UK Housing Market Update Lenders will be quick to pass on today’s rate rise Today’s rise in Bank Rate is likely to be passed on to borrowers in full and in fairly short order. Admittedly, thanks to the popularity of fixed rate mortgages in recent years, many borrowers will... 2nd November 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Why are London buyers on lower interest rates? Borrowers in London pay, on average, lower mortgage interest rates compared to the rest of the country. This reflects regional differences in LTV, as well as the fact that rapid house price growth has... 26th October 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Has the shortage of homes for sale worsened? Changes in the number of surveyors, seller behaviour and the rise of online agents mean that the fall in homes for sale may be overstated. Our analysis suggests that while the number of homes for sale... 20th October 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Mortgage rates are heading back over 3% Mortgage rates are set to move back above 3% by the end of 2019. On its own, a rise in mortgage interest rates on that scale is unlikely to trigger another downturn in house prices. But it will act as... 28th September 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Are house prices in prime central London outperforming? House price growth in prime central London appears strong, but that mostly reflects gains seen in late 2016. Indeed, much like the UK as a whole, activity and price growth in the prime boroughs have... 17th August 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Is remortgaging set to surge? The factors holding back remortgaging are unlikely to give way soon, meaning that recent gains probably aren’t the start of a fresh surge in activity. That said, with so many borrowers sitting on... 3rd August 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Can the East Midlands continue to outperform? House price growth in the East Midlands is near the top of the pack regionally, but that largely reflects the slowdown seen elsewhere in the country. And with the labour market and buyer demand in the... 21st July 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Has the FPC tightened mortgage regulation? The marginal tightening of the mortgage affordability test announced in this week’s FSR is unlikely to have a direct, restrictive effect on the supply of mortgage finance. But it may have indirect... 30th June 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Can housebuilders boost their productivity? Construction sector productivity in the UK has in part been held back by slow adoption of new construction techniques. And while productivity has struggled to rise in countries with higher use of pre... 23rd June 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Is HTB propping up home sales? The number of homes purchased using HTB suffered its normal seasonal slump in the first quarter. But on an annual comparison, there are no signs that the rate of take-up of the scheme is moderating... 22nd June 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Have buy-to-let curbs supported owner occupiers? There is little evidence as yet that buy-to-let curbs have boosted mortgage lending to owner occupiers. While first-time buyer numbers do seem to have grown, that appears to have been driven by other... 15th June 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Does election uncertainty influence the housing market? Despite frequent claims to the contrary, there is little if any tangible evidence that housing market participants alter their buying and selling behaviour in the run up to a general election. 8th June 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Why this house price slowdown will persist We don’t expect a resurgence in house price growth anytime soon. In London and the south, the forces that drove post-crisis house price growth have petered out. And underlying demand and supply... 18th May 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Will materials costs hit housebuilding? A weak pound has driven materials price inflation for housebuilders to a six-year high. All else equal, rising materials costs will dent builder margins, but they are unlikely to prevent further gains... 3rd May 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Why are new buyer enquiries so subdued? The subdued level of new buyer enquiries could be seen as further evidence of the headwinds facing households this year. But we think it is best viewed as a sign that recent distortions have worked... 26th April 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Housing supply boosted by change of use Net additions to the dwelling stock reached an eight-year high in 2016. Traditional completions still dominate, but changes to the permitted development rules in 2013 seem increasingly to be bearing... 20th April 2017 · 1 min read
