Low rates and new lenders!
As we enter the final months of the year, we are starting to see more positives from some lenders as they relax their previously strict underwriting criteria. New lenders are also knocking on our doors to see if we can distribute their products. Hoorah! An appetite to lend! I suspect others will make a last ditch attempt to end the year on a high by offering lower rates to attract decent volumes of business in order to hit targets. Rumours are that we shall see some low and attractive tracker rates, but only available for a limited amount of time (i.e. one week, etc). Watch this space! But be wary that if you are after a fixed rate, these are currently more volatile and rates are moving rapidly, some up and some down, depending on the term of the deal.
That said, long term rates have been considerably higher than where they are now. If you are on a long term fixed rate, in excess of 5%, then it may just be worth having a review to see if re-mortgaging now could save you money. With many lenders offering low rates and some offering fee free re-mortgage deals, there’s no harm in reviewing your current mortgage product to see if money can be saved. Even if you are to incur redemption penalties to change lenders, a new mortgage could still work out financially beneficial although this is an important calculation in the overall process. Speak to your local independent mortgage advisers to find out more. It could be a very worthwhile conversation in the run up to Christmas and looking to the future!
Finally, the Buy to Let market has had a busy week. The Post Office withdrew its entire range of Buy to Let products. The lender says it plans to concentrate on helping First Time Buyers and Residential mortgages. And Kensington, the only lender in the Buy to Let market to offer an 85% mortgage, has withdrawn their product. After a bumper few weeks, the lender has allocated their tranche of funding on this great product offering. They will continue to offer mortgages up to 80% of the property value.