ he explained. ‘This survey clearly demonstrates that the PRS is increasingly providing longer term solutions in housing and that responsible and professional landlords are supporting the provision of housing to those that rely on the PRS for their home,’ he added. Continue reading
