LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#creditratingagency–KBRA releases research that examines the UK mortgage and housing marketplace. In this update to our September 2023 research report, KBRA explores the financing market for house purchases across the UK, as well as current challenges and trends in the region’s housing market.
As interest rates rise and expectations for rate cuts fluctuate, the cost of financing house purchases has been volatile, but remains elevated. While house prices are declining, mortgage costs and rental prices are migrating higher. House prices remain under pressure due to affordability for both new and existing homeowners, and rents have been rising at double-digit rates. Further declines in house prices are expected to moderate as mortgage rates have declined, although at comparatively elevated levels to prior years.
Key Takeaways
- The amount of UK residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) held by investors has stopped shrinking as issuers increase activity, with GBP63.3 billion held by investors. Covered bonds remain the capital market mortgage funding choice for banks with GBP72.8 billion outstanding.
- Loan performance demonstrates signs of ongoing deterioration away from prime collateral as delinquencies increase, most notably in buy-to-let (BTL) pools. Mortgage balances in arrears across the UK are on the rise with GBP51 million of missed payments in Q4 2023.
- Affordability pressures are easing as mortgage rates adjust to rate moves. However, joint incomes represent 60% of new lending, which is an increasing proportion of mortgage approvals and a signal that households are stretching further in order to qualify.
- Mortgage lending improves with house purchase borrowing returning to historical norms with 61,325 approvals in Q1 2024 as first-time buyers replace declining BTL volumes.
- House prices have recently improved with offer prices up 1.7% in April 2024. Expectations of future declines are waning with the UK Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) cutting its forecast for house price declines to only -3% in 2024. Supply constraints persist with only 23,360 new starts in Q4 2023, a decline of 40% year-over-year (YoY).
Click here to view the report.
Related Publications
- UK Mortgage and Housing Market Trends
- UK Building Societies: Resilient Financial Profiles Amid Ongoing Challenges
- UK Buy-to-Let: A Brewing Remortgage Storm?
- Equity Release Mortgages: Supportive Environment for UK Expansion … and Beyond?
About KBRA
KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered in the U.S., the EU, and the UK, and is designated to provide structured finance ratings in Canada. KBRA’s ratings can be used by investors for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions.
Doc ID: 1004383
Contacts
Gordon Kerr, Managing Director, Head of European Research
+44 20 8148 1020
gordon.kerr@kbra.com
Kali Sirugudi, Managing Director
+44 20 8148 1050
kali.sirugudi@kbra.com
Yee Cent Wong, Co-Head of Europe
+353 1 588 1260
yee.cent.wong@kbra.com
Jack Kahan, Senior Managing Director, Head of Global RMBS
+1 646-731-2486
jack.kahan@kbra.com
Media Contact
Adam Tempkin, Director of Communications
+1 646-731-1347
adam.tempkin@kbra.com
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Mauricio Noé, Co-Head of Europe
+44 20 8148 1010
mauricio.noe@kbra.com
Miten Amin, Managing Director
+44 20 8148 1002
miten.amin@kbra.com
