1
May
Number of mortgages rises
More mortgages were lent in March than in February, new figures
have indicated.
Bank of England statistics revealed a total of 39,230 loans being
agreed for house purchases, compared with 37,716 in the previous
month.
The level of remortgages also saw a slight rise from 31,676 to
31,746.
Such figures may provide a further indication of a recovery in the
housing market.
Commenting on the figures, chief economist at the Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors Simon Rubinsohn said that the market is
"continuing to pick up".
A more pronounced recovery, he added, may take place if the
government's asset-backed securities guarantee scheme "finds favour
with investors".
Head of research at the Council of Mortgage Lenders Bob Pannell
suggested the level of net lending agreed so far showed that its
predictions for the year may have been "pessimistic" and might need
to be revised.
