Rise in home movers drives boost in house purchase loans and gross lending

A rise in lending to home movers was the main driver of an increase in house purchase lending in July, according to data published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. The number of loans taken out by home movers rose by 8% compared to June and by 4% on July last year. Home movers were advanced 30,500 loans worth £5.1 billion in July, with the increase contributing to a jump in house purchase lending. This continued an upward trend in house purchase lending following the expected drop in April, linked to the end of the stamp duty concession in March. A total of 49,500 loans were advanced (worth £7.6 billion) marking a 5% rise compared to both June and the same period last year, as well as a 7% rise in value on the previous month. The effect of this increase was a rise in gross lending. Gross lending totalled £12.7 billion in July, a 7% increase from £11.9 billion in June and up by 2% compared to July last year. Lending to first-time buyers remained resilient in July, while not matching the growth shown by home mover lending. A total of 19,000 loans were advanced to first-time buyers, down from 19,200 in June, but stronger than at the same time last year. These loans were valued at a total of £2.5 billion. Despite an increase in total lending value and a fall in the number of loans, the median loan size for first-time buyers decreased in July compared to June. This was caused by an increase in the number of first-time buyers purchasing more expensive properties, with 14% of first-time buyers buying homes worth over £250,000 compared to 12% in June. At 81%, the average loan-to-value ratio (LTV) for a first-time buyer edged above 80% for the first time in over 3 years. This is in contrast to home movers, with borrowers in July taking out 69% of the properties value, compared to an average of 70% observed for almost a year. Commenting on the figures, CML director general Paul Smee said: "July's figures show a gradual improvement in the market with lending approaching the sort of levels we saw at the end of the stamp duty concession. "While overall market conditions remain tight, new initiatives such as Funding for Lending and NewBuy have the potential to help lending to continue to ease gradually." September 13, 2012