May was the cheapest month for fixed rate mortgages since the onset of the financial crisis, according to the latest National Mortgage Index from Mortgage Advice Bureau.
At 3.96 per cent the average five-year fixed rate for the month dropped below 4 per cent for the first time since MAB’s records began in June 2007 and was 0.9 per cent better than the same time last year.
The difference adds up to a fixed term saving of over £4,700 for any borrower who took out the average five-year fixed mortgage in May compared with May 2012 – and a saving of over £13,000 compared with June 2007 based on the average purchase mortgage for May 2013 of £155,338.
Average two and three-year rates also hit record lows in May 2013 at 3.82 per cent and 4.13 per cent respectively.
The percentage of homebuyers choosing fixed rates has jumped from 76 per cent to 92 per cent in the last 12 months. Using data from more than 500 brokers and 800 estate agents, the National Mortgage Index shows a similar change in remortgage applications: 89 per cent were for fixed deals in May 2013 compared with 72 per cent in May 2012.
| June 2007 | May 2012 | May 2013 | |
| Average two-year fixed rate | 6.26 per cent | 4.66 per cent | 3.82 per cent |
| Average three-year fixed rate | 6.35 per cent | 4.86 per cent | 4.13 per cent |
| Average five-year fixed rate | 6.36 per cent | 4.86 per cent | 3.96 per cent |
| Fixed term cost of average five year deal | £62,118 | £53,728 | £48,990 |
Rise in house purchase activity
Homebuyers have driven the surge of activity in recent months with purchase applications during May 2013 up by 43 per cent year-on-year, compared with a 20 per cent increase in remortgage applications.
Loan-to-values
Competition from lenders has had a positive impact on rates across the loan-to-value (LTV) range over the last year. The average purchase LTV of 71.4 per cent in May 2013 was 3 per cent higher than the same time in 2012.
As a result, although deposit requirements grew month-on-month from April, the typical homebuyer saved over £1,300 on their deposit in May 2013 compared with May 2012.
Purchase prices have increased in that time, reflecting the 2.6 per cent annual growth to April 2013 in the latest House Price Index from the Office for National Statistics. MAB’s figures show the typical homebuyer therefore applied to borrow £6,600 more for their mortgage in May 2013 than the same time last year.
Product numbers jump by 6 per cent
Consumers benefitted from a 6 per cent leap in the number of mortgage products offered during May – whether or not they chose to use brokers or go direct to lenders. May saw an average of 7,177 intermediary mortgage products available compared with 2,541 direct-only products.
Over two thousand more products were available in total compared with May 2012 (9,658 vs. 7,553). The total for May 2013 has only been bettered twice since MAB’s records began and that was in April 2009.
Brian Murphy, head of lending at Mortgage Advice Bureau, commented: “As recently as two years ago the idea that five-year fixed rates would average less than 4 per cent was absurd. Now we’re looking at a situation where five-year rates have fallen every month this year and product numbers keep on climbing as lenders compete for business.
“Current activity is especially strong in the new build sector where Help to Buy is providing an answer for many buyers with limited deposits. Competition is set to get more intense over the summer as more lenders spot the potential for growth in the market for new build properties.”
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