Will Demise Of Help To Buy 2 Squeeze Out FTBs?

First-time buyers are the lifeblood of the mortgage market but could lenders be about to restrict their circulation? A recent 16 per cent fall in the availability of 95 per cent LTV mortgages, coupled with the upcoming end to the Government’s Help to Buy 2 scheme, has led to fears about the long-term health of the sector. Figures released jointly by Moneyfacts and AmTrust International, Mortgage and Special Risks show a decline in the number of 95 per cent LTV products in the market between March and August, from 270 to 225. However, the number of available products remains significantly higher than the 195 in August 2015. So should we be worried about this drop? Read more on the Mortgage Strategy website.

ARLA Finds Supply Of Rented Homes At Its Lowest Ebb

The supply of rental properties has dropped to its lowest level in a year, according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). In its January Private Rental Sector (PRS) report, the organisation found that there were an average 172 properties available to rent per member branch – the lowest level since it began keeping such records a year ago. The figure is 10 properties fewer than in December 2015. Meanwhile, demand for rental accommodation picked up in January with an average of 31 prospective tenants now registered per branch. However, it has not returned to the high levels reported in January and February last year, ARLA said, when there were 38 and 40 tenants registered per branch respectively. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Housing Stock: Landlords – Parliamentary Written Answer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to monitor availability of homes in the Buy to Let category in the UK.

Brandon Lewis: Analysts in my Department monitor the buy to let market on a regular basis. Their analysis and estimates for the sector are based on data the Department has purchased from the Council of Mortgage Lenders. This is a private database with commercial in confidence data. Officials in my Department also have a wide range of meetings with lenders (both professional bodies such as Council for Mortgage Lender and Building Society Association) to monitor the buy to let market.