Increasing numbers of first-time buyers help build mortgage activity according to UK Finance

Latest UK Finance news – Update on lending – December 2017.

UK Finance estimate gross mortgage lending in November was £23.1 billion, 9 per cent higher than a year earlier, with 60 per cent of all new lending provided by High Street banks.

Commenting on the data, Managing Director of Commercial and Personal Finance Eric Leenders said,

“Today’s data reflects a continuing trend that we have seen throughout 2017: ongoing activity in the mortgage market and a shift towards more flexible and affordable personal credit options. But there are signs of caution from the business community which could indicate that many firms are choosing to build up capital rather than borrowing to invest.

“Increasing numbers of first-time buyers, low interest rates and a competitive marketplace have helped build up mortgage activity through the year, with gross lending standing at nine per cent higher than at the same point in 2016. Credit card spending has continued to rise as more financial transactions are now carried out using cards, mirroring the declining use of loans and personal overdrafts.

“However, business borrowing has continued to moderate through 2017, with the major sectors of manufacturing, wholesale and retail business showing only modest annual growth, while construction and property-related sectors have contracted their bank borrowing over the year.”

Read the latest UK Finance news posted 28th December 2017 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

Housing Insight Report – April 2025

House prices see month-on-month uplift The average UK house price stood at £271,000 in March 2025 (latest figures available). This highlights changes in the average house price year on year to March 2025 for each constituent part of the UK, with Northern Ireland continuing to see the largest growth during this period. Sales volumes within…
Read More
Breaking News

Thoughts from the Property Industry – National Housing Bank

Thoughts from the Property Industry on the creation of a new National Housing Bank to provide finance to developers of many sizes, to build homes. Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark: “On the face of things, the news of the introduction of the National Housing Bank is much welcome and will inject a desperately needed boost…
Read More
Breaking News

Planning document will make it easier to ‘green’ new developments

Formal approval has been granted for a planning document to make new developments in Nottingham more environmentally-friendly. Senior councillors on the city council’s Executive Board gave the green light to the Reduction of Carbon in New Development Supplementary Planning Document (Carbon SPD) yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 17 June). SPDs add further detail to policies in Nottingham’s…
Read More
Breaking News

1.8 Million Rental Homes Still Below The Energy Rating 2028 Target, LandlordBuyer Finds

New analysis by property acquisition specialists LandlordBuyer reveals that over 1.8 million privately rented homes in England still fall short of the government’s proposed minimum energy efficiency standard of EPC rating C, with just three years to go before the 2028 compliance deadline. Using the latest data from the MHCLG and EPC Register, LandlordBuyer found that as…
Read More
Breaking News

ONS House Price Index – April 2025

The average monthly rate of house price growth in April fell to -2.7%. The average annual rate of house price growth in April was up 3.5% As a result, the average UK house price remains at £265,000. Responding to Sales Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark: “The first half of 2025 has proven very different from…
Read More
Breaking NewsEstate Agent Talk

Property Industry response to latest inflation figures

Matt Smith, Rightmove’s mortgage expert: “As the rate of inflation stays above 3%, the expectation is that the Bank of England is set to act cautiously. Anticipation had risen that we may be in line for multiple Base Rate cuts this year at the peak of tariff uncertainty, but as some of these pressures have…
Read More