UK mortgage product numbers continue to rise
For the third consecutive month we have seen the number of mortgage products available in the UK continue to rise although they are still 90% below the peak of the market back in August 2007. Last week there were 2,516 mortgage products available in the UK which is the first time this has topped 2,500 since May 2009. However while competition is returning to the UK mortgage arena there is no doubt that more work needs to be done and more competitive deals need to be brought in as soon as possible.
Despite the fact that Christmas and New Year are relatively quiet periods for the UK housing market, we have seen a sudden injection of competition into the mortgage market which has been welcomed by housebuilders and house buyers alike. However, this trend will only continue if the UK economy has moved out of recession and continues to grow through 2010, an outlook on which more and more people are becoming sceptical.
In spite of the increase in competition and increased number of products available in the mortgage market it is worth remembering that there were in excess of 30,000 separate mortgage products available in the UK prior to the collapse of Northern Rock, a figure which is now only just above 2,500. This is a perfect reflection of the troubles the UK property market has experienced over the last 2 1/2 years.
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