3 September 2014 | By Bob Hunt, Chief Executive, Paradigm
There appears to be a surfeit of “analysis”, “data” and “research” at the moment all focused on ‘outlooks for the future’.
All the press activity is focused on buyer/seller confidence, house price and interest rate anticipation, or giving mortgage availability.
The summer can be the silly season but it does appear that in a market which appears to be moving along quite nicely, there is a concerted focus on the perceived difficulties around securing finance and buying a home.
Why? It could have something to do with overall mood music – interest rates to rise, flat wage levels, loans harder to come by, house price rises equal larger deposit requirements, and so on. Unlikely to make you feel up about your chances of getting a property.
But look beyond this: mortgage approvals rising, rates being cut, new lenders in the wings, demand to own a home still strong. It is not quite the sombre picture many have been led to expect.
And here is the issue for advisers: it is about getting the reality of the situation across to clients that their ambitions for owning a property are not out of reach. The market is functioning and, with a few notable exceptions, functioning well.