Buy-to-Let lending down on August.

October 12, 2016

Press release published today from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) headlines ‘August House Purchase Lending up 11% compared to a year ago.’

The news article leads: Home-owners borrowed £12.2bn for house purchase, up 14% month-on-month and 11% year-on-year. They took out 66,000 loans, up 13% on July and 9% on August 2015.

Paul Smee, director general of the CML, commented: “House purchase activity bounced back from a dip in July, reflecting resilience in first-time buyer activity.  Mortgage rates remain at or close to historic lows, and the re-pricing of mortgages following August’s base rate cut should help to underpin a continuing, strong appetite for home-ownership over the coming months.

“Buy-to-let by contrast continues to operate at lower levels five months after the stamp duty change on second properties. This appears to be a long-term trend, and with lenders potentially tightening affordability checks ahead of the tax changes in April 2017, activity on the buy-to-let house purchase side may well remain at current levels”.

To read the CML report  in full with data click here

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

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