The mortgage market is booming in the North of England with the number of first-time buyers soaring to a pre-financial crisis high.
Figures released today by UK Finance revealed, in 2018, the mortgage industry helped nearly 85,000 households buy their first home in the region – which is made up of the North West, North East and Yorkshire and Humber.
This is an increase of 3% on the previous year and is the highest level since 2006, according to UK Finance which is publishing the data to coincide with its ‘Northern Powerhouse’ dinner to discuss how financial services can support the region’s economy.
These strong figures, it suggested, were down better affordability in regions of the North, where the average deposits and income multiples were lower than anywhere else in England. It said there was an increase of 1.1% in the number of home movers.
Buy-to-let hotspots
It wasn’t just residential mortgages which were helping to drive the boom. Newcastle, Liverpool and Hull bucked the national trend and experienced strong growth in buy-to-let lending, UK Finance revealed.
It said this had been driven by lower house prices and a healthy labour market as well as strong rental demand. This allowed landlords to achieve higher yields than the UK average.
The growth in Hull was particularly strong – with buy-to-let lending soaring by 12.8%.
Jackie Bennett, director of mortgages at UK Finance, said: “These figures show the North of England has a strong and dynamic mortgage market, with lenders helping thousands of first-time buyers onto the housing ladder.
“This has been combined with a steady increase in home movers, making it easier for buyers to find a property that suits their needs.
She added: “The mortgage industry stands ready to work with the UK government and local authorities to capitalise on these strengths and help deliver on the full economic potential of the Northern Powerhouse.”
Strong regional disparities
While the figures were good news for the North of England, they also exposed weaknesses in other parts of the UK, particularly in London.
Shaun Church, director of Private Finance, said they highlighted the strong regional disparities in both housing demand and activity.
“Comparatively low property prices and strong rental demand makes the North an attractive prospect for landlords,” he said.
“After years of being slammed by regulatory changes making it harder to turn a profit, investment location has never been more important. Northern regions are still enjoying decent house price growth, meaning landlords can also enjoy an increase in the value of their asset.”
By Kate Saines
Source: Mortgage Finance Gazette