Mortgage Market Update – April 2021
The UK mortgage market continues to show positive signs of recovery with the welcome return of 95% loan-to-value mortgages, meaning you’ll only need a 5% deposit to make that dream home a reality. Here’s what we know so far:
Overall mortgage availability has improved, with the number of mortgage products available moving closer to the pre-pandemic levels in March 2020.
Alongside more competitive rates and improvements to lending criteria, February and March also saw a number of 90% loan-to-value mortgages emerge in the market following a long involuntary hibernation due to COVID.
The Spring Budget on 3rd March 2021 brought further signs of life with the announcement of a new Mortgage Guarantee scheme in April…
Rishi Sunak’s unveiling of the Mortgage Guarantee scheme was highly anticipated following media speculation in the weeks leading up to the Spring budget and has helped boost consumer and lender confidence in the mortgage market.
In order to turn ‘generation rent’ in to ‘generation buy’, the Government looks to encourage lenders to offer a range of 95% loan-to-value mortgage products by acting as a guarantor on the higher 80-95% LTV slice of the mortgage. This means that first-time-buyers and home-movers will only need a 5% deposit to buy a home up to £600,000. The scheme is open for new mortgage applications from April 2021 to December 2022 and many of the major high street lenders have confirmed they are taking part.
It is important to note that the Mortgage Guarantee scheme is designed to give the lender peace of mind on riskier high loan-to-value products by guaranteeing to pay any potential losses, so that they are comfortable making 95% products more commonplace in the market.
The scheme does not ‘protect’ the buyer or cover their missed payments and, as with a standard mortgage, there is a risk of repossession if mortgage payments are not met.
The promise of a Government-backed guarantee has had a positive influence on the mortgage market with several banks and building societies having already re-entered the 95% loan-to-value space independent of the Government-backed scheme.
At the time of writing this, Accord, Skipton Building Society and Bank of Ireland have all launched 95% deals independent of Rishi’s Mortgage Guarantee – which marks a real boost in confidence amongst lenders and a willingness to help buyers with lower deposits, who are desperate to get on to the property ladder but who up-until-now have found the door to their first home bolted firmly shut.
If you have a small deposit and are unsure about what options might be available to you, you should speak to a professional mortgage advisor. Countrywide Mortgage Services has access to a wide range of low deposit mortgage deals.
The Mortgage Guarantee scheme has now launched. Buyers will simply need to speak to a mortgage broker or directly to a lender who will advise on what 95% loan-to-value deals are available. Again, a Countrywide Mortgage and Protection Consultant will be able to provide you with further information on your options as well as compare a range of 95% LTV deals already on the market.
As well as 95% loan-to-value mortgages, there are several other options to consider when looking to get your foot on the property ladder. Countrywide Mortgage Services can advise you on the below:
What's next?
Although COVID has created a lot of uncertainty in the market over the past year, making it difficult to predict outcomes for the future, there are clear signs the Mortgage Market has a lot to offer budding buyers this Spring. More competitive mortgage products, more low-deposit mortgage deals, more options to move, more confidence in the lending market - it’s starting to look a little rosier out there.
