It is easy to imagine that those looking closely at the housing market stood with mouths wide open in surprise when the data for February from Halifax was reviewed. How could the forecasts that predicted gloom and doom for the housing market on the cusp of Brexit actually turn out to reveal the largest monthly increase since 1983? More than £13,000 in value was added to the average home in only a 28 day period of February.

Homeowners may have been feeling the pressure to remortgage as Brexit nears and warnings come of increased rates sure to happen this year. The demand for remortgaging has had an impact on the lending market. Competition has increased for the many customers shopping around and that has made lenders more competitive and fighting for the attention of borrowers. The result is better deals being offered for those looking to build a safety net against paying more for their repayments than necessary.

First time property buyers face quite a number of challenges in reaching the first rung of the property ladder. These challenges range from putting together enough for a deposit, to affording the administration fees of the loan, to figuring out how to pay for the insurance on the property. Many first timers now are finding others to take on this expense and share the costs of the first property. This is a solution which is working for many, but there is now another method to make a way to the property ladder. That first step can now be reached with an interest only mortgage loan and 5% deposit.

There are as many as two million UK property owners who have been automatically switched to their lender Standard Variable Rate mortgage loan after their initial loan matured. This is a concern to many close to the housing market. Property owners are potentially paying almost £5,000 more per year if they allow their mortgage loan to be transitioned to the SVR according to the most recent data. Increases in outgoings often affect many other aspects of paying bills for the average household budget.

House price growth over the past decade has placed a premium on getting what is paid for within the housing market. This would be quite an issue for those purchasing their first home, but the increase in prices has unfortunately prohibited that from happening. Many first time buyers have been shut out from the buying experience and are not even in the market to find out about value of the property they have purchased. This lack of affordable housing for many has redefined the process for them and changed how they go about it. Many are now choosing to buy their first home with other people instead of going it alone.

Demand for remortgage lending has picked up in recent weeks which has prompted many lenders to cut rates even further. The New Year began several weeks ago with many offering remortgage packages at lower rates in an effort to increase interest amid uncertainty in the housing market with Brexit. Now, lenders of all sizes are seeing demand for remortgage hit a new level and they are responding by making remortgage deals even more competitive. It truly is a borrower market at the moment according to housing experts.