House purchase lending down in London

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) published today press release  headlined ‘Loans to first-time buyers up but movers down in London’.

In it’s news release it begins by mentioning that in the second quarter home buyers in London borrowed £5.5bn for home-owner house purchase, down 23% quarter-on-quarter and 3% on a year ago…...more

Paul Smee, director general of the CML, commented: “First-time buyers have continued to drive mortgage lending in London, with 10% more first-time buyer lending in the second quarter than the first.The opposite is time for home movers, probably just reflecting a rebalancing after the very strong first quarter as many buyers sought to complete purchases before changes to stamp duty.

“The second quarter data largely pre-dates the EU referendum. While it will take time to see how Brexit may affect the market, the London mortgage market clearly remains active and firmly open for business”.

To read the CML report in full 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.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

One in five homebuyers have been ‘catfished’

The latest research from House Buyer Bureau has found that, with the rise of A.I, “homebuyer catfishing” is becoming an increasingly familiar experience for UK buyers, with one in five saying they viewed a property where the listing photos had been digitally enhanced to make the home appear better than it actually was. However, while the…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Only 31% of letting agents confident their onboarding process protects against tenancy fraud

The latest research from Propoly has revealed that just 31% of UK letting agents are absolutely confident that their tenant onboarding process protects against tenancy fraud, as lengthy onboarding times and delays with referencing continue to create challenges for the industry.   Propoly surveyed UK letting agents to understand how long tenant onboarding currently takes,…
Read More
Breaking News

Are first-time buyers ruling themselves out before they even apply?

New report reveals widespread mortgage myths, with more than half wrongly thinking existing debt rules out being approved More than a third of potential first-time buyers (37%) worry about being rejected for a mortgage Over half (53%) have delayed major life milestones while trying to buy their first home, including getting married and having children…
Read More
Breaking News

Housing Insight Report: June 2026

June’s housing market remained active, but buyers and renters continued to show caution. Buyer registrations dipped, while sales agreed remained broadly stable. In lettings, demand continued to outstrip supply, with nine applicants per available property. The average number of new prospective buyers registered per member branch dipped during June 2026, with an average of 55.…
Read More
Breaking News

Private rent and house prices, UK: August 2026

Main points Average UK monthly private rent increased by 3.7%, to £1,393, in the 12 months to July 2026 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is up from 3.3% in the 12 months to June 2026. Average rents increased to £1,451 (3.8%) in England, £843 (4.5%) in Wales, and £1,016 (1.7%) in Scotland, in the…
Read More
Breaking News

Scrapping Stamp Duty could unlock 300,000 extra home moves a year

Economic growth in key regions, such as around Cambridge and the ‘tech corridor’ being held back by stagnant housing market. Rathbones argues that a more mobile housing market could help unlock part of the UK’s £5.5 trillion housing wealth.   Reforming Britain’s property tax system could unlock more than 300,000 additional housing transactions each year…
Read More