Summer Roundup October 2026
Summer Roundup October 2026
Five Lenders Just Hiked Mortgage Rates – Here’s What It Means for You
If you’ve been holding off on locking in a mortgage rate, this week’s news is worth paying attention to. Five major lenders have raised their pricing in the space of a few days, and industry experts are warning that more increases could follow. Here’s what’s happened, why it’s happening, and what it means if you’re…
First-Time Buyer Mortgages in 2026: Challenges, Low-Deposit Deals & Market Outlook
Saving a deposit is still the biggest hurdle for UK first-time buyers. Here’s how new 95%, 99% and no-deposit mortgages work, plus a 2026 housing market and economy update.
Spring Roundup 2025
Pure Mortgage Spring Roundup
Sub-4% Mortgage Deals Return as Lenders Cut Rates
Two major UK lenders, Santander and Barclays, have introduced mortgage deals with interest rates below 4%, marking the first time such rates have been seen since November 2024. This move signals increasing competition in the mortgage market, fuelled by expectations of further Bank of England base rate cuts. However, these sub-4% deals come with conditions…
Homebuyer enquiries and agreed sales at highest level since last summer – RICS
There was a sharp increase in sales agreed during March, following the chancellor’s extension to the stamp duty holiday, according to the latest index from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Demand for homes is now outstripping supply of properties listed for sale. Although new home listings have improved month on month, the pace…
Housing transactions soar in February
February saw the second highest level of housing transactions in a month since February 2007 as buyers rushed to beat the original stamp duty deadline. Figures released by HM Revenue and Customs, showed 147,050 residential mortgage transactions were completed in February. The only month with a higher figure since February 2007 was in March…
Equity release rates at record lows amid higher choice of options
The average equity release rate has fallen to a record low while the number of options available to consumers has reached a new high, according to the latest figures from Moneyfacts. The average rate across lifetime mortgages has dropped below 4% for the first time on Moneyfacts records, standing at 3.95% today. The average rate…
Strength in First Time buyer market
First time buyers accounted for around half of all home purchases in 2020, despite rising house prices and closure of the housing market during the first lockdown, according to research from Halifax. With the market largely grinding to a halt during spring, the overall number of buyers in 2020 was down by over 46,000 (13%)…