10.22.08

Deposits for best buy mortgages continue to soar



Since the onset of the global credit card crunch a number of radical changes have taken place in the mortgage industry. Lenders have had to tighten their credit conditions and eligibility criteria, the number of mortgage products on the market has dwindled by two thirds, arrangement fees on mortgage loans have shot up, borrowing costs on mortgages have risen, and lenders have been asking for far higher deposits from borrowers in order to access their best rates.

According to one recent report the average amount of deposit that is now required in order to access a best buy mortgages has rocketed to £37,119. With borrowers looking to find nearly £40,000 in order to get an affordable mortgage deal many more people will find themselves priced out of the market, particularly first time buyers will no previous property from which to take equity.

Officials from mform.co.uk have said that consumers in England and Wales would be looking to pay an average £180,781 for a property, and this would mean finding a deposit of over £37,000 in order to secure the most competitive and affordable mortgage deals. Officials have added that the amount of money that borrowers are having to find upfront has been rising even though actual house prices have been falling for many months now.

One official from the group said: ‘Availability of mortgage deals remains the biggest issue for borrowers who do not have equity in their homes. Those who have benefited from the decade-long housing boom can still qualify for the most competitive rates. However, first-time buyers or those who have entered the property market recently will struggle to qualify for the most competitive rates.’