For the third month in a row the Abbey National Mortgage Index has shown a rise in the appeal of five year fixed rate mortgages to consumers.
From the survey carried out by the Abbey National there has been a 6 percent increase in those ready to go for a five year fixed rate mortgage if they were remortgaging tomorrow. The figure stands at 30 percent this month, compared with 24 percent and 12 percent in the two months previously.
A lot of the interest in these mortgages will be coming from those with existing fixed rate deals that are set to expire say the Abbey National. Having already enjoyed the security of a fixed rate mortgage these customers will take another one given the opportunity.
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The fact that Northern Rock is making repayments back to the Bank of England for the bail out loan it received seems, on the face of it, to be good news, though it could prove to be detrimental to the mortgage market as a whole.
It has been suggested that Northern Rock is only able to have overpaid on what it owes to date because it has effectively withdrawn from the mortgage market and has received significant sums of money by calling in the home loans. In the very short term it allows Northern Rock to get ahead on their payments, but in the future this means there is less money available in the mortgage market.
If there is less money available to borrow for mortgage customers then the cost of borrowing can rise further, fuelled by demand outstripping supply. Northern Rock mortgages may well come back into the market in the future but at the moment these are worrying times.
The Natwest Bank has announced a reduction to its tracker and fixed rate mortgage rates with cuts of up to 0.3 percent.
Most of the Natwest Bank mortgages have seen rate reductions of 0.1 percent, though a small number have had the full 0.3 percent taken off them, something anyone looking for a mortgage will appreciate. The bank has also introduced a three year tracker that steps down on its rate each year.
A spokesman discussing the rate cuts stated that the Natwest Bank was committed to doing what it could for borrowers in what are difficult times. They are pleased to be able to help both first time buyers and those moving on, feeling that both parts of the housing market need to be helped in order for growth to be seen.